Megan Black is the owner of Megan Black Photography. She recently quit a 9-5 job to pursue photography full time. “I got into photography after we had our daughter’s one-year-old session with a local photographer, and my daughter was not having it that day; so we ended the session, packed everything up and we went home,” said Black. “I had a camera laying around, so I took her pictures the next morning and fell in love with photography! I photograph a little bit of everything, but I love working with brands, from boutique shoots, to photographing your business, to headshots! I absolutely love what I do and love meeting all of the people I get to work with to capturing these special moments for them!” In her spare time, she enjoys hiking, finding the coolest local shops, planning an annual trip with her husband, Billy, to visit somewhere new each year, playing tennis, being creative with new ideas for photoshoots, her daughter Addy, and her son Ashton.
Rachel Drake is the owner of Earth Sage, the HR director of a local sock designer and manufacturer as well as a yoga instructor. “I grew up in a family of small business owners and entrepreneurs and knew at some point in my life I wanted to do the same,” said Drake. “I graduated with degrees in human resource management and healthcare administration and went on to get my master’s in business administration. Last year, I had a revelation. I had been slowly moving toward the plastic-free lifestyle, but having to work from home, I saw how much personal waste I was still making. Earth Sage has officially been open since February of 2021, and the community’s support has been so welcoming and positive.” The mission of Earth Sage is to create a space to share home and personal care products that are eco-friendly, organic, sustainable, reusable and refillable in an effort to reduce single use plastic!
Kendra Clabo serves as Vice President of Customer Care and Service for The Lattitude Group, a management consulting firm in Kernersville. She recently joined The Lattitude Group after 16 years in the professional services sector. Kendra also serves as the marketing and sales lead. She holds a BA in Romance Languages, Literatures and Linguistics from The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Kendra also serves as a member of the Mount Airy City Schools CTE Advisory Council and is an active volunteer for the Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration.
Rita Bottoms has been promoted to Vice President of Sales & Client Relations at The Resource! Rita received her BS in Business Administration with a concentration in Business Law from Western Carolina University and joined The Resource Co. Inc. (formerly Temporary Resources) in 2001. The Resource provides powerful people solutions through staffing/hiring, consulting and organizational development services. Over her 20-year tenure, she has held roles as clerical/professional manager, business development and sales specialist. Rita is a mentor to many, and has established and developed a number of integral client relationships through her steadfast dedication to growing the organization. Rita has served as a longtime board member of Winston-Salem SHRM, board member of Professional Women of Winston-Salem (PWWS), member of HRMAG and is a Certified Staffing Professional (CSP). Her hobbies include camping, sports, relaxing on the deck with a good book and spending time with her husband, two children and fur baby, Baxter.
Kelsey Huffman is the Private Events Coordinator for Foothills Brewing. Kelsey started in this new role with Foothills in May. She has more than a decade of event planning experience and studied hospitality at Appalachian State. The staff at Foothills Brewing is so excited that she has become part of their team! “My interest in event and hospitality all started at Childress Vineyards,” said Huffman. After her parents encouraged her to apply for a job, she fell in love with the industry after being hired by the events department. When not at work, Kelsey loves spending time with family, refinishing furniture or any beginner DIY projects, fun and funky beers and wines, succulents and she recently became the go-to balloon gal for all parties. She is very thankful for the opportunity to be a part of the Foothills family. “I love bringing someone else’s vision to light; when you work with so many different personalities, you get the opportunity to think about your space in a way you might not have thought of on your own,” said Huffman. “The team at Foothills has been so supportive, and I really feel that my voice is heard here.”
Liliana Teta is a painter and retail worker for The Barn on Country Club which offers antiques, vintage furniture and collectibles in Winston-Salem. She is currently a student at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. When not at work or in school, she enjoys reading, drawing, writing, playing the Ukulele and singing. “I love to be outside, especially swimming,” said Teta. “I enjoy spending time with my family, friends and animals. I love to learn. Right now, I am practicing my Russian speaking skills as well as my Spanish and French. Someday, I would love to learn Mandarin and Arabic.”