Tevyn East

Executive Director

Tevyn East is a transplant back into the soils of her ancestors, with many previous generations connected to Rutherford County. She is a movement artist, teacher, organizer, storyteller, cultural producer, and advocate for the Great Turning. She received a degree in Dance from Hollins University, and her training has also included theology, studies of social movements, and ecological economics. Before taking the reins at DSAEC, she gave 2 decades to collaborative experimental dance theater- the most notable of which include immersive carnival events (The Wunderkammer & Shen Tai) with the Zen Monkey Project in Charlottesville VA; her nationally touring one woman show, Leaps and Bounds, a theological tear down of global capitalism; and the Carnival de Resistance, a traveling carnival, school & village for cultural transformation.

Charlie O’Connor

Media and Marketing

Charlie O’Connor joined the Dreaming Stone team in September, 2024. He is an experimental theatre artist, ballroom dancer, poet, teacher and amateur mycologist. With a background in the arts and community organizing, he has spent the bulk of his career working in the intersections of Art and Social Justice. He is an alumni of the volunteer program Mission Year where he served two years supporting non-profits in under-resourced communities such as the 5th ward of Houston TX, and the Kensington area of Philadelphia, PA. He spent five years in the heart of “K&A” living in and around The Simple Way community participating in neighborhood relief efforts. He has more recently partnered with Project Promise VI, in St. Croix helping to curate holistic enrichment programs for St. Croix’s youth. Some of Charlie’s artistic partnerships include Puer Aeternus Ensemble Theatre Company, Theatre of Alchemy, Carnival de Resistance, and Dazzled STX.

Aliza Gordon

Operations Manager

Aliza Gordon serves as Operations Manager at Dreaming Stone, where she brings a detail-oriented approach to supporting both the organization’s vision and its day-to-day flow. With a background in operations, project management, and people-centered leadership, she is skilled at translating big-picture ideas into practical, supportive systems that allow creativity and community to thrive. She values communication and adaptability, and is energized by environments that balance structure with heart. Beyond her professional work, Aliza has spent over 15 years exploring improvisational, free-form dance and is a dedicated yoga student. She is also a community singing enthusiast, finding joy in spaces where voices come together, and feels honored to support a place that fosters authenticity, creativity, and meaningful connection.

Chinobay

Board Member

Chinobay is a musician, songwriter, educator, and intercultural facilitator, born and raised in Kampala, Uganda, Chinobay (née Herbert Kinobe). He is steeped in the musical traditions of his birthplace, has grown proficient as a pan- African instrumentalist, and is collaborating and recording with musicians from across the global south. He brings people’s stories to life to show the richness of Africa in all of its facets. While still a young musician, he started working with UNICEF GEM (Girl Education Movement) initiative, where his music acted as a powerful tool to reach, communicate with, and educate many people in rural areas about the importance of women’s education. He is now the mentor and tour coordinator for Dance of Hope, a youth-led arts education program that transforms the lives of Ugandan youth and touches the lives of children across North America. Also, Chinobay is the founder of the World Bridge Foundation, a philanthropic endeavor dedicated to improving the livelihoods of vulnerable communities through arts and education.

Faith Hislop

Board Member

Faith Hislop started her journey as a healing professional at Blue Ridge Health Services in 2015. As a Physician Assistant in the Community Health Center, she gained experience supporting patients as they work toward their goals of healing in a resource-limited setting. During this time, she gained experience working with patients who present with a variety of psychiatric conditions.  She has a particular interest in working with patients who struggle with substance use disorder and chronic pain. Over time, she came to recognize that prescribed medications, while at times very useful, are not the only tool that should be utilized in one’s healing journey.  As a result, she sought out further training in Pain Reprocessing Therapy (PRT) and the Internal Family Systems (IFS) Modality of Therapy. Through these trainings, she has expanded the skills with which she can draw to help patients improve their mental health. 

Her pursuit to help others began as an undergraduate at the University of Arizona, where she graduated from the College of Sciences with a Bachelor of Science in Molecular and Cellular Biology and a minor in Spanish. In 2015 she earned a Master of Science as a Physician Assistant from South University in Savannah, GA. She became trained in PRT in March 2022 and became a Level 1 IFS Practitioner in January 2023. While she enjoyed living in the Lowcountry, she deeply connected with the mountains and with nature.   She is bilingual, speaking both Spanish and English, and looks forward to serving folks who speak Spanish. 

Sarah Collins

Treasurer

With over 16 years in the nonprofit sector, Sarah Collins has had the privilege of working alongside more than 20 organizations dedicated to strengthening communities and improving lives. While mission statements inspire her, it is the people behind them—their compassion, persistence, and commitment to addressing issues such as food insecurity, housing, racial equity, education, environmental stewardship, and healthcare access—that truly drive her work.

Sarah began her career at the College of Charleston as part of the inaugural class of Arts Management graduates. From there, she contributed to the Cultural Council of Georgetown County and the Georgetown County Chamber of Commerce, supporting efforts to elevate the role of arts and culture in economic development in her hometown of Georgetown, South Carolina.

In 2013, Sarah relocated to Asheville, North Carolina, where she expanded fundraising and development programs for organizations including Asheville Lyric Opera and the Wortham Center for the Performing Arts. Later, at Communication Mark, she partnered with a diverse range of nonprofits to secure grant funding for operations, programming, and capital initiatives.

In 2022, Sarah founded Sarah Collins Nonprofit Guide to bring together her passion for donor cultivation, grant writing, and personalized service. Inspired by her grandmothers’ example of hospitality, she approaches her work with warmth, care, and a deep commitment to those she serves.

Outside of her professional life, Sarah enjoys tending her farm in the Appalachian foothills with her husband and son.

John Parker

Board Member

John Parker John has over 25 years of experience in North Carolina in asset-based community economic development, culturally appropriate and trauma-informed community organizing, community development finance, affordable housing, nonprofit management, small business and entrepreneurship systems development.  Since 2016, John has worked primarily with faith communities, congregational leadership (clergy and lay), and social justice partners through past roles with the Faith & Community Initiative at NCSU’s Institute for Emerging Issues and the Ormond Center at Duke Divinity School.  Throughout his career, he’s focused on nurturing collaborative community engagement and leadership development around community organizing, advocacy, and ministry.

Stephanie Rzonca

Board Member

With a commitment to creating a resilient local economy, Stephanie Rzonca previously served as Business Development Coordinator for Rutherford County Economic Development; as president of Rutherford BARN (Building Agricultural Relationships, Now), a nonprofit that she co-founded; as Former Community Development Director of the Town of Rutherfordton; and as Former Executive Director of Rutherford Town Rising, 501(c)3.

Stephanie is now the creator and designer behind Spellbound Stitchery, based in Western North Carolina. A lifelong artist, Stephanie has explored a wide range of mediums including pen and ink, watercolor, acrylics, and digital art. Her creative journey took a new turn when she discovered needlepoint—and was immediately captivated by the art of meticulously stitch-painted canvases. Intrigued, she began painting canvases before ever threading a needle. After months of hands-on exploration and stitching practice, Spellbound Stitchery was born—a reflection of her passion for color, design, and handcrafted artistry.

Zap McConnell

Board Member

Zap is an investigator of dance/theater/movement/performance, as well as a visual artist, director, teacher, performer, environmental activist, and film maker. For over 3 decades, She has experimented with the cross pollination of installation art, site specific performance and dance, fueled by a fierce love of the natural world. She continues to travel, collaborate, and broaden her understanding of different ecosystems, cultures and communities.

Daniel East

Daniel East is a board member who lives on the property at Dreaming Stone.  He has a degree in theater, but has been working in the solar industry since 2009.  He co-founded a non-profit called Indigenized Energy in 2017 that is focused on humanity’s just transition from extractive to regenerative relationships with energy.  Daniel is excited to support and witness how Dreaming Stone can generate and deploy all forms of energy into Western North Carolina.

Sarah Nolan

Sarah received a degree in Theology and Philosophy from Azusa Pacific University and completed a MA in Ministry, Leadership and Service from Claremont School of Theology. She was the co-founder and Director of Programs and Community Partnerships at The Abundant Table, an Episcopal rooted nonprofit farm and worshiping community. She serves on the Episcopal General Convention’s Task Force on Creation Care and Environmental Racism and is actively engaged in work and conversations around emergent ministries, organizational vitality and the intersection of food, faith and the environment.

Todd Wynward

Todd Wynward is an author, father, public school founder, math video game designer, small-scale farmer, wilderness educator and Mennonite minister for watershed discipleship. He has been engaged in education reform and social change movements for twenty years—starting both Roots & Wings Community School and Vista Grande HS—and has spent more than a thousand nights outdoors. With his allies in New Mexico Todd tries to practice an earth-honoring, people-dignifying, society-changing, despair-erasing Christianity. His recent book, Rewilding the Way: Break Free to Follow an Untamed God, was published by Herald Press.