Team/Sponsors

The Gold Award is a big project which means you need help! I enlisted a great team to help me with this project. Some of the team members were from companies and some were individual people. I wanted to introduce you to them.

Team

Sally Hundley –
Sally was my Gold Award advisor. This means she was the person who helped me walk through this process. Sally has served as a classroom teacher in Haywood County Schools at both the middle and high school levels. Additionally, she has served churches on staff and as a consultant. Helping children to navigate the world around them matters to her. Sally was a Girl Scout in childhood and adolescence and knows the value of both old and new friends. She was excited to have a role to play in this addition to the Canton landscape. Her hope is that many families will take a moment to breathe and learn more about the river and the wildlife surrounding it.

Dave Gildersleeve-
Dave is an urban and regional planner with over 40 years of national municipal planning and parks and recreation experience and served as an Advisor to Amanda on the Sensory Board project. Dave provided input and quality control at various stages of project development working side by side with Amanda from the outset of the project, including presenting the Sensory Board project to the Town of Canton’s Board of Alderman where the Board provided its enthusiastic approval. Dave also assisted in securing initial cost estimates for the Sensory Boards from a local sign fabricator. The project had to meet an aggressive deadline included in Amanda’s Girl Scout Gold Award application so staying on schedule and meeting milestone deadlines required Dave’s timely feedback along the way.

David Hyder –
David W. Hyder, PE, CPM, BSCE, MCE David is a North Carolina native with over 40 years of experience as a transportation engineer who currently works as the engineering director at J.M. Teague Engineering. His experience includes NCDOT, Local Government, and consulting. He has lived and worked in two States and in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. He has stayed in transportation because he has been able to work on most big issues (the environment, climate change, safety, equity, economic development, resilience, health, and security) facing us today. He is particularly interested in helping small towns meet their residents’ demands for better, healthier lifestyles that let them choose how to live.

David worked as an artist that drew the Salamander and Newt. When asked for a statement this is what he said, “I once read that you only really see something if you can draw it. I began to sketch to relieve the boredom of living overseas alone. It was an inexpensive hobby that allowed me to keep a record of not only events but of the feelings and emotions involved in the event. Since then, I have spent hours creating a mental and emotional record of day-to-day events. When I flip through a sketchbook it magically transports me to the time and place that I created it. One more thing: I do not believe there is any such thing as talent. There is practice and perseverance. With those two elements, anyone can draw.”

Ron Perusi
Lorelei Garnes

Sponsors

J.M. Teague Engineering and Planning –
J.M. Teague Engineering & Planning (JMTE) is a transportation engineering and planning firm that manages a variety of projects across the Southeast. We specialize in providing transportation engineering and planning solutions to municipalities, school systems, private institutions, and professional clients. Founded in 2010, JMTE is licensed to practice engineering in North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee, Virginia, Kentucky, and Alabama. The engineers, planners, and technicians at JMTE embrace the need for safe, interconnected communities with inclusive policies and a variety of transportation and development choices for everyone. Located in Western North Carolina, we have the capability and resources to serve a variety of clients throughout the Southeast, while maintaining a special interest in serving the many smaller communities and municipalities across the region and throughout Appalachia. With a dedicated and diverse staff of professionals, JMTE provides dependable planning, innovative engineering, and long-lasting client relationships.

A to Z Signs and Engraving-
Our in-house professional graphic design staff can help your business gain brand recognition and build your professional profile. Do you need a Signs & Engraving Company you can count on?
Do you need help designing business signs, business cards, or a vehicle wrap?
Or perhaps does your brand require a new and fresh look?
Let our award-winning staff help you.
Your satisfaction is our top priority. Browse our high-quality product line including all areas of signs, trophies, and promotional products. Our professional design team looks forward to working with you.
We pride ourselves on top-quality customer service.
The result will be a professional, updated product which should help your business brand gain instant
recognition.

WNC Social Media Buzz –
WNC Social Media Buzz, Inc. has provided this region’s small business community with state-of-the-art websites and online marketing resources for ten years. Our marketing firm specialties includes: Custom Website Design, Content Marketing, Digital Marketing Strategies, Paid Marketing Campaigns, and Search Engine Optimization. Services that will establish a leading and trustworthy online presence for specific target audiences.

The Town of Canton –
History, Character, Pride
Nestled in the heart of the Southern Appalachian Mountains on the Pigeon River and a mere 20 miles from downtown Asheville is Canton, NC, a historic mill town with unmatched character and pride. From our low cost of living and quaint downtown to our picturesque parkland, Canton possesses a number of unique assets and opportunities for people looking to visit, relocate, or open a business.


For more info on each of the sponsors, you can look them up online