Great Smoky Mountains Association
The purpose of Great Smoky Mountains Association (GSMA) is to help the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Through sales, labor, donations, and volunteer efforts, GSMA provides the National Park Service with additional tools for fulfilling its mission.
| Abbreviation | GSMA |
|---|---|
| Type | Nonprofit |
| 62-0576032 | |
| Legal status | 501(c)(3) |
| Headquarters | Gatlinburg, Tennessee |
Board Chair | Mitch Crisp |
Chief Executive Officer | Laurel Rematore |
| Mitch Crisp; Geoff Cantrell; Gaynell H. Lawson; Janet Houston-Hickman; Jamie Ballinger; Lisa Davis; Jerry DeWeese; Kelly Leonard; Ed McAlister; Daniel S. Pierce; Ron Storto; Tom Taylor; Jill Thompson; William Turner | |
| Website | https://smokiesinformation.org/ |
Great Smoky Mountains Association is a nonprofit organization authorized by Congress to support the Park's educational, scientific, and historical programs. Its mission is to enhance public enjoyment and understanding of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
To accomplish this goal, GSMA participates in a variety of activities that include: distribution and publication of educational books and guides, funding visitor center exhibits and artifact collections, sponsoring free historic demonstrations and festivals, funding the Park's library, and helping to fund the environmental education program at the Institute at Tremont. Since its creation in March 1953, GSMA has contributed over $30 million in aid to the Park, including the $3,000,000 in construction costs for the Oconaluftee Visitor Center, opened in April 2011.