Rachel Hoskins
rhoskins@thefranklinpress.com
What began as a summer stint with the U.S. Park Service ultimately led Spencer Bost to the office of Spruce Pine Main Street Executive Director. Bost, an Appalachian State University graduate with a degree in Recreation Management and Sustainable Development, “fell in love with Spruce Pine,” while working for the Park Service.
“I went to college with the idea of being a Park Ranger,” said Bost. Needing a summer job he ultimately worked for two seasons for the Park Service based in the N.C. Minerals Museum during which time he split his time between Grandfather Mountain and Mt. Mitchell in environmental education. .
During that time, he grew to love what he calls the “base camp of the Blue Ridge – Spruce Pine. This is really where it all begins,” said Bost.
“I was offered the summer job with the Park Service here,” said Bost. “I came here to check out the area with a friend, checked out the river, walked across the bridge into downtown and the Blacksmith Festival was going on. I tell people I got the epitome of the Spruce Pine experience on my first day in town. It was great and I loved it.”
Following his stint in Spruce Pine, Bost worked for NC State Parks on the coast, and then Covid hit. “It got a little weird during that time,” said Bost. “Jobs were hard to find in the environmental education field.”
Eventually he went to work for the city of Washington in the downtown area where he did some landscape design and general maintenance before moving to a position in environmental education at the N.C. Estuarium. From there he went to Windsor, a small town in Bertie County, in an environmental education position which included doing ,guided hikes, paddle tours, etc. Ultimately he picked up the additional role of tourism and marketing.
“It was a great job and I had a lot of fun managing the river center and promoting the town,” said Bost.
Ultimately Bost and his fiancé came back to the mountains for a vacation.
“We started talking about where we want to be ... where we want to find ourselves, to settle down for a while –it was the mountains,” said Bost. “She is an elementary school teacher so the plan was when I found a job I would take it and she would follow.”
So this position came open and I applied and was hired. I’m so fortunate and blessed to be here.
Bost said being executive director for Spruce Pine Main Street is different what he has been doing the past couple of years, but he feels qualified and up to the challenge.
“The interview process was extensive and I wouldn’t have been hired if I didn’t have the skills to do the job. It’s fun and it’s challenging.”
The organization is a quasi-public/nonprofit entity. The town provides most if the budget for the program
and Bost is a town employee.
About Spruce Pine Main Street
Spruce Pine Main Street is a North Carolina Main Street community, designated by the N.C. Department of Commerce Main Street & Rural Planning Center. Spruce Pine Main Street is charged with administering the program at the local level and building public-private partnerships to spur economic development that achieves measurable results such as investment, business growth, and job creation.
The program has four points of focus:
• Economic vitality: build a diverse economic base, catalyze smart new investments, and cultivate a strong entrepreneurship ecosystem;
• Design: Create an inviting, inclusive atmosphere, celebrate historic character, foster accessible people-centered public spaces;
• Organization: Build leadership and strong organizational capacity, ensure broad community engagement, and forge partnerships across sectors;
• Promotion: Market district’s defining assets, communicate unique features through storytelling, and support buy-local experience.
Community involvement
Bost said a significant part of his job is promotions and events. “We’re focused on getting people downtown,” said Bost. “And not just in season. We want to have activities that bring people downtown year round.”
Bost said while he wants to encourage participation in the community by others, that is his goal as well. Currently a one-man-show, they will be adding a part-time media and marketing coordinator in the coming months to help manage social media and focus on branding, while his focus will remain on the organization’s mission.
“I want to amplify what we have, not change it,” said Bost. “I want full involvement. I invite people to participate, to come to me with ideas, to have a voice in their community.”
Bost said Main Street survives by being a volunteer organization and it will “thrive with good volunteers. Come see me.”
How to get involved:
Contact Main Street at 828-765-3008, 165 Locust Street (adjacent to the Pocket Park).
Committee meetings are open the public:
Spruce Pine Main Street Board meets the first Thursday of every month at 8 a.m. in the back room of DT’s Blue Ridge Java.
Design & Beautification Committee - 3rd Thursday of each month (Visitor Center)
Promotions & Events Committee - 4th Thursday of each month (Visitor Center)
Economic Vitality Committee - As needed or project demands