Putting a Face to the Name

Anita Whitmire brought her passions for cleaning, organizing and helping others to Kanuga's housekeeping department in 1995 and was promoted to manager four years later. Under her cheerful but disciplined leadership, Kanuga consistently maintains an A sanitation grade from the NC Division of Public Health. She especially loves getting to know guests and seeing her staff embrace the value of teamwork.

Barry Phillips came to Kanuga in 1994 as the assistant manager of the kitchen and was promoted to food services director in 2000. Embracing Kanuga's commitment to environmental stewardship, he works with local produce distributors to supply Kanuga's dining hall with seasonal locally grown fruits and vegetables whenever possible. “I love the peaceful Christian community at Kanuga,” he says. “I enjoy ensuring that guests enjoy every aspect of Kanuga, but especially the food and service they receive while here.”

A graduate of Averett University in Danville, VA and North Carolina native, Bethany Bradshaw has years of experience being a part of a community. Living in both the UK, where she gained a masters in Equine Science, and Australia as a college campus missionary, Bethany has allowed her cultural experiences to positively affect her leadership, organization, and attention to detail.
Her volunteer history includes working at therapeutic riding centers and camps around North Carolina. In her free time you will usually find her riding her horse Rocky, hiking, and enjoying the outdoors. She has seen first-hand the importance of education, preservation of community, and compassion. Bethany finds Kanuga a place of respite and positive invitation for an ever changing world.

Born in Wisconsin, but spending most of his youth in Orlando, Florida, Bill graduated from the University of Central Florida with an accounting degree in 1988. Bill has two grown children who are still living in Florida, and parents who live in Greenville, SC, with whom he enjoys spending time with when he’s not at work. Bill moved to Hendersonville with his then fiancé, Sean, in October of 2015 and started his position at Kanuga as Staff Accountant in April of 2016. Over the next year and a half, he quickly realized what a special place this is and hosted his wedding reception in November of 2017 at Perry Pavilion on the Bob Campbell Youth Campus. During this same time, Bill also completed construction of his permanent home in the mountains for he and his wife to enjoy for many years to come. Bill plans on many weekends filled with Green Bay Packers or UCF Knights football, cornhole, barbecues, woodworking and time with family and friends.

Clint DeWitt joined Kanuga in 2006 as an instructor for the Mountain Trail Outdoor School. Now serving as Kanuga's environmental projects manager, Clint brings his passion for learning and environmental stewardship to this important role. His responsibilities include Kanuga’s trail system, its solar hot water systems, the organic garden, as well as other green initiatives. In addition, Clint serves as an administrator for MTOS. Originally from Black Mountain, NC, he graduated from Brevard College with a degree in wilderness leadership and experiential education.

David joined Kanuga in 2016 and is the Assistant Manager of Guest Services.

David Schnitzer loves camp! He has 11 years of full-time professional camping and youth ministry experience but has worked at camp every summer since he was 15. Before coming to Kanuga in 2012, he was the program director for Camp Glisson in Dahlonega, GA, where he created two leadership development programs for teenagers, grew the staff by more than 100 percent and organized training programs for more than 130 staff members. A graduate of the University of Georgia and the National Outdoor Leadership School, he is in the process of completing a master’s degree in Christian leadership from Asbury Theological Seminary in Wilmore, KY. An avid outdoorsman, he is the author of Great American Outdoors, Nature at its Best.

Derek came to Kanuga as Chief Financial Officer in August of 2018. A graduate of Clemson University with a degree in Financial Management and post-secondary education received at the Wharton School of Business—University of Pennsylvania and the Ernest Scheller Jr. College of Business—Georgia Institute of Technology, he brings strong leadership and extensive management experience in the areas of operations, finance, accounting and information technology.

His experience includes being the Corporate Controller at Staubil—North America, a multinational manufacturing company (based in Duncan, SC) and CFO and Co-Director of Operations at Habersham Metal Products Company in Cornelia, GA. In addition, Derek has worked for Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith (Greenville, SC) and UBS Wealth Management in Atlanta.

Derek oversees Kanuga’s Finance, Sales/Business Development, Human Resources, Facilities Management and IT Departments. He lives in Greenville, SC with his wife Deven and three children.

Raised in Western North Carolina, Eric grew up in a conference and camp environment. “I have always been a part of a community like camp. I cannot imagine my life any other way. I love how Kanuga affects lives and cultivates development.” Since age 13, Eric has worked in every department he could: kitchen, guest services, maintenance, recreation staff, reservations and management.

Beginning with living and working overseas after his senior year of college at a boarding school in South Korea, Eric has travelled, worked and participated in outreach trips to India, Philippines, Borneo, Costa Rica and all over Southeast Asia. Through these opportunities, he has developed a cultural appreciation and the ability to regulate stressful situations.

Having spent years serving Kanuga’s visitors as Guest Services Assistant Manager and Reservations Manager, Eric transitioned to his current role as Assistant General Manager, allowing him to continually develop his passion for hospitality. He has been with Kanuga for seven years of growth and plans to continue to nurture himself and others in this special place. Eric and his wife Lindsay live on property and like to take time to enjoy the beauty that surrounds them.

Francesca joined Kanuga in February of 2017. She is a 2016 graduate of West Virginia University (WVU) where she studied design thinking and event planning. During this time, she worked with the events and marketing department of WVU’s career services center. It was there that she discovered her love for events, organizing details and working with people. In her spare moments, Francesca loves to try out Starbuck’s newest menu items and explore her new home in the North Carolina mountains with her German Shepherd, Nala.

A graduate of the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana, Gary Giniat (pronounced “Jeanette”) brings proven expertise across the advancement spectrum—from non-profit marketing and building earned income to increasing charitable contributions. Gary is responsible for planning and overseeing all of Kanuga’s advancement programs—both development and communications functions—as well as assisting in the growth of all of Kanuga’s revenue producing areas from camps to conferences. Before joining Kanuga, Gary’s 30-year career has spanned from 10 years marketing at the St. Petersburg (FL) Times and eight years in senior leadership roles at Chicago Children’s Museum to being the executive director of Asheville’s Pack Square Conservancy reopening the new 6.5 acre park.

Jason started as IT Director at Kanuga in 2016 and brings over ten years of experience in Telecommunications and Information Technology, working for both managed IT service providers and within the nonprofit sector in Western North Carolina. He holds an Associate in Arts & Sciences degree in Computer Network Systems, along with several vendor-specific certifications. Jason grew up in Central Florida and came to the Mountains in 2003.  In his spare time, he enjoys spending time with his wife and four children, playing guitar and enjoying music, traveling, and exploring the beautiful mountains of Western North Carolina.

Jimmy joined Kanuga in 1993 from the Adams Mark Hotel in Charlotte and is dedicated to the Kanuga community and its mission. He is a graduate of East Carolina University with a BS in communications and minor in business administration. After more than 24 years on staff, serving six summers and attending Kanuga since infancy, there aren't many areas of Kanuga that Jimmy hasn't touched. He brings to Kanuga extensive experience in employee engagement, executive leadership, hospitality and quality service. Jimmy works collaboratively with the President contributing strongly to advancement, program development and the overall culture of Kanuga. A cradle Episcopalian with an active spiritual life, he serves as an ambassador of the mission and vision of Kanuga and represents the organization broadly throughout the community and wider church. Jimmy and his wife, Catherine, are the proud parents of James. In his spare time, Jimmy enjoys working with his hands, exploring the outdoors and reading history books.

Julia earned her Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration/Travel & Tourism in Pennsylvania and eventually followed family 25 years ago to live in the mountains of Brevard. She has enjoyed an extensive hospitality career encompassing a variety of positions including Bar Manager, Tourism & Marketing Director, and Front Office Trainer at Asheville’s Grove Park Inn. She joined Kanuga in the fall of 2017 following a long-term position as a Tour Operator involved in planning and operations of group tours. Julia’s spare time is dedicated to family, being outdoors, exploring off-the-beaten path travel with her boyfriend, and creating seriously good food. She especially relishes her bucolic commute (and bear spotting) through DuPont Forest.

Kajsa grew up right down the road from Kanuga in Brevard before pursuing a BSBA focusing on Hospitality & Tourism Management at Appalachian State University. With over 9 years of diverse experience in customer service, hospitality and tourism she followed her love for the mountains back home to join our sales team at Kanuga. Prior to her time at Kanuga, Kajsa worked for Marriott, Gideon Ridge Inn and Oakwood Worldwide, a global housing provider in Charlotte, NC.

Kajsa spends time enjoying all WNC has to offer! She takes advantage of our beautiful area by hiking and swimming with her dog Molly. Kajsa is thrilled to be back home and cannot wait to bring her new ideas and energy to support the Kanuga team!

On the Kanuga staff since 2003, Kate Bakko is a familiar voice and friendly face to many guests as they plan a trip to and arrive at Kanuga. She spent three years as a part-time Front Desk clerk before taking a full-time role in reservations in 2006. She brings an extensive background in the human services field, having spent 24 years working with adults with disabilities. "I enjoy watching what Kanuga means to so many of our guests and hope our mission will continue to inspire people to find peace in our community for years to come," she says.

Kayla is a 2010 graduate of South College in Asheville, NC. After recently moving to Hendersonville and learning about Kanuga, Kayla took on her new position in September 2017. Working with the public in a variety of setting, Kayla brings her love of helping others and being around others into the reservations department. Kayla loves to spend her free time with her husband and two daughters.

Kelly Anders joined the Accounting Department at Kanuga in 2016. When the Payroll and Benefits Specialist position opened in 2017, she jumped at the chance to work in Human Resources, an area she loves best. Kelly enjoys learning each and every employee’s name and assisting them with whatever they may need to be a successful employee at Kanuga. Kelly strives to extend the same Radical Hospitality that our guests receive to Kanuga’s employees!

Kelly loves her church, Clemson Football, East High School Football, reading and spending time with her family.

Originally from Syracuse, New York, Kevin graduated from Brevard College with a degree in wilderness leadership and experiential education. He began with Mountain Trail Outdoor School in February 2012 as an instructor and was promoted to expedition program manager in January 2015. He now leads Kanuga’s Resident Apprentice Program designed to provide young adults an opportunity to develop skills and habits that lead to personal and professional success. From leading 28-day expeditions with high school students in the Southwest to working with an inner city after-school program, Kevin brings a wide array of experiential education and leadership skills to Kanuga. “For me, being at Kanuga means working with fun, good-hearted people, being surrounded by the peace and beauty of nature, and being able to share all this with the people who visit here,” he says.

Kim earned a bachelor of science degree in Business Administration from Indiana State University and brings more than thirty years of professional experience to her role as board relations manager at Kanuga. She worked ten years as an operations trainer in the banking industry followed by more than 20 years in press relations and administration/executive assistant roles in real estate, the mortgage industry, and the non-profit sector. Most recently, Kim served as the administrative and financial manager for a church in Asheville, NC, helping to implement the church's capital campaign.

I began working for Kanuga in 1995 as part time night watchman and have worked in various departments since including accounting, maintenance, and reservations.

I was born and raised in Charlotte, NC. While I have travelled in Europe, Mexico, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and across the United States, North Carolina has always been home. I majored in English at ASU (the one in Boone, not Arizona) and received a degree in accounting at CPCC in Charlotte.

Remember evening newspapers or read about them in a history book? I ran the longest newspaper motor route in the Charlotte rural area of over a hundred miles in the early 70’s. Most recent work experiences were six years at a credit union in Charlotte before moving to Hendersonville and running a store while concurrently working part time at Kanuga. I also served on the board of Downtown Hendersonville, Inc., for several years and was its treasurer for two years.

Whether it is customers, members (credit union), or guests, I always enjoyed the advocacy of directly interacting with the people I serve and Kanuga offers giant servings at this life’s table for all who join this endeavor.

Layla has worked for the Housekeeping Department at Kanuga for nearly 19 years. She is a valued team player and truly appreciates seeing the many regular guests who have known her for so many years, as well as greeting new guests every day.

Growing up in the Midwest, Lucas spent his college summers in Western North Carolina leading trips for YMCA Camp Greenville. He studied Outdoor Recreation at the University of Northern Iowa and got his Master’s degree in Outdoor Education Administration from Georgia College and State University in 2012. He worked as a Mountain Trail Outdoor School instructor in 2010-2011, and has been working in the outdoor education field since 2003. Most recently he was the Outdoor Program Manager for a semester boarding school in Brevard called The Outdoor Academy. In his free time Lucas enjoys taking his dog Townes on hikes, canoeing and music.

An Asheville NC native, Lynn earned a BA in education from UNC Greensboro. Career opportunities kept her in the Piedmont and Raleigh areas for a number of years before she missed the mountains and returned to Western North Carolina with her family.

Upon returning to Asheville, Lynn spent 17 years as a project coordinator for a commercial general contractor, and 13 years at the Grove Park Inn Resort first as a Senior Convention Manager and then as the National/International Association Sales Manager. Lynn was CMP certified while at Grove Park Inn.

Lynn joined the Kanuga family in January, 2017 and loves its rich history, culture and ambience.

Matthew is the Project Manager in the Business Office and has been with Kanuga in various positions since 2011.

Meghan has experience in outdoor education, traditional classroom teaching and camp management. Before holding the director position, Meghan served as an instructor at MTOS for three seasons and as assistant program director for Camp Bob. She has also taught middle school science and math in Florida. Meghan obtained her bachelor’s degree in integrated science education from Grand Valley State University in Michigan. She is a native of Michigan and enjoys working with all of the schools that MTOS serves.

Melissa recently relocated to Hendersonville, NC from Nashville, TN where she was a Marketing Manager at the Tennessee Performing Arts Center. Originally from Cincinnati, she earned her degree in Strategic Communications from Miami University and has a strong background in brand-building, social media and public relations. Melissa joined the Kanuga team as Marketing Director in August 2018 and looks forward to using her years of experience to tell the Kanuga story. In her spare time, you can catch her hiking, reading, and hanging out with her husband and son.

Michael comes to Kanuga from employee-owned New Belgium Brewing Company. He will serve as advocate for our guests, Housekeeping, Guest Services, Food Service, Environmental Programs, and Reservations.

A native of the Washington D.C. area, Michael was adopted at birth by a wonderful family and raised in the shadow of our Nation’s Capital with presidential helicopters constantly buzzing, sirens sounding, and neighborhoods representing all nations just within reach. He founded a successful rock band in high school (playing the drums), achieved the rank of Eagle Scout in the Boy Scouts, became a professional river guide, and later graduated from Colorado State University with a degree in Sustainable Tourism and Outdoor Recreation. As an avid whitewater kayaker, many years were dedicated to chasing wild rivers throughout the United States and Canada.

While involved in the craft beer industry he simultaneously developed a small-scale livestock farm in Haywood County, NC. Over a two year period the farm humanely raised pigs, chickens, rabbits, goats, and quail. A true modern day renaissance man, Michael believes that, “At Kanuga we have the occasion to provide a multitude of experiences that bring us closer as a family, bring us closer to our guests, and bring us closer to God.”

Michael Joined Kanuga in April 2017 from Newberry College in South Carolina. He developed his Low Country culinary style while attending Johnson & Wales in Charleston. His love of travel & food found him in many great eateries around the country sharing our southern ways.” My chefs & I work tremendously hard to provide every individual patron whom graces our dining rooms with the greatest possible Epicurean experience.”

The Rev. Michael Radford Sullivan became Kanuga’s 10th president in November 2016 after serving as Rector of Holy Innocents’ Episcopal Parish in Atlanta.

A native of Seneca, South Carolina, Michael holds a Master of Divinity from The University of the South–Sewanee, Tennessee; a Juris Doctor cum laude, from the University of South Carolina–Columbia, South Carolina; and a Bachelor of Arts summa cum laude, Wofford College–Spartanburg, South Carolina (Phi Beta Kappa).

“I'm elated to step into the work we are called to, building upon the foundations of past generations, while also trusting God to guide us as a bolder and stronger Kanuga for the future of the Church,” says Michael. “I look forward to working with the Board and all our family to continue the tradition begun in 1928."

Michael is the author of two books and numerous articles. Windows into the Soul and Windows into the Light, both published by Morehouse, a division of Church Publishing, explore the place of art in spirituality and how creativity can contribute to the richness of the Christian journey.

In his spare time, he enjoys cooking, smoking his own hams (something he hopes to do at Kanuga), fitness, hiking and writing.

Miriam started coming to Kanuga before she can remember, as a guest period participant, Camp Kanuga camper, youth conference participant and later staff member. She graduated from UNC–Asheville in 2001 with Bachelor’s degrees in Mathematics and English Literature. She also has a degree in Culinary Arts from the New England Culinary Institute in Vermont; the pursuit of which inspired her to move to wine country in California. In the fall of 2010, she returned to her beloved NC mountains for good. During a visit with her parents during Autumn Guest Period shortly after her return, she discovered the accounting department needed some temporary help. Temporary turned into permanent, and she has risen through the department to her current position as Accounting Manager.

When Miriam is not busy with her son Declan or cooking a meal for friends, she is pursuing other creative outlets such as knitting, dance, or music.

Nate Williams first came to Kanuga as the Assistant Director of the Mountain Trail Outdoor School in 2016. He now oversees Summer Guest Period Youth Programming, Adventure Activities and Camp Rentals. Nate grew up in Western North Carolina and attended Colorado Christian University in Lakewood, CO. After graduating, he discovered the mountains and youth camps working outside of Estes Park. Nate’s passion is transforming lives through recreation, youth development and nature experiences. He knows that Kanuga is one of those “thin places” that can do amazing things for our guests. Nate lives with his wife Sammie, his son Wilder, and their dog, Georgia. They like to hike in DuPont and Pisgah, go for runs and mountain bike rides, and throwing rocks in the creek behind their house.

Patrice is a graduate from Clemson University with a BS in Recreation, Parks and Environmental Resources. As a Marine Corps wife, she and her husband Phillip lived in Oklahoma, Virginia and Okinawa, Japan during the course of his career. The couple attended ministry school in Oklahoma and as ordained ministers, served as full-time missionaries with their children, Rachel and Zach, in Glasgow, Scotland and Dublin, Ireland. Between her work at Kanuga and previous employment at Lake Junaluska Conference and Retreat Center, Patrice possesses ten years’ experience in the hospitality industry, including reservations, event coordination and group sales. She savors time with her family, hiking, painting and screenwriting. “It’s a joy to work with great people in such a beautiful and unique setting.”

Phillip is the Maintenance Manager at Kanuga and has been with Kanuga since 2015.

Polina Georgieva is a Bulgarian by nationality and character but likes to describe herself as a citizen of the World. Her early love for languages drove her to leave her country at the age of 22 and explore neighboring Greece where she worked as a chef in a little beach Cafe. After that she spent a year of internship in Universidad de Murcia, Spain.

Upon obtaining a bachelor’s degree in English and American Studies at Sofia University she travelled to Brazil, where she was reunited with an old acquaintance from her internship. Shortly after, Leo became her partner in life and travels.

In Brazil, Polina enjoyed teaching English and learning Portuguese from the locals until she had the opportunity to move to the U.S.A. Coming with substantial experience in hospitality that she had unintentionally developed just trying to pay the bills in university, she quickly found employment at the Hilton Miami Downtown front office, soon to be promoted to a Supervisor, then a year later to Sales and Catering Coordinator. Working closely with the Executive Office she gained valuable experience in providing great customer service, organizing a wide variety of events and coping with challenging problems and personalities. She was very excited to bring and continue expanding her experience here at Kanuga, where she lives together with Leo and their rescue dog Shiva since October of 2017.

In her free time she enjoys gardening, taking photos, making friends or simply backpacking across different countries.

Richmond Jones first came to Kanuga in the summer of 2003 to attend the Senior Youth Program that is part of KEY Conferences. Since attending that event, he has grown in his understanding of how Kanuga facilitates spiritual interaction between people and creation. After attending the School of Theology at Sewanee, he was ordained as an Episcopal priest in 2015. Richmond hopes to bring in a diverse group of people from all ages and places so that they can deepen their spirituality through Kanuga's offerings. Richmond is married to Perry Hodgkins Jones, and they enjoy trying new food, reading and staying active.

Ricky Varnadore joined Kanuga's property department in 1999, became the maintenance manager in 2006 and head of the entire department in 2011. He oversees the team of people responsible for taking care of all of Kanuga's buildings, landscaping and wastewater treatment facilities. While he is comfortable in all areas of construction, maintenance and renovations, he has a gained a true mastery of the complex field of electrical wiring.

Stephanie joined Kanuga in 2013 in the Guest Services department, building her leadership and management skills while progressing towards her role as manager. She has a passion for hospitality and enjoys leading her team to serve Kanuga guests. Stephanie holds a master’s degree in instructional technology from Appalachian State University and a bachelor’s degree from the University of North Carolina–Asheville.

Wade is a graphic designer, photographer, videographer and artist with a passion for creating captivating content. His experience includes freelance and contract work for a wide variety of clients, as well as several years in exhibit design at the Museum of the Earth in Ithaca, New York. He recently relocated to Asheville from New York, and is excited to be a part of the Kanuga community.