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Our Team

President - Joseph D. Smallman

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Joe first visited The Flatiron II, managed by Alano Club of Knoxville Tennessee Inc. in 1982 when he started seeking recovery from his substance use disorder. He was deep in the throes of addiction and was facing prison charges of a mandatory long-term imprisonment for possession and distribution of a “Class A” controlled substance. He was desperately looking for a new way to live and found help in the 12 step recovery rooms. The judge gave Joe a chance to change his life vs. taking him from his kids and branding him a felon. By practicing the 12 steps, Joe learned, “From our deepest wounds, comes our greatest gifts”.


His passion for life was ignited; he went back to university. When he started on his road of recovery, he was not able to write a simple note because drugs and alcohol consumed his life during his formative school years. He graduated with High Honors from University of Tennessee undergraduate school, then moved to London, England to study at The London School of Economics where he earned an M. Phil. degree in financial economics.


He taught at Cambridge University, Cambridge, for a term after graduation and then returned to the private sector working as an investment banker for 26 years. He has published many works on investment banking and after retirement became a full professor at Zayed University in Abu Dhabi while staying anonymous about his recovery.


Joe returned to his hometown of Knoxville where he spends time with family and supports the recovery community. As a member and president of the Alano Club of Knoxville, Inc. he wants to help fulfill the Club members’ dream of purchase a building that can provide a permanent home for “The Flatiron” so it can continue its mission to provide a safe and healthy facility to support and promote recovery from substance abuse disorders.

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Vice-President - Rev. Tim DeNeve

My name is Reverend Timothy DeNeve AKA Reverend Rock. I served as President of the Alano Club of Knoxville (Flatiron) for three years, and currently serve as Vice President. I am an ordained minister (non-denominational), a motivational speaker, and an amateur DJ. I work in the construction trades and with the selfless help of many volunteers built the current facility from repurposed and donated materials. It is my fervent desire to have a permanent home for The Flatiron Clubhouse.

I firmly believe we must learn how to live and enjoy life as other people do. So, I plan events such as dinners, dances, concerts, speaker jams, and BBQs in addition to fireside meetings.

​My life was filled with tragedy and trauma from an early age. I found a place of healing and restoration in the recovery community, and it became my mission field for my ministry. Many say, "everything happens for a reason," but I believe life just happens and what we do with it gives it reason. This is my reason, the lives we touch gives me purpose.

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