‘Twas indeed a lovely Appalachian Spring
You couldn’t ask for a more Appalachian setting, with flair. As guests arrived at the Farmhouse Gallery and Gardens on May 21, they were greeted by the eerie screams of peacocks who live on the property and nonchalantly flaunt their remarkable feathers. The weather was a little iffy – with threatening clouds hovering overhead much of the time, but we were grateful that the rain held off and the cover helped keep temperatures at just the right level.
The lovely raffle display on the deck and our festive raffle team sporting face paint and costumes helped brighten the festivities. Music by Bill and the Belles put all at ease, welcoming guests and entertaining throughout the night.
As folks sat down to enjoy the buffet dinner of barbeque, salad and potatoes, the evening program began with Executive Director Carl Silverstein’s remarks highlighting our conservation achievement over the past year, followed by recognition of our outgoing Trustees, Leslie Casse and Florence Krupnick, who have served two terms on our Board.
Election of Trustees
The new nominations to the SAHC Board of Trustees were approved by the vote of members assembled at the event or by proxy. We are very pleased to welcome Robbie McLucas and Jeff Needham to the Board!
Jeff lives in Kingsport, TN and is the Strategic Technology Director with Eastman Chemical Company. He is passionate about the environment and SAHC’s mission. He brings SAHC strong leadership, analytical, and strategic planning skills, plus close ties with community leaders in Kingsport.
Robbie is a real estate agent in Asheville, and has served for several years on the SAHC Communications Committee. A dedicated SAHC volunteer, he previously worked with the Jackson Hole Land Trust. Robbie generously supports SAHC through One Percent for the Planet and actively promotes SAHC through social media.
Patty Cunningham-Woolf and Lyman J. “Greg” Gregory, III were each elected to serve a second 3-year term on our Board of Trustees.
Patty is an agent with Carolina Mountain Sales realty in Asheville. She serves on SAHC’s Member Outreach and Events Committee, and has led the development of our Real Estate Partner Program, in which realtors give a gift membership to SAHC on behalf of homebuyers in the area.
Greg is an attorney with the Asheville firm of Marshall, Roth, and Gregory. Greg chairs the SAHC Land Management and Stewardship Committee, and advises SAHC on legal questions relating to conservation easements and other matters.
2015 Stanley A. Murray Volunteer of the Year – Craig Thompson
Anne Kilgore, SAHC Trustee and Director of Sustainability at Eastman, presented this year’s Stanley A. Murray Volunteer of the Year award to Craig Thompson, for outstanding service in the Highlands of Roan. In 1989 the Stanley A. Murray Award for Volunteer Service was created to honor persons who have made outstanding volunteer contributions to the work of SAHC, emulating the lifelong dedication of our founder, Stanley A. Murray.
Craig lives in Jonesborough, TN. Recently retired, he is an avid hiker and photographer and has traveled extensively throughout the US. He has served SAHC as a model volunteer in key capacities. Craig cares passionately about the Roan Highlands and participates in almost every habitat management workday we hold there — assisting in coordination of the NC BRIDGE crew, Grassy Ridge mow-off, Roany Boyz, and other workdays.
Craig has been an enthusiastic participant in our recent “triple mowing” experiment, in which we are partnering with the US Forest Service and volunteers to look at new ways to control blackberry. Craig recognizes the importance of engaging new generations of conservationists in SAHC’s mission. He is actively pursuing outreach on our behalf in the Tri-cities region, in order to recruit new members and build our constituency. Thank you and congratulations to Craig!
