Board of Trustees and Staff Members

Beth grew up in Greenville, South Carolina and attended Salem College. A seasoned development officer, she comes to BRAHM from ASU where she currently serves as Executive Assistant to the Chancellor after spending seven years as the Director of Development for the Walker College of Business. Beth and husband Web have one daughter, Katie, and a black lab named Blackberry. Beth is very active in the community, having served as an Elder on the Session at Rumple Memorial Presbyterian Church and as Chairman of the Watauga County American Red Cross.

Welborn currently serves as President of BRAHM's Board of Trustees. A native of Lenoir, NC, he is a graduate of Duke University and a retired senior executive of CSX Corporation, a major railroad and transportation company. Welborn and his wife, Patty, moved permanently to Blowing Rock in 1995. They are supporters of the visual arts and are collectors of American Impressionist Art from the early 1900s. Having served on the Boards of the Nasher Museum, the North Carolina Museum of Art and currently on the Mint Museum, Welborn brings a wealth of experience to this group.

Teresa, a native South Carolinian, resides in Greensboro with her husband, Don. They have been seasonal residents of the Blowing Rock area since 1987. Because of her parents' love for the mountains, Teresa has been coming to the Blowing Rock/Asheville area all of her life. This appreciation of the mountains was passed on to her, and she has involved herself with the organizations in the area that are interested in preserving the history of Blowing Rock. She is currently on the Board of the Blowing Rock Garden Club. She is also a member of the Historical Society and an associate member of the Blowing Rock Methodist Church.

In 1968, Don and Teresa started their family business, Camco Manufacturing, Inc. She is still involved in the business since "to retire would be like giving up one of the children". She and Don have two grown children, Lisa and Jonathan, as well as four grandchildren.

John first starting visiting the Blowing Rock area in the early 1950s. After initially spending only summers in the mountains, he and his family relocated permanently in 2000.

John holds a BS in Engineering from Tulane University, and has worked as a professional engineer and licensed general contractor. He also works as a part-time instructor at Caldwell Community College & Technical Institute. An active member of Rumple Presbyterian Church, he is also past president of the Blowing Rock Rotary Club. John enjoys art and photography, particularly local scenes and paintings.

Herb, a Blowing Rock resident since 1972, has connections to the area reaching back to 1958, when he began spending time with friend and fellow artist Philip Moose at his home here. Earning a BFA and MFA from the New York State College of Ceramics at Alfred University, Alfred, NY, Herb has served as an instructor at Alfred University, a designer for Hyalyn Porcelain Company, Hickory, NC, and as Exhibits Director and Acting Director at the Mint Museum of Art in Charlotte. As an award-winning potter and sculptor, he has exhibited throughout the United States; served as juror for numerous exhibitions, fairs, and shows; and served appointments to regional committees and boards.

Herb is currently a self-employed potter/sculptor and exhibits at Studios 2, Inc. in Blowing Rock. He is also an exhibiting member of Piedmont Craftsmen, Inc. and the Southern Highland Craft Guild.

Grace, originally from St. Augustine and Jacksonville, Florida, has been a seasonal resident of Blowing Rock since 1988. She has a background in business administration and interior design, and has been active in volunteer organizations such as the American Cancer Society, Hospice and Rotary. An avid golfer and past president of the Ladies Golf Association at the Blowing Rock Country Club, Grace also enjoys ballet, painting and theater.

Lynn is a fulltime resident of Blowing Rock and an associate vice chancellor for Cultural and Public Affairs at Appalachian State University. At Appalachian, Lynn is responsible for the Turchin Center for the Visual Arts, An Appalachian Summer Festival, and the Performing Arts Series. Lynn and her husband, Doug, moved to Blowing Rock permanently in September 2003.

She is a graduate of the University of Miami and the University of Texas at Austin, was a journalist for seven years and then spent 15 years in corporate communications at Bank of America. Lynn also serves on the Blowing Rock Tourism Development Authority and is a member of Blowing Rock Country Club.

Joseph Daingerfield Dulaney is the grandson of artist Elliott Daingerfield, and son of Gwendoline Daingerfield, Elliott’s daughter. The Daingerfield family has been coming to Blowing Rock since 1886, when Elliott made his first visit “and fell in love with this bit of heaven,” says Joe.

Joe is married to Raleigh and has two grown children, Dain and Anna, and four grandchildren. He is a graduate of Davidson College and was an insurance agent until his retirement from BB&T Insurance Service in 2000. He is active in many organizations both in Blowing Rock and in Charlotte, including Christ Church in Charlotte, St. Mary of the Hills, Rotary, Urban Ministries of Charlotte, Habitat for Humanity, Little League and the Boy Scouts. Joe is also a past board member of the Mint Museum in Charlotte.

Rebecca grew up in Raleigh and now lives in Wilmington with her husband, Conway Ficklen, M.D. where she has been very involved with the St. John's /Cameron Museum for more than thirty years. She served as President of the Board for 12 years, (including during their major Capital Campaign and the construction of the new museum building.) In addition to art, her interests include music, theater, travel and playing with her grandchildren!

José, a Blowing Rock resident since 1972, has connections to the area reaching back to 1958, when he began spending time with friend and fellow artist Philip Moose at his home here. A graduate of the City College of New York (CUNY) and the Cooper Union Art School of New York, José has made his living as a designer and stylist - specializing in fabrics and textiles - for companies including Cohn-Hall-Marx-Cohama of New York, and the Collins and Aikman Corporation. As a painter and fiber artist, he has exhibited at the Mint Museum of Art, Charlotte; the Southeastern Center for Contemporary Art, Winston-Salem; Palazzo Venezia in Rome, Italy; and museums and galleries throughout the Southeastern United States. José has also held teaching positions at Appalachian State University, Boone, NC; East Carolina University, Greenville, NC; and the Mint Museum of Art, Charlotte.

José is currently self-employed and exhibits at Studios 2, Inc. in Blowing Rock, where he also serves as a design consultant, lecturer, and art juror. He is also an exhibiting member of Piedmont Craftsmen, Inc. and the Southern Highland Craft Guild.

Sue came to Blowing Rock from Michigan in 1972 to help a family friend set up a chain of pizza shops, and simply never left! In 1980, she purchased the name “Blowing Rock Realty” and has been actively involved in real estate and the community ever since.

She received her degree from the University of Michigan and, in addition to her extensive coursework in commercial and investment real estate, she has done post-graduate work at ASU in business, urban planning and anthropology. Her hobby is reading Mayan hieroglyphs.

Selected as Avery-Watauga Realtor of the Year in 1983, Sue was also president of the Association of Realtors in 1992. She has been a member of the BRAHM Board of Trustees since its beginning, and has served as the chair of the 2002 summer Philip Moose Retrospective. In addition, she was the co-chair of “Art Celebration 2004” and “Art Celebration 2005” during which she authored the exhibit catalogues.

Dr. Herman A. Godwin Jr. and his wife, Renee, live in Blowing Rock and enjoy 6 children and 10 grandchildren. Herman’s career in medicine spans more than 30 years; he currently serves as the Medical Director of Appalachian Regional Healthcare System. He is a member of Rumple Memorial Presbyterian Church, the Blowing Rock Country Club, the Aesculapian Club at Harvard, the North Carolina Medical Society, The Audubon Society, The Thomas Wolfe Society and The Nature Conservancy, just to name a few. His undergraduate degree is from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and his medical degree is from the Bowman Gray School of Medicine.

David comes from a long line of Harwoods who call Albemarle, NC, home. David attended NC State University in Raleigh, where he graduated with undergraduate and graduate degrees in Architecture. His wife, Gina, is a Meredith College graduate. After several years with a large architectural firm in Raleigh, David made a career change and became an executive recruiter, specializing in the banking industry. He established an executive search firm, Harwood & Harwood, Inc., with his father in 1997 and moved the business to Blowing Rock in 2000. David is a Certified Personnel Consultant, which is the highest designation attainable in the recruiting and staff industry. He has served as the Chairp of the Administrative Board at Rumple Presbyterian Church, is a member of the Architectural Review Board at Yonahlossee and the Blowing Rock Historical Society. He also maintains his membership with the NC Board of Architecture and the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards. He and Gina have two daughters, Wesley and Haley Banks.

LaMont and his wife CoraAnn, who live in Charlotte, NC, are the reason the Blowing Rock Art and History Museum group was founded. In the late 1990s, following a showing of their collection of works by Elliott Daingerfield, the Hudsons offered this collection to Blowing Rock if a suitable "home" could be found for it. Based upon this promised gift, the founding group began to explore the possibility and take measures to make it happen. Now, six years later, the organization is grateful to the Hudsons for providing an inspirational purpose.

Tim is the owner of Blowing Rock Frameworks and Gallery and a longtime supporter of BRAHM. The single parent of two children, Laurel (11) and Olyn (9), Tim likes to hike, snow ski, ride bikes and travel with his brood.

Following a trip to China fifteen years ago, Tim got involved in the art world. He opened Blowing Rocks Frameworks and Gallery in 1994 and has subsequently studied in England at D&J Simons. Tim is recognized as a GCF (Guild Commended Framer and a CPF (Certified Picture Framer) and looks forward to being involved with the Museum for the duration

Joni and her husband, Peter, have collected art throughout their marriage of 23 years - supporting primarily regional artists who have been willing to teach them about art and the joys of creative expression. Their collection has been widely exhibited and many pieces have been donated to Appalachian State University's permanent collection.

Currently, Joni serves as the Director of Freshman Learning Communities in General Studies at Appalachian State University. Residents of Boone, Peter and Joni are active community members; she serves on the Watauga Medical Center Foundation Board and An Appalachian Summer Festival Board, while Peter serves on the board for Turchin Center for the Visual Arts.

Dennis is a retired Kimberly-Clark Corporation executive who has been a seasonal resident of Blowing Rock since 1992 and a permanent resident since 1999. He also serves on the Board for the Appalachian Regional Healthcare Foundation. He and his wife, Marcia, have three daughters and three grandchildren. He enjoys golf, tennis, skiing, and bridge and he and Marcia maintain a second home in Aiken, S.C. Dennis also serves as BRAHM's treasurer.

LaRose is a native of Georgia, who came to North Carolina to attend Duke, where she received her Master's degree. She received her Ed.D in higher education administration at NC State. She and her husband, Bill, make Raleigh their home away from Blowing Rock. In July 2001, LaRose retired as Vice President of Marketing for Meredith College. Present and past professional and civic activities include: Board of Governors of the Blowing Rock Country Club, Blowing Rock Stage Company, National Association of Female Executives, Raleigh Professional Women's Forum, Triangle Executive Women's Association, Women in Technology International, North Carolina Museum of Art and National Museum of Women in the Arts. LaRose has been honored as a Mentor of Distinction by the Women's Business Advisory Council of Raleigh, an Outstanding North Carolina Business Woman by the National Association of Women Business Owners, and was the first woman to serve as president of the North Carolina Association of Institutional Researchers.

Norma S. Suddreth, “a country girl,” was born and reared in North Carolina. She has been a frequent visitor to this area since childhood. Roaming nearby hills and swimming in cold mountain streams are some of her favorite growing-up memories!

After graduating from UNCG, she attended art schools in NC, TN, and most recently, CT, where she studied the art of fresco at St. Michael’s Institute of Sacred Art. She has a studio in Lenoir, NC where she teaches watercolor and papermaking. Norma is especially interested in children, education, history and art and serves on various regional and state boards that support these interests. She is the mother of two daughters and three grandsons and confesses that she and her husband Jack come to their mountain home on Main Street every chance they can!

Larry has been a seasonal resident of Blowing Rock for more than 20 years and interested in the visual arts for even longer. A native of Wilson, NC, he is a former president of the Wilson Arts Council and served on their board for many years. He recently made the decision to return to Blowing Rock full time and has joined the BRAHM board because he believes in showcasing the many outstanding artists of our area. A collector of primarily North Carolina artists, Larry is particularly interested in paintings, glass, clay and sculpture.

Born and raised in Statesville, N.C., Rita Wiseman moved to Blowing Rock in 1983. She spent ten years as a business owner in Town prior to joining Kohler Enterprises as a Realtor in 1993. Rita was elected to the Blowing Rock Town Council in 1995 and served three eventful terms.

In her efforts to preserve the quaint village atmosphere, Rita served on the Architectural Review Committee and is now active with the Blowing Rock Appearance Advisory Commission. She also is a member of the Blowing Rock Historical Society andis serving as Treasurer and on the Executive Committee of the Blowing Rock Horseshow.

Joann was hired as the first Executive Director of BRAHM in June, 2005, after serving on the organization's Board of Trustees since its inception as the Treasurer and Membership Chairman.

Upon moving to Blowing Rock from Houston, TX, in 1999, Joann worked in Public Relations and Communications for Blowing Rock Hospital. This was a continuation of her professional experience in Houston, where she was employed at Texas Children's Hospital and DePelchin Children's Center as Vice-President of Development and Communications. At both institutions, she managed major capital campaigns and directed community-wide public relations efforts.

Joann has two grown daughters, Aime and Charlotte, both of whom live in Raleigh.

Kelly is a native of Michigan and holds an Accounting Degree from the University of Michigan and a MBA from Florida Tech. She and her husband Mark have made Blowing Rock their home for the past nine years. They have a daughter, Faith Ann, who is in the first grade at Blowing Rock Elementary School and who has a passion for art! The Hensons attends Rumple Memorial Presbyterian church where Kelly has served on numerous committees and as director of Vacation Bible School. She and her husband are also members of the “Rumple Ringers” hand bell choir. For the past two years she has served as Treasurer for the Blowing Rock Elementary School PTO and as a volunteer with the Young-at-Art program. Kelly loves to hike, sew, and is an avid reader.