Meet the Staff

Phil discovered Leatherwood in 1992 through his love of horses. On many Fridays, he would drive 8 hours from his home in Ohio to spend a weekend at Leatherwood and be back at his business on Monday morning. After selling his business in 1997, Phil returned to his home state of North Carolina to Leatherwood Mountains and helped establish Leatherwood’s successful Resort business. Because of his love of Leatherwood and the many friends he has made here, he decided to form a partnership and purchase the resort in 2004. He and his wife Susan spend their time between  Leatherwood and their Virginia residence on the New River.  In the summer of 2017 Phil sold his portion of the business to his protege, Abbie Hanchey.  He remains active in the business as a consultant and mentor to Abbie & Trevor.

philrash@aol.com

Phil and his wife, Connie raised their three sons on a small horse farm in Newell, NC. In 1991, when friends introduced them to Leatherwood, they immediately became a part of the community. They became full-time residents in 1998 and have never looked back! Phil’s time is divided between his career of law and real estate, and his hobbies of woodworking and horse training (he often conducts “horse whisper” clinics at Leatherwood). In 2004, Phil was delighted to accept Phil Rash’s offer to join him as co-owner of Leatherwood outside the gate. He believes the blend of mountain beauty, wonderful people, and pretty horses make Leatherwood Mountains the ultimate place to be! In the Summer of 2017 Phil sold his portion of the business to his Son, Trevor.  Phil is confident that the future of Leatheorwod is bright and in capable hands with Whitson & Hanchey at the helm!

philwhitson@leatherwoodmountains.com

Events and Marketing Director & Managing Partner

Abbie Hanchey

Family ties and a true love for the community have kept Abbie involved with Leatherwood for many years. She and her family have built their lives around the resort. Her love of horses has fueled the passion that she has for this amazing place. Abbie took over as Managing Partner and Owner in the business with longtime friend Trevor Whitson in July of 2017. Her husband Hugh worked along side Abbie for years as an original member of the Leatherwood team. Hugh move on the YMCA of Northwest NC as the Facility Director of several branches in 20217. The Hanchey’s both feel blessed to live, work and be raising their sons, Holt and Smith in such a beautiful environment.

abbie@leatherwoodmountains.com

Leatherwood Homes & Land Sales, LLC., Owner & Managing Partner

Trevor Whitson grew up in North Carolina and is a graduate of Appalachian State University. Some of his passions in life are working with people, traveling, golf and getting to spend his free time in the mountains with his beautiful family. After spending a few years in Charlotte working in both the mortgage and real estate industries, coming to Leatherwood as a real estate broker made perfect sense. “I really love getting the opportunity to help people discover their dreams of owning a mountain home, and I couldn’t imagine a better place to do it!”. Trevor and his wife Caroline have a beautiful daughter named Cecelia.  In July of 2017 he and his lifelong friend, Abbie Hanchey purchased the Business. Trevor feels incredibly blessed to live and work in such an amazing place!

trevor@leatherwoodmountains.com

Facility Maintenance Manager

Wayne Morefield is the head of Maintenance here at Leatherwood Mountains Resort. He joined our team several years ago and has become an integral part of our company.  In addition to helping us at Leatherwood, Wayne is a plumber by trade and serves on the Goshen Volunteer Fire Department.  We are proud to have Wayne in our Leatherwood Family!  wayne@leatherwoodmountains.com

Reservation Specialist & Office Manager – Equine Center

A great love of the mountains and trail riding led to a move to Ferguson from Charlotte and a job in banking in 1999. Susan joined Leatherwood in 2005 and wears multiple hats, functioning as Head Receptionist and Office Manager for the Leatherwood Horse Facility and Cantina/Gift Shop. She and husband Bob have raised and shown Arabian horses since 1981. Her horses have claimed many Regional wins and several National Top 10’s. She is shown riding her Arab gelding KK Warlord + at one of NCHC’s spring trail rides. Susan believes that riding the Leatherwood trails greatly contributes to a levelheaded show horse and the all-important “one-on one” relationship you need with your horse. She enjoys meeting new people and is amazed at the “old acquaintances” that seem to show up here.

stables@leatherwoodmountains.com

Reservation Manager

Ashley was born and raised within Wilkes County, with her grandmother living just a mile down the road from Leatherwood Mountains. She joined the Leatherwood team at 16 years old as a part-time waitress for our on-site restaurant Saddlebrook Bar & Grill. She became a full-time staff member as a reservationist in the summer of 2020. We are excited to announceAshley is transitioning into a larger role with the rental program in 2026 as she is poised to take over as Rental Manager in Jan 2026. Ashley has been in love with the beauty and serenity of Leatherwood Mountains since her first visit, and couldn’t imagine working anywhere else.

Reservation Specialist

Carolyn brings over two decades of dedicated service to Leatherwood, where she currently serves as one of our esteemed front desk receptionists. With her warm demeanor, unwavering helpfulness, and genuine kindness, she ensures every guest receives a warm welcome and exceptional assistance during their visit.

Meet the dedicated equine team at Leatherwood Mountains Resort, committed to delivering exceptional care for our beloved horses and ensuring an unforgettable experience for our guests exploring Leatherwood on horseback!

Our dedicated housekeeping staff goes the extra mile to make your Leatherwood Mountains Resort stay an exceptional experience. Our wonderful crew of cleaners continuously strive for excellence. We appreciate all they do to make Leatherwood Mountains Resort vacation paradise!

Southern Hospitality & a wonderful atmosphere are the key ingredients in creating a fabulous dining experience for our guests! The staff at Saddlebrook Bar & Grill strive to keep their customers coming back for more! Leatherwood Mountains Resort is grateful for it’s dedicated team of restaurant employees! You will love what they serve you! trevor@leatherwoodmountains.com

Lisa Blevins is our financial controller.  Lisa has worked full-time with us since February 1, 2019, but has had a much longer history with Leatherwood Rentals.  Lisa began working for Dick Johnston, the original developer of Leatherwood and owner of Leatherwood Rentals, on March 1, 1998!  Since that time, she has always been the person responsible for all of our financials and accounting practices… suffice it to say that she knows this company inside and out.  In Fall 2025, we are happy to announce that she has offered to step up to a full-time position, adding some of Leatherwood Rentals’ daily accounting responsibilities to her job description. As homeowners, you will be working more directly with Lisa than in years past. We have nothing but full confidence that Lisa’s added involvement with Leatherwood Rentals day to day will be a benefit to all parties.