Executive Director of the Jackson County Chamber of Commerce and Tourism Authority for 9 years.

Education: B.S in Communications, Western Carolina University, Summa Cum Laude

Family: Married for 16 years to Jay Spiro; three children – Katie, Sarah and Abby.

We Asked:
1: How did you become interested in your profession and what brought you to your current job?
2: What do you like most about your job?
3: What do you like least about your job?
4: What is the best advice you’ve ever gotten?
5: What is your favorite leisure time activity?
6: What is the last book you’ve read/movie you’ve seen/music you’ve heard that inspired you?
7: Tell us about a person or organization in Jackson County whose work you admire?
8: What keeps you living in Jackson County?
9: Where is your favorite place in Jackson County?
10: What is your hope for the future of Jackson County?

1: I became interested in the Chamber because my husband was a board member for several years in the mid 1990’s. I learned a great deal about the Chamber through his volunteer work. He helped me understand the importance of volunteering, civic service, and helping others. When the Director’s position became available in 1998, I applied for the job. Thankfully, I was hired! I enjoy my job very much.

2: I have the best job in the world! My goal every day is to positively impact the lives of the people who live, work and visit Jackson County. My favorite thing about my job is when a business owner tells me that the Chamber has helped them in some way. Every day we are doing our best to send customers to local businesses. Consequently, the business owners and their employees are spending their earnings in Jackson County on things like insurance, clothing, food, health care, flowers, dry cleaning, mortgages, dental work, car payments – things that most people invest in on a regular basis. Sometimes what we do at the Chamber directly impacts the business, but often it is an indirect impact that affects many people in many businesses, not just one.

3: The thing I like the least about my job is doing the taxes!

4: The best advice I’ve ever received came from my Grandma Hooper — “This is the day the Lord has made, rejoice and be glad in it” (Psalms).

5: I love to spend my rare free time with my family. We enjoy hiking, riding bikes, and making brownies. We also like to go to my parent’s home in Tuckasegee and hang out with relatives and eat way too much good southern food!

6: I recently read the book The Red Tent and I just finished Tuesdays With Morrie. This is a book that will literally change the way you live your life — that’s all I’m going to tell you and hope that you will read the book!

7: There are many wonderful organizations and people in the county doing admirable things. I love all the ladies in the Sylva Garden Club. They work tirelessly to improve the look of downtown. Younglife is doing an excellent job reaching out to our youth. But if I had to narrow it to just one, it would be all the teachers in the Jackson County Public School System. They have the most important job in this county and are undoubtedly the most underpaid people on the planet.

8: I continue to live in Jackson County because we live in paradise! People come from all parts of the country to visit — we are fortunate enough to live and raise our family here, every day. This is our home and I can’t imagine being any other place.

9: My favorite place in the county is my own back yard! There is nothing better than sitting on the porch swing reading a good book and enjoying the great view. Although, sitting on the porch of High Hampton Inn drinking tea runs a close second.

10: My hope for the future of Jackson County is that we continue to protect what we all love about the area — the beautiful mountain vistas and the safety and serenity of the communities where the most generous of all people live.