The Dickinson Family settled in the Kanawha Valley of Virginia (now West Virginia) in 1813, moving west from the Lynchburg area, because of saline brine discoveries. The salt business grew and evolved over the years into what currently is a natural resource management company, a commercial real estate company and an investment holding company. The family has 4 living members in the 6th generation, 23 in the 7th, 56 in the 8th and 10 in the 9th. Shares of the companies are held in trusts. Nancy Bruns was born and raised in Charleston, WV, where the family enterprise began over 200 years ago. She is a chef by training. She worked in many aspects of the food industry before settling in Highlands, NC where she owned a small restaurant and catering company for 10 years. In 2013 Nancy and her brother revived the salt industry in the Kanawha Valley. J.Q. Dickinson Salt-Works makes a solar evaporated, hand harvested finishing salt on the same land where her ancestor worked. She now resides in Charleston again and serves as CEO of the company. She is also involved in the larger family enterprise as a board member and is involved with the family’s charitable giving committee. Nancy is in the 7th generation of the family business.