From a small office, we shout your message to the world...

Coral Darby

Account Lead

One of Coral's greatest strengths is knowing how to work with people and linking symbiotic opportunities. She understands that good PR encompasses listening to a client's desires, anticipating their needs and taking care of business with efficiency and ease. She began her career with an internship at Patagonia over 15 years ago and has since played a pivotal role within the industry assisting a variety of leading brands with their communications needs.

Coral helped bring the lightweight revolution into the spotlight through relentless pursuit of media coverage for the GoLite brand. After years of being on the agency side and in-house, she launched Darby Communications in 2004 and continues to champion the companies and products necessary for a healthy, outdoor lifestyle. 

When she's not in the office, Coral can be found running the trails around Asheville and spending time on the water with her husband, kiddos, and friends.

Coral's Favorites

• Vasque Mindbenders are my go-to trail runners, always! They fit great, feel super under foot and always protect from roots and rocks.
• Overland Equipment’s Donner suits my multitasking lifestyle. It is super roomy for my jumbo wallet, my snacks and even my tablet!
• ENO’s Double Deluxe Hammock is the best for a day by the lake or river! Simply the best.
• Goodhew’s new Sockwell Circulator lifestyle compression socks. Available early October, these socks are super cute and they comfort my calves all day long!
• The Headsweats Supervisor is the bomb. Necessary gear for any and ALL workouts.
• Hylands’ Muscle Therapy Gel with Arnica is an amazing product. 100% natural and safe to use, this gel soothes my muscles and helps maintain post workout inflammation.

Mandy Gresham

Senior Account Manager, New Media Director

During her years with Darby Comm, Mandy has been instrumental to the agency's growth and client retention. She has implemented new media promotions and built robust online communities for clients. As Account Manager, Mandy uses her writing and creative skills to develop and manage social media promotions and platforms, secure national and regional media placement through various mediums and handle event and tradeshow marketing and support.

Mandy, originally from West Virginia, has lived in Asheville, NC for over 8 years and loves the Appalachian Mountains, the culture, music and the people. In her spare time she enjoys hiking, running, gardening, live music and adventures with her beast of a dog, Haze and new puppy, Rowan.

Mandy's Favorites

• I love my Vasque Taku GTX! These were a necessity on my two week trip through Montana and Canada.
• The Overland Equipment Donner, baby, and always with the Everyday shopper.
• ENO’s DoubleNest Hammock and Slap Straps are my backyard’s best friend.
• The Goodhew Eliza makes my feet happy & stylish.
• Headsweats’ Supervisor keeps the sun and sweat away during those hot summer runs.
• Being the one who always seems to find the Poison Ivy patch, the Hyland’s Poison Ivy/Oak Tablets clear up my poison ivy in no time.

Angie Houck

Account Manager, Sponsorship Director

Angie cut her teeth in the outdoor industry at the Great Outdoor Provision Company in Raleigh, NC as the assistant manager and lead merchandiser and was the soft goods buyer at Black Dome Mountain Sports in Asheville, NC. Angie's survived OR, is a champ at managing relationships and understands what retailers want in sponsor partnerships.

Angie is the Darby Comm go-to for athlete and team sponsorship and event planning for sponsored events. She works with athletes to ensure their sponsorship needs are met and that they are being good ambassadors for their sponsorship companies. She is not afraid to jump right into any project and loves new challenges, especially firing off press releases to inform and wow the public.

Besides her job, Angie loves to hike, run, ski, garden and spend time with her family.

Angie's Favorites

• I heart the Vasque Rift. Hitting stores in Jan/Feb 2012, the shoe is comfort and style personified.
• The Headsweats Race Hat is the perfect lightweight hat for running and it protects the top of my head from getting sunburned.
• You will not find me without my Overland Equipment Nantucket in Poppy. It can hold my laptop, lunch, change of clothes, purse and still fit under the seat in front of me on the plane.
• My day isn’t complete if I don’t get to sit in my ENO Lounger on the back of my deck at the end of the day sipping a beverage and putting my feet up in this suspended chair.
• I cannot wait to try out all the new, fun patterns from Goodhew, but my favorite right now is a pair of teal Sockwell Circulator socks – cute with skirts and functional too!
• The Hyland’s Bioplasma Sport is a necessity for post workout rejuvenation

Cory Wilharm

Account Representative, Social Media Maven

Darby Comm’s newest team member, Cory comes to us from the newspaper industry. Cory was an advertising sales exec at our local paper, the Asheville Cititzen-Times and has a history in grant writing, purchasing and procurement and a degree in Communications from Elon College. At Darby Comm, Cory is an account representative working specifically with our endurance and fitness brands and the American Hiking Society. She has also taken on the role as the new social media guru, constantly learning new ways to keep fans and followers engaged with our clients and keeps our team up-to-date on the latest and ever changing social media news and trending hashtags.

Originally from Youngstown, Ohio, Cory was drawn to Asheville by the irresistible Blue Ridge Mountains and the thousands of trails to explore. She has been in Asheville for over 3 years and when she is not in the office she is running, reading and cooking. You will often find her hiking with her husband or out sampling the fine foods that Asheville has to offer.

Cory's Favorites

• I never hit the trails without my Vasque Mindbenders!
• The Overland Equipment Cambridge makes running through the airport a breeze.
• ENO’s Double Deluxe Hammock is my favorite right now. Since the fiancée is 6’ tall, the Double Deluxe makes tandem hammocking super comfy.
• The Goodhew Padua socks with the cashmerino blend are super soft! It’s like wearing slippers!
• Headsweats’ Snowflake Performance Beanie is the best. With a hole for my pony tail, my ears stay warm without the big bulge.
• I'm a fan of Hyland's Bioplasma Sport following my boot camp sessions.

INDUSTRY ACCOLADES
SNEWS Magazine recognized Darby Communications as one of the top outdoor PR firms in 2004 and 2005. Quite an accomplishment considering at the time we were a “team” of one. To our knowledge SNEWS did not report on agencies in 2006 and 2007.