Raised in Somerset, Vallorie Henderson is proud of her rural Kentucky roots. “I've lived and worked in both large and small communities in and outside of the United States. My Kentucky heritage has always provided me with a strong sense of self and the confidence to approach life with enthusiasm and curiosity.” Vallorie said of herself recently. “I will always call Kentucky my home.”
Vallorie holds a Bachelor of Arts in art from Berea College in Berea, Ky., and a Master of Fine Arts with a focus in fibers from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. Her love of fibers and textiles led her into a blended career that includes both the production and marketing of a unique line of hand-felted contemporary craft objects on a national level and a variety of leadership arts administration positions that have spanned the past 30 years. Previous employers include the Children’s Museum, The Speed Museum in Louisville and the Kentucky Arts Council.
Currently, Vallorie is employed by the Kentucky Small Business Development Center in Louisville where she focuses on assisting creative entrepreneurs in developing and growing their businesses to new levels of success through one-on-one personalized consulting and leading comprehensive workshops on marketing, pricing and inventory management. She has worked closely with fair trade organizations around the globe to assist artisans in developing market-ready products and to assure they are paid a living wage. Vallorie has her Export and Trade Counseling Certification from the U.S. Small Business Administration. She is also a certified Economic Gardening® consultant through the Edward Lowe Foundation.
In her leisure time, Vallorie enjoys gardening, reading, traveling and spending time with her two daughters that are both elementary school teachers.