Your M&M Department staff (from left) Judy Collins, Marti Smith, Lisa Duff, and Carolyn Jourdan

Lisa Duff, a long-time North Carolina resident, was named GSMA’s first-ever marketing and membership director in December. She joins GSMA after seven years with American Cancer Society, where she worked with volunteers and staff to raise awareness and funds in the fight against cancer. Prior to that, she worked for more than a dozen years as a journalist with The Sylva Herald. “I’m honored to have been chosen for this role with GSMA,” Duff said. “The opportunity to work with the growing membership base and to shine a light on the tremendous work being done to enrich Great Smoky Mountains National Park is a dream come true.” The mother of a college-aged daughter, Lisa holds degrees in English from Western Carolina University in Cullowhee, N.C., and an MBA from Walden University. She can be reached at LisaD@GSMAssoc.org

Judy Collins, a native of Massachusetts, began her career in advertising design and commercial art. Prior to joining GSMA in 1995, she served as advertising art director for several publications in both Texas and Florida. In the early 1990s she self-published a local tourist paper in Sevier County. “My interests throughout the years have been varied and include nature photography, boating, fishing, art, and writing,” Judy said. “I was elected the first woman commodore of a boat club in 1975 and during that term was responsible for placement of ‘No Wake’ signs along the Myakka River in Florida in an effort to save the manatees.” The longest serving of the marketing and membership staff members, Judy has worn many hats, including sales assistant, accounting assistant, and as membership and special events manager. She can be reached at Judy@GSMAssoc.org

Marti Smith and her husband, Dan, moved to Tennessee from Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1994. She started hiking GSMNP’s trails when she came to work for the Association in February 1999 and didn’t stop until she’d hiked the park’s final mile in May 2008, a stretch at Deep Creek near Bryson City, N.C. For 10 years Marti managed three GSMA stores before moving to memberships in 2009. “I enjoy working for a non-profit that helps GSMNP because I love this park,” she said. She can be reached at Marti@GSMAssoc.org

Carolyn Jourdan has served as GSMA’s webmaster and social media specialist for seven years. She displays the beauty of GSMNP for people all over the world on our Facebook and Twitter pages, as well as our online newsletter and website.  “The most important part of my job is to help families learn how to safely encounter wildlife in the wild and leave the critters wild,” said Carolyn, who is a #1 bestselling writer. “My first two books are comic memoirs about leaving a glamorous job in Washington, D.C., to come home and help my father in his rural medical office in Strawberry Plains; my newest book is a mystery set in GSMNP.” Carolyn’s first book is available from GSMA and the others at Amazon. She can be reached at Carolyn@GSMAssoc.org