from the Asheville Chamber of Commerce:

Steve Hill received the 2012 William A.V. Cecil Tourism Leadership Award for his work of nearly 35 years at Thomas Wolfe Memorial State Historic Site.

This award is named for William A. V. Cecil, whose dedication to travel and tourism exemplify the spirit of this award.

Hill fell into managing the Thomas Wolfe Site after serving as a building guide for a short time. "The house and I grew up together," Hill said.

During his time, Hill secured funding and oversaw construction of visitor center as well as seeing the house through reconstruction after the devastating 1998 fire. As site manager, Hill displayed unmatched personal dedication to preservation of the site and provided strong, compassionate leadership for his staff.

Hill says he was most inspired by the people who came from across the globe in pilgrimage to the famed author or to learn more about the history of Asheville and literary works of Thomas Wolfe. Guiding people to discovering the history of the house and bringing Thomas Wolfe's writings to life were highlights of his career.

Hill retired last December.