As the son and grandson of Highlands residents, Andy Chmar has considered the Plateau his home since birth. He and his wife Gayle Watkins were Army officers for 22 years, each attaining the rank of Colonel prior to retiring in 2000. Andy then served 12 years as the executive director of the Hudson Highlands Land Trust in Garrison, NY. In 2016, their move from NY finally allowed them to call Highlands their full-time home. Andy takes great satisfaction serving the communities in which he has lived. In New York, he was a trustee for both West Point’s Association of Graduates and Hudson Valley Shakespeare, and a member of the Land Trust Alliance Leadership Council. In Highlands, he’s been President of the Hudson Library Board; with Gayle, co-chairs WCU’s Brinson Honors College Advisory Board; serves on the Highlands ABC Board and the Highlands-Cashiers Hospital Advisory Committee; and, volunteers with the Highlands Greenway and Rotary Club of Highlands. Andy holds degrees from West Point, Harvard Business School, and the Naval War College, and now most enjoys golf, RV & international travel, and Highlands’ summers.