Women of Action | Watauga Women In Leadership Gala

The Boone Area Chamber of Commerce is pleased to host Women of Action, the second annual Watauga Women in Leadership Gala.

The event will take place on Thursday, October 26 from 5:00-8:00pm at Firerock Station. 

Supporting women creates a positive and empowering environment. It fosters a culture of collaboration, camaraderie, and mutual respect where women can thrive and support each other's growth and success. Come out for this event and show your support for the High Country's Women of Action.

The evening's featured discussion will be hosted by Karen Powell, recently retired Public Relations Administrator for SkyLine/SkyBest, and radio industry veteran through WKSK-AM. Powell's tenure with SkyLine/SkyBest covered over 33-years, as she helped guide the company's public messaging and marketing strategy through numerous broad scale advancements in telecommunications technology. 

Women of Action honorees include Dr. Andrea Anderson, Anderson Clayton, Allexia Brewer, Jenn Bass, and Jennele Vaquera.

Honorees

Dr. Andrea Anderson

Director of Lucy Brock Child Development Lab Program

Dr. Andrea Anderson began her career as an early educator in a Head Start program. For her, working with children at risk has been a guiding force in all that she does. She explored other avenues to serve children at risk by moving into a position with The Children’s Council - Watauga County’s Smart Start Partnership.

Dr. Anderson is a three-time graduate of Appalachian State University, earning a B.S. in child development; an M.A. in child development, birth-kindergarten, and an Ed.D. in educational leadership. As part of her undergraduate experience, she was introduced to App State’s Lucy Brock Child Development Lab Program. During her graduate studies, she was employed with Wilkes County Schools as the assistant director of pre-k.

She has served as the director of Lucy Brock since 2011. As part of her leadership, she has increased the impact of access to pre-k classrooms through a partnership with Watauga County Schools. These three additional sites have also increased lab placement opportunities for students enrolled in the child development program at App State. Over the last nine years, she and her team have successfully been awarded grant funding of over one million dollars to operate the program.

In 2022, Dr. Anderson received the Reich College of Education’s Outstanding Leadership Award for her work. She is very proud to serve App State students, the High Country community, state agencies, and others across the country who see the power of early education.

Anderson Clayton 

NC Democratic Party State Chair and former App State Student Body President

Anderson Clayton serves as the current chair of the North Carolina Democratic Party. Elected to the position at 25 years old, Clayton is the youngest chair of a state Democratic party. Clayton is a native  of Roxboro and attended Appalachian State University, graduating in 2019 with degrees in Journalism and Political Science. She served  as Student Body President during the 2017-18 academic year.

Clayton's political work began with registering voters while an undergraduate at Appalachian State University. During the 2020 election, she worked in Iowa as a field organizer for the presidential campaigns of Kamala Harris and Elizabeth Warren, and then for the Senate campaign of Amy McGrath in Kentucky.

Following the 2020 election, Clayton returned to Roxboro, North Carolina and was elected the chair of the Person County Democratic Party in 2021. She was elected to a two-year term as chair of the North Carolina Democratic Party in February 2023.

Allexia Brewer

Owner of High Country Greek and Ambrosia Kafeneio 

Allexia Catenis Brewer grew up in Raleigh immersed in a very Greek Orthodox church and culture. After moving to Boone in 2017, she noticed no Greek restaurants. One of the questions most asked of her was, "Do you cook Greek food? We love it and miss having it in Boone!" The journey began there with a goal of selling a few pans of Spanaikopita for extra family income, to two restaurants in Boone in 4 years!

She credits her husband Mike for his hard work ethic and his knowledge of the restaurant industry, and her 3 daughters,  Adaira, Genna and Della for working alongside the family  business and making what it is today! She also is immensely grateful to the community of Boone and the surrounding communities for the consistent love and support they have shown the Brewers. The High Country Greek and Ambrosia Kafe would not be here today without them!

Jenn Bass

Executive Director, Hunger & Health Coalition

Bass began her tenure at Hunger & Health Coalition in 2019, serving as an assistant to Executive Director Elizabeth Young. After just a few months she became Program Director of A Simple Gesture, a program that encourages residents and businesses to fill reusable shopping bags with a non-perishable food items which are then collected by Hunger and Health Coalition staff for distribution in their food pantry.

In 2021, Bass added Director of Communications to her resume, working to elevate brand awareness for Hunger and Health Coalition while helping the organization execute its communications plan to a broad array of audiences. Bass was named Acting Executive Director in July of 2022 and named permanently to the position in May 2023.

A two-time graduate of Appalachian State University, Bass holds a BS in Communication Studies and earned a Master of Public Administration in Non-Profit/Public/Organizational Management. After completing a four-year career on the App State Women’s Soccer team, she got her non-profit start working as an Athletics Development Representative for App State Athletics. Bass completed the Chamber’s Watauga Leadership Challenge in 2020 and has served as a volunteer coach for High Country Soccer Association for over a decade.

Jennele Vaquera

Owner of Lucky Penny in Downtown Boone

In 2007, Jennele Vaquera flipped a coin and opened Lucky Penny.

The Outer Banks native and Appalachian State graduate took her love of fashion and contemporized antiquity to create a chic, feminine boutique clothing store perfect for the whimsical, bohemian women with a sense of wonder.

In 2009, Jennele moved Lucky Penny to downtown Boone. She and her friend Charlotte Baxter renovated a historic King Street location to generate the idealized downstairs space for Lucky Penny and upstairs space for Charlotte’s hair shop & massage studio, Shear Shakti. The two stores share an entrance and have formed the perfect marriage of fashion and beauty in the North Carolina high country. From effervescent jewelry to handpicked couture, Lucky Penny’s affordable merchandise matches the exquisite, breathtaking scenery of the mountain town it calls home.

Jennele’s favorite part of her job is lifting women up and helping them discover their style! “I’m very fortunate to live this life and to be surrounded by amazing customers and employees. They make it all worth it! We get to be part of their lives and all the special moments. It is truly more than just selling clothes.”