Tracy Munn recognized by Black Mountain Beautification Committee
Nonprofit honors member with 2024 Willie Headley Service Award
Jessica Klarp
Guest contributor
The Valley Echo
July 10, 2024
Each year the Black Mountain Beautification Committee (BMBC) honors one exceptional member with the Willie Headley Service Award. This year Tracy Munn was presented with a plaque bearing the names of previous award recipients and the iconic trowel owned by Headley herself.
The award was created as a way to honor one of the nonprofit organization’s founders and its first chairperson. Headley’s ancestors — the Kerlees — were early pioneers in the Swannanoa Valley. Willie married Bob Headley and after living in Winston-Salem, they returned to Black Mountain in retirement.
However Willie was anything but retiring; tireless was more like it. It was her vision that brought about the Town Square and many of the other enhancements to our town. She worked with the Swannanoa Correctional Center for Women helping to rehab their greenhouses and began a program for the women of the Center. It has been said that if Willie wanted to get something done, no one told her no. She envisioned what she wanted for the town, and made sure that it happened. Unfortunately, Willie passed away in 2012 before seeing the Town Square come to fruition, but her drive, determination and vision had an impact on everyone in the town.
Munn is tireless as well. A native of Louisville, Kentucky, she moved to Black Mountain in 1994. Like Willie, Munn hit the ground running. She opened her sewing business, The Pink Cottage Custom Sewing, as an extension of her lifelong pursuit of sewing which includes writing a book Sewing Simple Slipcovers, teaching sewing at AB Tech, offering classes for children and being a feature on a televised news segment.
Her ties to Black Mountain are deep. Munn’s two children, Jamie and Marisa and three of her “grandgirls” have all chosen to live in the town, while her former daughter-in-law owns Seven Sisters Gallery and one of her grandchildren, Chloe, is the manager. Munn was caring for her elderly mother in 2016 when she saw an invitation to join the BMBC in the newspaper. It was the perfect diversion from caretaking.
“The rest is history,” Munn said. Exemplifying the phrase “big things come in small packages,” the diminutive Munn has made her mark on multiple fronts. Her first big job was taking over as Fall Decorations Chair, followed by participation on the Deck the Trees committee, and making bows for the holiday decorations. She enthusiastically heads up the raffle booth at the Garden Sale, manages the twice yearly litter sweeps with joy and efficiency, is the Party Chair, planning the holiday party in December and the summer party after the Garden Sale. She frequently opens her home, the Pink Cottage, for these parties and for smaller gatherings such as recently in her role on the Welcoming Committee hosting a breakfast for new members.
Munn’s antics are a feature of the BMBC’s monthly meetings where she entertainingly announces a litter sweep, an upcoming raffle, or a party with creativity and ebullience. She frequently enlists other members to perform short skits with props that encourage participation.
“I think I bring a fun element to the group,” she said. “My strengths are hospitality, decorating and planning and putting a cute spin on things.” She isn’t afraid to get dirty either. She regularly contributes to the BMBC’s weeding efforts and can be seen independently walking down the street with her trash pinchers, dedicated to keeping Black Mountain beautiful.
Munn thinks the committee brings a sense of belonging, being a useful, contributing member of the community, and helps bring beauty to the town. She says BMBC’s work shows off the town's assets, makes it a place people want to visit and for those lucky enough to live here to really appreciate it.
Munn embodies the words inscribed on the plaque: “The Willie Headley Service Award (is) presented by the Black Mountain Beautification Committee to a member who shares Willie’s energy and vision for a more beautiful community.”
Former Wille Award winners fittingly performed a skit to honor Munn at the Summer Party held at the Pink Cottage in June when they presented her with the plaque.
“I was totally blown away by winning the Willie Award!” Munn said. “This is one of the greatest achievements of my life quite possibly. My Mom would be so proud. Being part of this group is the most enjoyable, rewarding thing ever for me.”
The Black Mountain Beautification Committee is an all volunteer non-profit organization that has been working to keep Black Mountain beautiful since 2000. With more than 90 active members who spread out across town cleaning up litter, decorating seasonally, maintaining planters and greenspaces and assisting businesses to improve their natural spaces, the BMBC creates events to fund their efforts to maintain the natural appeal of this small town. For more information about BMBC visit blackmountainbeautification.org.