Though Pete Peery, my predecessor as Montreat Conference Center’s president, lives right down the street, we don’t see each other often enough, and when we do, we often talk about everything but the job. Recently, however, we have enjoyed reminiscing over one Montreat topic: the significance of the Assembly Inn renovation, which took place during Pete’s tenure and was completed in time for my arrival in 2014. With the benefit of hindsight, it’s increasingly obvious that the renovation did more than restore a beloved building. It was perhaps the most important step in strengthening Montreat’s foundation and accelerating a financial recovery that had begun some ten years prior. And the most important leader in that effort, according to Pete, was Kat …
