Guest Speakers
2020-2021

Brittany Whitmire grew up in Transylvania County, graduated from Rosman High School and attended UNC Chapel Hill as a recipient of the prestigious Morehead Scholarship where she completed her undergraduate and graduate degrees. Brittany is an Extension Associate with the Ag & Resource Economics Department at NC State University. She is a talented singer and musician who performs with the group “FolkPsalm” which adapts Psalms and other scriptures to original bluegrass and Americana tunes.

Rear Admiral Gretchen Herbert retired from the Navy in January 2014 after completing 29 years on active duty. Her last duty assignment was as Commander, Navy Cyber Forces Command at Norfolk, Virginia, where she was responsible for manning, training and equipping the Fleet for cyber security readiness, telecommunications, electronic warfare, signals intelligence, cryptology, space systems and network operations afloat and ashore. She also served on several aircraft where she was responsible for the operations, management and maintenance of all flagship communications, networks, radars and data systems.

Billy Smith grew up in Brevard and played football at Brevard High School. Even then knew that he had a passion for art. He had a teacher who believed in him and inspired him, but it took some twists and turns for him to choose at a later time to build his life and career entirely around his gift as a painter and muralist. Among other things, he often serves as artist in residence at schools in our county and is much loved by the students who have studied with him.

Brooke Burrows grew up in Brevard. She studied in Germany through a Congress-Bundestag Scholarship before attending Columbia University, where she majored in human rights and psychology. Brooke served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Armenia before returning to Transylvania County to work as an Americorps volunteer. She currently studies social change processes within the University of Massachusetts at Amherst's Psychology of Peace and Violence Program doctoral program.

Chi Shipman was for many years a coach at Brevard Health and Racquet club. She is a member of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, the only Federally recognized tribe in North Carolina. She has traveled a number of times with her mother on a bicycle trip that follows the trail of tears to Oklahoma, now the home of the Cherokee Nation. Chi is currently in her second year with the Cherokee Adult language program with New Kituwah Academy. She spends 25 hours a week learning from first language speakers.

Judy Nebrig is a retired social worker who has for many years engaged in ongoing work with the people of Guatemala developing business opportunities for women, and recently for young men. She speaks fluent Spanish and has spent time on the border in the past two years assisting families who seek asylum in the US. She was instrumental in the founding of El Centro in Brevard, and after school educational program for young Hispanic students.