Store Manager: Brett Winchel 
When we asked Brett about his angling interests, his reply was, “I love to fly fish for just about anything that swims.” We found that a perfect answer. Even though Brett’s only been fly fishing since his high school days, he’s approached it with true passion and serious commitment. In college, Bret was selected for an internship through Trout Unlimited’s 5 Rivers program. He and four other college TU members spent two-and-a-half months road tripping all over the American West with the goal of catching all 15 native species of trout on the fly. A graduate of the University of Tennessee with a degree in wildlife and fisheries sciences, Brett was a fisheries biologist for the Tennessee Valley Authority for about three years. In that role, he traveled the southeast monitoring the health of streams, rivers, and reservoirs. Angler, fly tyer, traveler, and stingray sting survivor (ask him about that when you see him) Brett looks forward to helping other fly fishers pursue their own angling adventures.  

Assistant Store Manager: Jess Thanasouk
Virginia native Jess Thanasouk loves the Appalachian Mountains, and she loves her dogs—a Blue Heeler and a black-and-tan coonhound. They’re like her children and go with her and her partner on all their adventures. She’s also a longtime customer-service pro with lots of experience leading and managing teams in retail stores. This combination makes her a great fit at our Roanoke location, where you’ll find Jess helping Orvis customers while sharing stories of pup picnics, dog days at the beach, and even dog day trips to North Carolina! If you need great guidance on dog-related dilemmas, Jess is the best. One of Jess’s favorite things about working at Orvis is the sense of community she feels working there. “I love to see the faces of the people in our area who love our store and our service,” she said. When she’s not helping customers or playing with pups, Jess enjoys tying flies, kayaking, reading, painting, and cooking.