Tabitha Hibbitts Greiger
President
Tabitha graduated from Appalachia High School and attended The College of William & Mary and The University of Virginia’s College in Wise, obtaining a Bachelor of Arts in Business & Public Administration and Theatre, followed by a Master of Business Administration at East Tennessee State University.
She is also a graduate of VCU’s Commonwealth Management Institute. Tabitha is an active community volunteer, serving as a CASA volunteer, a member of the Norton Kiwanis Club, Board of Directors member for the Wise County Chamber of Commerce, Vice President of The Gap Partnership, and President of the board of Shoestring Theatre.
She spent 14 summers managing Public Relations, assistant producing, stage managing, and acting in The Trail of the Lonesome Pine, the official outdoor drama of the Commonwealth of Virginia.
Tabitha also previously served in the administration of Governor Tim Kaine, and then owned and operated Farmers Insurance of Southwest Virginia in Norton, Virginia for eight years.
Tabitha now owns The Agency of Southwest Virginia and is also a key partner in two Big Stone Gap based businesses with her children, Far Fetched Grooming & Boarding and Just Adventure Productions. Tabitha has six children (Austin, Kaylyn, Justin, Shelby Ann, Abram & Silas). She is married to retired Marine Staff Sargent John Grieger, and lives in beautiful Powell Valley with their two beagles and two cats.
John Norce
Treasurer
John resides in Fairfax City, Virginia, where he is the President of Assent Insurance Agency, a national provider of Medicare education and enrollment services. As a career entrepreneur, he brings extensive experience in the areas of finance and marketing. John’s connection to theater began as a child growing outside New York City. Starting at a young age, he and his family would regularly travel to NYC for Broadway shows. This early introduction to the arts sparked his interest and it motivated him to participate in school plays and the band. John continues to provide his time and resources as he is very passionate about promoting community theater throughout the Commonwealth.
JoAnna (Jo) Ormesher
Joanna is the President and CEO at Arts Herndon, which promotes the value of the arts and culture by celebrating, nurturing, and investing in the creative contributions of artists, musicians, and performers of all ages, nationalities and persuasions, and of all our local arts organizations, in schools and the community. Arts Herndon attracts a wildly diverse community of artists and performers. Arts Herndon has also worked with and incubated synergistic businesses, currently ‘A Thousand Stories – Herndon Books.‘
Jo Ormesher Consulting works with local property owners in an arts management capacity – with companies such as Rappaport, Kimco Realty, and Marriott Hotels. Jo also works within the Dulles Regional Chamber of Commerce business community.
Previously Jo was the Cultural Arts & Marketing Director, Fairfax City, and also Executive Director, Fairfax Spotlight on the Arts, Inc.
Prior to moving to the USA, she was the owner and principal of Profile Marketing Associates in United Kingdom (UK), a multi-disciplinary consultancy, combining arts, tourism and marketing to create an economic driver for business growth. She collaborated closely with the Economic Development departments in the South of England, and other community development and planning departments, as well as with local businesses to ensure that they are creating a good balance of media awareness, PR opportunities and dynamic growth in order to attract new business while retaining existing businesses.
Currently Jo is Chairman of Herndon Dulles Chamber of Commerce, a Board member of The Prince’s Trust (UK) and Mason’s Fall for the Book Festival. A Member of the Institute of Directors (MIoD), UK & Europe;Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) (UK); National Capital Area Marketing Directors Association.
Her qualifications include a BSc in Business, Economics and Law, University of London. BA in Politics and Philosophy, an MA in Marketing, University of Wales. Certified Parks & Recreation Professional (CPRP) with an accreditation, a Masters as Director, NRPA from North Carolina University/National Recreation and Parks Association.
Deana Goodwin Stoddard
Born in Beckley, WV but raised in Big Stone Gap, VA from the age of 4, Deana has deep roots in the diverse culture and beauty of the Appalachians. Discovering an appreciation for the arts did not begin for her until early teens, where she was a member of the marching and concert bands. After traveling abroad with a school leadership group, she returned with a newfound admiration for the quality productions and direction of regional legends—Virginia McChesney, David Tipton, David Daugherty—realizing the talent and potential of artists all around her were unique to regional culture and worthy of audiences anywhere in the world.
Although graduation in 1988 took her away from southwest Virginia to attend colleges in Texas and Florida, it was not until many years later and having returned to the southwest Virginia region that Deana recognized that the arts specific to her home regions were so precious, worthy, and in need of supporting. It was on a trip to Big Stone Gap to experience a 50th anniversary performance of, “The Trail of the Lonesome Pine” outdoor drama that Deana’s passion for the Appalachian arts became clear and her commitment became focused.
She has served as Set Decorator during production of, “Big Stone Gap,” the movie in 2013, working under the direction of acclaimed author and director, Adriana Trigiani. She has planned numerous events and partnered with Town management on recent initiatives, including a red carpet/media event for the national release of, “Big Stone Gap,” the movie, as well as the opening of the area’s official Visitor Center. Deana actively consults with the Big Stone Gap-based, Lonesome Pine Arts and Crafts, Inc. to market its branches, including the official outdoor drama of the Commonwealth, the historic John Fox, Jr. House Museum, and The June Tolliver House and Folk Art Center. Together, they are working to sustain current historical assets and to develop/fund new programs that offset the decline in performing arts programming within public schools.
Although not having considered herself a performing artist, Deana has since proven that we can all play a role in converting our passion for the arts into actively helping support them-- applying individual talents and skill sets to ensure succession of the arts not only for ourselves, but for future generations.
Sometimes you can find her indulging in a fru-fru coffee drink, laughing and making memories, pushing to keep plans moving in her hometown of Big Stone Gap, or (on rare occasions) taking advantage of peace and quiet to burn some midnight oil… …probably creating yet another list of to-dos for bringing an idea to life.
Amelia Townsend
Founding Director
She is from Big Stone Gap, Virginia and was raised here and yonder. She now lives near Fairfax, Virginia. A former journalist, TV producer, author, and now PR hack, she has found the most unbelievable stories to be true. With the late Dink Shackleford, Amelia authored the novel Keepsakes for the Heart, a bestselling nonfiction story nominated for the prestigious Old North State Award by the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources. Dink and Amelia also co-authored the play I Ain’t Made That Way and several other novels and screenplays yet to be published or produced. Her proudest accomplishments are her two children, who survived her mothering and cooking, her mother and family, who have not disowned her, and her friends who should know better.