Kiersten Hall - Board President

Kiersten Hall is married to Weston Hall and they have lived in Black Mountain since 2009. Kiersten grew up traveling the world with her father who was a pilot in the USAF. After two college degrees earned at Ohio U. and U. of Louisville she spent more years traveling/working then spent ten years in a career moving city to city doing logistics all across North America. Travel, trying new cuisine and photography are some of her favorite things to do. 

Kiersten and Weston married and lived in Uganda before returning to the States to start a family. They chose WNC as Kiersten had lived there before. They have four children and every Saturday since her children were babies, they would walk to the Black Mountain Tailgate Market. The market provided nourishment and community for Kiersten and some of her closest friendships have been cultivated at the market. You may have seen her at a booth with her Girl Scout Troop or educating folks about Bearwise over the years. 

Her goal as President of the Board is to ensure market visitors experience the same ‘nourishment’ she has received over the years. “We have some of the most dedicated, resilient vendors who have so much to give to their market customers. This market is such a special place in our community that consistently provides space for all to gather and have access to amazing food and beautiful handmade goods.”

Shawn Slome – Vice President

Shawn and his wife, Candy, relocated to Black Mountain in 2019 from Chapel Hill. Shawn is the founder of Twig, a retail variety store that focused on sustainable, environmentally friendly, and responsibly produced goods. He retired and liquidated the business in 2017. Candy’s daughter, who lives in Black Mountain, prompted their move after the lease for her physical therapy clinic came to an end, and they decided to be closer to family.

A visit to the Tailgate Market on Saturdays quickly became a cherished ritual for Shawn and Candy, and their appreciation for both the market and the community has continued to grow.

In Black Mountain, Shawn volunteers as a small business mentor with SCORE Asheville and is actively involved with the Friends of the Black Mountain Community Garden. He is also an avid woodworker, crafting rustic furniture and whimsical stick critters. Passionate about the mountains, he enjoys hiking, biking, and kayaking, often taking full advantage of the area’s natural beauty.

Shawn is honored to serve on the Tailgate Market Board and to contribute to the community’s growth and vitality.

Laura Yang - Secretary

Laura is a Florida native who has always felt most at home in the mountains. After deciding vacations weren’t enough, Laura and her husband, Danny, decided to make a home here, settled in Old Fort in 2022, and became avid Tailgate Market attendees.

A writer by training and photographer by trade following a few years in journalism after college, Laura “retired” from shooting weddings and put her portrait photography business on the back burner after adopting their daughter, Joey. She now homeschools Joey full-time, still doing photo shoots sporadically, and is inching toward turning that writer-training into her next career.

In her free time, Laura enjoys hosting friends and family for communally-cooked meals, visiting great local restaurants, hiking, horseback riding, reading, exploring new towns and backroads, and spying on the bears that regularly visit her yard. Plugging into the community more closely after joining the Tailgate Market’s Board has joined her list of favorite ways to spend time. She looks forward to getting to know many more neighbors and organizations through work with the Tailgate Market.

Drew Kitchens - Treasurer

Drew is a licensed CPA in NC, bringing several years of tax management experience to the firm. He has worked with both small businesses and large multi-state & multi-national corporations. He has held the position of Tax Manager at a Top 10 firm and holds a master’s degree in accounting, specialized in taxation.