Staff & Board

SARAH RILEY, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Sarah grew up here in Pocahontas County and then went off to conquer Harvard University. She graduated with honors with a BA in history with a focus on economic underdevelopment and a slew of theater experiences. She was a founding partner with Susan Burt in High Rocks and has been planning, teaching, counseling, fundraising, networking and building this place in one way or another since 1996. Sarah was named one of 40 under 40 emerging leaders in West Virginia in 2009. In 2014, WV Focus Magazine featured Sarah as one of West Virginia’s “Wonder Women” in their premiere issue.  In 2015, the Appalachian Studies Association awarded Sarah the prestigious Helen Lewis Community Service Award for outstanding community service to Appalachia and its people.  Sarah was honored as a 2015 Zenith Award winner for exemplary service the Greenbrier Valley of WV.  In 2017, Sarah and the High Rocks were awarded the state WV Red Wagon Award for helping WV children, and in 2019 Sarah was honored with the Power of Performance Award for changing lives across southern WV.  Sarah has four children and lives happily on the family farm her husband grew up on, raising local meats, eggs and produce.  She is grateful to still be working with her mother, Susan Burt.

KEVENEY BAIR, HUB CAFE MANAGER

Originally from Winchester, VA, Keveney and her husband, Luke, moved to his WV family farm in 2004. After graduating from Virginia Tech in English, Keveney worked for various non-profit organizations for over 15 years in administration and management. Having grown up on an apple orchard, her childhood set the stage for her love of farming and good food. This led her and her family to cultivate and raise vegetables, herbs, heritage pork and eggs on their farm for over 10 years. In 2015, Keveney launched Redwing Soup, which she operated for 5 years. She is excited to be part of High Rocks and to continue to serve her community and especially the younger generation.

KAYLA REED, HIGH ROCKS ACADEMY MANAGER

As a Greenbrier County native, Kayla spent the vast majority of her teenage years soaking in the Pocahontas County “mountain magic” as a High Rocks participant. She has a deep passion for mentoring and guiding young people in the mountain state and always had the dream to one day come back to West Virginia to do just that. After joining the recovery community in Florida and working in the drug treatment industry for 8+ years, Kayla attended Palm Beach State College, graduated with a degree in Addiction Studies and became a Florida Licensed Addiction Counselor. Kayla returned home in 2018 to be closer to family and then served 2 years as an AmeriCorps member with High Rocks before transitioning to be the Hub Student Coordinator. Kayla currently mentors young people across all High Rocks Academy platforms as the High Rocks Academy Program Manager and spends her summers in Pocahontas County for the program's summer camps. Kayla is a mom to two and loves spending time with family and friends outdoors and on the river.

JANET SWIFT, AMERICORPS PROGRAM MANAGER

Original natives of the Washington, D.C. area, Janet and her husband moved to Greenbrier County, West Virginia from Vermont in 2005, seeking the rural mountain life they love in a climate with a bit less winter.  With an early background in for–profit management and finance, she discovered a passion for non-profit work here in the Greenbrier Valley.  She has been an enthusiastic volunteer over the years and has enjoyed donating time to activities such as reading for the blind on NPR, teaching adults to read with a Literacy program, and serving on a number of non-profit boards.  As a mother to four children and grandmother to seven, she is committed to the High Rocks mission to educate, empower and inspire young people.  In her free time, she enjoys traveling, gardening, sewing, and spending time with family and friends.

SUMMER MARTIN, HUMAN RESOURCES SPECIALIST

Summer grew up in East Texas then attended University of the Ozarks in Clarksville, AR where she received a Bachelor of Science in Physical Education with a minor in Health. Summer had always loved being outdoors, but it was in the Ozarks that she fell in love with the mountains. Summer returned to Texas and started a family. In 2018 the mountains were calling and Summer knew she must go. With 5 wildlings in tow, Summer moved to Pocahontas County, West Virginia. Summer’s family grew by one more, and her family of 8 still resides in Nature’s Mountain Playground. With a nurturing spirit, Summer is very passionate about all aspects of wellness as they relate prevention, treatment, and quality of life. When she’s not cheering her children on in sports or the arts as their #1 fan, she enjoys foraging, hiking, and just about anything else she can do outdoors. 

SAMANTHA MITCHELL, FIRST2 STUDENT COORDINATOR

Samantha was born and raised in Pocahontas County and has been part of the High Rocks program since 1997 where she acted as a member, a junior counselor and a junior board member.  After graduating from Pocahontas County High School in 2001 she attended West Virginia University where she obtained a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a focus on Accounting as well as a Master of Arts in Public Administration.  After college she entered the workforce as a Financial Analyst working with government contracts and then created and co-owned her own company for many years.  For many years she served on the High Rocks Board of Directors until stepping down to compete for a position on the High Rocks staff.  When she’s not busy working with the First2 Network coordinating college students across the state of WV she enjoys creating hand made home decorations, traveling with her husband, and snuggling with her nieces and nephews.

MAGALY SUTEAU, HUB CAFE COORDINATOR

Magaly, a Chicago native, began her culinary journey right after graduating high school. She studied at the Culinary Hospitality Institute of Chicago and started her career in a French bistro, which soon led to an exciting role with the Four Seasons. Shortly afterward, Magaly moved to Dallas, Texas, where she worked as an Assistant Pastry Chef, honing her craft. She was soon promoted to Executive Pastry Chef at a prestigious fine-dining restaurant. Later, she transitioned into sales, working with a chocolate company and a food purveyor. During this time, she met her husband, who was also a trained pastry chef. The couple relocated to California, where they started a family, and Magaly chose to focus on raising their children. In 2011, they moved to West Virginia, which they now proudly call home. Since then, Magaly has embraced a range of roles, establishing herself as a quick learner and a versatile talent. Her passion for pastry making remains strong and she now shares it with her family and community. She enjoys family time, walking on local trails, and raising chickens!

CREE LAHTI, WV JOBS NETWORK COORDINATOR

Cree is a native West Virginian and feels passionate about connecting people that want to live in West Virginia to good jobs that allow them to do so.  She has a varied education experience with a B.A. in Communication from Antioch College, M.A. in Higher Education Administration from West Virginia University and M.S. in Library and Information Science from the University of North Texas. She has also had a varied work experience, most recently as the director of the public libraries in Pocahontas County, WV- but has also picked avocados on a kibbutz in Israel, taught English as a second language in Istanbul, worked with elementary children in Los Angeles, led middle-schoolers on outdoor adventures in the Monongahela National Forest, and worked in the student life department at Davis & Elkins College in Elkins, WV. In her spare time, Cree enjoys creating art with clay and being outside as much as possible. 

MARIBETH SALEEM-TANNER, WORKFORCE STRATEGIST, WVJN

Maribeth had no idea when she signed up to be an AmeriCorps*VISTA “for a year” at High Rocks in 2022 that she had just found her forever home in Appalachia. Maribeth grew up in the Adirondack Mountains of New York and graduated with a degree in English from Pomona College in southern California (also Susan Burt’s alma mater – Go Sagehens!). She joined the High Rocks staff in 2004, served as High Rocks Co-Director from 2005-2007, and returned as Development Manager from 2010 to 2013. In between, she earned a Master’s degree in conflict transformation from Eastern Mennonite University in Harrisonburg, Virginia and worked as a project assistant for the Pocahontas Communications Cooperative. In 2013, she moved with family to Wood County, WV and served as Director of Office of Civic Engagement at Marietta College and then as Executive Director of Community Food Initiatives in Athens, Ohio before returning to the High Rocks staff in her current role as the West Virginia Jobs Network Workforce Strategist. Maribeth is passionate about the power of collaboration and community to transform people and the world in amazing, beautiful ways.

STEVE SAFFEL, FARM MANAGER

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KELLY ARFSTEN, FARM PRODUCTION COORDINATOR

Kelly grew up in Germany and then moved to West Virginia in 2008. Since graduating with a degree in Agriculture she has been involved in sustainable farming and healthy lifestyle work. She started with High Rocks as a summer staff member teaching the Horses Class at New Beginnings Camp and now works with the High Rocks local foods team. She notes that working with this team provides her, and others, with opportunities to improve agricultural practices and youth leadership in the community. 

 

AMANDA HOKE, OFFICE MANAGER

Amanda Hoke is a West Virginia native who has lived in Pocahontas County for over 30 years. She has worked as a bank teller, daycare teacher, postal support employee before joining the High Rocks team as the office manager. Amanda is the mother to two daughters and four dogs, and the happy wife of her husband of 14 years. She enjoys spending time with family and friends, being outdoors and arts and crafts. Amanda loves the close-knit family that is the High rocks team. Amanda loves the close-knit family that is the High Rocks team.

SARAH MANSHEIM, GRANTS MANAGER

Sarah Mansheim has lived in West Virginia nearly all her life, having grown up in Pocahontas County, and has lived in Greenbrier County for almost 25 years. Sarah has a Bachelor of Arts in creative writing from the University of New Mexico. She has served as a newspaper editor with two local news organizations in addition to her work at High Rocks, where she is the former marketing and development director and is now the grants manager. Sarah is proud to be a High Rocks parent with two participant daughters, as well as a staff member.