About Roan Mountain Magazine

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The Last Word Columnist & Sportswriter  

Noah is a born and raised Roan Mountaineer, his family has called Roan Mountain home for over 4 generations, and with his wife (Kalee), son (Tytan), and daughter (Brynlee) will make it at least 5. He works in sales for Terminix pest control and pastors the Roan Mountain Free Holiness Church. He enjoys the outdoors where he likes to hunt and fish, he is a Tennessee Titan and Alabama football fan but his favorite thing to do is to be dad and husband to his family. He has always enjoyed storytelling (thanks to his grandfather Ray Blair) and writing gives him that ability. 

Staff Photographer  

Faith moved to Roan Mountain in 2018 from Crystal River Florida where she lived for over 20 years with her four sons Greg, William, Jack, and Joe and her husband. She moved to her mountaintop after her husband passed away, feeling the need to learn some independence, and she found wandering the mountains looking for adventure and "shiny" things was definitely a healing experience. All the beauty nearby, such as the many waterfalls, hiking at Carver's Gap and other  trails nearby, and meeting some amazing people. 

Faith has found photography to be a healing experience. She enjoys taking pictures of what she calls her “shiny things.” Things that catch her eye and make her smile, anything from a beautiful view, to a heart-shaped rock, a pretty flower or an odd mushroom. She also enjoys trying to learn new skills every day, and has a love off cars. She also been renovating her house, which has been a challenge, but a satisfying one. 

When she's not getting lost in the woods or exploring new places, she works at Americano Steak House and volunteers at Foscoe Home Team, a non-profit that has been helping people impacted by Hurricane Helene. She loves the organization and has found helping in this way a very humbling experience.  

She also makes regular trips down to Florida to spend a little time with her boys, who are now grown men but will always be her heart. She lives by the mottos: Never take anything for granted, and, life is an adventure just keep moving forward!

Gun Talk Columnist  

Growing up in a small farm village in South Africa, Jon enjoyed the bush and tried to avoid cities, but a career in the counter-terrorism division of the South African Police pushed him there.

When he later changed gears it was a radical move back to his beloved bush - operating his own Overlander Safari company, catching wild animals for the San Diego Zoo or catching crocodiles for the leather industry. 

Later, he took to the sea, sailing for both pleasure and as a charter captain/owner. It was on one such sailing charter that he met and clicked with a charter guest. He and Angela have now been married for eight years. Two years ago, the couple closed the charter business and made the move to call Roan Mountain home. Jon swears he'll never move again, having finally found peace and paradise. 

To keep himself out of Angela’s hair, he opened his gunsmithing business here, 2ndAmendment Arts, combining his machining skills and the gun knowledge gained in his “former life” with a desire to be an active part of the community. Many will recall that after last year’s flood, and while dealing with their own recovery, Jon and Angela set up their Starlink system and opened it up to the community at no charge. Jon also enjoys sharing his gunsmithing knowledge and safety tips with us all, through his column, “Gun Talk.”

Short Story Author  

Diana was born in the Roan Mountain area, and lived here until the 3rd grade, attending the old Cloudland Elementary School. Her parents, Lou Ella and Leroy Stockton, then moved the family to Tucson, Arizona, where they lived until returning to Tennessee. Diana graduated from Hampton High School and later married her husband David. They moved to Cove Creek Community and raised their two children, Robert and Rebekah, who both graduated from Cloudland High School. 

Diana has been a Licensed Practical Nurse for 41 years, starting her nursing career at the old Cannon Memorial Hospital in Banner Elk, N.C. In 1999, not long after the big flood of '98, Diana was hired as a Carter County School Nurse, and was stationed at Cloudland Elementary and High School. She was the first full-time school nurse for the community. She considers it a blessing and an honor to have taken care of the school children of Roan Mountain for the last 26 years. She’s watched them grow and now finds joy in caring for their children. 

Diana has been writing short stories for the last 10 years under a pseudonym, not feeling confident enough to have any published under her own name. After reading the first couple of issues of Roan Mountain Magazine, she took a deep breath and submitted her first story in December 2024. She found a wonderful, creative outlet, and loves that folks enjoy her stories.

Assistant Editor  

Ericka is a proud Roan Mountain local with deep family roots in the community. She is the daughter of Marsha Winters and Milburn Hughes and the granddaughter of Richard and Donna Winters. A landscaper by trade, Ericka spends much of her time working outdoors. 

When she’s not landscaping, she can often be found hiking the mountain trails, reading, or rock hounding in search of quartz. Her constant companion is Banjo, her loyal German Shepherd who’s always ready for the next adventure. 

Ericka’s love of storytelling began in the 3rd grade when she first realized that a pencil and paper could hold entire worlds. That childhood discovery grew into a lifelong love of storytelling , poetry, and has become a lifelong passion. In her position as a staff writer for Roan Mountain Magazine, she enjoys sharing stories that honor the people, history, and beauty of the place she calls home. In addition to writing for the magazine, she has been working on a novel. 

Whether it’s through her work, her writing, or her hobbies, Ericka strives to keep the spirit of Roan Mountain alive for both locals and visitors alike. 

Advertising Director  

Susie Phillips retired here in December 2019, from Columbia, SC where she and her husband Kevin lived for 32 years. They made the move after their son, Austin, attended ETSU then married his college sweetheart and stayed. 

Susie loves being in Roan Mountain for the mild temperatures, the views, the slower pace of life, and the people. She especially enjoys being a part of Roan Mountain magazine, which allows her to meet and interact with people in the community. Having a background in fundraising for organizations that help children with special needs is a natural fit for selling advertising in the magazine. She also does proofreading, delivery, and even a little writing! 

Susie also enjoys growing flowers and vegetables in her garden, spending time with her sons, Austin, Matthew and Mike, going out to listen to live local music, cooking, and reading. She has found her “church home” at Magill and loves the feeling of family and community spirit there. 

Peace of Mind Columnist  

In November 2024, Chris and his wife Ellie moved to Roan Mountain after spending nearly 40 years in the desert. (Although it was less than 40 years, he insists it felt much longer.) Chris believes God called them to Roan Mountain; the area embodies everything Las Vegas (their last stop) lacked—its natural beauty, climate, a political climate that aligns with their values, and that the residents have a deep-seated faith in God. Although they’ve been here less than a year, it already feels like home. Since arriving, Chris and Ellie have adopted a rescue dog, Zeke, who has added joy to their lives. They now walk or hike daily, inspired by Zeke. The beauty they see during walks reminds them of God’s grace and all that makes Roan Mountain special. 

Chris is grateful to work remotely as a therapist, helping individuals and couples. He supports teens, adults, and couples seeking better mental health and more harmonious relationships. Working virtually (and in person) enables Chris to serve people across different parts of the US and he’s licensed in seven states, to include Tennessee and his home state of Michigan. 

Chris appreciates the chance to write for Roan Mountain Magazine because it connects him to the community and he considers it a privilege to assist those in need of support, guidance, and encouragement. He hopes to give back to Roan Mountain, which reminds him that, despite living in a broken world, God’s country still exists. Although he hasn't yet found a church to call his second home, Chris prays daily and thanks God for what he values most—a relationship with Him, his family, and the missing part of his life, his daughter Isabella, who is not yet with them in Roan Mountain.  

News from the Roan Columnist  

CeCe worked for over 30 years as a legal secretary and now works in the gift shop operations at Roan Mountain State Park, where she’s responsible for merchandising their camp store. Once their youngest child graduated from high school, CeCe and her husband, Mike, sold everything to live full-time in their RV, setting out on a new adventure. They’ve traveled to over 35 states, camping at over 170 campgrounds and were campground hosts for two state parks before finally calling Tennessee home. 

CeCe loves spending time with Mike, her two mini dachshunds, and with friends. Besides traveling, in her free time, CeCe likes to quilt, sew, hike, and kayak. She looks forward to many visits from her children when they come to Tennessee; they love it here as well!

CeCe enjoys sharing what her new workplace has to offer with the community and hopes you all visit Roan Mountain State Park whenever you get the chance!

Social Media Manager 

Colleen comes to us from South Carolina by way of Florida, but being a military brat she has lived all over. When living in Colorado, she fell in love with the mountains and couldn't wait to return. Her dream was realized in February when she and her husband, James, sold almost everything they owned and bought property in Roan Mountain. 

As a mother of eight and grandmother of six, she lost her sanity years ago, but James is patient, tolerant and willing to go along with her crazy plans. One of which was to adopt a teenage girl from Ukraine when the couple were in their 50s. It was a crazy adventure that included spending two months living in Ukraine to finalize the adoption. James was pushed way outside his comfort zone, but Colleen thrived, having lived in Europe as a child. Her love of languages was helpful.

She also loves cooking, eating new foods and traveling, though travel plans have been put on hold as they work on their property, prepping to build their forever home. They are doing most of the work themselves as James is a skilled carpenter.  

Colleen is completely in love with the community of Roan Mountain and wanted to be more involved and meet as many people as possible. So when the Social Media position opened up, she jumped at the chance to be a part of a magazine she loved reading. 

The Grace Place Columnist  

Hunter was born and raised right here in Carter County. His family hails from Roan Mountain and Stoney Creek, and he’s graduated from Elizabethton High School. At sixteen, Hunter began preaching, mostly in small, country churches and local revivals; at nineteen, he was ordained and became the associate pastor of Harmony Free Will Baptist Church.

While pastoring, Hunter attended Milligan College in Johnson City. In 2019, he received his Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Humanities while completing minors in History and Bible. His interests in theology and politics led him to Durham, N.C. to pursue his Master of Divinity at Duke Divinity School, where he graduated in 2022. His graduate work concentrated on political theology, community organizing, and social transformation. 

Hunter’s passion is working with and advocating for low-income communities to overcome economic disparities, which has shaped his professional career to be a combination of pastoral ministry, community organizing, and nonprofit work. In his free time, Hunter enjoys hanging out with his wife, Lauren, and their dog, Ollie. He also enjoys reading, playing basketball, cheering on the Vols, and writing for his blog, Hillbilly Theology. At heart, he’s just a Baptist hillbilly preacher who loves Christ, people, and the mountains.

Distribution Manager 

Jay Rich is a new resident of the Roan Mountain community. While visiting his mom for the holidays last year, he fell in love with the place and its people and knew this was where he wanted to create a home for himself. He feels a sense of peace and community here that he’s not found anywhere else.

Jay grew up in Georgia and as a young adult, worked mostly in restaurant kitchens, cooking, and as a delivery driver. He works for ETN & WNC Landscaping and Construction (Chuck Cabe) as a helper, and Johnson Lawn Care (Melvin Johnson). He’s also joined the magazine staff handling distribution, so you’ll see him monthly, handing out the latest issue. 

Jay and his partner, Karen (who arrives in December), are currently scouting for a location to open a general store where they plan to provide an outlet for local creators to sell their goods, as well as seasonal items. Jay thrives when able to help others and sees this as an opportunity to provide a beneficial service to the community.

In his free time, Jay enjoys playing with his dog, Tango, constructing unique items with building blocks, exploring his new community, telling corny jokes, and spending Sunday evenings with his mama for supper and a movie.  

Publisher/Editor 

Amy (pen name Amy Campbell Clark) moved here from Georgia in November 2023. She envisioned a quiet life, holed up on the side of a mountain, tending her gardens and chickens and working on a novel. But God had other plans and writing a novel was soon replaced with putting together Roan Mountain Magazine. 

She has written professionally since 2001, to include publishing two previous magazines, and worked mostly in marketing over the years, helping small businesses grow. Her “paying job” for the past seven years is handling marketing and creating bid packages for a company that provides water-based post-disaster services. She still loves helping small businesses grow as well, but the magazine is her passion. It gives her both a sense of purpose and of being part of this community she loves. 

Amy has three adult children (her youngest, Jay, lives here now), and four grandkids. She lives up a holler with her German shepherd, Remington, and two terrorist cats, Hemingway and Tempest. When she can carve out free time, she enjoys exploring, nature photography, trying new recipes, reading, and tinkering with art projects. 

She loves being part of such a caring community, the wonderful friends she’s made here, the natural beauty of the area, and experiencing all four seasons. Roan Mountain is her forever home and she loves being able to give back to it through the magazine.