“My name is Crystal Phillips and my husband, James, and I own JWP Rentals. We own and manage 120 units consisting of apartments and houses. Prior to rental management I worked in the banking industry for 16 years where I served as an Assistant Vice President in Commercial Loans at Powell Valley National Bank. I hold a Bachelor or Arts Degree in Management and Leadership from Virginia Intermont College. I have also completed the Virginia Bankers School of Bank Management and am a Leadership Kingsport Alumni, Class of 2022. I currently serve on the Kingsport Community Foundation Board as well as being a new Board member for Create Appalachia. My husband, James, and I have been married for 9 years and have a beautiful five-year-old daughter named Landrie. In our free time we love to go to the lake, travel and attend Miami Hurricanes football games….Go Canes!”
Davin is the Owner and Lead Designer of Untetherd Media LLC in Kingsport, Tennessee. He is a Graphic Design graduate from Platt College in San Diego, California. He is a father of 5 and a 13-year US Navy Combat Veteran. He completed his military training at Information Warfare Training Command in Virginia Beach, Virginia & specialized in Operational Naval Intelligence. He and his wife currently operate an art and design studio in the Lynn Garden Community of Kingsport, TN. He also belongs to Leadership Kingsport, Young Professional’s PEAK organization, is a board member with H.O.P.E – Help Our Potential Evolve, and volunteers throughout the community.
Anne Darden is a teacher, writer, yogi, hiker, dog lover, and community volunteer from a long line of Northeast Tennessee natives. She is the co-editor of Crossing Boundaries: An International Anthology of Women’s Experiences in Sport and Assistant Professor of English at Northeast State Community College. It took living in Washington, D.C. and Los Angeles for Anne to truly appreciate our unique and beautiful corner of the world. Once home, she completed an M.A. in English, began her teaching career at ETSU, and married Steve Darden, her partner of 34 years. Steve is a native of Johnson City, an attorney, and the former mayor who, along with a forward-thinking city commission, made downtown revitalization, Founders Park, and the Tweetsie Trail a reality. Anne and Steve have two children, Katie, a Nashville based attorney, and Gus, an actor and graduate student in sports psychology at Boston University.
Katie Westbrooks is the Creative Director and Lead Graphic Designer at The High Road Agency. Katie has an eye for detail and passion for problem solving that pushes her designs to drive results.
As a graphic designer and marketing professional, she has worked with many entities throughout the Appalachian Highlands region like East Tennessee State University, Food City, Birthplace of Country Music, Visit Kingsport, Friends of Southwest Virginia, Kingsport Fun Fest, Explore Bristol, and Symphony of the Mountains. With over a decade of experience Katie has worked on multiple boards including Kingsport Art Guild, American Advertising Federation of NETN, Kingsport Fun Fest, and AdapToPlay. Katie was chosen as one of Tri-Cities Business Journal’s 40 Under Forty for 2018. Katie has also served as a mentor to junior designers throughout her career pushing style limits, professionalism, business, and organization. When she isn’t slinging graphics, Katie loves cheering on the Atlanta Braves and going on new adventures with her dog.
