Nancy Plate,
Marketing Consultant

Background:
Raised in the Appalachian Mountains of central PA, educated at Southern Seminary, Buena Vista, VA and West VA Wesleyan College, in the Appalachian Mountains of Virginia, and West Virginia, I have followed my GPS in following the Blue Ridge Mountains south, the majority of my professional life. Since 2002 I have lived in the GA Mountains, less than then minutes from The Mountain.

My 30 years in the hospitality industry included servis as general manager of the Asheville Downtown City Club, the opening and subsequent six years as manager of Mountain Air Country Club, a fly-in community at 4500' near Burnsville, and the Grove Park Inn Resort & Spa in Asheville, NC. In 1999 I moved from Asheville to Highlands to serve as the opening general manager of the Kelsey & Hutchinson Lodge, now the Lodge at Old Edwards Inn. After Kelsey & Hutchinson Lodge was sold to the owners of Old Edwards Inn, I was opening operations manager at Old Edwards Inn which opened in July 2004. I later joined Highlands Inn and Hampton Inn as director of operations for the ownership of the two inns. In 2008 I was recruited by the GA Federation of Women's Clubs to open the Lodge at Tallulah Falls, a 55 room lodge and conference center.

What attracted you to The Mountain?
The Mountain has been a magnet to me since my first visit in 1999. Through the years I have made it a point to attend retreats, meetings and social events. Each visit had the very same impact as the first. The initial impact of the beauty of The Mountain and its surrounds was always overwhelming as a feast to my eyes and bringing joy to my soul. From my first visit I always had an interest in being a part of The Mountain in some capacity.

What would you like to accomplish in your work at The Mountain?

The success of my hospitality management career was directly related to my gift for creative marketing. My marketing instinct and its application was what set my hospitality venues apart financially. I come to The Mountain with the enthusiasm to utilize those talents to work as a part of a team towards the financial growth of The Mountain. It is my goal to assist in growing The Mountain's group retreat business particularly through improving mid-week utilization.

What do you find most important in life?

The mountains continue to be an important part of my existence. Living so close to nature where every day brings a sense of awe and changing seasons can be appreciated; where stars glitter in their heavens, and no sunrise or sunset is exactly alike. To be able to share this sense of being with like-minded others who can enjoy creating synergy to make a better and more productive world community will be a stimulating and satisfying experience for me.