Meet our Directors

Daarik Gray, Executive Director

Gray, a Mercer County native, is a graduate of Eastern Kentucky University. Formerly a loan officer with Monticello Banking Company, he also served as sports reporter and managing editor at The Harrodsburg Herald. He has served on the board and as president of the Mercer County Chamber of Commerce. Daarik loves being part of the Mercer County community with his two children.

Garnie Yeager, Assistant Director

Yeager is a native of Mercer County and the Terrapin community where his family owned and operated a general store. He has a Bachelor of Science degree from Eastern Kentucky University and retired from IBM/Lexmark after 30+ years of service.  He is an active member of Bethel Baptist Church and enjoys meeting the visitors who travel to Mercer County. Garnie and his wife Dana, have 1 daughter and 2 grandchildren.

Meet Our Board

Tim Kazimer, Board Chairman, "We have creative and talented individuals right here that are making Harrodsburg a fun and exciting place to live and work. No longer do folks have to drive 45 minutes or more to find something great to do - and we're just getting warmed up."

Tim is an import from Newton Falls, Ohio and is a Licensed Physical Therapist for over 35 years. After selling his practice, he and his wife, Jennifer, opened  The Kentucky Fudge Company in 2006 and recently opened the addition of The Vault Ciders Suds and Spirits. Tim and Jennifer were drawn to this part of Kentucky to be closer to family but soon found the history, beauty and climate perfect for a home here. They have four daughters, Megan, Erin, Whitney and Courtney.

Joan Huffman, Vice Chair, "Tourism is very important in Mercer County because we have something no one else has, Kentucky started in Harrodsburg."
Joan is married to Wes Huffman they have one daughter Leslie Anne Mayes and one grandson Sawyer Mayes.  She is a Certified Public Manager from the National Certified Public Manager Consortium, nine years of experience in Business and Sales,twenty two years, ten years in real estate . She currently volunteers with four boards. 
Tia Taylor, Marketing Chair, "Tourism is not only critical for our business, but important for the success and growth of our historic town. "

Tia King Taylor is a life-long resident of Mercer County and joined the  Tourist Commission as a lodging representative on behalf of Bright Leaf Golf Resort in September 2018.  She has been employed at Bright Leaf since 1998 and is now part-owner.  Tia said, “My husband, John David Taylor, and I love our hometown and hope our three daughters have the desire and potential to thrive here with families of their own.”

Leigh Lopez, Board Member, "Tourism is vital for our community to continue to grow and flourish. We want to encourage people to not only come to Harrodsburg, but to stay and enjoy."

Leigh is married to Jorge Lopez and they have two children, Chase  and Charleigh. She has owned Casa Grande with her husband for almost five years.

Along with owning her own business, she is involved in many boards and community organizations, including but not limited to tourism, chamber and Kiwanis.

Tiffany Yeast, Board Member, "There is so much variety packed in this wonderful county. I believe there is so much more untapped potential for our County and Tourism no doubt should be the catalyst for our County's continued growth."

Tiffany Yeast has spent the last 16 years as a Public Servant for Kentucky State Government.  She has served in several appointed positions serving under the leadership of four different Governors. She met her husband Terry Yeast while serving Assistant Athletic Director at Kentucky State University. They have three beautiful and intelligent girls Trinity, Timberlynn and Teigh.  

Bob Gigliotti, Treasurer, "Tourism is a major cog in Kentucky’s economic engine. There are so many diverse attractions to draw visitors, we must rebound and recover quickly from the last year of pandemic life."

Bob has been in the hospitality business for 40+ years. He started at Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill in the summer of 2017 as the VP of Hospitality Services and was promoted in January of 2021 to Chief Operating Officer. He has been on the Board of HMCTC since 2019. Bob has been married for almost 31 years to his wife, Melanie, whom he met in the hotel industry early in his career. He and his wife have two children. 

David Coleman, Board Member “As the manager of a tourism entity in town I am excited to be a part of this board. I look forward to assisting the rest of the board in helping better our tourism experience in Harrodsburg,
David, who has been the Park Manager at Old Fort Harrod State Park since 2009, is an appointee by the Mercer County Chamber of Commerce.
David resides in Mercer County with his wife, Lisa. They have two sons, Jacob and Luke.