TEST LAST
TEST Director
FIVE WORDS
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First Last
Gene Meneray
GENE MENERAY
Profession:
Co-Founder
The Ella Project
Five Words About Me:
Curious, Committed, Engaged, Rooted, Kind
One Surprising Skill:
Home chef specializing in Creole and Caribbean cuisine, sea kayaker
Gene Meneray is Co-Founder of The Ella Project, a pro bono legal, business development, and cultural advocacy organization in New Orleans, LA. A native New Orleanian and graduate of Tulane University, Gene worked for more than a decade as Director of Artist Services at the Arts Council of New Orleans, where he led the agency’s response to Hurricane Katrina. From 2011-2017, he taught Arts Business in the Graduate School at the University of New Orleans Arts Administration program. He has given presentations for the World Cultural Economic Forum, National Endowment for the Arts, American Bar Association Conference on Pro Bono, the Music Cities Summit in Toronto, Music Policy Forum, and the Sociable City Summit. Gene is also Vice President of the Louisiana Crafts Guild, and serves as on the Executive Committee of the Louisiana State Arts Council and as a Board Member for the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies. He lives in the Carrollton neighborhood of New Orleans with his wife Elizabeth, a family law attorney and volunteer DJ on WWOZ, and son Campbell.
Carol Foster
CAROL FOSTER
Profession:
Special Programs Associate
International Association of Blacks in Dance
Five Words About Me:
Hard-working, Committed, Resourceful, Colorful, Creative
One Surprising Skill:
Known mostly for my work with youth in dance and theater most people do not know I’m a visual artist as well.
Currently, Carol is an (IABD) Special Programs Associate and works as an Emergency Preparedness Consultant for the performing arts. Her most meaningful experiences have been brought about by working with young people, creating art (visual, dance, and theater), and helping people. She has worked in many capacities but they always came through these areas. Because of her passion for these particulars, she has committed over fifty years of dedicated service to the arts and arts education in the District, Maryland, and Virginia area. She has been involved with many special projects/programs related to the arts and arts education inclusive of the President’s Committee on the Arts’ Turnaround Arts Initiative during President Barak Obama’s administration. Foster has provided advice and support to countless aspiring artists, instructors, future company directors, arts organizations, etc. Her favorite quote is an old African proverb stating, “you must always proceed as though you cannot fail.”
Cheryl Ross
CHERYL ROSS
Profession:
Administrative Secretary, Office of Cultural Affairs
Five Words About Me:
Trustworthy, Innovative, Resourceful, Well-Grounded, Thoughtful
One Surprising Skill:
Tribal Fusion Dancer
With over 20 years of experience working for the City of Las Vegas as a public servant, I have administratively supported many great departments including: Information Technologies, Mayor and City Council, City Attorney’s Office, Neighborhood Services, Parks and Recreation, Community Services and currently the Office of Cultural Affairs. Professionally, dedication, loyalty, organizational health, communication and a strong team spirit are attributes I possess, encourage and support. Personally, my life experiences have helped me learn that family and its traditions, helping people, giving back to the community through volunteerism and continual personal growth are very important to me. As a parent and working professional, I have gained many important life skills including: time management, planning and negotiation, project management, crisis management, problem solving, communication and multi-tasking. I believe that wellness and mindfulness improve our overall well-being and strive to lead a healthy lifestyle for me and my family.
Emily Sollenberger Dobbins
Emily Sollenberger Dobbins
Profession:
Program Director, Arts Services for the Maryland State Arts Council
Five Words About Me:
Creative, optimistic, kind, introvert, organized
One Surprising Skill:
avid knitter
Emily is the Program Director, Arts Services at the Maryland State Arts Council, where she works with independent artists and arts organizations across the state – specifically within the visual, media, multi-disciplinary, service, and traditional arts. She is able to work with the arts community to help with funding opportunities, professional development and strategic initiatives to reach further success in their mission and/or careers.Emily’s past experience in raising funds for arts nonprofits rooted in Baltimore has provided her a perspective that connects directly to those she works with. She also serves on the board of the Junior League of Baltimore, a women’s leadership and volunteer organization focusing on lifting up members to better serve the community. Between her professional work and volunteer commitments, Emily values her time being spent ensuring that we live in places filled with joy, equitable access to basic needs, safety, and the arts!
Mollie Flanagan
MOLLIE FLANAGAN
Profession:
Individual Artists Program Director
Rhode Island State Council on the Arts
Five Words About Me:
Curious; Enthusiastic; Thoughtful; Collaborative; Silly
One Surprising Skill:
I am good at fixing things
Mollie Flanagan (she/her) is the Individual Artists Program Director at RISCA. She manages and oversees the agency’s support for artists, including grants, programs, and services. After a decade long career as a lighting designer, stage manager, and production manager for a wide variety of performing arts, Mollie went to grad school for arts entrepreneurship and management. During grad school, she discovered a love for artist services – supporting individual artists in making art and making a living. She joined the RISCA staff in February 2017, and currently lives by the river in Central Falls. She is now a hobby crafter – knitting, crocheting, and making things out of cement (small planters, mostly). She also gets overly excited about the first (insert fruit or vegetable here) of the season appearing at the farmers market or in her friends’ gardens, and is very proud of her small jungle of houseplants.
Carrie Cleveland
CARRIE CLEVELAND
Profession:
Director of Education + Outreach
CERF+ The Artist Safety Net
Five Words About Me:
Curious, Intuitive, Conscientious, Exploratory, Listener
One Surprising Skill:
Inveterate punster and kitchen ace
Since 2008, Carrie Cleveland has participated in all aspects of CERF+’s work to help artists have resilient careers, from counseling artists seeking assistance to spearheading fundraising appeals to teaching emergency preparedness workshops across the United States and territories. She holds a bachelor’s degree in history, with extensive work in the visual arts, from Marlboro College and prior to her time at CERF+ she spent several years living in New York City where she was an entomologist’s assistant by day and a tenor saxophone player by night. In addition to her work at CERF+, Carrie is a student of Facilitated Communication, an alternative communication method to support people with disabilities; and she is also a beginning metalsmith.
Jarred Small
JARRED SMALL
Profession:
Arts Learning Coordinator
Ohio Arts Council
Five Words About Me:
Collaborator, data hunter/gatherer, public speaking enthusiast, organizer, fantasist
One Surprising Skill:
Aspiring mandolin-strummin’ folk rockstar
Jarred is an arts professional with a history of passion serving public, educational, and non-profit institutions in grants and program management, consultation, research, and evaluation. Jarred has worked with professional artists, teaching artists, schools, government entities, and arts organizations big and small in envisioning a world in which the arts take center stage to address communities’ biggest challenges and opportunities. In his arts education-focused role at the Ohio Arts Council, he helps oversees agency Arts Learning grant programs, including those that support artist residencies, student visits to arts experiences, partnerships between organizations and schools conducting projects with arts learning at their core, and other special initiatives and activities for learners of all ages and abilities.
Jarred began his career as a music educator in the public schools of southwest Michigan, where he taught band, choir, orchestra, and guitar. He performs with a number of Central Ohio musical ensembles continually honing his oboe chops in orchestral, concert band, and chamber ensemble settings.
Caroline Vincent
CAROLINE VINCENT
Profession:
Executive Director
Metro Arts
Five Words About Me:
Creative, Listener, Innovator, Planner, Imaginative
One Surprising Skill:
Cathartic Organizer/Tidier, Cooking/Meal Planning
Caroline has more than 20 years of arts and community leadership experience within government agencies, nonprofits and the private sector. She is currently the executive director of the local arts agency for Nashville, Tennessee. In various roles over the past 10 years, she has led the agency toward more equitable funding distributions, artist commissions and innovative community-led work through grants, public art and youth development programs.
She previously served as the Vice-Chair of the Americans for the Arts Public Art Network Council and currently serves as a representative to the United States Urban Arts Federation (USUAF). She is a graduate of the 2020 Leadership Nashville class.
Caroline spends most of her downtime reading fiction, trying not to kill plants, and wrangling the ever-growing population of pets in her home, alongside her two kids and husband.
Grace Nakahara
GRACE NAKAHARA
Profession:
Program Coordinator
Artist Trust
Five Words About Me:
Creative, Compassionate, Witty, Ardent, Dog-Enthusiast
One Surprising Skill:
Wag-Walker and Horror Movie Buff
Grace is a Washington State artist and arts administrator. It’s cheesy, but the arts have always been there for her and is where she found community. She’s a Gonzaga grad, who lived and made art in Spokane, WA during the 2017 and 2018 wildfires that put the AQI in the hazard zone. In Spokane she was able to connect with other BIPOC artists and participate in a vibrant art scene. Grace was hired by Artist Trust earlier in 2021 as their COVID-19 Relief Fund Coordinator and was kept on as their Program Coordinator. She’s happy to have worked closely with artists across Washington State.
LaShawndra Vernon
LaShawndra Vernon
Profession:
CEO
AWE – Artists Working in Education
Five Words About Me:
Strategic, Significance, Relator, Futuristic, Competition
One Surprising Skill:
I speak German and know many traditional German dances
LaShawndra Vernon is a creative entrepreneur. She has over 20 years of experience in public administration & service. Her work is focused on developing programs with an equity lens. LaShawndra is a mediator with practical experience translating United Nations treaties and sustainability goals to local policy. She’s implemented several peer mediation programs to prevent violence. She serves as a convener building consensus towards improving community conditions. LaShawndra is a Collective Impact practitioner and credits her community building work to studying Asset Based Community Development early in her career. She has an extensive background in public health research, and community engagement. LaShawndra is a proud Public Allies Milwaukee Alum, class of 2001. LaShawndra is also a performing artist practicing under the name Firey Phoenix.
Audra Tignor
Audra Tignor
Profession:
Operations Director
Coleman Center for the Arts
Five Words About Me:
Innovator, Inquisitive, Kind, True to the End, Visionary
One Surprising Skill:
Creator of macrame designs at The Tethered Knot
Audra, a native of Shelbyville, Kentucky, has been living in Livingston, Alabama for the last few years working as the Operations Director at the Coleman Center for the Arts, a contemporary arts organization that produces socially engaged public art projects in the Alabama Black Belt region. She also works at the University of West Alabama as an Adjunct Instructor, teaching Criminal Justice and Homeland Security. Audra is the author of Introduction to Criminal Justice: A Practical Guide (Preliminary Edition) and has plans to continue writing. She is a graduate of Eastern Kentucky University with a Master’s in Safety, Security and Emergency Management. She brings positivity, creative problem solving, and innovative ideas to her work and to her community.
Lauren Hainley
Lauren Hainley
Profession:
Director, Disaster Services
Houston Arts Alliance
Five Words About Me:
Analytical, Compassionate, Determined, Problem-Solver, Humorous
One Surprising Skill:
Super Strength and Comedic Timing Master
Lauren Hainley is the Director, Disaster Service at the Houston Arts Alliance where she ensures that the Houston area arts, culture, and historic preservation communities are ready and resilient in the face of disaster. Lauren received a BA in Theater from Hendrix College and an MA in Arts Leadership from the University of Houston. Lauren has been active in the Houston theater community as an actor, stage manager, and director since 1992. Lauren had been married to a wonderful playwright and partner since 2019, and they share two very opinionated and spoiled Japanese Bobtail cats named Archibald and Freya.
Terri Morris
TERRI MORRIS
Profession:
Educator, Arts Center Volunteer
Five Words About Me:
Curious, open-minded, dedicated, empathetic, wanderer
One Surprising Skill:
Horseback riding
Terri Morris is a certified teacher of English and School Library Media Specialist. In the course of her career she has taught students at every level from pre-K through adult, most recently supervising clinical experiences for teacher candidates at Tennessee Tech University. Having relocated last year to Mountain City, Tennessee upon her husband’s retirement, she is now volunteering with the Johnson County Center for the Arts. A favorite activity of Terri and her husband is visiting art museums around the country and the world. Within the last several years they have been fortunate enough to view works at such varied locations as the Detroit Art Institute, the Kimbell in Fort Worth, the Metropolitan in New York, the Louvre in Paris and the Uffizzi in Florence. “I love traveling and seeing the work of the great masters from around the world and throughout history. Then I get to come home to the beauty of the mountains and the unique people, music and art of Appalachia. My appreciation for the power of art and the irrepressible creative spirit grows daily.”
Jennifer Ellison
JENNIFER ELLISON
Profession:
Cocke County Partnership
Five Words About Me:
Focused, Honest, Persistent, Independent, Passionate
One Surprising Skill:
I was a certified scuba diver.
As a child, I wanted a job focused on helping people. Throughout my years in the workforce, that drive led me to work in social services, retail, the restaurant industry and even a job with the 2010 Census. It was there that I discovered a love of training people, teaching individuals and seeing them grow. I thrived on the challenge of leading my census team and helping them overcome the difficulties of the job. A life-long learner, I returned to Lincoln Memorial University where I had completed my Bachelor of Science in Psychology and completed my Master of Education in 2013. Currently, I help promote the community I love and work with local businesses and community leaders to envision a plan of success for our home.
Deborah Bahr
DEBORAH BAHR
Profession:
Director of CWEET, Co-Chair of CEDNET
Five Words About Me:
One Surprising Skill:
Deborah Bahr is a lifelong teacher and student. She is a women and youth advocate, artist, mother and activist. She values cooperation over competition and inclusion over exclusion, believing that civil society is judged by the way it treats the least amongst them. She leads a purpose-driven life and knows that art heals. She incorporates art into every aspect of her work.
Deborah is currently the Director of CWEET (Clean Water Expected in East Tennessee) and co-chair of CEDNET (Community Economic Development Network of East Tennessee). The founding members of CWEET are a handful of the youth Deborah has worked with who returned home to Appalachia after their education and work experience led them back to their origins. Deborah now has decades of experience and success creating healthy, natural, diverse social and thriving economic environments by employing the tactics of constructive communication, support, education, organization, and creative art outlets.
Deborah Sosower
DEBORAH SOSOWER
Profession:
Marketing & Communications Manager at Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts
Five Words About Me:
witty, extroverted, hard-working, compassionate, confident
One Surprising Skill:
horseback riding (hunter over fences)
Deborah Sosower was born in Durham, NC. She earned a BA in fine arts with a concentration in feminist and gender studies at Bryn Mawr College (2005). She studied printmaking in Florence, Italy. In 2009, she earned an MFA at Pratt Institute. Deborah was adjunct professor at Kennessaw State University in Atlanta, GA (2013 – 2018) and formed a letterpress company, Deborah Sosower Print Studio, LLC. She was an inaugural WonderRoot Walthall Fellow (2012-2013) and an artist facilitator for the SouthWest Art & Social Engagement Project at Emory University (2013-2014). She has worked as a facilitator, nonprofit administrator, conference chair and registration coordinator, visiting artist, graphic designer and lecturer for organizations including SGC International, the Durham Arts Council, C4 Atlanta, the Women’s Refuge Network, the Creations Group, the Michael C. Carlos Museum, and Georgia Tech. She is currently the marketing and communications manager at Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts.
Cristy Dunn
CRISTY DUNN
Profession:
Director of the Johnson County Center for the Arts
and Artist!
Five Words About Me:
One Surprising Skill:
Cristy received a B.A. in Mathematics with a minor in Art History from East Tennessee State University in 1998. She spent more than ten years teaching high school Mathematics then Art in Carter and Johnson County schools. During her time as a teacher, Cristy received numerous awards, including a Crystal Apple award, Unaka High School Teacher of the Year, SADD club Teacher of the Year and Kiwanis/Kids First Teacher of the Year awards. Cristy has a special interest in inclusion for special education students, and her experience in the field of Mathematics proves useful in implementing STEAM integration programming. She serves as Vice President of Johnson County Arts Council, Co-Chair of the Long Journey Home Board, and a member of Johnson County JAM Board of Directors. She is also a member of National Art Education Association and American Women Artists.
As an artist, Cristy creates paintings and murals that tell the stories of Makers and of the power of the Arts to uplift the human spirit. Her traditional oil portraits incorporate the techniques of the old masters. Glazes create light filled surfaces. Silver leaf adds an ethereal element. In her current series, Makers, Cristy explores the sacred realm that a person enters when he is intensely involved in creating. “When someone sees my work I want them to feel a connection to the sacredness within us all.”
Cristy’s recent work in preserving the culture of Old Time music and arts in her community has sparked a true revival of interest in the history and music of her hometown. She received the President’s Award from the Johnson County Arts Council for her work on the Musical Heritage Mural Project and Best in Show and People’s Choice in the Arts Council’s Long Journey Home Art Shows. She has shown her work throughout the region, and her art is treasured in many homes and businesses. You can find more of Cristy’s work at www.cristydunn.com.
Cristy is very excited to serve as Director of the Arts Center, combining her passion for Appalachian Heritage and the Arts with her love of education.
According to Cristy, “an Arts Center for Johnson County is a dream come true. I am honored to have the opportunity to help preserve and honor our rich heritage and nurture our community through providing greater access to the Arts.” The Center for the Arts is grateful to have such a talented artist and visionary leader for this exciting venture to benefit Johnson County and the surrounding area
Deb Miksa
DEB MIKSA
Profession:
Art Coordinator of Arts Builds Skills Initiative
Five Words About Me:
Friendly, Compassionate, Sentimental, Talkative, Understanding
One Surprising Skill:
Writing (literally. My handwriting is pretty good, and I also love expressing myself through words)
Deb Miksa lives in Morristown, Tennessee where she is the Art Coordinator of the Arts Build Skills Initiative with HC*EXCELL, Hamblen County’s Educational Foundation. As an elementary school teacher in Illinois, she started both the All-Day Kindergarten program and the Pre-K 3 program. She also taught visual art classes to students in K-8.
Upon moving to Tennessee and realizing the lack of formal arts programming in local elementary schools, she began working with the Arts Build Skills program, leading a committee of artists, educators, community members, and administrators, towards incorporating the arts into the school curriculum and increasing the exposure of the arts in the community. The Arts Build Skills initiative has hosted, the Crayola creatED Arts Integration training for teachers across the district for 2 years. The ABS committee has helped teachers to comprehend the importance of the arts in children’s lives and education. She feels that the process of creating art is more important than the result and that children need an emotional, physical, and mental outlet to help them express their feelings and think creatively.
Deb serves on 3 boards in Hamblen County and is a member of 5 committees, including Girl’s Inc., Encore Theatrical Company, Keep Morristown Hamblen Beautiful, P-16 Council, Douglas Cherokee After School Steering Committee, Student Mental Health Forum, Council of Catholic Women, and THRIVE Youth Forum. She is a high school Youth Group leader and a Mentor with the Tennessee Promise Program.
Beccy Hamm
BECCY HAMM
Profession:
Executive Director, Rose Center & Council for the Arts
Five Words About Me:
Patient, passionate, creative, resourceful, problem-solver
One Surprising Skill:
I can build things.
Beccy Hamm is Executive Director for Rose Center & Council for the Arts and Festival Director of its award-winning Mountain Makins Festival. She previously served as Rose Center’s Program Director for arts education, exhibits, and events. Her BA degree is in Interdisciplinary Studies with emphases in Art, Education and English. An artist and educator with over 30 years’ experience, she is committed to the success of Rose Center as the cultural hub of the Lakeway Area, and to promoting the arts, arts education, and creativity in the community. Beccy serves on the Design Committee for Crossroads Downtown Partnership, Morristown’s Main St. program. She has five grown children and four granddaughters (who call her Yaya), all in Chattanooga. A devotee of historic preservation, Beccy has spent the past 30 years restoring and caring for her historic 1857 home.
Melissa Moody
MELISSA MOODY
Profession:
Arts Builds Communities Coordinator for the Tennessee Arts Commission
Five Words About Me:
Artist, Independent, Listener, Teacher, Growing
One Surprising Skill:
In addition to visual arts, I am also a musician, and can play the bass clarinet (my preferred instrument) the clarinet, and contrabass clarinet.
Melissa Moody joined the Tennessee Arts Commission in August of 2019 as the Arts Build Communities Coordinator. Working with the Director of Community Arts Development, Melissa administers the ABC Grant Program, which annually funds arts and cultural projects across the state in partnership with 13 designated agencies. She also contributes to the Commission’s efforts to support and develop local arts agencies as well as foster creative placemaking initiatives in Tennessee communities.
Before joining the Commission, Melissa served as the Grant Coordinator for the Genesee Valley Council on the Arts, a regional arts council in the Greater Rochester, NY area. She administered the Genesee Valley Arts Grant Program, a Decentralization Regrant funded by the New York State Council on the Arts. Melissa has a diverse background in the arts; Artist in Residence and Adjunct Faculty with the University of Montevallo in Montevallo, AL, Gallery Guide at the Genesee Country Village & Museum in Mumford, NY, and Preparator at the Albright-Knox Art Gallery in Buffalo, NY.
Melissa holds a Master’s of Fine Arts in Ceramics and Ceramic Sculpture from the School for American Crafts at the Rochester Institute of Technology and a Bachelor’s of Science in Studio Art from Roberts Wesleyan College.
Leigh Ann Wilder
LEIGH ANN WILDER
Profession:
Creative Economies Director at North Carolina Arts Council
Five Words About Me:
Lorem, Ipsum, Dolor, Sit, Amet.
One Surprising Skill:
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet.
Professional with strong program development, communications and management experience. Creative and flexible employee skilled in strategic and sustainable planning and in building collaborative relationships with diverse constituencies.
Specialties: Creative Economy, Arts and Cultural Development, Community Development, Facilitation, Strategic planning, Marketing and Communications, Program evaluation
Domenica Queen
DOMENICA QUEEN
Profession:
Programming and Marketing for the Tamarack Foundation
Five Words About Me:
Curious, positive, creative, introvert, caring
One Surprising Skill:
Extravagant & enthusiastic cook
I’m a hispappalachian, nature-loving graphic designer and painter from West Virginia. I grew up creek splashing, gardening and always drawing with my Spanish, Mexican, Catalan, and Appalachian family in Shoals and Cross Lanes. My relatives did a great job of making the wide world seem interesting and absolutely connected. My dad taught me the satisfaction of working with my hands and my mom revealed to me the beautiful hidden realms of birds and bugs. I took all of these things with me to college along with a love of technology where I earned my B.F.A. from Shepherd University concentrating in Graphic Design. Since then I have been building a life here in West Virginia as a graphic designer and artist.
Shannon Ford
SHANNON FORD
Profession:
Director of Community Arts Development
Five Words About Me:
Direct, Analytical, Caring, Silly, Chatterbox
One Surprising Skill:
I make a mean Chicken Paprikash and Spaetzle.
Shannon Ford is the Director of Community Arts Development at the Tennessee Arts Commission and works with government agencies and nonprofits to strengthen the arts’ presence and impact in Tennessee communities. He administers grants to local arts agencies, presenters, multi-disciplinary arts centers, and arts service organizations. He also leads the agency’s Creative Placemaking program and manages the Arts Build Communities decentralized funding program.
Prior to joining the Tennessee Arts Commission, he worked at the Ohio Arts Council for nine years in various capacities. He has a B.A. in Communication & Art from Trinity University and completed coursework towards a Master’s in Arts Policy and Administration at The Ohio State University.
Torrie Allen
TORRIE ALLEN
Profession:
President & CEO, Arts Midwest
Five Words About Me:
One Surprising Skill:
Torrie Allen has more than 30 years wide-ranging experience in national, regional and local arts leadership including executive and artistic management, fundraising, marketing, policy, adjudication, grantmaking and international performance.
In 2019, he succeeded David Fraher as the new president and CEO of Arts Midwest. From 2016 to 2019, he presided over all philanthropic activity at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. He was chief officer of development and marketing at Alaska Public Media from 2012 to 2016 and executive and artistic director of Anchorage Opera from 2006 to 2012. Prior to joining Anchorage Opera, he was the director of the National Patrons Council at Americans for the Arts.
Allen has served as a grants panelist for the National Endowment for the Arts and the Wallace Foundation. He currently serves on the board of National Arts Strategies. He has provided commissioned and volunteer service for the National Endowment for the Arts, Americans for the Arts, World Affairs Council, University of Alaska Advisory Board, Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson Community Commander Program, Arts & Business Council of New York, Lower Manhattan Cultural Council and Alaska State Council on the Arts.
Prior to his career in nonprofit leadership, Allen spend a decade traveling the world as a professional concert and opera singer. His professional performance credits include Opéra National de Paris; Teatro Real Madrid; Bregenz Festpiel. Austria; Rudolfinum, Prague; Carnegie Hall; St. Petersburg State Symphony, Russia; Metropolitan Opera and the Aspen Music Festival.
Allen holds degrees from UCLA and the Boston Conservatory. He is a Fellow of the National Arts Strategies Chief Executive Program through Harvard Business School, University of Michigan and University of Texas at Austin.
Delaney Keating
DELANEY KEATING
Profession:
Executive Director, StartUp Colorado
Five Words About Me:
One Surprising Skill:
Delaney is a seasoned creative, entrepreneur, and change agent. She successfully owned, operated, and exited her first company and has since been dedicated to fostering ingrained cultural values for art and innovation. As Executive Director of Startup Colorado, her mission is to drive greater coordination within the entrepreneurial ecosystem on behalf of rural entrepreneurs and the communities they call home. She is an unwavering believer in the potential of ideas, the people behind them, and the places they create.
Donna Collins
DONNA COLLINS
Profession:
Executive Director, Ohio Arts Council
Five Words About Me:
One Surprising Skill:
Donna Collins serves as the executive director of the Ohio Arts Council (OAC) a state agency that funds and supports quality arts experiences to strengthen Ohio communities culturally, educationally, and economically. Collins brings more than 20 years of experience in leading a state agency and statewide non-profit organizations, demonstrating consistent success and solid results that impact policy, education, economic development, and arts and culture. At the state level Collins is a founding member of the Ohio Prison Arts Connection, a Fellow with the Ohio Art Education Association, and served as the Leader in Residence at Marietta College. In 2015 John R. Kasich, Governor of the State of Ohio, inducted Collins into the Association of Ohio Commodores whose mission is to assist the State of Ohio in its advancement in all areas contributing to the economic growth and development of the State, and the greater prosperity of its citizens. At the national level Collins is an elected Board member of the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies (NASAA) and a member of the ArtPlace America Central Appalachian Network Assembly.
Kristina Joyce
Kristina Joyce
Profession:
State Director, Kentucky Small Business Development Center
Five Words About Me:
One Surprising Skill:
Kristina Joyce was born in Appalachia and started her first company at the age of 23. Her experience with entrepreneurship and business consists of creative arts, commercial, governmental and academic practice. In her career spanning 30 plus years, she has founded various ventures that include creative arts, manufacturing, advertising, business coaching as well as developing and teaching entrepreneurship and arts programs for universities and colleges. As a consultant, she has provided expertise in leadership, management, project planning and strategic development throughout the U.S.
Kristina has served in Executive Leadership roles for the following:
- State Director: Kentucky Small Business Development Center (SBDC) hosted by the University of Kentucky
- State Director: West Virginia SBDC, hosted by the State of West Virginia Department of Commerce
- Program Administrator: Entrepreneurship and Business Coaching Center supported by Southern WV Community and Technical College, Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) and the Hatfield McCoy Recreational Trails Authority
- Business Coaching Director: Entrepreneurial League System, LLC.
- Founder and CEO of five companies
Kristina has designed curriculum, taught and initiated instruction for multiple academic institutions and her education includes a Master’s in Organizational Leadership, two undergraduate degrees in art and education as well as completing professional graduate studies from Harvard Extension and becoming certified from the Entrepreneurial Learning Initiative.
She has served on multiple Boards throughout the country that include entrepreneurship, business, academic, innovation technology, civic and arts associations.
Kristina currently lives in Lexington, Kentucky with her Tibetan Spaniel, Paris and is a proud mother to son Aaron, his wife Krista, and proud grandmother to Dylan and Declan.
Jim Grace
JIM GRACE
Profession:
Executive Director, Arts & Business Council of Greater Boston
Five Words About Me:
One Surprising Skill:
Jim Grace is the Executive Director of the A&BC. Previously he was the Executive Director of the Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts of Massachusetts (VLA) from 1998 until 2008, when it merged with the A&BC. Jim has experience working with artists and arts organizations in the areas of legacy planning, publishing law, public art and social practice art projects, copyright, trademark, nonprofit incorporation and mergers, negotiation training, artist live/work development, and nonprofit board development. Jim was an adjunct professor for Boston University’s Masters in Arts Administration Program for more than five years where he co-taught a course on Legal Issues in Arts Administration. Currently, Jim teaches workshops locally and nationally on a variety of legal and artist professional development topics.
Jim is also a working author. He is the co-author of best-selling The Worst Case Scenario Handbook: Golf. To date he has been involved in the publication of over eight books. Jim serves on the Brookline Community Foundation and has served on the board of Associated Grant Makers (now Philanthropy Massachusetts) and the Private Sector Council of Americans for the Arts. He is a founding board member of the Arts Services Coalition and a former founding board member of the Fort Point Cultural Coalition (FPCC). The FPCC developed Midway Studios — 89 units of artist live/work space in downtown Boston.
Amy Williams
AMY WILLIAMS
Profession:
Project Specialist at Mountain Association for Community Economic Development (MACED)
Five Words About Me:
Sincere, passionate, friendly, focused, independent
One Surprising Skill:
Speaks Russian
Amy grew up with a love for the performing arts, attending schools that offered curricula in theater arts and performing musicals with her church youth choir. In college her passion shifted from theater to foreign language and culture, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Russian Studies and enjoyed classes in Technical Theater. She pursued various careers before indulging her passion to empower entrepreneurs. Now she enjoys helping artists find ways to sustainably support themselves and their communities. Amy enjoys hiking, gardening, painting, dancing and exploring new creative pursuits.
Anna Lester
ANNA LESTER
Profession:
Vice President of Clark Gas & Oil
Five Words About Me:
Excitable, passionate, positive, generous, impatient.
One Surprising Skill:
I’m a doughnut eating champion.
Anna Lester is the Vice President of Clark Gas & Oil. Graduating from Elon University with a bachelor’s degree in Corporate Communications, Anna returned to her beloved hometown of Stuart, VA to work in her family’s fuel business. While she has difficulty finding inspiration in the fuel industry, she thrives in leveraging her successful business to give back to the community she loves! Anna is passionate about community engagement and development. She enjoys serving on several community boards, committees, & groups including the Rotary Club of Stuart, Patrick County Chamber of Commerce, Patrick County greenteam, & Patrick County Trail Hands. She also enjoys travel adventures with her husband Chris, and hiking with their active Weimaraner, Slits.
Yvette McDaniel
Yvette McDaniel
Profession:
Director of Choral Activities, Denmark Technical College & Maven/Chairperson of Community Rural Arts League of Bamberg County (CRAWL)
Five Words About Me:
Artistic; Creative; Dreamer; Doer; Seasoned
One Surprising Skill:
Event planning
An inheritance of artistry, service, education and leadership is the trove that James and Myrtle McDaniel passed to their daughter, Yvette McDaniel. A resident of Orangeburg, SC, Yvette sang professionally throughout the US and Europe from ages 16 until 46. Presently, she is Director of Choral activities at Denmark Technical College. She established Ultramacs Music Group L.L.C. to develop young artists through honorable, professional relationships.
Yvette is Maven/Chairperson of CRAWL (Community Rural Arts Work League of Bamberg County): a grassroots committee that functions under the Arts Commission’s Art of CommunityRural SC program. CRAWL’s objective is to utilize Rural Arts & Culture to enhance and promote health, education and workforce development. It continues to receive recognition as a model for rural communities.
Dr. Yvette McDaniel ([email protected] – [email protected] – 803.290.6461) is a graduate of Pfeiffer University, University of South Florida and Louisiana State University, of which she is an LSU Fellow.
Emily Moses
EMILY MOSES
Profession:
Executive Staff Advisor for the Kentucky Arts Council
Five Words About Me:
Curious, Empathetic, Humorist, Loyal, Realist
One Surprising Skill:
I never forget a face.
Emily B. Moses is the executive staff advisor for the Kentucky Arts Council. She is instrumental in building partnerships to enhance economic and community development through the creative industry in the state, in addition to identifying and accessing resources to assist communities in developing their local creative industry and assets. Additionally, Emily develops and implements special projects, produces the state’s annual Kentucky Creative Industry Summit, and coordinates all grant writing and reporting for the KAC’s annual National Endowment for the Arts State Partnership Award, among many other duties at the arts council. Emily is the former communications director for the arts council and previously worked as publications manager for the Cabinet for Health and Family Services. Prior to working in government, she enjoyed careers as a journalist and an actress. She holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Morehead State University, and is a proud native of Cynthiana, Kentucky.
Leslie Ferguson-Oles
LESLIE FERGUSON-OLES
Profession:
Research and Strategic Project Coordinator
Five Words About Me:
Thoughtful, Funny, Imaginative, Synthesizer, Strong
One Surprising Skill:
Haircutting, bread making and tractor driving
With MACED since 2016, Leslie oversees research to develop MACED’s understanding of trends, issues and opportunities related to creating a Just Transition to a new economy in eastern Kentucky and Central Appalachia. She also coordinates the development and implementation of projects that support MACED’s strategic initiatives. Leslie holds an M. A. in English Composition and Rhetoric from Western Carolina University and a B.A. in English-Writing from Berea College with a minor in Sustainability and Environmental Studies. A proud Western North Carolina native, Leslie is happy to call Berea home.
Teri Thompson
TERI THOMPSEON
Profession:
Vice President for Strategic Initiatives at Berea College
Five Words About Me:
Strategic; thoughtful; creative; intuitive; adaptable
One Surprising Skill:
I am a classically trained singer.
Teri Thompson serves as Vice President for Strategic Initiatives at Berea College where she oversees the College’s significant relationship with a private foundation, providing leadership related to the identification of and strategic planning for institutional priorities as well as the collaborative development of grant-funded programming to support Berea’s students throughout their matriculation. In addition, she oversees programs of the College that provide meaningful and effective outreach to the Appalachian region through private, state, and federal grant funding, including the AIR Institute, Brushy Fork Institute, Grow Appalachia, and Partners for Education. Born and raised in Colorado, Thompson received a Bachelor of Music Education degree (K-12) from the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley, Colorado, and a Master of Music degree in Vocal Performance from the University of Kentucky. As her schedule permits, she teaches voice lessons to a small studio of Berea College students as an adjunct professor.
Kitty Dougoud
KITTY DOUGOUD
Profession:
Kentucky Main Street Coordinator & Site Identification Program Manager for the Kentucky Heritage Council
Five Words About Me:
Compassionate, Outgoing, Feisty, Learner, Facilitator
One Surprising Skill:
I can talk to anyone!
Kitty Dougoud serves as both Coordinator of the Kentucky Main Street Program and Site Identification Program Manager for the Kentucky Heritage Council, the state preservation office. She joined KHC in 2013 after serving as the Main Street director in Georgetown since 2007. Kitty also serves on the Leadership Council of Main Street America.
Prior to her career with Main Street, Kitty taught 27 years with Scott County public schools and was an adjunct professor of art education at Georgetown College. She is a native of Ashland, KY and received her bachelor’s from the University of Kentucky. She has two sons, Jamey & Jackson and lives on Main Street in downtown Georgetown with her husband, Vince.
On the week-ends Kitty can be found in a few places: on her porch, in her flower garden, at the Farmer’s Market, exploring a community, looking for antique/art treasures, or taking a country ride with her husband, Vince.
Mindy Woods-Click
Mindy Woods-Click
Profession:
Treasurer, Grayson Gallery & Art Center, Inc.
Five Words About Me:
Volunteer, organizer, advocate, leader, hard-worker
One Surprising Skill:
I know how to build a farm pond.
Mindy and her husband, Dan, operate the non-profit Grayson Gallery & Art Center, Inc., to provide a venue for the arts and a creative place for the community to flourish. She graduated with a degree in plant and animal sciences from the University of Kentucky and worked for the Department of Agriculture. She has been a volunteer in her community for the last 25 years, serving on the founding board of the Carter County Public Library; one of the last two counties in the state without a public library system, and went on to serve on the State Board of Library Trustees. Mindy also serves on the Carter County Community Fund Board, Grayson Tourism Commission, Grayson Planning & Zoning Commission, and Park Board.
Dan Click
Dan Click
Profession:
Director, Grayson Gallery & Art Center, Inc. (GGAC)
Five Words About Me:
Creative, witty, dedicated, open-minded, caring
One Surprising Skill:
Drywall Finisher
Dan was Born in Ashland, KY and attended Morehead State University on an Art Scholarship. He lived in Columbus, OH and worked for Federal Glass Company. Returning to Kentucky, I worked in residential/commercial construction. I began a career in insurance for a Kentucky-based company and later established the Dan Click Agency for Nationwide Insurance. I retired from Nationwide in 2002, worked as Agency Manager for another company and retired fully in 2011.
Volunteering for a community art gallery, I served on its Board of Directors, became board President and then Executive Director of the Ashland Area Art Gallery until it closed in 2006.
I married Mindy Woods in 2010 and moved to Grayson, KY. We created a “pop-up” art gallery in May, 2011, the Grayson Gallery & Art Center, which is supported by Grayson Tourism/City of Grayson.
As a member of the “What’s Next EKY” Steering Committee; we also plan to establish a “culture hub” in Grayson/Carter County, KY.
Cyndi Hall
Cyndi Hall
Profession:
Business Coach and Speaker
Five Words About Me:
Learner, connector, realistic optimist, harmony, passionate
One Surprising Skill:
Intuitive
Cyndi Hall formed Positive Impact, LLC in 2007 and is a member of the John Maxwell Team. She works with businesses and entrepreneurs to cultivate an environment of leadership, success, harmony and well being. This is accomplished through an ongoing, professional accountability relationship to develop and achieve professional career goals by helping to motivate and actively change daily practices and thoughts to reach those goals. Cyndi also owns and operates two other businesses, Ohh, Chai!, a family-recipe Kentucky Proud product as well as Chai Chats, which are small-group coaching sessions held in communities that focuses on goal setting, deepening awareness around key topics and taking action.
Mary Reed
Mary Reed
Profession:
Artist/Consultant
Five Words About Me:
Positive, enthusiastic, creative, vivacious, experienced
One Surprising Skill:
Organized
A self-employed craft artist since 1973 working in natural fibers. Participated in hundreds of shows both retail and wholesale and marketed throughout the U.S. and Europe. An arts consultant working with groups and individuals on Board Development, Strategic Planning, Festival Planning, Booth Design, Wholesale vs. Retail, Pricing, and Marketing. An instructor of crafts to children K-8 and adults in schools and pulbic settings. A Folklife Community Scholar who conducts oral interviews for local and state projects. A community organizer and volunteer bringing people and groups together to make things happen.
Shannon Scott
Shannon Scott
Profession:
Consultant
Five Words About Me:
Connector, learner, thinker, innovator, facilitator
One Surprising Skill:
Location scouting for movies
Shannon Scott currently lives in Danville, Kentucky. She moved “home” to Kentucky after living in Atlanta for over 30 years. She has also lived in West Virginia and Michigan.Shannon loves to bring people, resources and ideas together to make things better. Whether as an active member of the community, helping small businesses with socialmedia and marketing, making photographs or writing, she looks for ways to be of service, engage her creativity, learn new things, and meet new people all whileusingher knowledge and skills.She is a learning and development professional,marketing and social mediaconsultant, writer and photographer.She has an MBA from Georgia State University and a B.S. in Management from Georgia Tech.
Max Hammond
Max Hammond
Profession:
Business and Community Development consultant
Five Words About Me:
Trailblazing, bona fide, Appalachian provocateur
One Surprising Skill:
Logging with mules
Max Hammond is blessed and proud to be an Appalachian. A life-long horseman, he loves and lives on a six generation, Eastern Kentucky, hillside farm and cares for 24 head of Paso Fino horses and 2 mules.
Max developed the concept of “The Appalachian Horse Revival” which was presented to and adopted by Morehead State University. He is currently working as a community partner with Eastern Kentucky University on the Appalachian Horse Project. As President of the Olive Hill Council for Planning and Restoration, he founded, helped produce and hosted the first “ Trail Town Stage”, a live show, soon to be radio broadcast, that celebrates the range, depth and influence of mountain music and promotes the rich songwriting and storytelling heritage of our region. He also successfully promoted his hometown as a location for the filming of a motion picture. Max is currently spear heading the effort to establish a trail system centered in Eastern Kentucky that will honor the first Appalachians, the Native Americans.
Annie Jane Cotten
Annie Jane Cotten
Profession:
Letcher County Culture Hub organizer
Five Words About Me:
Kind, questioning, intelligent, organizer, herbalist
One Surprising Skill:
plant identification and knowledge
Annie Jane’s life and work have taken her from her home state of
Mississippi to places such as Wisconsin and post Katrina New Orleans,
before nestling down in the central Appalachian Mountains nearly a
decade ago. Annie Jane is a current board member of Southern Appalachian
Mountain Stewards, and former Board President, as well as serving on
the board of The Clinch Coalition. Annie Jane is engaged in a variety of
local, regional, and national networks, and participates in organizing
efforts that seek to envision sustainable, community led economies in
central Appalachia, while connecting and collaborating nationally and
internationally. As the organizer of the Letcher County Culture Hub, she
brings together nearly 20 organizations throughout Letcher County to
work together to define and create a future in which community voices
are centered in utilizing arts and culture in economic development.
Jake East
Jake East
Profession:
Executive Director, Appalachian Arts Alliance
Five Words About Me:
Calm, collected, frank, creative, playful
One Surprising Skill:
Small batch pickling and fermentation
Jake East is an arts administrator and euphonium performing artist based in his hometown of Hazard, KY. He studied Music (Euphonium) and a Minor in Arts Entrepreneurship at Morehead State University in Morehead, KY. As a euphoniumist, he has performed internationally with the Morehead State University Symphony Band and the Kentucky Ambassadors of Music on tours of England, France, Austria, Switzerland, Germany, and China. where he was Principal Euphonium of the MSU Symphony Band and Tuba/Euphonium Ensemble. He then served as an AmeriCorps VISTA at Redbud Financial Alternatives, a Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) with a mission of providing financial education and equitable consumer lending. He is currently the Executive Director of Appalachian Arts Alliance, an organization with a mission of building access points for high quality arts education, arts entrepreneurial tools, and community centered programming in Eastern Kentucky.
Andrew Castle
Andrew Castle
Profession:
Kentucky Valley Education Cooperative Student Agency Lead
Five Words About Me:
Dependable, hardworking, empathetic, open-minded, curious
One Surprising Skill:
Jack of all trades
My name is Andrew Castle and I am the Student Agency lead at Kentucky Valley Educational Cooperative (KVEC). I have worked for KVEC for 5 years both in my current role and as an instructional technology lead. Prior to that I taught Physical Science in Johnson County, Kentucky. I am a lifelong resident of Eastern Kentucky; minus a few bouts of travel, college, and a few years in the Navy. My work for the past 5 years has required me to travel and work with community members, teachers, and students from all over East Kentucky. I’ve seen first hand what amazing schools, people, and youth we have in our region.
Vallorie Henderson
Vallorie Henderson
Profession:
Textile artist and business development consultant
Five Words About Me:
Curious, intuitive, intentional, relaxed, and an extrovert
One Surprising Skill:
Ambidextrous
A Kentucky native, Vallorie Henderson has created a blended career that includes the production and marketing of her own line of contemporary textile work as well as a variety of arts administration and business development positions over the past 30 years. Her work is represented in multiple private and corporate collections within the region. Previous employers include the Indianapolis Children’s Museum, The Speed Museum in Louisville and the Kentucky Arts Council. Vallorie has worked closely with fair trade organizations around the globe to assist artisans in developing market-ready products and to assure they are paid a living wage.
Currently, Vallorie is employed by the Louisville Small Business Development Center where she focuses on assisting creative entrepreneurs in developing and growing their businesses to new levels of success. In 2019, Louisville’s mayor, Greg Fischer, appointed Vallorie to serve on Louisville’s Commission for Public Art. Recently, Vallorie also began a three-year term on the board of directors for Louisville Visual Arts.
Cliff Emery
Cliff Emery
Profession:
Managing Director, Emery Marketing Group, 1982-present
Business Consultant, Small Business Development Center, 2018-present
Five Words About Me:
Creative, honest, optimistic, committed, thoughtful
One Surprising Skill:
Visual artist (painting and photography)
A resident of Columbia, SC by way of Utica, Rochester, Buffalo, and Hartford, I am a spouse, father, grandfather, brother, activist, entrepreneur and artist. After a few years working for a university, large commercial bank and advertising agencies, I opened my own marketing consulting company in 1982. I focused on start-ups, growing and emerging companies and mid-sized firms because they offered the opportunity to impact success, working with business founders and owners, and see results quickly.
Since moving to SC I have continued with my marketing firm and recently took on some part-time work with the Orangeburg office of the Small Business Development Center. Three days a week I work with those going through the challenging process of starting a business. Helping them navigate the legal questions (LLC, Corporation, business licenses, state and federal regulations), product/service development and refinement, market research, analysis of markets and competitors, and financial planning (projections, metrics, debt service) is very rewarding.
Constance Alexander
Constance Alexander
Profession:
Poet/playwright/columnist/business consultant
Five Words About Me:
Facilitator, fixer, passion for the arts/humanities, community organizer, poet
One Surprising Skill:
Classically trained pianist
With a range of creative writing skills, a substantial publication record, and list of clients who have benefited from her consulting skills, Constance Alexander is a tireless promoter of the arts as an engine for change. Through grants and fellowships, she has directed complex community arts projects, focusing on issues affecting under-served populations; e.g., adults with disabilities, LGBTQ college students, caregivers and the elderly. Her spoken opera, The Way Home, is performed around the country, with proceeds donated to causes like women’s health and the uninsured. A civic journalist, she has written an award-winning column for thirty years.
Presentation Preparation
CLASS EIGHT: PRESENTATION PREPARATION
Objectives
• Feel comfortable with what to expect from the Presentation Session Panel. Practice your presentation and get feedback from your cohort.
Sample Video
Key Concepts
• Know your audience
• Content for your presentation
• Methods of presentation
• Judging Criteria
• Leave behind (business card, flyer, brochure)
• How to use your time before your presentation
Additional Resources
Presentation Skills
CLASS EIGHT: PRESENTATION SKILLS
Objectives
• Learn how to craft an effective presentation for your venture.
Sample Video
Key Concepts
• Two main types of presentations – Elevator Pitch and Presentations
• Wow, How, Now Method
• Tips and suggestions for presentations
• Presentation self-assessment
• Speed Pitching for practice
Additional Resources
Venture Canvas: Transition to Business Plan
CLASS EIGHT: TRANSITION TO BUSINESS PLAN
Objectives
• Transform your venture canvas into a document that works for you and your different audiences.
Sample Video
Key Concepts
• Purpose of the Venture Canvas and business plans
• Business plans are a living document. They change and evolve with your venture.
• A change in one place can affect other areas of your plan.
Additional Resources
Presentation Details Overview
CLASS SEVEN: PRESENTATION
Objectives
• Understand the presentation session and the connection to your Venture Canvas details.
Sample Video
Key Concepts
Additional Resources
Sales Strategy Overview
CLASS SEVEN: SALES STRATEGY
Objectives
• Develop & refine your mission statement
Sample Video
Key Concepts
• Sales approaches
• Qualifying a buyer
• Online or retail store sales
• Relationship and in-person sales
• Body language
Additional Resources
Marketing Strategy Overview
CLASS SEVEN: MARKETING STRATEGY
Objectives
• Further develop and specify your customers and competition to develop a successful marketing strategy
Sample Video
Key Concepts
• Review your customer segments and challenge your answers
• Customer motivation
• Pricing
• 5 P’s of marketing – Product, Price, Place, Position, Promotion
• SMART goals: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, Time-Based
• Google Analytics
• Facebook Analytics and paid advertising
Additional Resources
Pivot Overview
CLASS SEVEN: PIVOT OVERVIEW
Objectives
• Analyze your venture prototype to determine if you need to refine your product or your strategy.
Sample Video
Key Concepts
• Once you get through the Build-Measure-Learn stage, you will need to make a decision to Pivot or Persevere
• Pivoting is repurposing what you have built so far based on what you have learned to find and create a more positive direction
• It is a course correction to test a new hypothesis about your product or strategy
• How many pivots can you afford to make?
• Ventures must always be pivoting!
Additional Resources
Homework
CLASS SIX: HOMEWORK
Objectives
• Figure out how to create and manage a successful venture that builds on your strengths without hiring staff.
Sample Video
Directions
• Complete Venture Canvas part 4.
• Test out a project management system or tool that will work for you.
• Track your time to observe how you use it – what parts of the day are productive, when you get off track, what gets you off track, when you are at your best.
• Complete the Team Formation exercises.
• Test out a new belief on Self Care.
• Continue with your Prototyping.
Self Care
SELF CARE
Objectives
• Discover ways to manage stress and shift your mental models about work ethics.
Sample Video
Key Concepts
• Ideation phase of Design Thinking
• Self concept
• Taking care of yourself = taking care of your venture
• Understand what role wellness plays in launching a successful venture
• Use your time and project management skills to make time for yourself!
• Use self care to prevent burnout
Additional Resources
Team Formation & Mastermind Teams
CLASS SIX: TEAM FORMATION & MASTERMIND TEAMS
Objectives
• Learn how to work with others and hold yourself accountable when you are bootstrapping.
Sample Video
Key Concepts
• Creating a work culture for your venture
• Needs for building a team and methods of filling those roles
• Identify others who can fill your gaps
• Build an effective team for your prototype and venture
• Mastermind Team tools
Additional Resources
Project Management & Time Management
CLASS SIX: PROJECT MANAGEMENT & TIME MANAGEMENT
Objectives
• Discover strategies for working smarter with a team and time.
Sample Video
Key Concepts
• The 5 Stages of Project Management: Initiating, Planning, Executing, Managing, Ending
• Time Management skills, tools, and resources
• Understand your time management style
Additional Resources
Entrepreneurial Mindsets & Self Assessment
CLASS SIX: ENTREPRENEURIAL MINDSETS & SELF ASSESSMENT
Objectives
• Learn to analyze your personal strengths and weaknesses in order to know how to manage your venture.
Sample Video
Key Concepts
• Understanding your strengths, weaknesses, skills and talents
• The 3 Hats of Running Your Own Venture: What it takes to be Successful
• Personality Typing as a tool for knowing yourself
Additional Resources
Homework
CLASS FIVE: HOMEWORK
Objectives
• Get comfortable with your financial status and tools that can help you plan for future success and challenges.
Directions
• Refine the self reflection about Money, Beliefs, & Values and Building Your Financial Story
• Complete the Venture Financials Startup Expenses in the Excel Workbooks
• Begin work on the Venture Financials budget, sales channels, and cash flow Excel workbook tabs for your whole venture.
• Draft a narrative for the Venture Canvas Financials including Tax Structure, Business Model, Revenue Sources, and Timeframe to be sustainable.
Venture Financials
CLASS FIVE: VENTURE FINANCIALS
Objectives
• Expand your understanding of business models and how they could impact your venture. Learn to use creative venture financial spreadsheets to project your venture revenues and costs.
Sample Video
Key Concepts
• Legal Structure (tax)
Non-Profit
For Profit
Hybrid
• Business models
• Licensing your work
• Budgets – Venture Financials
Excel Basics and worksheet overview
Start-up expenses
Effective budgets
Sales Channels
Cash Flow
Additional Resources
Legal Structures, Business Models, & Licensing
CLASS FIVE: LEGAL STRUCTURES, BUSINESS MODELS & LICENSING
Objectives
• Lorem ipsum
• Dolor sit amet
Sample Video
Key Concepts
• Lorem ipsum
• Dolor sit amet
• Consectetur adipiscing elit
• Nulla sodales
• Integer facilisis ornare
• Eleifend maximus risus
Additional Resources
Building Your Financial Story
CLASS FIVE: BUILDING YOUR FINANCIAL STORY
Objectives
• Begin to explore your personal financial needs and wants.
Sample Video
Key Concepts
• Legal Structure (tax)
Non-Profit
For Profit
Hybrid
• Business models
• Budgets – Venture Financials
Excel Basics and worksheet overview
Start-up expenses
Effective budgets
Sales Channels
Cash Flow
Additional Resources
Money, Beliefs, and Attitudes
CLASS FIVE: MONEY, BELIEFS & ATTITUDES
Objectives
• Challenge your own mental models about your work, your personal values, and your financial values so that you can make a solid plan for your future financial stability.
Sample Video
Key Concepts
• Beliefs and attitudes toward money in the world
Additional Resources
Homework
CLASS FOUR: HOMEWORK
Objectives
• Lorem ipsum
• Dolor sit amet
Sample Video
Key Concepts
• Lorem ipsum
• Dolor sit amet
• Consectetur adipiscing elit
• Nulla sodales
• Integer facilisis ornare
• Eleifend maximus risus
Prototype Pitch
CLASS FOUR: PROTOTYPE PITCH
Objectives
• Test your prototype concepts, get feedback, and refine your venture prototype if needed.
Sample Video
Key Concepts
• 1 minute timed pitch refined from previous exercise
• Everyone shares with the full class
Additional Resources
Design Your Prototype Overview
CLASS FOUR:
DESIGN YOUR PROTOTYPE
Objectives
• Design a minimum viable product as your venture prototype. Determine what you need to learn during the prototype process and create experiments to test your prototype.
Sample Video
Key Concepts
• Your prototype should be a smaller or revised version of one of your products / services and be fairly easy to implement.
• Your prototype should include some of the critical features or elements of your ultimate product/service.
• Develop evaluation mechanisms to get customer feedback right away
• Gather data from your prototype experiments and take note of growth and expansion (or contraction) and customer behavior.
• Discover things about your product production and timing
• Continue to conduct improvement and redesign
Additional Resources
Prototyping Overview
CLASS FOUR: PROTOTYPING
Objectives
• To understand the purpose and value of prototyping. Learn about fast prototyping and begin to plan for your Evolve prototype. To honestly assess where you are in the life of your project to move forward with prototyping.
Sample Video
Key Concepts
• Lorem ipsum
• Dolor sit amet
• Consectetur adipiscing elit
• Nulla sodales
• Integer facilisis ornare
• Eleifend maximus risus
Additional Resources
Homework
CLASS THREE: HOMEWORK
Objectives
• Learn about the customers you identified in the last session. Set goals and objectives that create a plan for moving toward your long term goals.
Sample Video
Directions
• Evaluate your Creative Venture based on the research conducted.
• Complete the Creative Venture Canvas part 2
• Research individual customers and business/organization customers.
• Complete Goals & Objectives – Creative Venture Canvas 3
• Think about your Minimum Viable Product (Prototype)
Prototyping Preview
CLASS THREE: PROTOTYPING
Objectives
• To understand the purpose and value of prototyping. Learn about fast prototyping and begin to plan for your Evolve prototype. To honestly assess where you are in the life of your project
Sample Video
Key Concepts
• Prototyping
Additional Resources
Goals & Objectives Overview
CLASS THREE: GOALS & OBJECTIVES
Objectives
• Learn how goal setting can help you achieve your venture vision. Identify key goals and objectives that lead you to your venture vision.
Sample Video
Key Concepts
• Goal setting helps achieve vision
• Goals express specific way to achieve your vision
• Objectives are how you will achieve your goals
Additional Resources
Market Research Resources Overview
CLASS THREE: MARKET RESEARCH
Objectives
• Understand what kinds of market research you can do to help position your venture for success.
• Define your research goals.
• Realize that research may refine or change your defined market segments.
Sample Video
Key Concepts
• Information gathering using a variety of tools
Additional Resources
Context Overview
CLASS THREE: CONTEXT
Objectives
• Realize the importance of understanding your local and global marketplace and the context of the world in relation to your venture.
• Learn how to identify your venture’s strengths and weaknesses and how to identify outside forces that impact your venture.
Sample Video
Key Concepts
• SWOT analysis – identify your Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, & Threats
• Environmental scan
• Using what you have identified to make sound decisions and smart plans
Additional Resources
Homework
CLASS TWO: HOMEWORK
Objectives
• Get comfortable with the benefits of your venture and learn more about your customers & Competitors.
Sample Video
Directions
• Wrap up exploring and defining your venture description.
• Continue defining ideal individual and group customers, collaborators and stakeholders. Brainstorm with class members.
• Research your competitors
• Complete the Creative Venture Canvas part 2
Context Preview
CLASS TWO: CONTEXT PREVIEW
Objectives
• Realize the importance of understanding your local and global marketplace. Learn how to identify your venture’s strengths and weaknesses and how outside forces impact your venture.
Sample Video
Key Concepts
• Understand SWOT analysis – how to identify your Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, & Threats
• Understand environmental scan
• Understand how to use what you have identified to make sound decisions and smart plans
Additional Resources
Market Analysis Overview
CLASS TWO: MARKET ANALYSIS OVERVIEW
Objectives
• Understand the value of market research in relation to developing marketing and sales strategies. Begin to develop your target market/audience. Identify stakeholders, partners and collaborators.
Sample Video
Key Concepts
• Market Research is critical
• Best way to succeed is to research, test and refine simultaneously
• Identifying your target audience makes marketing easier
• Stakeholders and collaborators can help you succeed faster
• Identify your audience, business and organization groups, stakeholders, collaborators, and competitors
Additional Resources
Venture Description, Benefits & Value Proposition
CLASS TWO: VENTURE DESCRIPTION, BENEFITS & VALUE PROPOSITION
Objectives
• Understand all aspects of Venture Description. Explore the value of your venture. Share Homework feedback experiences
Sample Video
Key Concepts
• Venture Descriptions describe the details of your business and should include features and benefits.
• Value propositions describe the most important benefits and should solve your customers/audience’s problems.
Additional Resources
Ken May
KEN MAY
Profession:
Executive Director, South Carolina Arts Commission
Five Words About Me:
COMING SOON.
One Surprising Skill:
COMING SOON
Ken May has been executive director of the S.C. Arts Commission for nine years. Throughout his 33-year tenure at the Arts Commission, May has played a key role in shaping the agency’s signature programs and initiatives. He was one of the principal architects of the Arts in Basic Curriculum Project, which has driven statewide improvement in arts education for all students for more than 30 years, and he continues as the longest-serving member of that project’s coordinating committee. As primary grant writer for the commission, May designed and secured funding for major initiatives to use the arts for rural community development, enhance community design, build public participation in the arts, and help artists build sustainable working lives in South Carolina. He also led long range planning and directed agency efforts to bring grantmaking into the digital age and to make grant processes more transparent and equitable. Presently, May is expanding the SCAC’s national profile by serving on nationwide boards for the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies and Grantmakers in the Arts. He also serves on the board for South Arts, a consortium of nine southern state arts agencies based in Atlanta. His recent focus on those boards has been to help funders work toward equity in the distributions of grant funds and other resources.
Laura Poulette
Laura Poulette
Profession:
Artist
Five Words About Me:
Curious, adventurous, determined, authentic, enterprising, kind
One Surprising Skill:
I love designing buildings and interior spaces
Laura Poulette paints contemporary botanical watercolors inspired by the native plants of Kentucky’s woods and meadows. Laura graduated from Berea College where she studied studio art. She has adjudicated into the Kentucky Crafted Program of the Kentucky Arts Council. Laura exhibits her art work throughout Kentucky, and her line of original art, greeting cards and prints is carried by 16 galleries and boutiques in the Southeast. She lives with her family in the hills outside of Berea, Kentucky.
Greta Slone
Greta Slone
Profession:
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Five Words About Me:
Lorem, Ipsum, Dolor, Sit, Amet.
One Surprising Skill:
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Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Nulla sodales fermentum aliquet. Maecenas bibendum purus quis commodo vestibulum. Fusce eu egestas elit. Cras vitae risus nisl. Proin et ex semper, mattis quam id, laoreet magna. Integer facilisis ornare ipsum, mattis interdum nibh feugiat vitae. Maecenas maximus leo sit amet sapien pulvinar, ac placerat risus tempor. Suspendisse lobortis maximus imperdiet. Vestibulum et mauris quis metus rutrum egestas. Nulla id ornare libero, ut rhoncus sapien.
Nulla accumsan euismod lectus, eget efficitur erat volutpat lacinia. Etiam porttitor enim eu felis dapibus, ut condimentum nulla dapibus. Morbi consectetur, purus in imperdiet tempus, arcu ex accumsan ante, non egestas mi nulla id leo. Donec ac sagittis velit, non cursus ex. Nulla commodo nisi elit, non mollis felis iaculis at.
Danny Isaacs
Danny Isaacs
Profession:
Regional Specialist, Central Kentucky
Tennessee Valley Authority
Five Words About Me:
Genuine, Practical, Thoughtful, Hopeful, Life Long Learner
One Surprising Skill:
I’m fairly analytical and will often ask lots of questions to develop a deeper understanding of things. In doing so I often help with individual perfect their ability to sell themselves and their ideas.
For over a decade my passion and work has been helping individuals make their business dreams become a reality. I’ve worked for community economic development nonprofits and local governments implementing programs designed to grow entrepreneurs and businesses. I currently work with communities helping get them ready for opportunities to grow their employment opportunities, and improve their quality of life.
Betsy Whaley
Betsy Whaley
Profession:
Executive Vice President, MACED.
Five Words About Me:
Lorem, Ipsum, Dolor, Sit, Amet.
One Surprising Skill:
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Nulla sodales fermentum aliquet. Maecenas bibendum purus quis commodo vestibulum. Fusce eu egestas elit. Cras vitae risus nisl. Proin et ex semper, mattis quam id, laoreet magna. Integer facilisis ornare ipsum, mattis interdum nibh feugiat vitae. Maecenas maximus leo sit amet sapien pulvinar, ac placerat risus tempor. Suspendisse lobortis maximus imperdiet. Vestibulum et mauris quis metus rutrum egestas. Nulla id ornare libero, ut rhoncus sapien.
Nulla accumsan euismod lectus, eget efficitur erat volutpat lacinia. Etiam porttitor enim eu felis dapibus, ut condimentum nulla dapibus. Morbi consectetur, purus in imperdiet tempus, arcu ex accumsan ante, non egestas mi nulla id leo. Donec ac sagittis velit, non cursus ex. Nulla commodo nisi elit, non mollis felis iaculis at.
Robert Donnan
Robert Donnan
Profession:
Community Development Consultant and singersongwriter.
Five Words About Me:
Intuitive, irreverent, creative, holistic, and chronosynclastic
One Surprising Skill:
To predict the future.
Robert Donnan is an independent community and economic development consultant who focuses upon entrepreneurship, creative placemaking, and community/economic development initiatives in both metropolitan and rural locations. He is the Kentucky Coordinator for a three-state ARC POWER initiative called Energizing Entrepreneurial Communities, a collaboration among the Foundation for Appalachian Kentucky, the Brushy Fork Institute at Berea College, the national Center for Rural Entrepreneurship, and, in Kentucky, five coal-impacted communities which are developing community-based networks of support for local entrepreneurs. Robert also coaches individual entrepreneurs, conducts creative economy assessments, researches comparative case studies, facilitates community meetings, advises community-based initiatives, and facilitates strategic planning efforts for community-based and regional organizations.
Donna Daniels
Donna Daniels
Profession:
Director, Brushy Fork Institute and Aspiring Artist
Five Words About Me:
Pondering, learner, empathetic, intuitive, supportive
One Surprising Skill:
Tai Chi Sword Form and Fan Form—but I’m rusty now!
Donna Daniels serves as director of Brushy Fork Institute, a Strategic Initiative of Berea College. For the last three decades, she has worked in a variety of leadership and community development roles, including providing training and facilitation for communities and groups through Central Appalachia and spending a couple of years a principal planner for community infrastructure, affordable housing and homelessness programs in Clark County (Las Vegas), Nevada. Her experience and skills include workshop design, facilitation, communications, fundraising and reporting, research, planning, and program administration. Donna also paints in acrylic, watercolor, and oil, having been a member of juried groups and selling works in galleries and through an online platform. A native of Kingsport, Tennessee, Donna is a first generation graduate from Berea College. She lives in Berea, Kentucky, with her husband Gene.
Lora Mahaffey
Lora Mahaffey
Profession:
Artist and Teacher
Five Words About Me:
Creative, sarcastic, observant, slightly over-enthusiastic.
One Surprising Skill:
I can pull a perfect pint of Guinness
Lora Mahaffey has been an artist most of her life and a teacher of art in various ways for twenty five years. She taught confectionery art at The University of Alaska, Anchorage where she owed a bakery specializing in hand carved, decorated cakes. In 2005, Lora appeared on a Food Network Challenge competition where she earned first place. Her wedding cakes have appeared in Martha Stewart Magazine and Alaska Weddings Magazine. She has a degree in art history with a minor in medieval studies and has lived, studied and traveled extensively in the UK. These days, Lora works primarily as an artist. She designs art for two online craft supply houses and teaches art through the Reynolds Homestead and independently in her studio. Lora lives in Stuart, Virginia.
Shane Simmons
Shane Simmons
Profession:
Director of Community Economic Development
Five Words About Me:
Passionate, driven, curious, funny, optimistic
One Surprising Skill:
I possess is the ability to make corn husk dolls
I am currently the Director of Community Economic Development for People Incorporated in Abingdon, Virginia, co-founder of The Appalachian Project, and a published author. My prior experience includes a stint as a Vice President at BB&T bank where I served as a district manager over 18 retail branches.
My book “Legends & Lore of East Tennessee” won the Award of Distinction from the East Tennessee Historical Society in 2017. I recently co-authored a children’s book headed for publication entitled “Petey the Pink-Tailed Possum: A School Tail” as part of my work with The Appalachian Project (TAP).
I have a passion for sharing my experience and knowledge with others so they can learn from my successes and failures. I feel that having a mentor who can give you a solid foundation for learning can go a long way toward reaching your goals and dreams while avoiding some of the pitfalls.
McKenna Blevins
McKenna Blevins
Profession:
Entrepreneurship Program Coordinator – UVa-Wise
Five Words About Me:
Optimistic, artistic, determined, adventurous, colorful
One Surprising Skill:
I love yoga and can stand on my head!
McKenna Blevins is a recent graduate of UVa-Wise where she studied Graphic Design and Strategic Marketing. She is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Integrated Marketing Communications from West Virginia University and works for UVa-Wise as the Entrepreneurship Program Coordinator. With a passion for creativity and entrepreneurship, McKenna works with students who are interested in starting their own businesses. She is also the co-founder of Reach More Marketing where she assists small businesses with their marketing and graphic design needs. She is an artist who enjoys painting, crafting, and creating music. She loves the mountains and is a native of Coeburn, Virginia.
Renée Margocee
Renée Margocee
Profession:
Executive Director of the Tamarack Foundation for the Arts
Five Words About Me:
Fearless, curious, compassionate, dedicated, motivated
One Surprising Skill:
I can name a tune in five bars or less!
Renée Margocee has served as the Executive Director of the Tamarack Foundation for the Arts since March 2017. Renée received her B.A. in English Literature from Marshall University and studied ceramics at West Virginia University. With a background in liberal arts and arts administration, she is also an accomplished ceramic artist. She is at the forefront of growing West Virginia’s creative economy by promoting quality of life, economic development, social equity and connecting artists and creatives to their communities in new ways that truly raise the value of art and creativity. Her nonprofit affiliations include Americans for the Arts West Virginia State Captain for National Arts Advocacy, the Friends of West Virginia Public Radio, BB&T Community Development Committee, National Consortium for Creative Placemaking 2018 Leadership Summit Planning Committee, and grant reviewer for the National Endowment for the Arts, the Mid-Atlantic Foundation, the Kentucky Arts Council and the Beckley Area Foundation.
Dana Hantel
Dana Hantel
Profession:
Professional Development Coordinator (and project lead for creative placemaking endeavors) at Coalfield Development
Five Words About Me:
I like words and puzzles
One Surprising Skill:
I’m a decent singer, but I mostly just sing to my dog because I’m such a homebody
Dana was raised along the Middle Island Creek in Doddridge County, where she was an old soul, a tomboy, a scholar-athlete, an avid reader, and a tamer of stray cats. She holds a BSW and a JD from WVU, along with an MFA from the University of Wyoming. She has worked as a lawyer, educator, and writer. She co-owned a successful bicycle retail business in Arizona and has been a certified personal trainer since 2011. Dana spent over a decade in the American West, where she experienced Wyoming winds, Colorado snows, and Arizona heat; met some amazing dogs and humans; and competed in an absurd variety of athletic events. After coming home to the Mountain State with her favorite mutt, Cosmo, she led an arts and culture based social enterprise at Coalfield Development before becoming the Professional Development Coordinator. She remains the project lead on creative placemaking endeavors.
Kathy Deacon
Kathy Deacon
Profession:
Founder and CEO of Co-Creative Consulting, LLC
Five Words About Me:
Positive, curious, creative, driven, innovative
One Surprising Skill:
The ability to empathize with almost anyone in almost any situation
Kathy Deacon is a serial entrepreneur, and a business development and marketing professional with more than 35 years of experience. She is currently the Founder and CEO of Co-Creative Consulting, LLC, a consulting firm providing strategic consulting on a myriad of topics including entrepreneurship (with a focus on youth entrepreneurship) and small business development; community building; business planning; and marketing/sales strategy development. She also offers full service grant/proposal writing and management services. She is experienced in workshop design and facilitation on a myriad of topics for delivery to local and state agencies, community organizations, small businesses, non-profit organizations and for-profit corporations. She has experience working with large organizations, small businesses, and entrepreneurs. She is an innovative leader and strives to exemplify the type of entrepreneurial spirit that she works to cultivate in her clients and in the communities she serves.
Idalina Walker
Idalina Walker
Profession:
Tourism development specialist
Five Words About Me:
Enthusiastic, trusting, innovative, collaborator, coachable
One Surprising Skill:
Southwest Virginia Homesteader
Idalina Walker is a tourism development specialist with a background in environmental education, natural resource development. She is a Native of Floyd County and an Alum of UVA-Wise. Throughout her career, she has worked to promote the many natural assets of Southwest Virginia and engage with and learn from community partners. After spending a few years in Northern Virginia, Idalina is overjoyed to be back in the mountains working to develop partnerships and share her passion and energy for Southwest Virginia’s world-class outdoor resources.
Idalina focuses on the western front of the Southwest Virginia region and is working to develop and showcase collaboration opportunities and ideas to benefit the region.
Corey Williams
Corey Williams
Profession:
Editing & Creative Director of Rivertown Creative Agency
Five Words About Me:
Creative, bon vivant, ambitious, eudemonic, benevolent
One Surprising Skill:
Not a bad cook
Corey Williams is the founder & creative director of Rivertown, a local creative agency that provides marketing & media services to individuals and small businesses. A Danville transplant, Corey received his B.S. in Psychology from Averett University in May 2014. After graduating, Corey relocated to Richmond, Virginia for, what he calls, a creative gap year. While there, he focused on becoming a better artist, writer & photographer. In December 2016, Corey moved back to Danville and in May 2017, he graduated with his M.A in English. Upon moving back, Corey quickly got involved with several organizations including Danville After Hours Rotary, God’s Storehouse & Middle Border Forward, all of which he serves board positions. Corey has recently completed Middle Border Forward’s Fellowship & currently serves as the Alumni Representative on their board. Corey takes great pride in living in this region & is proud to say that Danville is home.
Garland Mason
Garland Mason
Profession:
Doctoral Student in Agricultural, Leadership, and Community Education
Five Words About Me:
Driven, fun, thoughtful, capable, loving
One Surprising Skill:
I can milk cows
My name is Garland Mason and I am committed to helping communities advance their social and economic development goals to build more livable futures. I derive my experience from my work as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Nepal, as an AmeriCorps Volunteer and non-profit practitioner in Vermont, and as a research assistant with the Appalachian Foodshed Project. I earned an M.S. in Agricultural, Leadership, and Community Education from Virginia Tech, where I am now pursuing a PhD. I study radical adult education for social justice and social change. My main research interest centers on the ways diverse community members come together as learners to identify their communities’ needs and advance collective goals. I am particularly interested in the intersections and manifestations of race, identity, and power within these processes.
Norman Branch
Norman Branch
Profession:
CEO for Positive People Association
Five Words About Me:
Driven by faith, entrepreneurial spirit, courageous, team player, ambitious
One Surprising Skill:
Creative writing: being creative in visionary
My name is Norman “Norm” Branch. I am the CEO for Positive People Association, a non-Profit community organization that promotes education and health skills through various forms of art. I graduated from Marshall University with a Regents B.A degree with a double minor in psychology and marketing. Married to Leah Brown-Branch for eleven years.
I founded Positive People Association with my mother Lanita C. Hatcher in the Fairfield West Communities of Huntington, WV. Our first program consist of theater arts projects, with at-risk youth and young adults. In 1998 we organized our first Salute to Carter G. Woodson, Ph.d. and Talent Celebration. Every year since we have produced and performed a play throughout the Tri-State. Stars R Us Theater Troupe was formed bring diversity and skills of theater. We have created documentary film about social issues. My passion is for the Arts to tell a story to inspire and uplift, encourage someone to live, love and laugh. To motivate someone to become the next generation of Positive thinkers and believers.
In my spare time, I train youth and adults, in weight lifting and physical fitness. My wife and I participate in OCR events. We have done 2 Spartan Sprints and a Warrior Dash.
Megan M. Seibel
Megan M. Seibel
Profession:
Extension Specialist, Community Leadership
Five Words About Me:
Collaborative, Strategic, Relationship-Driven, Approachable, Sincere
One Surprising Skill:
Viticulturist (I raise 20 acres of wine grapes)
Megan Seibel was raised by purpose-driven parents who taught that we should live humbly in service to others – and view work as a vocational calling to do so. While working as a nurse, life led her on a path of program development and education addressing human and social resources as invaluable in communities. Currently, Megan is the director of a statewide adult leadership fellowship program at Virginia Tech, and associate director of an international problem solving center. As a specialist with Virginia Cooperative Extension, she coordinates facilitation and strategic/project planning courses for stakeholder audiences. From 2016-18, Megan was appointed as Deputy Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry by Governor McAuliffe to work on rural leadership issues. Outside of her university job, she and her husband, Andy, creatively leverage what they can to diversify and sustain his family farm, while raising 20, 19, and 16 year-old children. Megan has a BSN from JMU, and MS and PhD from Virginia Tech.
Julie Walters Steele
Julie Walters Steele
Profession:
Director of Reynolds Homestead, Commonwealth Center of Virginia Tech
Five Words About Me:
Visionary, passionate, synergetic, whimsical, jovial
One Surprising Skill:
2004 Western North Carolina Rooster Crowing Champion (have the trophy to prove it)
Julie Walters Steele is honored to serve as the Director of Reynolds Homestead, a Commonwealth Campus Center at Virginia Tech, where she manages a Community Enrichment Center and the historic Rock Spring Plantation. During the past seven years, Julie has initiated a growth in programs and services at Reynolds Homestead in an effort to support a creative economy in Patrick County and beyond. Among the programs she manages, Julie is responsible for coordinating workshops offered by the Air Institute across the Commonwealth of Virginia. Before moving to Patrick County, Virginia, Julie worked in community building roles on the campuses of Virginia Tech; Western Carolina University; and at her alma mater, Clemson University. An active volunteer within the universities and communities she serves, Julie enjoys developing collaborative partnerships that affect positive change and build stronger communities, and spending time with her family – especially on nature and music outings.
Ruth Dudding
Ruth Dudding
Profession:
Director of Community Health and Engagement
Five Words About Me:
Passionate, Inventive, Empathetic, Engaged, Intentional
One Surprising Skill:
I can alter any recipe to make it healthier- and make it still taste good!
Ruth Dudding, CHES, CHW, is the Director of Community Health and Engagement at the Athens City-County Health Department in Southeastern Ohio. Ruth received her BS from Ohio University in 1987 and never left Athens, OH. Ruth works with communities, worksites, and health systems to create policies, systems, and environmental changes to make the healthy choice, the easy choice. Economic development, connection to community, and creative problem-solving are essential elements to positive health outcomes. Through her 19 years of experience at the health department, Ruth has learned that community engagement and shared decision-making are the keys to better health outcomes. Ruth is passionate about social justice and social participation. Ruth participates in a global health community, Shaping Health, whose focus is to develop models for grassroots leadership. In her spare time, she loves to cook delicious vegan food and play music with her family.
Dan Vorisek
Dan Vorisek
Profession:
Entrepreneurial Communities Coach, Educator
Five Words About Me:
Helpful, patient, hopeful, organizer, pragmatic
One Surprising Skill:
Welding and repair
Dan has enjoyed over 20 years working in higher education and outdoor recreation in Ohio, New York, and Pennsylvania. He has completed degrees from Penn State University (BS), Minnesota State University (MS), and his MBA at Ohio University. Dan has spent most of his career helping students, employees, and community members to work together better and enjoys watching groups evolve as they identify and blend their individual talents to create an effective team. Dan is currently working as a community coach assisting volunteers to build support networks that will help their local businesses grow and thrive. After many years working in outdoor education, a recent realization for Dan was that in community development work, art and culture are effective entry points to sparking movement towards a future that a community is seeking. Talk of economic development and policy can be too abstract to engage stakeholders but arts and culture are very felt and understood by all that live in any community.