Interactions + Attractions

Join us as we talk with Kimberly Jochl! From ski racing to leading Sugar Mountain Ski Resort, Kim’s journey has been shaped by discipline, resilience, and a deep respect for community. As a member of the United States Alpine Ski Team from ages sixteen to twenty-three, she experienced both success and failure at the highest level, navigated the trauma of injuries, and gained a rare, firsthand view...

Join us as we talk with Maddie Bartosh, Trail Programs Manager at Rutherford Outdoor Coalition. Originally from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Maddie studied psychology and biology at Coastal Carolina University before heading to Western North Carolina to work with ROC. She served two 11-month terms as an AmeriCorps Trails and Education Coordinator, where she led trail workdays across 18.5 miles of tra...

Join us as we talk with Andrew Schmidt! Andrew D. Schmidt, CDME, CHME, MPA is a thirty-year veteran of the hospitality industry with a mix of hotel, destination marketing, and academic background. Andrew has worked with the Greenville-Pitt County Convention & Visitors Bureau (Visit Greenville, NC) in various capacities for thirty years and currently serves as the President & CEO for the CVB and Gr...

Join us as we flip the script and chat with our own podcast coordinator, Taylor Bass. Taylor co-created and produces the show, and also leads several other programs at UPLIFT. In this episode, we talk through the behind the scenes of podcasting, share tips and practical advice for anyone thinking about starting their own, and look at how podcasts can be a powerful way to tell your story. We’ve als...

Join us as we talk to Simone Adams! Simone is the Founder and Executive Director of Color My Outdoors, a regional nonprofit changing the outdoor narrative to celebrate People of Color. Under her leadership, Color My Outdoors has become a driving force in shaping a more inclusive outdoor industry—cultivating Leaders of Color, building confidence through family-based outdoor education, and amplifyin...

We are so excited to talk with Vicki Vitiello! Vicki is the Deputy Director for the North Carolina Arts Council! Vicki takes on this role with more than 25 years of leadership and senior program experience with the agency. In her 10-year tenure as Director of Operations, she oversaw pandemic recovery efforts and the distribution of $25 million in federal funding to our state’s hard-hit nonprofit a...

Join us as we talk to Paige Burns! Paige has served as Horticulture agent for Richmond County since 2007, and in addition as County Extension Director since 2019. Her work has covered multiple areas related to plants, natural resources, and economic development. Paige works with specialty crop farmers in the areas of production, pest management, farm food safety and developing marketing outlets. S...

Join us for a conversation with a panel of experts from the NC Main Street Program! Today, we’re excited to welcome Amy Suggs, Naomi Riley, Charles Halsall, Sherry Adams, and Joy Almond. Amy Suggs is a Main Street Specialist with the NC Main Street & Rural Planning Center. She works closely with local Main Street programs, facilitating strategic planning and providing technical assistance. Amy is...

Join us as we get to talk with Jamie Karolich! Jamie is a printmaker, educator, and community builder based in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Western North Carolina. She serves as Program Director of Craft Your Commerce, an entrepreneurial learning initiative of Mountain BizWorks that supports artists and creative entrepreneurs across the 26 most western counties of North Carolina. With a background...

In this episode, we sit down with four experts from the North Carolina Department of Commerce’s Main Street & Rural Planning Center to explore how rural communities across the state are building stronger, more resilient economies. Karen Smith, AICP - As the Rural Planning Program Manager, Karen brings over 30 years of experience in public-sector community and economic development planning in North...

Join us as we talk with Corrina Ruffieux! Corrina is the Executive Director at Haywood County Tourism Development Authority and brings over 25 years of tourism leadership to her role. In her 2.5 years in Haywood County, she has led the creation of the county’s first Destination Master Plan, launched a full destination rebrand, and guided recovery efforts following Hurricane Helene—earning her the...

Join us as we talk with Larry VanHoose! Larry is the Executive Director of the Alleghany County Chamber of Commerce in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. With more than 30 years of experience as a writer, creative director, photographer, and publisher, Larry has built his career around storytelling and community connection. Before joining the Chamber, he co-owned and was the Executive Edi...

Join us as we talk with Vivianette Ortiz! As the Executive Director of Latinos Aventureros, she leads the organization in creating meaningful outdoor experiences for Latinos and communities of color, breaking barriers and fostering deep connections with nature. Through shared adventures, Latinos Aventureros builds community, encourages learning, and inspires personal growth. Under her leadership,...

Join us as we talk with Carolyn Rhodes! Carolyn is an accomplished and visionary leader with an unwavering commitment to fostering collaboration, driving innovation, and championing progressive change. With a remarkable 20-plus year journey across diverse sectors, Carolyn’s passion lies in cultivating inclusive leadership and building sustainable infrastructures. At the core of her leadership phil...

Join us as we talk to Anita Brown-Graham! Anita is the founder and director of the ncIMPACT Initiative and the Gladys Hall Coates Distinguished Professor of Public Law and Government at the UNC School of Government. This initiative seeks to expand the School’s capacity to work with public officials on complex policy issues including economic mobility, the expansion of prekindergarten, and extendin...

Join us for a conversation with Anpeytu Neier, founder of Gratitude Farm and Retreat, LLC. With a background in business development, project and staff management, public relations, marketing, team leadership, consulting, hospitality, serving on nonprofit boards of directors, crisis intervention, stress management, and teaching crisis response, resiliency skills, horse management, horse training,...

Join us as we talk with John McCann! John is the founder and president of Partners in Performance, where his work centers on organizations culture, innovation and adaptive strategy, and leader development. His clients include the Association of Arts Presenters, Dance/USA, National Alliance for Musical Theatre, Martha Graham Dance Company, Chicago Opera Theatre, and the National Symphony Orchestra....

Join us as we chat with Mac Jeffers from Riversong Cabin Rentals! What started as a family dream of owning a small business turned into reality when Mac’s family discovered the charming town of Elkin, North Carolina. Drawn to the beauty of the Yadkin Valley, they found a secluded 50-acre piece of land nestled between the Mitchell River and Snow Creek. Today, Riversong offers a peaceful escape in t...

Join us as we talk with Mayor Bobbie Jones! Mayor Jones is a lifelong leader whose journey has taken him from the Marine Corps to the classroom, and now to being the Mayor of Princeville, North Carolina, the oldest town chartered by African Americans in the United States. A three-term mayor, Jones is dedicated to preserving Princeville’s powerful history while guiding it toward a thriving future....

Join us as we get to talk with farmer Dallas Robinson about her passion project, the Harriet Tubman Freedom Farm! Dallas loves cats, plants, and soil! Her farming journey started in 2017, when she finally took the advice of a persistent college friend to attend the Soul Fire Farmer's Immersion that summer. It was love at first ripe tomato. Dallas apprenticed on various farms in North Carolina, Ill...

Join us as we talk with Karen Hayes! Karen is originally from Elizabeth City, North Carolina, and has a strong background in historic interpretation, community engagement and management. She obtained a B.S. in Economics and Finance, Management from Elizabeth City State University. Karen began her early career in public radio broadcasting and later diverted her attention to amplifying underrepresen...

Join us as we talk with Dave Walker! Dave directs Resourceful Communities’ Faith and Food initiative, which engages rural churches, especially rural United Methodist churches, in local food economies, more effective use of church resources and authentic community partnerships; and Healthy Communities, Healthy Economies, a Western North Carolina-focused initiative to address social determinants of...

Join us as we talk with Diane Villa! Diane is the Deputy Director and Chief Communications Officer at the North Carolina Zoo, where she leads knowledgeable and passionate staff covering marketing, public relations, social media, website, events, graphics, emergency operations/security, and guest services. Her team brands and promotes the North Carolina Zoo, creates safe, memorable guest experience...

Join us as we talk to Jeff Michael, Deputy Secretary for Natural Resources at the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources. Jeff oversees the North Carolina Zoo, Division of State Parks and Recreation, N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences, North Carolina Aquariums, and Division of Land and Water Stewardship and brings a powerful lens of leadership, conservation, and connection to the...

Join us as we continue our conversation with Julius Tillery, Paul Nicholson, and Gary Rudolph Redding. They are from Tillery, North Carolina and their work spans agriculture, education, law, and community empowerment. Julius Tillery is a fifth-generation cotton farmer dedicated to preserving and redefining the legacy of Black cotton farming. He founded BlackCotton, a company that transforms raw co...