Logan Smith
Executive Director
logan@afnha.org

Logan has served the Appalachian Forest Heritage Area since 2008. His family history in the region goes back over 250 years and he has served on many boards and commissions including the Elkins Historical Landmarks Commission, Preservation Alliance of WV, Randolph County Historical Society, the West Virginia State Archives and History Commission. Logan holds a M.A. in Social Science Education from West Virginia University and B.A. in Political Science from Shepherd University. He has also completed a Masters Certificate in Non-Profit Leadership from the University of Washington, and has been certified as a Lead Safe Renovator.

Logan believes in the value of interpreting and preserving Appalachia’s cultural and natural heritage to support sustainable economic growth for our rural communities and is proud of his small role in attaining these goals.

Chrissy Hall
AmeriCorps Program Manager
chrissyh@afnha.org

Chrissy is a native West Virginian having grown up in the town of Beverly in Randolph County. She is a graduate of West Virginia University with a B.S. degree in Physical Education. Chrissy brings 14 years of experience in human resources.

Her full-time responsibilities include member and site oversight and compliance, including recruiting, background checks, orientation, time-sheet and member report reviews, site visits, member relations, compliance, and troubleshooting.

Maria Bray
Heritage Programs & Operations Manager
maria@afnha.org

After serving with AFNHA as the AmeriCorps Heritage Tourism Associate at the Darden Mill in Elkins, Maria joined the team in a new role as the Operations Manager. In this role, Maria will be supporting our programs in the areas of bookkeeping, data management, facilities operations, and program administration support – a taste of everything!

Originally from Manhattan, Maria and her family moved to West Virginia in 1991. Most of her background is in Business Administration and Finance; however, she has always been involved in building up her community through volunteering. Maria enjoys working with committed people who share a common belief that we can overcome obstacles and bring about good changes.

In her free time, she enjoys reading, writing, photography, and long walks with her high-energy rescue dog, Jasmine. She's looking forward to learning more about the culture and history of the Highlands of West Virginia and Maryland while exchanging ideas with this brilliant and enthusiastic team.

Ben Duvall-Irwin
Communications Manager
ben@afnha.org

Ben grew up in North Carolina and Arkansas and has been living in Elkins for over four years. He is a former AmeriCorps member with AFNHA who served two years at the Elkins Depot Welcome Center and recently worked at the Beverly Heritage Center where he helped organize events and promote local heritage tourism. He enjoys hiking in our many public lands and is currently learning to play the banjo. He is excited to get to explore our region and promote our unique cultural traditions.

Ben manages our Highlands Creative Economy program and is responsible for our newsletter, social media accounts, website, and partner outreach.

Josh Wanstreet
Conservations Programs Manager
josh@afnha.org

Josh Wanstreet brings a combined five years of experience serving as an AmeriCorps and AmeriCorps Vista member to AFNHA having completed his final year of service in August 2023. This experience earned him the President’s Lifetime Achievement Award for serving four thousand hours in AmeriCorps. After serving in the US Air Force between 1997 and 2003 he enrolled at Fairmont State University graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree in Sociology and a minor in Political Science.

As Conservation Programs Manager he supervises and works with AmeriCorps members for the 2023-2024 Monongahela National Forest Visitor Use Monitoring Survey, the AFNHA Pollinator Initiative and the Appalachian Forest Volunteers program. He is fortunate to be part of a passionate and dedicated team that works to serve communities throughout the state. He can trace his paternal family’s ancestry to Doddridge County, WV settling in 1832 after emigrating from Oldenburg, Germany. In his spare time he enjoys playing traditional Appalachian fiddle and banjo music, kayaking, square dancing and training in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. He has lived in Elkins since 2012.

Larry Jent
Fiscal Sustainability Director
larry@afnha.org

Larry’s roots run deep in the Appalachian highlands, with Native American ancestry and coal mining heritage. He married into West Virginia history, as his wife’s family has been in Upshur County since 1764. He and Barbara have shared a home there for over 20 years.

Living and working in diverse areas from Alaska, to the Mississippi Delta, to the Blue Ridge Mountains, and the Chesapeake Bay, he has always been a community organizer and worked to build greater opportunities for people in need. Along the way, he gained experience building non-profits and growing grass roots networks.

He is an accomplished story teller, winner of prestigious liars’ competitions, and a versatile old-time musician. In this new role as Fiscal Sustainability Director, he looks forward to using his skill set to help AFNHA embrace bold plans for the future. Call him anytime to swap stories or share dreams!

Phyllis Baxter
Director Emeritus
Interpretation Chair
phyllisb@afnha.org

Phyllis has been involved with AFHA since the beginning in 2001. A West Virginian by choice, she has lived in Randolph County since 1979 and raised her family here. She has a History degree from Oklahoma City University, Masters in American History from University of Texas Austin, and Certificate in Public History from WVU, with 30 years experience in public history and non-profit management. As Executive Director for Appalachian Forest National Heritage Area she provides leadership, oversight, and advocacy, as well overseeing the AFNHA AmeriCorps program as Program Director.

AmeriCorps Members

Our other 30+ AmeriCorps members serve at partner sites in our West Virginia counties. Though they are not technically staff, they are key to the work AFNHA does.