Sharon Arscott-Mills

Arscott-Mills holds a B.S. in nursing from Rutgers University and a Masters’ in Public Health degree from Emory University. Her most recent employer was ICF, a global consulting firm where she led projects in global health and development in multiple developing countries.  Prior to that she worked for IntraHealth International, a global health nonprofit organization based in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. She also worked for the United States Agency for International Development as a senior advisor for child and maternal health and infectious disease programs both in Washington, DC and Kathmandu, Nepal. She has extensive experience in researching, designing, and leading implementation of community development programs and in solving national health system challenges in the developing world. She also has experience in proposal writing for fundraising.  

Arscott-Mills was born and grew up in Zambia, Africa. She currently lives in Lansing, NC  and is interested in using the skills and experience gained during her working career to  contribute to LPCCA’s effort to preserve and share the Appalachian cultural heritage and to  bring new vitality to a beautiful rural community.   

Robert grew up on a beef and dairy farm in Yadkin County, North Carolina.  He obtained BS degrees from NC State University in Food Science and in Animal Science.  Following college, Robert worked in the dairy industry with Kraft Dairy Group  and as the founding General Manager of Carolina Virginia Milk Producers Cooperative in Charlotte in 1984.  The Cooperative quickly grew to cover five states, and in 1998 merged with Maryland and Virginia Milk Producers of Reston, Virginia.  Robert was the CEO of the merged Maryland and Virginia Milk Producers until 2002.  The merged Cooperative marketed the milk from 1500 dairy farms, employed 440 associates, had consolidated sales over $700 Million, and operated three manufacturing plants.

Robert left the Cooperative in 2001, and returned to Charlotte where he and a business partner, Sandy Berlin, were introduced to B Robert’s Foods Inc. He and Berlin envisioned a business opportunity in the growing market for fresh, convenience foods, so they purchased B. Robert’s Foods in 2004.  

B Robert’s Foods grew rapidly from $6 M in sales in 2004 to $40+ M in 2015. In 2015, the Company sold to Bakkavor, USA, an International leader in fresh convenience foods. 

Robert has now returned to his roots in the country and spends most of his time in Ashe Lansing, NC.

 Sherman Lyle brings to our organization 50 years of restaurant operations and management experience. He has successfully opened over 41 new restaurants. Sherman and his wife Beth call Ashe County home and are deeply rooted in the community. After managing and owning numerous restaurants in the area, most recently as one of the owners of The Hotel Tavern, and being involved in multiple local civic organizations, Sherman has retired. He is now driven by a strong desire to give back to the community. 

Trevor McKenzie is the Director of the Center for Appalachian Studies at Appalachian State University. McKenzie performs traditional music from along the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina and Virginia, both as a solo artist and with regional string bands including Nobody's Business, The Little Stony Nighthawks, and The Elkville String Band. He has been an instructor for the Junior Appalachian Musicians program and taught workshops at gatherings such as Augusta Heritage Center's Old-Time Week and the Floyd Old-Time Music Get-Together.

McKenzie was a guest co-editor of Appalachian Journal's Appalachian Music Special Issue, is a member of SouthArts Emerging Traditional Artists Cohort, and was the recipient of a 2020 SouthArts/NC Arts In These Mountains Apprenticeship to study fiddle traditions with master musician and radio host Paul Brown.

Otto Wood the Bandit: The Freighthopping Thief, Bootlegger, and Convicted Murderer behind the Appalachian Ballads, published in 2021 by The University of North Carolina Press, is his first book.