The only director Friends of the Smokies (FOS) has known in its seven-and-a-half year existence is stepping down.

“It’s time for a little rest,” said Charles Maynard, one of the founding members of the organization.

The non-profit was founded in 1993 when the national park was suffering from overuse and lack of money to pay for needed repairs. The Friends began fundraising for the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in 1994. It accepts private donations and corporate grants and then works in conjunction with park staff to pay for improvements to the Great Smokies.

Under Maynard’s directorship, the organization has grown to more than 2,000 members, raised more than $8 million for the park, and has branches in Tennessee and North Carolina.

“We’re the envy of the National Park Service,” said GSMNP spokesman Bob Miller, referring to the relationship between the park and Friends of the Smokies.

According to Miller, there can occasionally be conflicts between parks and friends groups.

“A case of the tail trying to wag the dog,” he said. “Friends of the Smokies has never attempted anything like that. They have always left it up to us to define our needs and I attribute a lot of that to Charles.

“The Friends and Charles have also been an asset in the terms of building relationships such as the one with the Smoky Mountains National Park Congressional Caucus. This relationship has led to a $2 million increase in base funding for projects like the Purchase Knob Education Center, Newfound Gap Road improvements and backcountry improvements.”

Miller said Maynard was a “good emissary” for the park. Widely sought by civic and private organization for his storytelling skills, Maynard would always work information about the park into the mix.

“He opened a lot of doors for us,” Miller said.

Maynard, a United Methodist minister, has also been a personal friend of the park in times of tragedy. When Park Ranger Joe Kolodski was fatally shot on the Blue Ridge Parkway in 1998, Maynard was at the University of Tennessee Medical Center along with then park superintendent Karen Wade when the helicopter carrying Kolodski and his wife arrived.

Maynard also performed weddings for assistant park superindent Phil Francis at Lake Junaluska and performed services in the park for park employee Janet Rock and her husband Steve Kemp.

Maynard likened his decision to step down at FOS to parenting.

“I had one daughter get married this year and another one graduating high school. There comes a time when you have to let go. It’s time for me to step back and let it [FOS] grow,” he said.

Maynard said he had been contacted by his United Methodist Bishop regarding returning to the church in some capacity next June. In the meantime, he will be working on two writing projects.

“First Families in First Parks” is the working title of a book exploring the connection between the White House and the early national parks. Two children’s books, one with a Cataloochee story theme and one recounting Lewis and Clark’s stay at Fort Clatsop, are also in the making.

Asked to recount some of his favorite projects during his tenure with FOS, Maynard listed three. The first was one of the first Friend’s projects — the restoration of the Mt. Cammerer Fire Tower.

“The tower kind of straddles both states and I saw it as a symbol. A symbol for the Friends and a symbol for me, personally, of watching over the whole park,” Maynard said.

Maynard also listed the creation of the new visitor center film, which he saw as a “lasting legacy.”

“The whole Parks as Classrooms project including Purchase Knob and Tremont, was quite gratifying, also,” Maynard said.

The Friends are also responsible for the Great Smoky Mountains license plates in Tennessee and North Carolina. Those plates help fund the organization’s work.

Maynard said he is excited about this year’s annual Friends Across the Mountains telethon, produced each June in conjunction with WLOS-TV of Asheville and WBIR-TV of Knoxville.

“It’ll be the first time I’ve been able to watch,” Maynard said.

FOS board Vice President Stephen Woody is chairman of the search committee to replace Maynard.

“Charles is a wonderful person and has done a fantastic job for the Friends. Now it’s our job to find a replacement,” Woody said.

Woody said the search would be national. “It’s a big job. It’s an important job and we will be looking for a special person,” he said. “I anticipate we will begin advertising shortly.”

Maynard said the thing he would miss most would be the people. “I’ve been fortunate to work with good people, a good board and wonderful park staff. The Friends are here to stay and it’s time for me to step aside.”

 

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