Terri has served on the Boards or Planning Committees for Family Eldercare (Austin), Wild Woman  Weekend, Giving Goddesses, Blanco Performing Arts, St Michael’s and All Angels Episcopal Church, and Gem of the Hills. Before she retired, Terri enjoyed an interesting 30+ year career in retail real estate development. Her experience in identifying, acquiring, and opening locations for regional and national retailers helped hone her organizational and problem-solving skills. She and her husband Larry live on a small ranch in Blanco County where they have a sound recording studio, a pottery studio, and raise alpacas along with their beloved border collie, McKenzie. They are the proud parents of Kay, Carl and Cyndi and the doting grandparents to their seven amazing grandchildren.

Stefanie Wright is a marketing and media professional with experience in advertising and journalism. She came to Blanco in 2022 from Chicago with her musician husband and fell in love with the natural beauty, history, and welcoming community. She holds a degree in literature from the University of California at Santa Cruz and has served on the Auxiliary Board of the Rebuilding Exchange, an organization devoted to sustainability and job training from 2018-2020. She covers City Council and Blanco ISD meetings for the Blanco County News and writes a regular column called "Ask A Blanconian" in which she interviews local folks. 

Crystal grew up in the Dallas-Fort Worth area and attended the University of North Texas where she received her Bachelor’s degree in General Studies and went on to earn her Master’s degree in Library Science. She dreamed of making a career as a librarian because she loved seeing the light in the eyes of children and adults when they find that special book or information they are seeking. Crystal moved to Blanco in 2009 to become the head librarian. Crystal became the Library Director in 2013 and has been instrumental in building the partnership between the Blanco Library and Gem of the Hills.

Katie grew up in Blanco and has a long history of supporting many local organizations. In addition to her role as a Board member at the Gem of the Hills, Katie is an active volunteer for the Blanco County FFA and 4H and the Blanco Lavender Festival. Katie received her BS. in Mass Communications from Texas State in 2014 and her Masters of Education in 2016. Since then she has worked as a teacher of photography, yearbook, and journalism at Dripping Springs Middle School. Katie serves on the Communications and Natural Area committee at the Gem of the Hills.

Mike has lived in Blanco for the past twenty-one years and is currently retired. He holds a BA in English, with a minor in Theater Arts. Through the years he has been a farmer, a public school teacher, and a foreman on a road-building crew. For fifteen years Mike worked for the Auto Insurance Plan, a state-mandated insurance mechanism for those ineligible to purchase auto insurance on the standard market. Most recently, he served on the Planning and Zoning Commission for the City of Blanco and acted as chairman of the commission for almost two years. This term of service gave him community insight which allows him to be helpful when making decisions concerning the functions of Gem of the Hills.

Janet Smalley is a fourth-generation Texan, where her family settled after immigrating from Germany in the late 1800s. Growing up amidst the beauty of the outdoors, Janet developed a deep love for nature and enjoys engaging in activities like hiking and exploring national parks. Her passion for adventure led her and her daughter to successfully climb and summit Mount Kilimanjaro in Africa, showcasing her commitment, perseverance, positive attitude, and ability to overcome challenges. Janet's expertise lies in marketing and finance, two fundamental pillars of her successful real estate career for the past 18 years.  She holds a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) degree and a Master's Degree in Business Administration (MBA) from Texas State University, where she gained invaluable knowledge in marketing, finance, and legal aspects crucial to her success in the real estate industry.

Rachel Lumpee earned her Bachelor of Science in Human Resource Development from Texas A&M University, complemented by minors in Business and English. Since moving to Blanco in 2016, Rachel has immersed herself in local affairs, originally working with the Blanco County News to report on key city and county meetings. Her commitment to service led her to serve as the Mayor of Blanco from May 2021 to May 2023, where she played a pivotal role in the city’s designation as an International Dark Sky Community and a Texas Scenic City. As the Blanco County 2024 Eclipse Task Force Coordinator, she helped prepare the community for a significant astronomical event. In addition to her professional endeavors, Rachel actively volunteers with organizations like Keep Blanco Beautiful, Blanco Friends of the Night Sky, and Blanco Coalition of Awareness, Prevention, and Treatment of Substance Abuse. Outside of her community work, she enjoys spending quality time with family, exploring the great outdoors, and indulging in her passion for reading, travel, and music.

Wayne moved to Blanco in early 2023 with his wife and son and has enjoyed the close-knit community in Blanco. Wayne and his family have enjoyed using the nature trails at the Gem of the Hills and State Park, and he is excited to continue efforts to promote outdoors, health, and wellness programming at the Gem. He received his B.S. in Education at Southwestern University in 2014 and a Masters in Educational Leadership from Texas State in 2021. Wayne has worked as a high school economics teacher and soccer coach before moving to Blanco and joining the athletic coaching staff for the men's soccer program at Schreiner University. In addition to coaching, Wayne coordinates all volunteer and fundraising for the Schreiner soccer program. Wayne also volunteers with the Blanco Comprehensive Master Plan Task Force.