NCHBA ……Working for you! The next 11 issues of the North Carolina BUILDER will highlight one NCHBA staff.  Our goal is to better inform you who we are and how we can help you in your everyday business.

Tracie Garrett, a North Carolina Native, was born and raised in Wilmington, NC. She attended the University of North Carolina in Wilmington and majored in Advertising and Marketing.

After graduating from college, she wanted to take some time to explore the country and the world.  The most cost-effective way of doing this was to become a flight attendant so she could fly for free.

In 1985 Garrett joined Piedmont Airlines and was based out of Virginia Beach, VA.  She served all domestic flights in the United States.  In 1987, when Piedmont Airlines merged with U.S. Air, Garrett relocated to Charlotte and became an International flight attendant. Her flight pattern typically consisted of flying to and from Paris, France.

She continued this full-time profession for a total of 13 years where she accomplished her dream of seeing the world.  Every year she and her friends would take a 16-day vacation to various locations which included Europe (achieving France, Germany, Spain, Greece and Turkey stamps on her passport, among others) and several locations in Asia such as Hong Kong, Bangkok, and Korea.

Around 1995, Garrett started feeling the pressure to settle down and be home more, instead of always in the air. She decided to change careers so in 1996 she started dental hygiene school while still flying with U.S. Air. In 1998 she earned her license and became a full-time dental hygienist.

From 1999-2001 Garrett was the Vice President of the North Carolina Dental Hygiene Association.  She volunteered as the meeting planner and coordinated the associations’ Spring and Fall meetings.

As a member of the Association Executive of North Carolina, Garrett met Deborah Alford, NCHBA Director of Conferences and Professional Development in December 2002.  At that time the 21st Century Building Expo & Conference (21CBEC) was just months from its inaugural show.  Garrett was offered a new position at NCHBA which involved establishing a relationship with the vendors of the 21CBEC and to also notify and acquire new companies to participate in this event.

As the Director of Exhibitor Services, Garrett travels to other builder shows and also San Francisco, Chicago, Baltimore, Atlantic City, and other locations to visit past and present NCHBA exhibitors.  She also makes new contacts at these shows and informs them of the 21CBEC, which is held annually in Charlotte Convention Center in Charlotte, NC. She is the contact for all exhibitors for the 21CBEC and is also the staff liaison for the NCHBA Associate Members committee.

In her spare time Garrett continues to travel to various places in the world.  She recently visited Italy and Ireland. She also enjoys visiting her family’s lake house on Santee River in South Carolina. When not traveling she enjoys home improvement projects, grilling out, visiting with friends, family, and especially her five-year-old nephew, Garrett. She also enjoys gardening and spending time with her Shelties Sydney, Ali, and Knox. 

If you are in need of dental care, Garrett continues to practice dental hygiene on the weekends in Raleigh. While the pressure to settle down has subsided, she says “Never say never. The right guy may come along one day.”

REMINDER: the 21CBEC will be held next month August 23-25th in Charlotte.  We've doubled our floor space to accommodate all the interesting and exciting new products you'll see at the 4th annual 21st Century Building Expo & Conference. To learn more about the 21st Century Building Expo & Conference visit the website at www.21buildingexpo.com. This year two $10,000 Grand Prize drawings will be held on Thursday, then again on Friday on the Expo floor!

If you would like more information on exhibiting at the 21CBEC, Garrett can be reached at 1.800.662.7129 ext.410 or via email: