Welcome to the Team! | Inside NHLA

We are excited to welcome Darci Shannon to the NHLA team as our new Communication & Outreach Specialist. In this role, Darci will lead member outreach efforts, promote events and programs, and champion the Association’s initiatives. Her work will be crucial in enhancing member engagement and advancing NHLA’s mission through effective communication strategies and content management. We look forward to the positive impact she will bring to our organization. Darci can be reached by email at d.shannon@nhla.com and by phone at 901-399-7567.

We are delighted to welcome Brennah Hutchison to the NHLA team as our new Junior Copywriter. In this role, Brennah will be responsible for conducting research, crafting, and refining a variety of written communications, including promotional materials, marketing collateral, website content, email campaigns, ad copy, video scripts, recruitment publications, social media content, and other essential materials. Working within the NHLA marketing team, Brennah will ensure that all messaging aligns seamlessly with the Association’s brand and voice. We look forward to her contributions in promoting and enhancing the NHLA brand. Brennah can be reached by email at b.hutchison@nhla.com and by phone at 901-399-7580.

Please join us in extending a warm welcome to both Brennah and Darci as they begin their respective roles. They are committed to advancing our mission and enhancing our services.

Darci M. Shannon has always excelled at building relationships, a skill she honed in the close-knit community of Kahoka, MO. Influenced by her mother’s role as a funeral director, Darci understood the importance of connection and community from a young age. Darci attended Missouri Baptist University in St Louis. After graduating in 2009 with a Bachelor of Science degree, Darci taught math, behaviors and Title reading as well as coached track and was an assistant softball coach. After her teaching career, she joined Yoder Saws Inc. as an office manager, advancing quickly to sales and significantly boosting the company’s success through her customer-focused approach. Here, Darci’s connection to NHLA began, where she made valuable connections and demonstrated her proficiency in sales and customer relations.

Her dedication to communication and community engagement naturally led her to the Communication and Outreach Specialist role at NHLA. Darci’s love for hardwoods is deeply rooted in her family history; her father, known for his meticulous craftsmanship, built their home, and her grandparents owned a lumberyard.

Darci lives in the countryside outside Kahoka with her children, Mason, Dane, and Evan Marie, her boyfriend Chris (a Locomotive Engineer for BNSF), two chocolate labs, and three European basset hounds. The family enjoys attending sporting events, fishing, hunting, and spending time together. Fun fact: Darci was an extra in the movie Up in the Air with George Clooney.

Brennah Hutchison is a passionate scholar currently pursuing her Ph.D. in Literary and Cultural Studies at the University of Memphis, where she is excited to transition her academic skills to the hardwood industry. She holds an M.A. in Rhetoric and Composition from Arkansas State University, focusing on feminist theories and gender studies. Brennah’s research has been published in respected journals like The Peer Review and Callaloo Literary Journal, highlighting her dedication to writing and research.

Her work on integrating different language and writing styles in college classrooms offers valuable perspectives on language and identity. Brennah’s current research explores 19th-century American literature, particularly in the American South, reflecting her deep appreciation for historical narratives.
As junior copywriter, Brennah has found a welcoming and supportive community. “From my very first day at the 2024 NHLA summit, I felt embraced by the team and excited to learn from and contribute to the industry.”

Outside her professional work, Brennah enjoys spending quality time with her husband, Stephen, and their three pets: Roscoe, KitKat, and Baby Ruth. In her spare time, she loves writing creatively. For Brennah, writing is not just a profession but a lifelong love that brings joy and fulfillment.