stephen duncan – cEO, Secretary & treasurer

Stephen G. Duncan, a native of Belmont, NC, has cultivated a successful real estate brokerage career spanning over three decades, focusing on residential and commercial properties in Asheville, Hendersonville, and Western North Carolina. In a significant 2021 venture, he and his wife Laura acquired and transformed a Rutherford County historic property into The Preserve at Maple Creek, featuring a Glass Chapel, century-old cabins converted into VRBO accommodations, event spaces, and extensive natural surroundings.

Stephen’s academic background includes a BA and MA in local government management, and he has held diverse roles, from Town Manager to Business Manager in North Carolina. Actively engaged in the community, he participates in advisory boards such as the regional board of realtors and is the former Vice Chair WNC Economic Development Commission and demonstrates philanthropic leadership, reflecting his commitment to the communities he serves. His community campaign involvement underscores his dedication to civic engagement and leadership. SEND EMAIL

ariel Haas – president

Ariel Haas has lived in San Diego, CA for most of his life, attending college at UCLA and UCSD, majoring in Animal Physiology and Neuroscience, followed by UCLA for graduate school.  The subsequent 20 years were spent working as an award winning high school science teacher at one of the top 50 schools in the country which he helped found in 2001, including starting and managing the top high school STEM research program in the country. Ariel also coached high level boys and girls high school varsity volleyball and club volleyball for 20 years. Ariel also spent one year starting and developing a research based nonprofit called the Institute for Pediatric Health (IPH) which aimed to investigate the increasing incidence of childhood chronic health conditions.

After retiring from teaching and coaching in 2020 and moving to the mountains of North Carolina with his family, Ariel jumped right into real estate and has spent the last four years rehabbing and building properties from the ground up as vacation rentals. This includes his newest project in Chimney Rock for which he has spent the last two years developing a new glamping adventure resort and event venue in the village. SEND EMAIL

MARY JAEGAR GALE – board member

Mary has worked at Chimney Rock Park for over 44 years. As a member of the former Chimney Rock Park’s Strategic Leadership Team, she helped craft an agreement with NC State Parks and Recreation to form a public-private partnership to manage Chimney Rock when the privately-owned attraction was sold to the State in May 2007. At that time, she assumed the duties of General Manager of Chimney Rock Management, LLC, the team that currently operates Chimney Rock, the focal point of the still-developing Chimney Rock State Park. Mary retired from day-to-day operations in 2020 but remains Chairman of the Board of the LLC.
 
Mary has served on numerous boards and committees that not only promote the Park but help to forge partnerships within the state and the region. She currently serves on the boards of the Lake Lure Flowering Bridge, Friends of NC State Parks and the Chimney Rock Economic Development and Investment Team, Inc. (CREDIT). She is also a member of the Hickory Nut Gorge Recovery Plan: Community Partners Group and an ex officio member of the Chimney Rock Village Raise the Rock Task Force.
 
Mary and her husband, Steve, own and operate Gale’s Chimney Rock Shop in Chimney Rock, NC. They live in Bat Cave and love to travel to experience new places and cultures whenever they can. SEND EMAIL