About Grow with Drexel

Dan Hoyle

Dan Hoyle is the current president of Grow with Drexel. A Drexel native, he graduated from Drexel High School in 1971. From 1976 until 2005 he taught in and served as a school administrator of several schools across Virginia and North Carolina. In retirement, Dan has taught at Western Piedmont Community College and worked in the Reich College of Education at ASU. He is married to Sarah, and they have six children and six grandchildren. He has been a stained-glass craftsman for forty-five years and can often be found in his basement working on his next glass project.

Hannah Lyon

Hannah R. Lyon is an international bestselling author and editor who has worked in the writing industry for ten years. As the mother of Rhethos, she explores deep meanings within her fantasy series that span across the fiction world into the struggles and triumphs of reality. She adores living in the small but mighty town of Drexel, North Carolina, where her free time consists of indulging in story-driven video games, spinning classic rock and roll vinyl, remodeling her old home, and raising her two Elven Sprite daughters.

Phyllis Garrison

Phyllis Garrison is a lifelong citizen of Drexel. She taught for thirty-two years in the Burke County Public School system and is a proud charter faculty member of East Burke High School, where she taught for twenty-nine years. She is an active member of Drexel First Baptist Church. Her major interests are choral singing, theater, needlework, and traveling.

“My daddy ran his own business, and my mother worked in the Drexel Hosiery Mill. We were true Drexel people. When I was growing up, Drexel was an exciting, thriving little town. Something interesting and fun was always taking place. Drexel can be that way again. It will be new and different but equally exciting. I hope residents of Drexel and surrounding areas will join with Grow with Drexel to add life and spark to our town. We can do it together.”

Courtney Huffman

Courtney was born and raised in Drexel, and this community has always felt like home to her. After graduating from college in Greensboro, she and her husband Caleb knew they wanted to build their life back in Burke County. They have been back in town for nine years, investing in the place and people who mean so much to them. She works in merchandising for Valdese Weavers, where she enjoys combining creativity with problem-solving. Outside of work, you’ll usually find Courtney spending time with her two dogs, Bo and Ridge, exploring the outdoors. She’s passionate about bringing people together and creating opportunities that strengthen this community — small towns thrive when neighbors support one another, local businesses are celebrated, and families have places to connect.

Ariel Curtis

Bio coming soon.

Jacob Anderson

Jacob grew up visiting his family in Morganton all of his life, enjoying the area where his extended family lived. Since 2019, he has worked for Burke County Public Schools as an occupational therapist. Jacob has written and received grants from several hundred to several thousand dollars over his career. He is also one of the leaders of Drexel Cub Scout Pack 225, which he started with his wife, Max Morgan, several years ago.

Brian Baird

Brian grew up in Drexel and attended school here. He worked as an electrician for his father for twelve years, then formed Baird and Branch Electric, where he worked in the Drexel area for thirty-five years. He has two children and three grandchildren in Burke County. Now, he’s happily retired and engaged to Connie Copeland.