Lyle Shipley, President / CEO
lyle@hintoncenter.org

Lyle Shipley, formerly from Esbon, Kansas, is an elder in the Oklahoma Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church. He joined the Hinton Center staff in January, 2009 after serving as pastor of churches in Kansas and Oklahoma. He and his wife, Pennie, have two daughters.
  
Lyle brings a wealth of experience and practical knowledge for the small, rural church. He has a passion to see God worshiped, Jesus glorified, and the small church as a vital place of ministry.
 

Becky Feathers, Finance Manager
becky@hintoncenter.org

Becky Feathers holds a BSBA degree in Accounting and Business Administration from Western Carolina University. She has served as Finance Manager at Hinton Center for 16 years. She is a native of the area and loves the mountain region. She and her husband, David have twins who are 13 years old. She loves the outdoors and enjoys spending time with her family and friends.
 

Clarissa Youngblood Fuentes, Rural Life Chaplain, First Parish Project Coordinator
clarissa@hintoncenter.org

Clarissa Youngblood Fuentes is a clergy member of the Western North Carolina Conference and a Chaplain by vocation.  She was born and raised in Hayesville, NC, educated at UNC-Chapel Hill and Duke Divinity School and has been fortunate to return to the mountains of her childhood. She and her husband of ten years, Andres, have a toddler son, Adrian. They enjoy traveling and gardening together.
 

Julia Buckner, Volunteer Coordinator
julia@hintoncenter.org

 A native of Clay County, Julia taught high school Chemistry for eleven years before returning to school herself as a student at Emory University's Candler School of Theology. Julia graduated with her
MDiv. this May and is seeking ordination in the Western North Carolina Conference of the United Methodist Church.  Julia is contemplating PhD work in the area of Radical Orthodoxy and is currently working on a book about her divinity school  experience entitled, A Pagan, An Evangelical, and A Seminary Student.

David Feathers, Group Coordinator
davidf@hintoncenter.org

David is the Group Coordinator for Hinton Center's Self-Help Housing Program. In this position he recruits families for the program, as well as helping them to understand their credit, working through any credit issues they may have, and completing their loan packages. He is a North Carolina Certified Housing Counselor as well as being a Certified FDIC Financial Counselor. David is also an ordained minister, pastoring two local United Methodist Church congregations.
 

Jennifer Bennett, Retreat Manager
jennifer@hintoncenter.org

Jennifer began working at Hinton in May 1992. As the retreat manager she facilitates all retreats held at Hinton Center and manages our fair trade gift shop. Jennifer is also involved in the local communities with Communities in Schools, Hayesville Hands of Hope, Domestic Violence Board of Directors and  is a volunteer at Hayesville Elementary School. She and her husband, Jerry live in Hayesville with their children Trevor and Lila.
 

Stephanie Bennett, Food Services Manager
stephanie@hintoncenter.org

Stephanie resides in Hayesville with her son, William, who is six years old. She has been at Hinton Center for 14 years. She is quite proud of a 99.5% Sanitation Score, and she enjoys offering unique hospitality to our guests.  Harvesting fresh vegetables from the Hinton Center garden keeps her busy in the summer.
 

Trudy Bessent, Lodge Manager
trudy@hintoncenter.org

Trudy Bessent is a local basket-weaver who has been at Hinton for 13 years. She is originally from Arkansas and has three children, four grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. When she is not weaving and managing the lodge she enjoys quilting, dancing, and crafts of all kinds.
 

Charles Penland, Affordable Housing Coordinator
charles@hintoncenter.org

In 2003, after working 32 years in State government, Charles Penland was called to lead an effort to expand Hinton Center's Affordable Housing program. That program is now building 8 to 10 new homes per year in a subdivision in Clay county.

He lives in Hayesville with his wife, Penny. He has 4 children and 5 grandchildren that keep him busy in his spare time.

He is Chairman of the Clay County Board of Education, Chairman of the Southwestern Child Development Commission and Chairman of the Oak Forest United Methodist Church Administrative Council.

Darren Cook, Construction Supervisor
darren@hintoncenter.org

Darren joined the staff of Hinton Center in July 2005 as Construction Supervisor. He works primarily at the Wesley Meadows subdivision through Hinton’s Affordable Housing program building homes alongside homeowners and volunteers. He lives in Hayesville with his wife, Kristi, and three children.
 

Charles Hooper, Facilities Manager
charlesh@hintoncenter.org

Charles Hooper commutes daily from Robbinsville to serve as Hinton’s Facilities Manager.

Penny Hane, Affordable Housing Administrative Assistant
penny@hintoncenter.org

Penny has lived in the beautiful town of Hayesville, NC for over 11 years with her husband, Paul.  She loves coming to work at Hinton Center, where she is bookkeeper/secretary for the Mutual Self-Help Housing program.
 

Beth Leinbach, Administrative Assistant
beth@hintoncenter.org

Beth Leinbach has been a part the Hinton Center staff as administrative assistant since 2008. A graduate of the University of Tennessee at Knoxville, she is married with two children.  In her spare time she enjoys music, hiking and gardening.