Staff Members

Born and raised in Abingdon, Virginia I began working for the Town of Abingdon- the Parks and Recreation Department- in my early teens. My roots are here. These mountains and its people are important to me and bring my soul alive!  My husband Kirk fondly refers to our little town as the “Cultural Gem of the Appalachian Mountains”, a title I believe very suiting.

Following my graduation from Katharine Gibbs in NYC, I began my professional career with The Pittston Company in Greenwich, Connecticut. There I honed my business skills and eventually relocated back home to Southwest Virginia.  I enjoyed a long career in the coal industry with Alpha Natural Resources and Contura Energy serving in the transportation and logistics field, assisting customers all over the globe.  Working with coal miners has given me such strong respect and love for the people of this area and our heritage.

Spread love everywhere you go, let no one ever come to you without leaving happier.  – Mother Theresa

Becky Littleton joined the Friends of Southwest Virginia team in December 2021. Becky will oversee the finance, human resources, and grant administrative work within the organization.  Becky has over 30 years of finance and administrative experience, and most recently worked for the Birthplace of Country Music organization for the past 11 years.  Becky lives in Bristol, Virginia and has two children and four grandchildren.

Friends of SWVA

Idalina Walker is a tourism development specialist with a background in environmental education, natural resource development. She is a Native of Floyd County and an Alum of UVA Wise. Throughout her career she has worked to promote the many natural assets of Southwest Virginia and engage with and learn from community partners. After spending a few years in Northern Virginia, Idalina is overjoyed to be back in the mountains working to develop partnerships and share her passion and energy for Southwest Virginia’s world class outdoor resources. Idalina will be focusing with the western front of the Southwest Virginia region and looks forward to meeting you to discuss exciting collaboration opportunities and ideas to benefit SWVA Outdoors.

Friends of Southwest Virginia

Gwyn was born and raised in the south; however, after a camping trip to Abingdon, VA, she and her family fell in love with Southwest Virginia. Shortly after returning home, they moved to Damascus, VA.

Gwyn has a passion for baking and cooking which stems from her mother and grandmothers, who always encouraged her to bake with them.  Her biggest accomplishment thus far is owning and operating a café.

With more than 20 years in the industry Gwyn brings years of food and beverage experience and knowledge to the leadership team at the SWVA Cultural Center.  Gwyn’s commitment and desire is to provide the best customer experience while leading a team of strong servers by giving them all the proper tools and guidance. Gwyn graduated from I.T.T. Technical Institute in Maitland, FL with a Bachelors degree in Hospitality Management.

Outside of her day-to-day duties at Friends of SWVA, you can find Gwyn baking something up, on the trails hiking or in the woods hunting.