Fresh Faces of Philanthropy 2025: Kayla Clayborne Counts

Profession: Community contributions and public engagement, Tennessee Valley Authority

Nonprofit: Horticultural Society of Middle Tennessee

If you had planted a sugar maple seedling the year Kayla Clayborne Counts started volunteering with the Horticultural Society of Middle Tennessee, today you could have a tree almost 15 feet tall, and you’d be that much further along in efforts to restore Nashville’s tree canopy.

Meanwhile, Kayla has been working with HSMT for a decade to “connect, learn, grow and thrive” through the culture and care of plants and gardens, as well as the conservation of trees, native plants and birds.  

“Our urban tree canopy is critical for the public health and environmental resilience of Middle Tennessee,” says Kayla, who sits on HSMT’s board and serves on the executive committee as director of fundraising. “Our goal is to help plant trees throughout the communities we serve and restore the tree canopy to maintain clean water and air for the future.”

By partnering with Root Nashville, a public-private campaign led by Metro Nashville and the Cumberland River Compact, HSMT aims to plant 500,000 trees across Davidson County by 2050. “This campaign will have an incredible impact for our region,” she says. 

Kayla’s philanthropic work with HSMT mirrors her professional work with the Tennessee Valley Authority, where she manages the community contribution program and matching grant program with TVA’s 153 power companies. In her years at HSMT, Kayla has been a utility player, so to speak. She sets up and designs silent auctions, streamlines fundraiser operations and rolls up her sleeves to provide manpower at events.

“Having professional event planning experience has given me the ability to leverage my skill set to raise funds for HSMT as well as several other area nonprofits close to my heart,” says Kayla, who lists the Nashville Symphony, Nashville Ballet and Junior League of Nashville among her philanthropic causes.

While many strong female mentors guide Kayla’s work in nonprofits, she first followed the lead of her father, Mike Clayborne, whose work with CREATE Foundation in Mississippi imparted a sense of responsibility to give back to her own community — far beyond the trees and streams of Nashville.

“We are on Earth for such a brief moment in time,” she says. “We are passing through, and it’s up to us to take care of and nurture this awesome planet and the community we live in for the next generation.”