Becky Anderson
Becky has served as Executive Director of HandMade in America since its inception in 1993 until March of 2008. There she gained national recognition by working with the 23-county area in Western North Carolina to implement sustainable economic solutions that emphasize the craft industry, enhance opportunities in the marketplace, and develop entrepreneurial strategies for the region’s craft artisans. Anderson has over 35 years experience in economic and community development work. In 2000, US News and World Report named Anderson one of the United States top 20 visionaries for her work in community and civic development.
Curt Cottle
Curt is a consultant based in Columbia, SC with more than 20 years experience in marketing and communications, as well as economic and community development. Areas of focus include planning, workshops and project management. Current clients include state tourism offices, heritage areas and communities interested in asset-based strategies for development. Before going out on his own in 2003, he was director of the Office of Heritage Tourism Development at the South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism.
Cheryl M. Hargrove
Most recently Cheryl has served as Associate Director for National Geographic Society’s Center for Sustainable Destinations, Hargrove is perhaps best known as the first Director of Heritage Tourism for the National Trust for Historic Preservation. She developed the key steps and principles for sustainable tourism focusing on history and culture and produced the publication Getting Started: How to Succeed in Heritage Tourism.
Scott Smith
As an art director and graphic designer for almost 20 years, Scott has participated in a wide range of regional and national projects and has garnered many design awards along the way. Scott has developed marketing tools to successfully promote a broad array of public and private organizations. From business to business promotion for Fortune 500 companies like GE Lighting and Square D Electric to multi-media communications efforts for tourism organizations such as HandMade in America and the Appalachian Regional Commission, Scott combines his graphic creativity with insightful client and product understanding to create effective and efficient marketing campaigns.
