Welcome Katie + Leo!

Katie Myers comes to us from right here in Eastern Kentucky and East Tennessee, where she's been working directly with communities on energy democracy and the digital divide. You may have already seen her work on the region in Scalawag, Inside Appalachia, Daily Yonder, Belt Magazine, or Black in Appalachia, where she worked as a production assistant.

 

Katie will be in a uniquely collaborative position here at Appalshop: she'll be reporting for both our radio station, WMMT 88.7 FM, and the Ohio Valley ReSource. We're delighted to have her produicng critical pieces like this recent one on the landslides that followed flooding here in Eastern Kentucky.

We couldn't imagine anyone better equipped to tell grassroots stories than Katie — someone who's already been here on the ground with the neighbors that she's now amplifying as our newest reporter.

 

We are also excited to welcome Leo Shannon to Appalshop as our Archive Assistant.

Leo comes to us from Swannanoa, North Carolina, where he spent four years studying regional history, sound technologies, and the deep world of archives. A fiddler and visual artist who learned to play as a boy, Leo has been performing with a group called The Onlies since he was just 7 years old.

Leo's background in American traditional music makes him particularly well-suited to dig into the Appalshop Archive, which holds thousands of hours of recordings, as well as photographs and print materials that span almost a century of life and history in Appalachia. We are thrilled to have Leo's unique knowledge-set at the helm.

Working at Appalshop means being part of a storied organization that tells stories commercial industries don't tell, challenging stereotypes with Appalachian voices, and doing it all with artists who are committed to this region — like Katie and Leo. 

Please welcome them to Appalshop!

More information is available at @appalshop on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.