Board of Directors and more…
2025 Board Meeting Schedule (No meetings Nov/Dec)
Executive Board Meetings
JAN 15 – 10:30 am
FEB 12 – 10:30 am TBA
MAR 12 – 10:30 am TBA
APR 9 – 10:30 am
MAY 14 – 10:30 am TBA
JUN 11 – 10:30 am TBA
JUL 9 – 10:30 am
AUG 13 – 10:30 am TBA
SEP 10 – 10:30 am TBA
OCT 8 – 10:30 am
TBA by President if meeting
General Board Meetings
JAN 15 – 11:30 am
APR 9 – 11:30 am
JUL 9 – 11:30 am
OCT 8 – 11:30 am
Annual Membership Mtg
APR 5 – 1pm thru 3pm (floating)
Latest Board Meeting Minutes
Meet Our Dedicated Board Members
Discover the passionate leaders shaping the vision of The Cricket’s Nest.
Lou Hutson
President
Meet Luther “Lou” Hutson, our President, serves on the Executive Board and excels in business and interpersonal skills. With a passion for woodworking and gardening, Lou fosters community spirit through craftmanship.
Cynthia Tysinger
Treasurer
As the Treasurer at Crickets Nest Craft Shop, Cynthia Tysinger has been an Executive Board Member for 15 years and a Board Member for 8 years. Specializing in information systems with expertise in email administration, corporate training, and technical support. Dedicated to supporting projects that add value to members, Cynthia initiated the Bag project in 2010 and continues to lead it until now.
Betsy Wilson
Former President
Meet Betsy “Bet” Wilson, a valued member of the Crickets Nest Craft Shop. With a background in education and community leadership, Bet brings unparalleled organizational skills to the table. Her expertise extends across event support, board responsibilities, welcoming customers at craft shows, working on kitchen duties during special events, among various other essential tasks. Beyond her contributions to the shop, Bet indulges in photography and canvas art creation as her craft. In her free time, she enjoys reading books and engaging in activities such as theatre outings and bluegrass music appreciation along with playing bridge while cherishing quality travel moments with friends.
Zainab Williams
General Board Member
Zainab brings exceptional flair and a passion for community engagement.
LaDonna Crist
General Board Member
Meet LaDonna Crist, a dedicated General Board Member and long-time Nest advocate. Drawing from 8 years of vendor experience, impeccable customer service skills, and proficient computer knowledge. LaDonna is passionate about introducing innovative event concepts to enhance the Nest community. Her creative expertise extends to varied mediums like vinyl on ceramics, glass, metals, textiles; now embracing sublimation techniques. Apart from crafting pursuits, LaDonna enjoys sewing, quilting, scrapbooking,and delving into genealogy. Did you know she has crafted flags and uniforms for numerous schools in the past?
Martha Grant
General Board Member
Meet Martha Grant: serving as a General Board Member at Crickets Nest for 3 years. Skilled in planning and promoting events like festivals, she enjoys crafting ice-dyed t-shirts, dog toys, wreaths, and rope-wrapped bowls. Outside of work, she indulges in hobbies like travel and reading.
Molly Rawls
General Board Member
Meet Molly Rawls, a longstanding member with 17 years of dedicated service at Crickets Nest Craft Shop. With remarkable organizational, writing, and marketing skills, Molly volunteers for craft shows and pursues marketing opportunities while distributing advertising materials. As an author of Winston-Salem history books and creator of knitted household items and Christmas crafts, she’s a true artisan. In her free time, Molly delves into collecting postcards and has a fondness for unique gifts from Cricket’s Nest.
Melissa Huie
General Board Member
Melissa Huie has been a valued member of the Nest for 3 years. With over a decade of experience running a small business and extensive background in retail management, Melissa brings precision and compassion to every task. Proficient in woodworking with live-edge wood, creating lawn furniture, and laser engraving on various materials are her crafting talents. Life outside work includes cherishing moments with grandkids and pursuing photography as a passion. Her philosophy revolves around uplifting others through mutual learning experiences while finding fulfillment as a caregiver for elderly parents.
Breanetta Mason
General Board Member
Trish Anthony
Vice President
Meet Patricia ‘Trish’ Anthony, our Vice President and long-time member. With a professional background in Clinical Social Work, she brings invaluable expertise to the Nest. Trish is passionate about increasing community engagement and member support while utilizing her photography skills for publications.
Sherry Gabard
Secretary
Discover Sherry Gabard, our devoted Secretary leveraging 8 years of experience as a Nest Member and Executive Board Member. Skilled in diverse areas like marketing, sales, event planning, crafting (woodworking, sewing), painting & more! Sherry’s passion extends to promoting Cricket’s Nest with her craft expertise and as a grandparent relishing cooking and gardening. Did you know? She can ride a unicycle and walk on stilts – circus dreams made real at Cricket’s Nest!
Cathy Powell
General Board Member
Cathy excels in fostering partnerships and driving strategic promotions for the shop.
Dorothy Sweet
General Board Member
Dorothy Sweet, a valued General Board Member at Crickets Nest Craft Shop for over 6 years. Bringing expertise in accounting and IT with a focus on business process analysis, she has successfully guided global teams in software system development. Dorothy orchestrated the modernization of the shop’s website and implemented an automated scheduling platform. Presently, she is dedicated to integrating new consignment software. Beyond her professional role, Dorothy finds joy in painting, crafting clocks from vinyl records, scrapbooking, and photography.
Linda Kinslow
General Board Member
Meet Linda Kinslow: General Board Member at Crickets Nest for 10 years. Specializes in wreaths, jewelry, and more. Fun fact: Won the Indiana beef cook-off in 1975.
Michele LaMachio
General Board Member
Meet Michele LaMachio
Notable for being a Nest Member for 2 years and Board Member for 1 year. Former founder of a homeschooling collective with extensive corporate experience in analytics and problem-solving. Specializes in wearable art and interior/exterior home decor. Enjoys hobbies like travel, gardening, and reading alongside an impressive background as a professional ballet dancer.
Terry Stilson
General Board Member
Meet Terry Stilson, a proud member of the Nest for over 7 years and now an esteemed board member. Bringing a wealth of experience in customer-centric marketing, advertising, sales, and retail from various sectors. Terry’s innovative spirit shines bright with ideas that elevate both personal and professional realms. From crafting unique dog collars for decades to designing exquisite jewelry and home decor pieces – creativity knows no bounds. Apart from crafting, Terry enjoys delving into genealogy projects and taking on DIY endeavors at home. An interesting fact: did you know William Shakespeare is his first cousin (12 times removed)? Currently contributing actively to committees focused on promotions and website development.
Suzanne Goff
General Board Member
Meet Suzanne Goff, a valued member of Crickets Nest Craft Shop for over 8 years. With extensive experience in administration and customer service, Suzanne is dedicated to creating beautiful wreaths, florals, home decor pieces, and sewing projects. In her spare time, she enjoys reading and cooking. Fun fact: Suzanne also devotes her time to teaching girls ministry and served honorably for over two decades in the military.
Jean Marie Johnson
General Board Member
Jean Marie Johnson is a LIFE! Master with a vast experience working across three continents. Co-owner of The Mountain View Inn for 13 years and owner of the Gilded Peacock boutique for over a decade. Offering keen organizational skills, aesthetic sensibility, small business expertise, and passion for cultivating beauty in all its forms. Enjoys leading a healthy lifestyle, reading literary fiction, gardening, ‘dogging,’ and writing introspective articles.
The activities and direction for the Cricket’s Nest Craft Shop is piloted by The Cricket Craftsmen, Inc. organization. This company is governed by a Board of Directors made up of members and non-members from the community.
Your Cricket’s Nest membership also makes you eligible to serve on the Board of Directors. You can nominate yourself or another person that you feel would make a good addition to our board. The nomination form also allows you to submit questions to ask candidates for future elections.
- Eligible member nominees: Individuals maintaining an active membership for at least two years by the close of the current voting window.
- Eligible non-member nominees: Individuals maintaining a good standing in the community with skills that can benefit Cricket’s Nest.
The nomination deadline is February 1st for the current year election period.
Terms of Office and Procedure
The officers of the Corporation make up the Executive Board of Directors. Officers are president, vice-president, secretary, and treasurer.
Eligibility and Term:
- Executive board members must hold a valid Craftsman membership and serve at least one year on the general board.
- Executive board members serve a one year term and can be re-elected.
Elections:
- Executive board members are elected at the annual meeting of the Corporation by majority vote of the membership.
- Executive board members take office at the end of the annual meeting of the Corporation.
Vacancies:
- The Board of Directors may elect a successor to hold the vacant office for the unexpired portion of the term.
- The Board of Directors, by majority vote, may declare the position of any officer vacant who shows lack of interest in the affairs of the Corporation.
Duties of the President:
- Presides at all meetings of the Corporation
- Acts as chairman of the Board of Directors and Executive Committee
- Participates as ex-officio member of all committees.
- Performs other such duties as designated by the Board of Directors.
Duties of the Vice-President:
- Performs the duties of the President in his/her absence.
- Participates as member of the Board of Directors and the Executive Committee.
- Performs other such duties as designated by the Board of Directors.
Duties of the Secretary:
- Attends and keeps the minutes of all Board of Directors, Executive Committee, and general membership meetings.
- Participates as member of the Board of Directors and the Executive Committee.
- Communicates meeting schedule to board members at the beginning of new calendar year.
- Sends email notifications and reminders for all meetings.
- Records minutes of designated meetings and submit to the acting Executive Director.
- Performs other such duties as designated by the Board of Directors.
Duties of the Treasurer:
- Oversees operations of Cricket Craftsmen, Inc. to ensure proper accounting of all funds and financial matters.
- Communicates financial updates to board meetings.
- Participates as member of the Board of Directors and the Executive Committee.
- Performs other such duties as designated by the Board of Directors.