Blue Ridge Rising Two-State Summit III (August 25-27, 2026)

Blue Ridge Rising Two-State Summit

Join fellow residents and regional leaders from the 29-county Blue Ridge Parkway corridor August 25-27 at Biltmore in Asheville, NC, to discover new ideas, hear updates and progress reports, learn about upcoming grant programs and other plans, and make new connections as we continue to work together to advance the Blue Ridge Rising Action Plan. Representing tourism, economic development, outdoor recreation, planning, nonprofits, and their communities, attendees will connect with people from across the Blue Ridge Rising area to foster regional unity and growth. We look forward to seeing you there!

• Chase Pickering, Vice President of Guest Experience at Biltmore
• Bridgett Massengill, President and CEO of the Chattanooga-based Thrive Regional Partnership
• Susan Mims, President and CEO, Dogwood Health Trust
• Scott Hamilton, President and CEO, Golden LEAF Foundation
• Chef T (Torrece Gregoire), cookbook author, and television star on Fox's Hell's Kitchen (Season 14 and All Stars editions) and The Food Network
• Benjamin Walls, award-winning wildlife and landscape photographer
• Graham Sharp, Grammy award-winning songwriter, banjo player, singer, and guitarist with Steep Canyon Rangers
• And more big names to come!

Event Sponsors & Supporters

We wish to thank our event sponsors and other additional supporters for making the 2026 Summit possible: Biltmore, Soloviev Foundation, Appalachian Regional Commission, First Citizens Bank, Dogwood Health Trust, Visit NC, Explore Asheville, Patrick County Tourism, Mast General Store, Forever Mountain, Tourism Impact Services and more!

Keynote speaker: Bridgett Massengill serves as President & CEO of Thrive Regional Partnership. She has been with Thrive since its inception in 2012 as the inaugural regional planning process, then called Thrive 2055, and stewarded it through the creation of a standalone entity as the Founding CEO in 2016.

Her 25 year career spans from serving as executive director of a downtown development authority in northeast Tennessee, to establishing her own consulting business and partnering with the National Main Street Center, to supporting the Tennessee General Assembly as a legislative budget analysis specialist for both the House and the Senate.

Massengill holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, and a master’s degree in public administration: planning & development from East Tennessee State University. She is a proud Fellow of the Appalachian Leadership Institute, a leadership and economic development training program of the Appalachian Regional Commission, and holds a practitioners certificate in Strategic Doing™ from the Center for Learning and Professional Development at the University of North Alabama.

Massengill is deeply connected to the outdoors and finds joy in exploring nature and traveling with her family. Her most rewarding role is raising twin daughters with her husband, who is a youth chaplain. Family adventures are a source of inspiration and renewal for her as she continues her mission of fostering thriving people and places.

Host Hotels: The Summit will be based at Biltmore in Asheville, NC, with rooms available at the Village Inn on the estate. Additionally, rooms are available at the nearby Hampton Inn & Suites Asheville Biltmore Village. We encourage you to book your rooms as soon as possible to take advantage of group rates.

Info: Pick up your name tag and Summit swag at Lion Crest at Biltmore, our primary venue for the Summit.

Info: Pick up your name tag and Summit swag at Lions Gate on the Biltmore Estate.

Info: Chase Pickering, 5th generation family owner of Biltmore Estate, presents how his family carries forward the legacy of nature conservation that was born at Biltmore 130 years ago. Join Chase as he speaks about the stewardship practices that continue to protect the views and land that originally inspired his great-great grandfather, George Vanderbilt.

Chase Pickering is Vice President of Guest Experience at Biltmore Estate and the great-great-grandson of Biltmore’s founder, George Vanderbilt. As a fifth generation family owner, he shares his family’s vision to preserve Biltmore as a privately owned, profitable, working estate. Biltmore is Asheville’s most visited tourist destination welcoming over a million guests every year and is one of the region’s largest employers with 1,800 team members. From a young age Chase has been involved in nature conservation efforts. Chase has several years of professional experience with international organizations.

Info: Time for lunch and an opportunity to meet and talk with other leaders from throughout the Blue Ridge Parkway gateway communities.

Info: What makes a “Trail Town” a trail town? During the panel session, Amy Allison, Director of the North Carolina Outdoor Economy Office; Maribel Castaneda, Virginia’s Deputy Secretary of Natural & Historic Resources; and Amy Camp, Author of Deciding on Trails: 7 Habits of Healthy Trail Towns, will discuss “Trail Towns” and how the Parkway’s gateway communities can create thriving outdoor recreation economies that transform community health. These experts will discuss how robust outdoor recreation economies are supported by state, regional, and local agencies, as well as outdoor product manufacturers, related small businesses, and nonprofit organizations.

Maribel Castaneda - VA State Office of Outdoor Recreation
Amy Allison - NC State Office of Outdoor Recreation

Info: In today’s dynamic funding landscape, collaboration between public and private funders is key to driving real, lasting change. Join key funders serving the Blue Ridge Rising Region for an interactive panel, where, leaders from foundations and public agencies, will share their perspectives on what makes a strong partnership, how communities can position themselves for funding, and what funders are really looking for when deciding where to invest.

PARTICIPANTS:
Scott Hamilton- Golden Leaf
Olivia Collier-Appalachian Regional Commission
Susan Mims- Dogwood Health Trust
Sara Williams-Virginia Tobacco Region Revitalization Commission

Info: Meet and mingle with other regional leaders before sitting down for a delicious meal and great conversation as we wrap up Day 1.

Tracy Swartout, Superintendent, Blue Ridge Parkway

Info: Pick up your name tag and swag bag. Turn in or check for lost-and-found items.

Info: Enjoy an informal breakfast before our second day of great sessions to advance the goals of Blue Ridge Rising.

Info: Bridgett Massengill serves as President & CEO of Thrive Regional Partnership. , which has convened partners across the tri-state, greater Chattanooga region to address the complexities of regional growth since 2012.

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Biltmore, 1 Lodge St, Asheville, United States

Concerts, fests, parties, meetups - all the happenings, one place.

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