2 0 19 ANNUAL REPORT presented by
bear paw
G R EAT S MOK Y MOU N TAIN S ASSOC IAT ION supports the perpetual preservation of Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the national park system by promoting greater public understanding and appreciation through education, interpretation, and research. 2019 GS M A A N N UA L R E POR T
1
FROM THE CEO
DEAR SMOKIES SUPPORTERS, By every measure, 2019 was a remarkable year for the association and Great Smoky Mountains National Park. From our retail sales exceeding $9.7 million, our individual members topping 34,000, and Lookout League growing to 185 businesses to the park welcoming 12.5 million visitors, records were shattered. That these new heights were reached in a year that began with a historically long 35day government shutdown due to a lack of federally appropriated funds makes them even more noteworthy. Looking back through the lens of the current global pandemic, we see that 2019 has become GSMA’s lifeline. Our plans to expand stores, pay off debt, and increase aid to our National Park Service partner were all paused while our excess revenue from the prior year became essential operating funds. Though the coronavirus wreaked havoc with our economy and shuttered our beloved park for many weeks, we were able to protect our staff from the worst of the financial fallout by making displaced staff whole and getting technology in place for those employees whose jobs could be done from home. Resilience is born of self-sufficiency. Helping each other through hard times builds a sense of community. The generations of Native Americans and settlers who made their homes in the Smokies lived these lessons. Today Great Smoky Mountains Association and this park continue to learn from them and share their stories. And so GSMA’s work continues. It is a privilege to be entrusted with preserving and sharing Great Smoky Mountains National Park’s stories and resources with you. Thank you for making our work possible!
Laurel Rematore, Chief Executive Officer 2
2019 GS M A A N N UA L R E POR T
FROM THE BOARD
GREAT SMOK Y MOUNTAINS
DEAR FRIENDS,
ASSOCIATION BOARD
A warm and heartfelt greeting to a great group of people—you, our GSMA members.
OF DIREC TORS
Indeed 2019 was a great year for the association and for the Smokies. Both our stores and our membership set new records. And, unlike in previous years, the park did not experience any major disasters (after it got past the government shutdown). ÂTogether we set new highs in sales, memberships, and park visitation. Again, you were part of our ability to donate more than $2 million in cash and services to the park. With the resources you helped to provide and the untiring commitment and competent leadership of our GSMA staff, we ended 2019 in the best financial position of our long history. The foresight of our board of directors ensured that this banner year would be invested in both support of the park and the financial security of our organization. This annual report is about the progress and successes of 2019, but now we have a 2020 perspective. The forethought of GSMA leadership, cooperation of our National Park partner, and your undying support have together enabled our organization to remain one of the most (if not the most) financially and programmatically viable of the hundreds of public lands associations across the nation. Thank you for your support in 2019. Thank you for your continued support. Be safe and well.
Ellis Bacon, Chair Jamie Ballinger Geoff Cantrell Mitch Crisp, Vice Chair Jerry DeWeese Katie Kerr, Secretary Gaynell Lawson Kelly Leonard, Treasurer Ed McAlister Dan Pierce Ron Storto
Ellis Bacon, Board of Directors Chair
2019 GS M A A N N UA L R E POR T
Tom Taylor 3
TWIN CREEKS
SCIENCE AND EDUCATION CENTER
4
2019 GS M A A N N UA L R E POR T
HANDLE WITH CARE FU N DS SU PPOR T S EASON A L POSI T ION TO M AIN TAIN T W I N C R E E K S’ N A T U R A L H I S T O R Y C O L L E C T IO N S The park’s vast collection of species preserved at the Twin Creeks Science and Education Center (pictured left) requires constant care and organization. The collection is an important part of ongoing work with Discover Life in America, a park partner organization responsible for managing the All Taxa Biodiversity Inventory (ATBI). The ATBI is a groundbreaking effort that aims to identify and better understand every species living within the park. During 2019, GSMA contributed $24,000 to fund a seasonal position to help with this ongoing work. Under the direction of the park curator and the park entomologist, this seasonal employee helped to process a backlog of
more than 150,000 natural history specimens, assisted with maintaining cataloging data and management records, and monitored the collection space for pests that threaten the collection. Seasonal employees who support the ATBI also routinely update existing records to correct scientific names, locations, and other inconsistencies; rehouse wet or threatened cataloged collections; label dry specimens including study skins, skulls, pinned insects, and geology specimens (pictured below); and conduct educational tours of the natural history collections for visitors.
2019 GS M A A N N UA L R E POR T
5
RAISING CANE SORGHUM-MAKING DEMOS BRING HISTORY TO LIFE In 2019, GSMA provided $17,160 for sorghum-making demonstrations at the Cades Cove Visitor Center and $4,010 for the demos at Oconaluftee. These living-history demonstrations—a labor-intensive process that involves squeezing juice from the cane, bringing it to a boil, and then reducing it down over a wood-fired furnace—are a vital part of many visitors’ park experience. Muddy Pond Sorghum, owned and operated by the Guenther family of Monterey, Tennessee, is well known for their sorghum operations. The Guenthers haul in everything needed, from the more-than-100-year-old cane mill to the sorghum furnace—along with two hard-working mules that power the mill. It takes nearly three hours for the vibrant green sorghum ‘squeezins’ to transform into the thick, deep amber-colored syrup—an authentic Smoky Mountains treat traditionally served on hot biscuits and pancakes and in porridges and grits. Never failing to attract a crowd of onlookers, the Guenthers normally offer samples of the year’s sorghum product onsite and rely on sales through GSMA stores and at various fairs, theme parks, and festivals across the region. Fast forward to 2020: Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Muddy Pond Sorghum has fallen on hard times as festivals, fairs, and other crowd- attracting events are canceled or closed due to social distancing measures. Those who love their products—or want to try sorghum for the first time—are encouraged to shop for Sorghum Molasses or Aunt Becky’s Barbecue Sauce in our visitor centers and online at SmokiesInformation.org.
Top: A sorghum demonstrator in front of the Becky Cable House in Cades Cove. Left: NPS VIP conducts a sorghum-making demonstration for visitors. 6
2019 GS M A A N N UA L R E POR T
SAVING STREAMS MEMBER PROFILE
“
I joined GSMA in
2003. I enjoy Smokies Life magazine, and I love hiking and waterfalls. And I will just keep on doing it until I’m too old to do it! I’m a small cog in a big wheel, but I know my little contribution once a year as a member of GSMA keeps supporting that
”
bigger cause. I love the Smokies and everything it represents.
MARYANN TELLES Cincinnati, OH
WATER QUALIT Y MONITORING PROGRAM CONTINUES All of the Smokies watersheds have their headwaters deep within the park, far from any upstream point-source pollution. However, due to the large amounts of airborne acid being deposited and leaching out of soils, many of the park’s high-elevation streams are too acidic to support brook trout or other aquatic organisms. To help the park monitor and improve water quality in both North Carolina and Tennessee, GSMA provided more than $100,000 in 2019 to an ongoing Water Quality Monitoring program. This initiative supports a long-term University of Tennessee study that is helping to correlate reductions in acid being deposited with changes in water quality across seven major park watersheds and at a high-elevation site on Noland Divide. Most of the samples are gathered by volunteers who hike between one and 15 miles every other month to collect the water and transport it to Knoxville for analyses. “Great Smoky Mountains National Park is blessed with more than 2,900 miles of streams, which are the lifeblood for the diversity of plants, animals, and trees that make this park such a special place,” said Matt Kulp, NPS Supervisory Fishery Biologist. “Water quality monitoring data helps determine the status and trends of this precious resource, ensuring park waters are meeting state and federal water quality standards for human and ecosystem health.” 2019 GS M A A N N UA L R E POR T
7
TRAIL BLAZERS TELLING STORIES OF THE AFR ICAN AMER ICAN EXPERIENCE With GSMA’s support, Great Smoky Mountains National Park is emerging as a leader in efforts to better understand the untold history of African Americans in the park as well as the greater Southern Appalachian region. GSMA contributed more than $16,000 in 2019 toward the African American Experience in the Smokies Project, a multi-year initiative seeking pieces of history once neglected and bringing them to light. One of the most notable stories on record was discovered during 2019. Back in June of 1967, just three years after the Civil Rights Act was passed, college student Joe Lee left his hometown of Brewton, Alabama, and reported for duty at Great Smoky Mountains National Park for the summer. Among the other new hires that season were Grover Barnes of Jackson, Mississippi, and Robert Stone of Detroit, Michigan. Unbeknownst to them, these three men blazed the trail for African American employment at Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Fifty-two years later, after a long and distinguished career in higher education, Dr. Lee called the park from his home in Jupiter, Florida, hoping to locate a record of his employment. His call prompted a visit from Superintendent Cash, African American project researcher Adam McNeil, and videographer Valerie Polk to record an oral history interview with Dr. Lee about his experiences as a young black man in the park in the midst of an important chapter of the civil rights movement in America. “The park service is in the forever business, and people’s stories are considered to be gifts,” Superintendent Cash said during the interview. “This is a very powerful moment.”
Above: Superintendent Cash presented Dr. Joe Lee with an officially mounted National Park Service ranger flat hat. Dr. Lee’s ranger hat had been lost in a house fire years earlier. Left: Dr. Lee as a young ranger in Great Smoky Mountains National Park (far right).
8
2019 GS M A A N N UA L R E POR T
READ ALL ABOUT IT SMOKIES GUIDE CONTINUES TO ENGAGE VISITORS GSMA contributed more than $40,000 to the production of the Smokies Guide park newspaper in 2019. This award-winning publication (also available online at ÂSmokiesInformation.org) offers timely interpretive stories and simple maps that orient visitors to the park, guiding them to seasonal activities and visitor programs in each district. GSMA produced four seasonal editions of the paper in 2019. To create each issue of the guide, Creative Services Director Frances Figart and Senior Publications Specialist Karen Key worked with a committee of park staff to create a story list addressing the park’s most relevant needs and concerns. Figart assigned writers to work with park experts for each story, Publications Associates Valerie Polk and Aaron Searcy contributed
writing and editing, and Key was responsible for layout and production, attending press checks at The Mountain Press in Sevierville to ensure the best possible quality. Lead Publications Specialist Lisa Horstman also contributed her talent and oversight to the publication and designed the Junior Ranger Corner. Publications Specialist Emma DuFort (then a design assistant) regularly created graphics for the Park Etiquette department, which helps rangers remind visitors of important safety behaviors, such as keeping a distance from wildlife or not moving rocks in streams. Upon completion, each story is reviewed by appropriate subject matter experts, and the entire newspaper is approved by the NPS Chief of Resource Education.
2019 GS M A A N N UA L R E POR T
9
10
2019 GS M A A N N UA L R E POR T
FROM THE GROUND UP FINAL YEAR OF VEGETATION MAPPING PROJEC T
Top: Great Smoky Mountains National Park is one of the most pristine natural areas in the East. Variations in elevation, rainfall, temperature, and geology in these ancient mountains provide ideal habitat for more than 2,700 species of fungi. Bottom: A digital map of the park’s understory of tree and bush species produced from the vegetation mapping project.
The Great Smoky Mountains National Park vegetation map is used daily by NPS monitoring and resource management staff, and frequently by multiple collaborators and researchers. It helps them determine accessibility of specific areas, scout the locations of forest pests and rare species, and determine the spread potential for wildfires, among other benefits. Vegetation maps quickly become outdated as forests change and technology progresses, making more accurate mapping techniques available. This prompted the Inventory and Monitoring Division of the NPS Washington Office to provide $1.3 million to update the Smokies’ vegetation map in 2015. In 2019, GSMA provided the final $27,000 to support a three-year “ground-truthing” of the new vegetation mapping effort, confirming that what is drawn on the map accurately represents what is happening on the ground. GSMA’s funding allowed hiring a biological technician and an intern to conduct surveys as part of this three-year accuracy assessment that began in 2017. The crew visited 255 locations throughout 2019, documenting vegetation communities and generating more than 5,300 plant observation records, including multiple newly discovered locations of rare plants. “Having an accurate map product is vital to our inventory and monitoring efforts in the park, and having our staff involved in the process has been a great way to facilitate that,” said Troy Evans, NPS Vegetation Ecologist. “Beyond helping to produce an accurate map, we have been able to collect invaluable data through this project on species distributions, rare plant and animal locations, and changes in forest health.”
2019 GS M A A N N UA L R E POR T
11
FINANCIAL REVIEW
2019
Donor Gifts 4.1%
STATEMENT O F A C T I V I T I E S as of December 31, 2019
SUPPORT A N D R E V E N U E Membership 9.4% ANALYSIS
SUPPORT AND RE V ENUE
Retail Sales $9,790,675 Donor Gifts $479,527 Membership Sales, Events, and Programs $1,092,898 Investment Income and Other Revenue $296,352 Total Support and Revenue $ 11,659,452
Retail Sales 84%
F U N C T IO N A L E X P E N S E S
Other Revenue 2.5%
Program Services
Publishing $87,264 Reallocation In-Kind Salaries and Benefits $785,959 Salaries and Benefits (NPS-requested positions) $245,931 Special Projects $723,882 Interpretation and Demonstration $44,730 Park Projects $21,723 Total Aid to Park $1,909,489
RE TAIL SAL ES $9,79 0,6 75
Support Services
Administrative $1,542,187 Membership and Sales Centers $6,496,694 Total Support Service Expenses $8,038,881 Change in Net Assets
Publications
Audio/Visual
Souvenir
$1,622,415
$152,918
$1,125,185
Food/Mill
Apparel/Gifts
$835,812
$5,794,200
Convenience/ Vending
$1,711,082
N E T A S S E T S
Beginning of Year End of Year
$4,829,184 $6,540,266
$184,891 Other
$75,254 12
2019 GS M A A N N UA L R E POR T
STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL POSITION
Reallocation In-Kind Salaries and Benefits 41.2%
as of Dec. 31, 2019 ASSETS
TOTAL AID TO GSMNP
$1,909,489
Salaries and Benefits 12.9%
Current Assets Publishing 4.6% Park Projects 1.1%
Special Projects 37.9%
Interpretation and Demonstration 2.3%
Cash and Investments $5,532,495 Inventories $966,836 Receivables and Other Assets $168,903 Total Current Assets $6,668,234 Cash Restricted by Donors for Future Use $121,286 Property and Equipment, Net $252,093 Total Other Assets $373,379 Total Assets L IABIL I T IES
S PECIAL PRO JEC T S $ 723,8 82
Interns
$273,111
African American Experience
Current Liabilities
Parks as Classrooms
Tremont Store Support
$21,750
$66,860
$16,597
$7,041,613
Accounts Payable and Accrued Expenses $369,624 Promissory Note, Current $60,721 Total Current Liabilities $430,345 Promissory Note, Net $71,002 Total Liabilities $501,347 NET ASSETS
Unrestricted* $5,994,627 Temporarily Restricted $545,639 Vegetation Mapping Project
$27,000
Water Quality Monitoring Program
Wildlife Seasonal Staff
$52,250
$122,250
Total Net Assets Total Liabilities and Net Assets
Utilities for OVC, CCVC, and CDVC
$20,585
Smokies Guide Newspaper
Natural History Collections
$42,758
$24,000
$7,041,613
* Reserves are maintained to meet various future obligations to Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
Other
$56,721
2019 GS M A A N N UA L R E POR T
$6,540,266
13
BUDDING NATURALISTS PAR KS AS C L ASSROOMS COOR DINATOR FUN DING GSMA contributed more than $21,000 to fund the coordinator role of the Parks as Classrooms program in 2019. Parks as Classrooms serves thousands of elementary, middle school and high school students in counties neighboring Great Smoky Mountains National Park through outdoor education, park-related curriculum content, and teacher- and ranger-led group activities. The program is specifically designed to align with both Tennessee and North Carolina state education standards and to meet learning objectives for a range of ages. Younger students use their senses to explore and appreciate the Smokies, connecting observations to basic ecological principles. Older students participate in citizen science field trips and research projects—monitoring salamanders, inventorying invertebrates, collecting water samples, and drawing conclusions about complex processes like acid deposition, pollution, and climate change in the park. GSMA has supported the Parks as Classrooms coordinator position since 1998. The coordinator is responsible
for working with each grade level to incorporate Parks as Classrooms unit logistics and pre- and post-unit testing and training for teachers. The coordinator also works with the park to arrange for ranger-led field trips, including a three-night trip to Tremont and an overnight hiking trip to Mt. Le Conte. Parks as Classrooms also serves thousands of students from low-income Title I schools and provides free transportation to and from the park, eliminating a few of the basic barriers that can prevent underserved communities from enjoying and connecting with their public lands.
Above: Boys and Girls Club visit a hiker’s tunnel under Clingmans Dome Road. Left: Students weighing salamanders with Education Branch Coordinator Susan Sachs.
14
2019 GS M A A N N UA L R E POR T
THE DAILY GRIND MIL L ERS DEMONS TR ATIONS AR E PER PETUAL HIT In 2019, GSMA spent more than $63,000 to support miller salaries and provide milling demonstrations at Mingus and Cable mills, two preserved and functioning gristmills dating from the late 1800s that survive as treasures of the park’s cultural history resources. Great Smoky Mountains Association employs full-time millers at Cable and Mingus mills seven days a week from mid-March through October and on Fridays and weekends in November. These millers interact with more than 1,000 visitors on many days, speaking to them about the functions and significance of the mills. “Often visitors walk into the various historic structures in Great Smoky Mountains National Park expecting them to be empty but are pleasantly surprised to be greeted by the millers,” said Beth Bramhall, Cades Cove ranger. “The operators in the mills are there to share stories about how important the mills were to residents in the past and to provide a glimpse into how a gristmill works.” Through their interpretive skills, the millers enhance visitors’ understanding of mountain communities in the Smokies, how people raised and stored their own food, how they used a barter system, and how their resourcefulness allowed them to accomplish impressive things—like building a mill. In addition to interacting with visitors, the millers take on a wide array of daily maintenance tasks like running the mill and grinding corn. “The park could not provide such culturally educational opportunities without partners like GSMA and their staff,” said Ranger Bramhall. Each day these mills operate, it adds to the legacy of GSMA’s mission to support the park and bring history to life for its visitors.
Anthony Murphy, a miller at Cable Mill, pours corn into the hopper to make corn meal. 2019 GS M A A N N UA L R E POR T
15
LEGAC Y FUND
2019
WHAT IS THE LEGAC Y FUND? Our Board of Directors established the Legacy Fund in 2010 to build a sustainable method of operating our association. Once realized, the fund’s interest dividends will be used to support operational expenses, thus providing us the opportunity to give more of each dollar we earn directly to the park’s educational, research, and resource preservation projects. Your donations to the Legacy Fund will forever be held in trust. Only the proceeds from secure and safe
investments will be used to maintain our operation. One day in the future GSMA’s business functions will be funded by the Legacy Fund, which means 100% of our proceeds from visitor center sales, membership dues, and annual giving campaigns will go directly to the park. As far as we know, Great Smoky Mountains National Park is one of only two parks in the nation working toward a partner-supported endowment of this sort.
20 19 L E G A C Y F U N D D O N O R S CLINGMANS DOME LEVEL $5,000+ Lenny and Danielle Bernstein James and Kathleen Bolander Ronald and Susan Carney Richard Powers and Jane Kuntz Sue Swilley Michael and Brenda Warren MT. LE CONTE LEVEL $4,999—$2,500 John Clayton Sherman and Diane Garrett CATALOOCHEE LEVEL $2,499—$1,000 Fred and Cleone Black Charles and Lynn Blackston Robin Edwards Don and Katie Farris Jay Fenton Fidelity Charitable George and Cynthia Harper James and Elizabeth Henry Ira and Deborah Hufford Gary and Robin Hurt Paul Kent Paul and Nita Kirkpatrick John and Susan Lockhart Walter and Judith Martin William Merriken Robert and Colleen Mirgain Powell and Susan Partridge Larry Pearce John and Konnie Schlechte Frank Schubert Mary Slater Barbara Slover Ken and Jean Smither J. Dwight and Daisy Snipes 16
Pete and June Trammell Victoria C. Walker Foundation Ronald Winder $999—$500 Karen Beisel Deborah Bennett Cheryl Brown Ross and Joan Cecil Robert Cleary Siri Craft Diana Debrohun Davis and Diane Findley Jim and Lucia Gilliland Susan Greengold Gordon and Jane Griffin The Thomas T. and Bernice F. Irvin Foundation, Inc. Craig and Teresa Kissel Matthew and Judith Kliesner Jerry Ledbetter and Merikay Waldvogel Robert Lobertini Glen Manier John and Marilyn Mayo Steve and Brandi Nicholson Mike Padfield and Kelly Perkins Randy and Ann Powlas Laurel Rematore Gary and Karyn Rolfe Tom and Pat Sandahl Carol Schnepper Michael Searcy and Cheryl Light Smoky Mountains Hiking Club Chuck and Rita Strebel Dennis and Patricia Terry Roger and Jean Truitt
2019 GS M A A N N UA L R E POR T
Jerry Watkins Thomas Wermuth UP TO $499 Robert and Frances Abbott Neil and Norma Adam Ben and Gay Adler Mark and Elizabeth Ahlemann Mary Aiken Leon and Cherie Allen Jeffrey Alpern Kathy Altman Virginia Ames Lynn and Pamela Anders David and Bonita Anderson Deborah Anderson John and Deborah Anderson Mark Anderson Scott Anderson John and Linda Andrews Shirley Andrews Peggy Angel Calvin Anthony Charlotte Appleton Robert and Susan Archer Sandra Armstrong Carra Artis Thomas and Mary Anne Asbury William and Lucretia Atterson Clyde Austin Ferd and Carol Avril Jonathan and Elena Baba Nawras Baban Dana and Sharon Babcock David Baer Carole Bailey Todd Bair Ben and Jane Ann Baker Lendon and Carla Balch
Marietta Ballis Glee Banner Mark Baranoski and Emily Eby Cathy Barber and Louella McElroy Henry and Peggy Barbour Jeffrey Barnes Richard Barnes Stephen Bartlett Susan Barton Tom and Janie Bass John and Martha Bates Gary and Paula Bauer Timothy and Martha Bausack Richard and Ginger Beam Bruce and Peggy Beard Patricia Beard James Beaty Robert and Terri Beaver Marina Bebes Alan Becker Warren and Diana Behan John and Nancy Behling Sharon Bell Edward and Annette Bellinghausen Brian and Susan Benjamin Diane Bennett Kim Bennett Camilla Benson Robert and Jane Benson Jeffrey and Cindy Berner Sara Berry Richard and Melva Bible Larry and Sue Bienias Paul and Elizabeth Bienvenu Tenley Bittner David and Michael Blair Cindy Blanchard Christine Blanck
Dale and Sharon Blanton Sandra Blanton Patrick and Linda Blayney Raymond and Jean Blessing Merlin and Pamela Blessman David and Sheila Blough Sarah Bluvas Justin Blythe Edward Bobber and Dawn Moser Sam Bolick Matt Bonnie Paul Bontrager Nancy Booco Stephen and Polly Booe Amy Bostic Rick and Jean Botto Jeanette Bowers Linda Bowers Kevin Bowland Kenneth and Yvonne Boyd Charles Bradford Allen and Anita Bradley James Bradley Kenneth Bradley Linda Bradley Michael and Martha Bradley Eric Brake Mark and Beverly Briggs Valli and Gina Brigner Herb and Linda Brizendine Carolyn Broady Harold and Janet Brock Jesse and Kristine Brock Donald and Kathryn Brown Robert and Judith Brown Tom and Carole Brown John Brubaker Presca Bruce Marcus and Lynda Brumfield
David and Elaine Bryant David and Miriam Bryant Dianne and Pam Bryant James and Janis Bryant Jerry Bryant Richard Bryant Caroline Buckner Dee Bumpers Nathan Burdine Brian and Kimberly Burgess Kara Burkett Carolyn Burkhart John Burkhart and Laura Powell Dan and Patricia Burnworth David and Donna Butler Lowndes Butler Stanley and Julie Buxton Debbie Byrd Johnny and Lucille Cain Karla and Madeline Callahan Mark Camblin Donald and Teresa Campbell Karen Campbell Suzanne and Chelsea Campbell Deborah Carboy Patrick Carfagna Jane Carl Phillip and Elaine Carlton Janice Carroll Timothy Carroll Richard and Sharyn Castelli Kimberly Cavicchi Brett and Rhonda Chance Lee Chastant Darryl Chessman Linda Chorlton and Corinne Mullen Cliff Christensen Edward Christian John and Joyce Christopher David and Gale Cipriani Bernard and Lisa Ciuffetelli Ann Lau Clark Dennis Clark Gene Clark Richard and Karen Clark Kathleen Clarkson Bob and Joyce Clay Ellen Cleary Paul Clemens Phyllis Cobble Kathy Coe Marvine Cole Michael Cole Dennis Coleman and Cindy Peck Coleman Michael and Kathy Conley Anna Cook Jim and Linda Cook Jon and Joanna Cook Michael and Anne Cook Michael Cook Patricia Cook William and Dawn Cooper Vincent Copenhaver Ben and Casey Cordy Kathy Corey Cristy Cornelius Jack and Audrey Cosper Susan Cowan Douglas and Elizabeth Cox Kathy Craft Nick and Janice Craft Carol Crawford Benny Crayton Elizabeth Cressler
Ruthellen Crews Earl Crisco Mitchell and Dianne Crisp Bryant and Francine Criswell Walter and Elsie Croft Charles and Carol Crow Steve and Kathy Culver Marie Cundall Greg Darnell Anthony and Pamela Dasaro Allan and Jean Dauernheim Gary S. Davis Vernon Davis Tonia Davison Vicki Decker Viv Decker David and Ann Dedrick Bobby DeLay John and Susan Delia Pierre Delmenico Larry and Kathryn Delpha James and Margaret Dempsey Tore Derolf David and Karen DeWeese Rhonda DeWitt Stan and Ginger Dickens David Dieter Elizabeth Doherty John and Delores Dolan Elizabeth Donlon Anne Dougherty Jeffery and Karen Dowd Corbin and Pamela Drake Paul and Carol Drees Doug Drummer John DuBois and Jessica King Charlotte Ducote Scott and Diane Duff Wendy Dunavant John and Joyce Duncan Bob Dunn Cecilia Dunn Lucille Dunn Elisa Duran Harriet Dye David Earley Samuel and Myra Edwards Steve and Janet Edwards Janice Eischen Joseph and Lynnette Elden Dennis Ellerbee Kevin Elliott and Carlene Braswell Chad and Daina Elmore David and Sharon Emery John Eric Jeff and Michelle Erwin Richard and Elise Eslinger Harry and Barbara Essock Margaret Evans Sue Evans Richard and Mary Grace Evors Ruth Ewald Frelon and Judith Facemire Julie Fannon Jerry Farthing Sarita Ann Faught Darryl Feldman Joyce Felzke Kenneth and Barbara Jo Ferry Marlene Fessick Frank Finch Gary and Ann Fink
Raby and Sharon Fink Thomas and Patricia Fircak Albert and Brenda Fisher Dale Fisher Russell and Brenda Fisher Tim Fister Brian and Tamara Flament Tom and Judy Flippo Gayle Fogarty Paul Forde Elizabeth Fox Alice Fraser Charles Friel Marcus and Lisa Fude Sharon Gaines Hugh and Joyce Geary Jack and Joan George Stephen and Judith Gerstner Larry and Nell Gibbs Ricky and Cheryl Gibbs Jim and Sally Gieringer Mary Hartley Giffen Ralph and Janic Gilchrest Craig and Cathy Gillahan Larry and Mary Gillespie Bradley and Mary Glass Gerald Gober Keith Goff Audrey Golden Bobby Goldstein Steve Gootee Jimmie Ray Gordon Charles and Mary Anne Grabarczyk Chris and Susan Grant Ray and Paula Grassman James and Vanessa Graybeal Orion and Katherine Grebe Walter and Karen Greene Jeffrey and Lorraine Griffen Michele Griffith Dale and Deborah Grimes Harry and Laura Gross Terry and Cheryl Grubb Luke Gruener Norman Guire Warren and Esther Gulden Bill and Judy Guth Howard and Cleo Haines Christine Hamilton Richard Hamlin Jim Hanson and Claudette Smith Larry Happel Bruce and Chris Hari John and Linda Harl Michael Harmon Gerri Harrell Nancy Harrison Roger Harrison William and Alice Hart Betty Hauk Terry and Wendy Hauschild Thomas Hayden Mel and Maurie Hazlewood Ed and Kathleen Heaney Thomas and Kenetha Heape Karen Hebert Walter and Mary Ann Hedge Carol Heibeck Al and Treva Heil Nita Heilman Richard and Mary Heintzman Thomas Hellmann Tom and Kay Hellmann
Cledis Fay Henderson and Loida Salicrup Diana Hendrickson Mike Hendrickson Jessica Hendrix Angela Henriquez Louise Hensley Jerold Henson Donald and Gloria Herrington David and Adria Herrmann Paul Herzig Jeffrey and Pamela Hesterly Joseph Heyob Gail Hiben Janis Hickle Walter and Denise Hickman Richard and Donna Highsmith Marcia Hillsman David and Susan Hilton Michael Himes Rick Hinds George and Minnis Hinton James Parks Hitch Linda Hoersten Ken and Kathy Hoffman Thomas and Claire Holland James and Amanda Holsbeke Paul and Teresa Honeycutt Iris Hood Donald and Betty Ann Horak Nyleve Horn Doug and Lorene Horsfield Joe Horton Joseph and Mary Howard Betty Howell Nancy Howell Laurette and Melinda Hughes Juanita Hughett Tracy Hunter Charles Hutchinson Dan Hutson Robert Hutson IBM Matching Gifts Program Ira and Ellen Idelson Paul Inscho James and Susan Irvin Richard and Patricia Jaloszynski Christine James Gary James Lawana James Judith Jay Lori Jazarevic Kam and Karen Jeffries Mary L. Jellicorse Robert and Jacklyn Jenkins Larry and Anne Jennings Jane Jent Bunny Johns Jeremy Johns Alice Johnson Cindy Johnson Fred Johnson and Karen Brinkmann Gaylon Johnson Nanette Johnson Randall Johnson Wes and Nancy Johnson Wayne Joiner Angela Jones Diana Jones Gary Jones
Joey Jones and Cindy Mynard Clayton Jordan Gary Jordan and Shirley Phillips Sherry Judy Karen Juhnke Nancy Jungwirth Ferman and Barbara Karriker Linda Kassof David Kauzlarich Robert and Janice Keebler John and Joyce Keene Frederic and Deborah Kellerman Robert and Sandra Kelley Michael and Carol Kent Patrick and Diane Kerr Paul Kessens and Leatrice Alexander Janet Keys Robert Kile and Brenda Carey Diane Kimbrell Larry and Carolyn Kindt Herbert King William and Helen King Vivadean Kinsland Nancy Kirkwood Michael and Jo Ann Klapper Kevin and Lisa Knight Lee Knight Loy Knight Ronald Knighton and Sandra Hinko Kathy Koegel Daniel and Susan Kooi Robert Kosinski and Barbara Hoskins George and Rosa Krec William and Marcie Kroska Deborah Kuykendall Vicki Kyer Rick Laikin Thomas Lake John Lance Amelia Lantz Mark and Stacy Larmeu Jay and Jerri Laubenthal Steven and Ellen Lawrence Matthew and Carlene Lecompte Marshall Lee Tanya Legg Henry and Felilia Legge Tony Lehmann Ernie Lemmond Andrea Leonhardt Charles and Annette Levin Joyce Lewis Sharon Linden Barbara Linser Linda Lintner Robert Livrone Bruce Lockaby and Wanda Willis Harry Long and Kathryn Bugbee Joe and Karen Loop Barbara Loth Peter Lovance Stephen Lowe Judith H. Luetkemeyer Sebastian Lukasik Judy Lundquist Nicholas Luther Jan Lynch
2019 GS M A A N N UA L R E POR T
17
Larry and Kathie Lynch Pam Majors Pam Malanchuk Caryl Mallory Letitia Malone Patty Mangum Benn and Joy Manion Greg and Sandra Manning Jack and Madlyn Manning Richard Marbut Michael and Beryl Marino Eric and Carla Marion April Martin George and Laura Martin Jim and Debbie Martin Linda Martin Randy and Sharon Martin Wanda Martinez David and Theresa Mason Melanie Mathis George and Faye Mattingly William Maurer Kenneth and Deborah May Larry McCarter Roger and Nina McClanahan Elizabeth and Bonnie McConnell Carolyn McCown Kevin and Debra McCoy Frank and Cindy McCreary Debbie McDonald Suzanne McDowell Paul and Sarah McDuffie Diane McFarland Jason McFarland Jim McFayden Jerry and Linda McLemore Robert S. McMichael Statia and Karen McNeese Jill Ann McNutt Marilyn Meade and Barbara Whitney Bob and Sandy Merriman Kathy Mescher Frank Messer Berl Meyer Carolyn Meyer Lawrence and Carol Meyer James Meyers and Linda Covelli Kim Michalsen Linda Milbradt Theresa Miles Darcy Miller David and Betsey Miller Erica Miller Leslie and Cynthia Miller Linda Miller Mere Lyn Miller Mary Milligan Edward and Janet Mills Henry Mills David Miner Andrew and Dinata Misovec Dinathe Mitchell Lloyd and Janet Mize Derek and Nicole Moehring Robert Moench Diane Molinari Thomas and Gretchen Mominee Charles and Dottie Montgomery Daniel and Pamela Mooha Clarine Moore Don and Ruth Moore Laurie Moore Michael and Sheila Moore 18
Mike and Karen Moore Rick and Lin Moore Robert Moore and Michael Elam-Moore Susan Moore Terry and Kelly Moore Ellen Morar Raymond Moreau and Teresa Berard Howard and Barbara Morland Greg and Marian Morris James and Lallie Morris Stephen Morris William and Patti Morrison William and Virginia Morrow Jacob Moseley Mary Moser Marge Mowrer Ann Mull Albert Muller Michael and Christine Murphy Jack and Cherri Musser Kenneth and Anita Musser Susanne Nagurny Joan Nagy Julius Nagy Ketan Nakum and Gyaneshwari Dave Gregory Nelson Nancy Nelson Don Neuspickel Carl and Judy Newton William and Tracy Nichols Lawrence Nickles Kevin Nicol Nancy Noble Hurshel Norman Roy Norman Jennifer Norred Gary and Teresa Norvell Paula Null Terry and Carole Nunn Denny Nunnelley Janet and Alan Nye Bob and Renee O’Connor Michael and Sarah O’Donnell Alan and Teresa Ogle Steve and Jean O’Neal John and Maryanne O’Neill Kenneth and Meridith Orazi Perry and Joyce Orndorff Matt and Juanita Orth Robert Ossian Hubert Ostmann Stephen Oswald Libby Overholt Daniel and Vanessa Owen Thomas Owenby Tom and Fredda Owens Robert and Charlotte Pack Stephen Pagans Bonnie Paine Knox Pannill James Parker Melvin Parks Pauline Parrish and Cathy Wilson Max and Paige Parrott Kimberly Pate Richard and Mary Ann Patrick Deirdre Patten and Leandra Williams Tammy Peach Patricia Pearson
2019 GS M A A N N UA L R E POR T
Robert and Barbara Pelowski Patricia Pendley Donald Penland Darren Peter Kathy Petersen Walt and Lisa Peterson Johnny and Mary Phillips Andy and Barb Piekutowski Charles and Jonnye Pierce Mark Pifer Ronald Pigora Audrey Pilafian Richard and Jeanette Pippin John and Martha Pittenger Beth Pittser Charles Pool Woody and Bobbi Poor Terry and Freda Porter Clark Post Tony and Marilyn Poteet James Powell Lauren Powell John and Lynn Prados Tom Preske Louise Presley Raymond Priest William Prince and Amy Caponetti Ronnie Proctor David and Denise Proffitt Robert and Courtney Pruett John Pursglove and Kathrine Whitaker Renee Putman William and Lois Queen Juan and Beryl Quinton Jimmy and Sherrill Ragans Ilene Rainwater Becky Ray Roger and Linda Rea Bill and Lindy Reagan Karen Reagor Richard and Anita Reaves Ron and Lori Reazin Stewart and Sandra Redden Jeffry and Teresa Redder Tom and Pamela Reddoch Gail Reeder Patricia Reeves Eric and Bridget Reinerth Denny Reinhart Ricky Reinhart Resonate Foundation Judye Rhea Roy Rice Carol Richards Doug and Elaine Riddle John and Cheryl Rienzo Traif and Linda Ringel Dorothy Roberts Don and Carolyn Rogers Karl Rohr and Elaine Sherrill Richard and Wendy Romano William Romig Pruett and Karyn Roof Barbara Ross Kim Rothwell Carl Rourk Russell Rousseau Linda Royce Louis and Mary Anne Rudolph David and Cassandra Russell John Russell Tim Ryan
Spencer Rybinski Bonnie Saas Keith and Carol Sales Mark and Martha Sallmann Tana Sammons Patricia Sanders William and Diana Sanderson Shirley Sasser Marion Scales Dennis and Lydia Schaibly Cathie Schardt Jeff Scheafnocker and Kristen Faerber Diane Scheimann Richard and Harriet Schewene Anita Schiavoni-Gibbons Christine Schmalz Charles Schneider Cheryl Schopf Richard and Wilberta Schorr Larry and Sherri Schreier Wendy Schroeder Kay Scoggins John and June Scott Debra Seabol Miriam Seaford Daniel Seal Betty Seaton Michael and Lori Seery John Selegue Dwight and Sharon Seng Seniors for Creative Living Connie Serena Stephen and Angela Seward Cheryl Shackelford Lisa Shackelford Jason and Kristina Shaneyfelt Norm and Carolann Sharp Richard and Sharon Shealy Waid and Barbara Shelton Mark Shemanski Don and Patricia Shields Michael Shillinger and Lisa Lemza Charlene Shillings Beth Shipley David Shirk Fred and Jackie Shiver Michelle Shiver Bob and Tracy Shoemaker George and Karen Shuflat Walter and Vicki Sigmon Robert Simerly Lora Simning Sandy and Jacquelyn Singleton Jamie Sizemore Terry and Pamela Slifer Richard and Sharon Sloane Charles and Geralynn Smalling Robert and Kittie Smart Bill and Betty Smith Charles Smith and Claudia Melin Dorothy Smith Earl and Ruth Smith Ed and Sara Smith Elizabeth Smith Elizabeth V. Smith James and Lois Smith Jewell Smith John and Sherry Smith Kimber Smith Lester and Kathryn Smith
Michael Smith Myrtle Smith and Brenda Brown Ricky and Terrie Smith Stephanie Smith Terry Smith Charles Somers Steven Sowa Carl and Cathy Soyars Alan Spayd Rebecca Speas Vicki Speck Art and Pat Sphar Marilyn Spurgeon Alison St. Clair Ed and Darlene St. Clair Elaine Stack Fred Stallman Alan and Paula Stanley Jim and Stacy Stark Connie Steger Judith Stegman Christopher Steinhoff and Loretta Taylor Phyllis Steinke David Stenger Jason and Courtney Stephens Lois Stevens Andrew and Cheri Stewart Byron and Patricia Stewart Ken and Kathy Stich Richard and Phyllis Stiles Richard and Cathy Stoffer Gary and Joan Stone James Stoops Mark and Merri Storts Richard Street Quinn Strother and Laurel Kasmai Lisa Strube Gary and Kathy Stubbs Carolyn Stucker Philip Stumbo and Janie Hiserote John and Sandy Sturgeon Judy Sullivan John Sumners Stefanie Sunderland Gene and Patsy Suratt Joe and Sally Svec James and Tami Swain Connie Sweet Shirley Swindler Fred and Carolyn Talcott Chad and Joslyn Tarabolous Debbie Taylor Judith Taylor S. Fred Taylor Stephen and Cheryl Taylor Timothy and Irene Tefft Gordon Tennett Violet Terrell Henry and Una Teston Jim and Mary Jo Thieme Alta Thomas Dianna Thompson Homer Thompson Joseph Thompson and Beverly Schneider Paul and Jule Thorne Jerry and Debra Tillery Dan Timm Patricia Timm and Betty Estes Robert and Paulette Todd Michael Toomey and Lydia Birk
Gwen Townsend Frank and Mary Traficante Kenneth Trammell Noel Trout Harold and Julie Tucker Beth Turner Patricia Turner Elizabeth Ulmer Bob and Ann Underwood Frank Van Bree Katinka Van Es Henry and Debbie Van Horssen Glenn and Jill Vander Hook Thomas and Connie Veach Devon and Virginia Vernier Elizabeth Vernon Bell Ted Vimont and Nicole McCann Cynthia Vinson Juergen and Jamey Voigt
Debbie Vowels Lynn and Bonnie Wacksman David and Mary Jane Wagner Braxton Wagnon Richard and Joyce Wales Ann Walker Gregory Walker Townsend Walker Richard Walters and Pauline Fincke Weldon and Eva Wamble Cheryl Ward Jim and Millie Ward Richard and Andrea Wardrop Otis and Marilane Warr Claudette Warth Theodore and Mary Wasylak Virginia Watson William and Cynthia Watson
Phillip and Patricia Wattwood David and Kathleen Weber E. June Webb Kenneth and Lisa Weber Laura Webb Anne Weinkam Donald Weisbaker and Daniel Rineer Alma Wells Thomas and Cynthia Wells Barry and Becky Wertz Chuck and Sharon West Betty Westmoreland Sheila Wheeler Steve and Deborah Whistler Ann White Mayna White Peggy White Wendell and Pamela Whitehead
Mary Wiginton and Jo Ann Sandifer Grace and Allison Wilder Charles Wilhelm Deborah Wilkes Robert and Carol Willard Edna Williams Eugene Williams Jimmy Williams Paul Williams Keith and Susan Willis Danny and Anna Willoughby Earl and Linda Willoughby Bruce and Salley Wilson David and Judi Wilson Eileen Wilson Esther and Lana Wilson Teresa Wilson Woody and Suzanne Wilson J. E. and Evelyn Wiseman Mark and Kim Witek
Arthur and Renate Wood Gretchen Wood Durbin and Barbara Woodson Roger Worley Joda Wormhoudt Charles and Carol Wray Patti Wright Tammi Wright Ralph and Karen Wynn Joseph and Suzanne Wyrick Bill and Gwen Yarbrough Bill and Lana Yeary Preston and Anne York Sandra Young Stewart and Debra Young Karen Youngblood Ronald and Dianne Yount Logan and Jane Zacha Bernard and Janet Zimdahl Andy Zimmerman
T WO NEW TITLES RELEASED Of the more than 12.5 million visitors to Great Smoky Mountains National Park, about three million venture into Great Smoky Mountains Association visitor center bookstores every year. Once inside, their overall park experience is enhanced by our diverse product selection. Part of the $18,687 development cost for creating products during 2019 was devoted to two GSMA titles, both edited by Creative Services Director Frances Figart. Butterflies and Moths of the Smokies by Charles R. Smith and Elizabeth A. Domingue provides a colorful addition to our popular Smokies field guide series and sold 919 copies bringing in $10,418 in 2019. Back of Beyond: A Horace Kephart Biography by George Ellison and Janet McCue sold 1,603 copies and proffered the association $18,967 during 2019. That same year, the 460-page book won the coveted Thomas Wolfe Memorial Literary Award. Robert Morgan, author of Boone: A Biography, writes that “Back of Beyond is a deeply researched and exciting account of Kephart’s life and work, enriched by the authors’ wide knowledge of history, the Southern Appalachian region, and Kephart’s landmark studies of the Southern Highlands, its people, and such subjects as camping and woodcraft, environment, and folk culture.”
Back of Beyond sensitively illuminates a broad swath of the Smokies cultural history, while Butterflies and Moths vividly illustrates one of the most vibrant aspects of the park’s natural history. Each in its own way thus helps to foster in readers a greater appreciation and sustained stewardship for this park’s future.
2019 GS M A A N N UA L R E POR T
19
P.O. Box 130 · Gatlinburg, TN 37738 Membership@GSMAssoc.org 1.888.898.9102 SmokiesInformation.org
photo credit s: dav e al l en photograph y — cov er; joy e ardy n durham —3, 4, 5, 9; diego ferron —10,11; bil l l ea — 2, 6 (sorghum demons trator), 7 (s tream), back cov er; val erie pol k— 2 (rematore), 7 (member profil e), 8 (cash and l ee), 15; nps photos —6 (v ip demons trator), 8 (rangers), 14 (both). ©2020 GSMA