Gray Carlton Stout AIA is the owner of Stout Studio Architecture, an architectural and planning firm based in Salisbury, North Carolina. Born in Burlington and raised in Salisbury, he graduated from Williams High School in Burlington, subsequently attended NC State University in Raleigh, NC, studying architecture and design at the School of Design from 1978-80, and then transferred to and graduated from the UNC Charlotte College of Architecture in 1983. He has resided in Salisbury for the past 19 years with his wife, Heather, and their 3 sons, Ryan, Nathaniel and Nicholas. For the past 20 years, Gray has been involved in the restoration, renovation, rehabilitation and reuse of numerous and various types of historic buildings across North Carolina in Main Street cities such as Salisbury, Morganton, Lincolnton, Albemarle, Statesville, Shelby, Belmont, Southern Pines and Lexington. Prior to starting Stout Studio in 1989, He was employed by David Furman Architecture of Charlotte and Reg Narmour / The Architectural Group in Charlotte and Alexandria, VA. Gray has been instrumental in the revitalization of the downtowns of cities he has worked in, designing numerous 2nd floor apartments and restoring storefronts in historic main street buildings and creating new infill buildings compatible with the context of downtown. Gray has received numerous awards from NC Main Street for his work in downtowns, including Best New Construction in 2007 for the Firehouse Urban Lofts in downtown Salisbury. He was named a “NC Main Street Champion” in 2007 and “Director of the Year” by Downtown Salisbury, Inc. as well. Gray served on the Board of Directors of Downtown Salisbury, Inc. for 6 years and concurrently served as Chair of the Parking and Traffic Committee and currently serves on the ER committee. He was on the DSI Downtown Master Plan Committee and was the Lead Architect for the Lee Street / Railwalk District Design Charrette. Gray was also the lead Architect for the Morganton Cultural Square plan, as well as the East Union Street Square redevelopment plan, through the Morganton Main Street Program. He has been a speaker at past NC Main Street Conferences. An active member of Sacred Heart Catholic Church, he designed the new Church and School and also served as chair of the Building Committee. He served on the Long Range Planning Committee for the Country Club of Salisbury and also served on the Board of Advisors for Preservation NC. He is currently on the Board of Directors of NCDDA and is a speaker at the “Façade 101” workshops. An avid traveler, Gray also enjoys sailing with his family on Lake Norman.

Renee Piechocki, an artist and public art consultant is the founding director of Pittsburgh’s Office of Public Art, a partnership of the Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council and the Department of City Planning, which provides technical assistance and educational programs to the public and private sectors in Pittsburgh. She has worked on a diverse range of public art management and policy projects, including the Anne Katharine Seamans Memorial at Mellon Park’s Walled Garden, downtown’s Market Street lighting project, Shadyside’s Eastside to Ellsworth Avenue pedestrian bridge, Gateway Center T Station’s Romare Bearden mural conservation and relocation, and the Pittsburgh International Airport gift and de-accessioning policy. Piechocki, a graduate of Hunter College of the City University of New York, previously held positions with Americans for the Arts’ Public Art Network, Vito Acconci and Acconci Studio, and the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs. Her consulting work has included projects in Boston, Lancaster (Penn.), Charleston (W.Va.), Atlanta, and Cary (N.C.), and she has written and contributed to several publications on public art.

Neighborhood Development Specialist City of Durham, Neighborhood Improvement Services Department Urban Designer, Landscape Architect Intern, City Planner, Economic Developer Finance Professional Ms. Satcher is an urban designer, landscape architect intern, and planner originally from Atlanta, Georgia. After graduating from Auburn University (College of Architecture, Design, & Construction) in Auburn, Alabama with honors in the dual Landscape Architecture and Community Planning programs, Ms. Satcher moved to Durham, NC to work in professional design firms. In 2008, she started her own urban design, economic development, and leadership consulting company, CDDG (Community Design Development Group). After consulting with the City of Durham as a grant writer for sustainable programming, she now works in the Neighborhood Improvement Services Department as a Neighborhood Development Specialist. As staff she combines landscape architecture, planning, community engagement, and innovative economic development models to establish and facilitate sustainable revitalization programs, policies, and projects in Durham through interdepartmental collaboration. Her role is to creatively solve problems in our inner city communities through urban design research, social innovation, arts, food access, and economic development financing. Ms. Satcher is project manager for the Durham Urban Innovation Center and Durham Network of Agriculture. A huge fan of the performing arts, Ms. Satcher produced a unique and contemporary urban rendition titled “The Durham Nutcracker.” As producer, she collaborated with Walltown Children’s Theatre for the successful show that included ballet, salsa, capoeira, hip hop, tap dancing, African, and singing. Ms. Satcher envisions a future where art and everything we do as city, county, and state officials encourage our youth to imagine, persevere, be passionate, dream, read, and help others.

Heather St.Aubin-Stout received her BS in Architecture with a sub-concentration in Urban Planning from Catholic University of America in 1985. She worked for several architects before joining her husband, Gray Stout with Stout Studio Architecture in 1991. She has worked part time with him since then, while taking time off to raise their three sons and become involved in many volunteer activities in Salisbury. In 2007 Heather and Gray modified the Stout Studio office at 130 North Lee Street when the office relocated to a larger space on East Fisher Street. They opened up the overnight rental Loft 130. After success with this unit, they sold it in 2010 and opened up a larger rental in the new office on East Fisher Street when they relocated Stout Studio to a home office. This unit was not only repurposed, but was furnished with many eco-friendly items. Heather has crafted ALTA into a successful overnight accommodation. Guests have included families in town for weddings, events, and touring as well as business travelers seeking extended stays and a break from the ubiquitous interstate hotel.

Stephen is president of Hillco, Ltd., CEO of Discovery Insurance Company and Chairman\CEO of Mother Earth Brewing, all in Kinston. He is a former president of the Community Council for the Arts (Lenoir County), and former Chairman of Arendell Parrott Academy. Stephen is on the NC Arts Council and serves on it’s Executive Board and serves on the NC Film Council board. Stephen serves on several non-profit boards and is in the process of the revitalization of his fourth building in downtown Kinston. Stephen is a member of several national and North Carolina associations. Stephen graduated from Lee's McRae College in Banner Elk and attended Appalachian State University. After college Stephen worked for the United States Congress where he met his lovely wife Holly. Stephen has three daughters one which is Trent’s wife.

Trent Mooring is the President and Co-founder of Mother Earth Brewing in Kinston, North Carolina. Prior to the brewery launch Trent worked in the banking industry as Vice President of Commercial Lending. While busy climbing the corporate ladder, he dreamt of operating a craft brewery with roots in his home town. Trent has experienced the brewery adventure- washing kegs, working the bottling line, making deliveries, crunching numbers, and overseeing construction.

Roger Brooks has assisted nearly 1,000 communities with branding, tourism, downtown development and marketing. Founder of award-winning Destination Development International (DDI), Roger is the author of the book “Your Town: A Destination,” which highlights lessons he’s learned over the past 30 years. Roger is one of the most recognized and frequently quoted experts in the field—a field he’s broadened to include almost everything that makes a city, town, province or state a better place to live, work or play. Roger inspires and ignites audiences. He is dynamic. He’s also very funny, combining humorous video clips, fascinating stories and real-life examples. His practical approach, which gives audiences the steps, rules and ingredients they can use to make an immediate difference, has made him one of the industry’s most popular keynote speakers worldwide. He began his career in the concert industry before being recruited to help brand and market several popular destination resorts, including Harbour Town on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina; and Whistler Resort in British Columbia, site of the 2010 Winter Olympics. Over the years, he and DDI have recruited more than $2.8 billion in new tourism development projects in more than 42 states, across Canada and in Europe. Roger’s energetic presentations leave local champions filled with innovative ideas and confident in their ability to pull people together and cut through local politics. Years later, they often check back to tell him that they rode his enthusiasm all the way to success.

Roger Brooks has assisted nearly 1,000 communities with branding, tourism, downtown development and marketing. Founder of award-winning Destination Development International (DDI), Roger is the author of the book “Your Town: A Destination,” which highlights lessons he’s learned over the past 30 years. Roger is one of the most recognized and frequently quoted experts in the field—a field he’s broadened to include almost everything that makes a city, town, province or state a better place to live, work or play. Roger inspires and ignites audiences. He is dynamic. He’s also very funny, combining humorous video clips, fascinating stories and real-life examples. His practical approach, which gives audiences the steps, rules and ingredients they can use to make an immediate difference, has made him one of the industry’s most popular keynote speakers worldwide. He began his career in the concert industry before being recruited to help brand and market several popular destination resorts, including Harbour Town on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina; and Whistler Resort in British Columbia, site of the 2010 Winter Olympics. Over the years, he and DDI have recruited more than $2.8 billion in new tourism development projects in more than 42 states, across Canada and in Europe. Roger’s energetic presentations leave local champions filled with innovative ideas and confident in their ability to pull people together and cut through local politics. Years later, they often check back to tell him that they rode his enthusiasm all the way to success.

Lauren Adkins established a consulting practice centered upon the needs of commercial revitalization organizations in 2012. She is a regular conference speaker and has worked with hundreds of communities in 38 states, plus the District of Columbia, Canada, Singapore, and Japan. Ms. Adkins has served as a faculty member at various Main Street conferences and workshops, speaking on topics such as fund raising, volunteer management, market analysis, and strategic planning. She has authored several articles for Main Street Now and served as a guest lecturer for Catholic University and George Washington University. Prior to opening her own firm, Ms. Adkins was the Assistant Director of Field Services for the National Trust National Main Street Center, which she joined in 1991. Before joining the National Trust for Historic Preservation, she served as a Main Street manager in Benton, Arkansas and as the executive director for a neighborhood commercial district revitalization project in Arlington, Virginia. Ms. Adkins holds a BA in Art and Archaeology from Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri and attended the Columbia University Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation in New York, New York. She is a native of Hot Springs, Arkansas. Ms. Adkins is the granddaughter and daughter of “Main Street” merchants who owned the Adkins Public Drug from 1934 to 1984, and her great, great, great, great, great grandparents opened the first general store in White County, Arkansas in the mid-nineteenth century.

Lauren Adkins established a consulting practice centered upon the needs of commercial revitalization organizations in 2012. She is a regular conference speaker and has worked with hundreds of communities in 38 states, plus the District of Columbia, Canada, Singapore, and Japan. Ms. Adkins has served as a faculty member at various Main Street conferences and workshops, speaking on topics such as fund raising, volunteer management, market analysis, and strategic planning. She has authored several articles for Main Street Now and served as a guest lecturer for Catholic University and George Washington University. Prior to opening her own firm, Ms. Adkins was the Assistant Director of Field Services for the National Trust National Main Street Center, which she joined in 1991. Before joining the National Trust for Historic Preservation, she served as a Main Street manager in Benton, Arkansas and as the executive director for a neighborhood commercial district revitalization project in Arlington, Virginia. Ms. Adkins holds a BA in Art and Archaeology from Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri and attended the Columbia University Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation in New York, New York. She is a native of Hot Springs, Arkansas. Ms. Adkins is the granddaughter and daughter of “Main Street” merchants who owned the Adkins Public Drug from 1934 to 1984, and her great, great, great, great, great grandparents opened the first general store in White County, Arkansas in the mid-nineteenth century.