Sept. 27, 2026
Jonathan Rich
BrevardBeagle.com
The Brevard / Transylvania Chamber of Commerce annual awards held at the Brevard Music Center on Sept. 25 was an evening of both retro recognition and looking forward to what the rest of 2026 and beyond may hold for local business leaders.
That concept was more than appropriate as the county-wide business community advocacy organization chose “Back to the Future of Transylvania County” as the event’s theme. Many attendees arrived at Parker Concert Hall dressed as characters from the popular 1985 Robert Zemeckis film and other assorted 80s characters with New Wave attire or other era-appropriate fashions.
Outgoing Chamber Board of Directors President Cathleen Blanchard of Moore-Blanchard Funerals & Cremations welcomed the crowd and introduced Chamber Executive Director Tamika Hunter to set the tone for the festivities.
“Settle in, enjoy the evening, and celebrate one another,” Hunter said, smiling warmly at all in attendance before the Gala’s award ceremonies began.
Business Person of the Year
The first award of the night was for Business Person of the Year. The recipient serves on the boards of the Brevard/Transylvania Chamber of Commerce and the Transylvania Community Arts Council and is a past president of the Rotary Club of Pisgah Forest.
However, he is probably better known across the county as the director of Brevard Academy charter school in Pisgah Forest. Dressed as Doc Brown from the “Back to the Future” series, Ted Duncan was named the Business Person of the Year.
Business of the Year
Through the Trees non-profit electronic resale shop’s Yvette Brooks was next on stage to present the Business of the Year Award to an independent operation that opened its doors on Broad Street in 1975 before changing owners in 1976 to court well-read clientele across from Brevard College for the next 40 years. In November 2015, it turned the page with new ownership and moved to its current location at 36 West Main Street in 2019.
Though it shares the name of a town in Jackson County, this downtown Brevard destination for lovers of literature has continued to prosper since July 2021 under current owner Leslie Logemann. Entering a new chapter in its 51st year of operation, Highland Books is the 2026 Chamber Business of the Year.
Non-Profit of the Year
The Chamber’s selection for non-profit of the year was founded in 1967 as the Brevard Jaycees Sheltered Workshop Inc. to find employment for adults with disabilities. That name evolved to Transylvania County Sheltered Workshop in 1973 and again to Transylvania Vocational Services in 1975 when employees started assembling the first X-ray film boxes for DuPont. This operation became known to most residents as an acronym that represents three core values: trust, value and service. TVS became more than just a social enterprise specializing in the packaging of dry foods and dietary supplements.
This inclusive company has provided meaningful employment and support services to people of all abilities for more than 50 years. After rebranding to become ALULA in November 2025, the business began providing additional technology training and industry-recognized certifications to neurodivergent individuals. In Latin “alula” refers to the part of a bird’s wing that augments lift and stability for flight. ALULA currently produces fortified nutritional food for infants and young children facing acute malnutrition around the world. For these reasons, the ALULA on Mountain Industrial Drive was named the Non-Profit of the Year.
Esther Wesley Award
Representatives from Alula had barely finished posing for photos when it was time to present the Esther Wesley Award named in honor of one of the Chamber’s former executive directors.
This year’s honoree is a current Chamber Board of Directors member (who served two terms, including two years as Chamber president) who also served on the boards of The Haven of Transylvania County and Centro Comunitario Hispano-Americano. He is active in Rotary Club, as a SCORE entrepreneur mentor, and as a business coaching specialist with Mountain BizWorks’ small business support systems.
For his many community connections, the 2026 Esther Wesley Award now belongs to Richard Zollinger.
Emerging Leader Award
The Emerging Leader Award was presented by the Chamber’s newest employee, membership manager Ashleigh Jamerson, who explained it pays tribute to someone exemplifying outstanding professional values to serve as an inspiration to the entire community. The recipient is a recently promoted law enforcement supervisor recognized for introducing new investigative resources and building relationships across jurisdictions.
After three years of service as a combat engineer in the Army National Guard, she was an inaugural graduate of the Brevard Police Department’s cadet initiative which simultaneously provided basic law enforcement training classes at Blue Ridge Community College and full-time employment at BPD. While wearing a vintage 80s-era Drug Abuse Resistance Education program T-shirt to the Chamber Gala, BPD Sgt. Jordan Ryan humbly accepted the Emerging Leader Award.
The Duke Energy Citizenship Award
The 2026 Duke Energy Citizenship Award recognized a powerhouse who uses her positive energy to create opportunities for young people. Her volunteerism includes unrestrained advocacy for Girl Scouting and the continued development of camp properties, including Transylvania County’s Camp Pisgah, and partnerships with groups including the Boys & Girls Club and Rise & Shine after-school programs.
In 2025 this live wire earned one of the highest adult honors in Girl Scouting, the national Thanks Badge, from Girl Scouts Carolinas Peaks to Piedmont Girl Scout Council of western North Carolina. The room became electric with thunderous applause as Lisa Patty Abbey radiated her way to the front of Parker Music Hall to receive this year’s Duke Energy Citizenship Award from Duke Energy District Manager Craig DeBrew.
Tourism Trailblazer Award
The final award of the night was presented to a man whose work has been music to the ears of much of Transylvania County. A founding member of the roots rock band Jupiter Coyote, he was instrumental in the creation of the inaugural 2003 White Squirrel Festival that later became Memorial Day’s annual White Squirrel Weekend, and with fellow local musician Woody Platt created the Moutain Song Festival which has brought thousands of people unto the hills of the Brevard Music Center for the past 20 years.
Representatives of the Transylvania County Tourism and Development Authority were definitely on the beat when they presented local real estate broker, youth soccer coach, and traditional mountain music promoter John Felty with an immense photograph taken at one of his sold-out local shows as the Tourism Trailblazer Award.
With all the awards given out, Chamber members and their guests (including regional karaoke legend The Lightnin’ cosplaying former New Coke spokesman and digital broadcasting icon Max Headroom) enjoyed a catered meal from Taste Treat before dancing the night away to the soulful funk stylings of western North Carolina’s High Flying Criminals. A “rad” time, apparently, was had by all.
