Get to know Dr. Patricia Ferguson, the President and Founder of Equity Films! Dr. Ferguson has a lifetime of service as an extraordinarily passionate public servant, author, community leader, renowned speaker, teacher, and expert facilitator. Drawing on more than 30 years of public and community service, she has spent a lifetime working on behalf of children and families in rural and underrepresented communities of need, refocusing her efforts on redesigning strategies to help families and local communities thrive. Dr. Ferguson talks of the Pecan Pickling Short Film Festival that she hosted in Bertie County this year and how her experiences drew her to create this festival. Be sure to check out Equity Films https://www.equity-films.org/about/ to learn more about this festival as submissions for 2024’s festival begin in January! Also be sure to stay updated on what UPLIFT is doing: https://www.uplifttourism.com/.

Join us for a happy hour episode as we talk with Halle Butvin. Halle is the director of special projects at the Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage. She leads the Center's cultural vitality work around the world, designing collaborative projects to support communities in their efforts to safeguard their heritage, promote cultural expression, and elevate cultural practices to improve local economies. Halle’s research-based approach to tourism experience development is being adopted and rolled out in communities across Bosnia and Herzegovina, Tunisia, Georgia, and now, through UPLIFT in North Carolina. Learn more about the work of the Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage here: https://folklife.si.edu/ and be sure to stay updated on what UPLIFT is doing: https://www.uplifttourism.com/.

Get to know Marquis Crews! Marquis is a Grant Manager with the North Carolina Pandemic Recovery Office (NCPRO), with a portfolio that covers water, sewer, broadband infrastructure, economic development, workforce development, and tourism. Marquis comes to NCPRO with a Master's in Public Administration from North Carolina Central University and 12 years of experience in rural community and economic development grant-making at the NC Rural Center, NC Department of Commerce, and the Golden LEAF Foundation. A native of Vance County, Marquis enjoys working with rural communities to help increase their capacity and being a relatable ally as they navigate funding significant projects. Learn more about NCPRO here: https://ncpro.nc.gov/stories and be sure to stay updated on what UPLIFT is doing: https://www.uplifttourism.com/.

Tune in to get to know Lynn Minges! Lynn Minges has served as President & CEO of the North Carolina Restaurant & Lodging Association (NCRLA) for the past 10 years. In this role, she works to protect, educate, and promote the diverse interests of North Carolina’s hospitality industry. Minges also serves on the Board of the National Restaurant Association, the International Society of Hotel Associations, the NC Travel & Tourism Board, the NC Travel & Tourism Coalition, and the Raleigh Convention Center and Performing Arts Commission. Learn more about Lynn and the NCRLA here: https://www.ncrla.org/about/ and be sure to stay updated on what UPLIFT is doing: https://www.uplifttourism.com/.

Get to know Palmer McIntyre and Beth Heile! Palmer has been serving as Coordinator for the Great Trails State Coalition and Director for NC Year of the Trail since 2022, but also works as a Conservation Planner with Piedmont Land Conservancy where she manages projects and helps lead a regional trails initiative called Piedmont Legacy Trails. Beth is currently a member of NC Parks and Recreation Authority Board and received the North Carolina Governor’s Conservation Achievement Award for Wildlife Volunteer of the Year. She is also working with the Great Trails State Coalition to lobby for state funding for trails across the state while also being a member of the statewide planning team for NC Year of the Trail. Learn more about the Year of the Trail here: https://greattrailsnc.com/ and be sure to stay updated on what UPLIFT is doing: https://www.uplifttourism.com/.

Join UPLIFT’s Creativity & Marketing team that consists of Ceara Wynne, Olivia Hudgins, PJ Wirchansky, Cara Treadway, and Taylor Bass. Learn what each member does for the company and how all of their roles interact with each other behind the scenes to ensure the continuation of our outreach and progress of the UPLIFT program.

Get to know Halle Butvin and Diana N’Diaye from the Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage. Follow along as we recap the festival training sessions that took place in August that talked about finding our purpose, creating a festival concept, festival and event design, community engagement, marketing and promotion, and budgeting and fundraising. Learn what a curatorial concept is and why it is so important to find your purpose when creating a festival. Learn more about their partnership and work with UPLIFT here: https://folklife.si.edu/news-and-events/uplift-north-carolina-tourism and be sure to stay updated on what UPLIFT is doing: https://www.uplifttourism.com/.

Get to know Milena Nikolova! Milena is a specialist in traveler behavior and tourism market trends. She is passionate about capturing the most current insights from behavioral sciences to find answers to questions such as “What comes next?” and “How can we prepare for it?”. Milena’s international work includes projects with destinations and industry leaders in more than 30 countries across four continents. Learn more about Milena and her work here: https://behavior-smart.com/why-behaviorsmart/ and be sure to stay updated on what UPLIFT is doing: https://www.uplifttourism.com/.

Get to know Cathy Rhuberg, a member of the UPLIFT team! Cathy has lived in rural western North Carolina most of her life and has spent much of her career working to identify and address local needs. Her hope is to build up our communities economically and to build strong self-esteem in the residents through UPLIFT tourism, where she works as the Grants and Loan Technical Assistance Manager. Be sure to stay updated on what Cathy and the UPLIFT team are doing here: https://www.uplifttourism.com/.

Get to know Simon Jones! Simon is the founder and CEO of NatureScapes and a member of the UPLIFT team. He grew up in and around wildlife parks in England and the US and has 20 years of experience working with governments, NGOs, and businesses to plan and develop immersive and engaging nature and cultural tourism experiences around the world. Learn more about NatureScapes here: https://www.nature-tourism.com/about and be sure to stay updated on what UPLIFT is doing: https://www.uplifttourism.com/.