Growing up, Tina Mills was a classic military brat. Born in California, Tina’s family moved through Alaska, Texas, and Hawaii, before landing in Sparta, Tennessee when Tina was a teenager. After high school graduation, she packed her things into her Mustang convertible and headed to Louisiana. While living there, Tina’s dad died. She moved back to Tennessee, and attended Tennessee Tech, where she studied marine biology. After graduation, she taught middle school science, worked in retail, did elder and hospice care, puppetry, painted houses and worked in landscaping. In 2021, Tina and husband Matty moved from New York to Winterville to retire. She got involved in volunteer work and joined the city council, before finding herself taking the helm at the Winterville Cultural Center, after her predecessor Jack Eisenman retired. The Winterville Cultural Center includes a 250-seat auditorium, and a rehabilitated historic high school building housing: art and fitness classes, a preschool, an art gallery, and more. Tina has been the Executive Director of the Center for two years.
Tina and Matty– a retired dog trainer– have 10 dogs: three dachshunds, three German shepherds, two Belgian Malinois, an Australian shepherd, and a Boston Terrier. Matty still teaches some obedience classes, and has a full agility course in their backyard for the dogs.
What do you love most about the work you do?
I love creativity. The juice. I love making magic in here. I love being around people with ideas. I love being a funnel, like a catalyst for those ideas to gel and materialize. And I love making connections with people and getting people to do things that they’re interested in. I just love making magic. I love watching it bloom. There’s so much fun here; it’s such a fun place.
When you’re not working, what kinds of things do you like to do in and around Athens and Winterville?
Well, I knew it was mandatory to be in a band, so I took guitar lessons. I play a pretty mean guitar now. I just took my first bass lesson the other day. Went to [Historic Athens] Porchfest. I love local music. I love Troy Aubrey’s [Aubrey Entertainment] shows. I also like to just hide in my bedroom and watch sci-fi TV.
If you could travel anywhere in the world right now, where would you go and why?
Not into it. Nope. Nowhere. Not into it at all. I’ve been everywhere I want to go. I met my second husband in the Philippines. I had a great time in Mexico, and I don’t care to go anywhere else. I’ve seen the Redwoods. I’m done traveling.
If you could see any band, anywhere who would you see, and where?
Live at the Fox Theater with Ronnie Van Zant and Lynyrd Skynyrd. Or Freddie Mercury at Live Aid. Metallica did this badass concert in Russia, and there were a million people there in an airfield. Metallica was my first concert. I would go watch them in Russia. And the guards, they had their uniforms on and they were trying to be all tough. But by the end of it, they were, like, ripping off their uniforms and just rocking out. Or the rooftop Beatles concert? So many shows. So many. The first Woodstock. Or Woodstock ‘99, where they burned it to the ground.
If you could put any message on a billboard, what message do you want to get out there?
The message of Winterville: “You Belong.” Period.
Do you have a favorite book, or a book that you find yourself rereading, referencing, or gifting?
I like The Alchemist. I like The Four Agreements. I have a short attention span and they’re both very small books.
What about a favorite movie, or the first movie you saw in a movie theater?
I’m rewatching Game of Thrones again. I’ve read all the books, I’m waiting for George to drop the next book. I love the Lord of the Rings series. When I’m sick, when I have COVID and I’m stuck in the house, I’ll watch it again. I love fantasy. Other worlds with dragons and all that crazy stuff. My husband can’t abide it.
What advice would you give to your younger self?
I would say just be yourself and don’t try to please other people. Don’t let other people tell you who you are. And don’t let other people make your decisions for you.
If you could have lunch with anyone, dead or alive, who would it be and where?
I love Oprah. We could go wherever she wants. She would know some fabulous place. You choose, Oprah. But fat Oprah. If we’re having lunch, I want to have lunch with fat Oprah. When she’s still eating.
What three words or phrases come to mind when you think of the word home?
That’s a tricky one for me because… I’m kind of homesick for the home I never had. It’s elusive, being raised as I was and moving myself around. Home is where the heart is, I guess. Is that too cliche? How about: safety, friends/community, dogs.
