Leadership Asheville 27

Mr. Anderson has been in the banking business since 1994. He worked at Wachovia Bank for nine years in several positions such as a personal banker, branch manager, and representative sales manager. Mr. Anderson then went on to work as a regional manager for RBC Centura Bank. From 2006 to the present, he has been working with Southern Community Bank & Trust as a Commercial Banking Manager. Mr. Anderson is an active board member and Vice-President of Smart Start of Buncombe County, he is a lo cal board representative for the American Red Cross, and serves actively on the finance committee at Hominy Baptist Church.

Ms. Ball started her first career as a Montessori teacher at The Children’s Grammar School. After graduating from UNCA in 1991, Ms. Ball pursued a career with Kelso Advertising & Design.  She has been in the role of President of Kelso Advertising & Design since 1997. Ms. Ball is actively involved in the community and serves as a member of the Southeast Tourism Society, Asheville Chamber of Commerce, McDowell County Chamber of Commerce, Hendersonville Chamber of Commerce, and Ad West Tourism Advisory Council.

Mr. Bass has extensive experience working in the Performing Arts. Prior to coming to serve as the Civic Center Director in Asheville, Mr. Bass was the Executive Director of the Globe-News Center for the Performing Arts. He has also served as the Assistant Manager at the Amarillo Civic Center, the Audience Services Manager at Opera Omaha, and the Box Office Manager at the Amarillo Civic Center. Mr. Bass is a member of the International Association of Assembly Managers and the Association of Fundraising Professionals.

Though a former high school English, drama, and speech teacher, Ms. Blunt has spent the past 25 years in communications and marketing for both public and private sector organizations. She has served as Communications Manager for the City of Thornton, Colorado and as a Marketing Director for WYFF-TV 4 in Greenville, South Carolina. Ms. Blunt has received many awards including: 18 Addy Awards, The South Carolina Governor’s Award, Best Magazine 3 CMA (City) Award, as well as an award for Best TV Documentary.

Mr. Bolak has been in the Radio Broadcasting field for most of his professional life. For the previous 13 years, he has served in a Director of Sales/General Management capacity. He has chaired a local United Way Budget Allocations Committee as well as served on the Community Board of Directors for the University of Michigan’s Children’s Hospital.  Mr. Bolak is a member of Rotary International and is a certified Radio Marketing Consultant through the Radio Advertising Bureau.

Ms. Boyd has worked with the Atlantic Coast Conference for the Football Administration and helped run the football program as well as organized the 50th Anniversary Celebration in 2003. Ms. Boyd also worked with College Access programs at Appalachian State University and co-wrote the University’s largest grant to date. Currently, Ms. Boyd is working as an Exclusive Buyer’s Agent of Asheville and works solely to help and counsel buyers of real estate through the home buying process. She is affiliated with the United Way’s Highland Circle and Funding Council, the Western North Carolina Green Building Council, and serves as a member of Eco Consultants.

Mr. Cain spent a year and a half working for First Union Capital Markets Group as an intern in their Mortgage Banking and Finance Group. He has also worked as a mechanical designer in the aerospace industry. Mr. Cain has spent the majority of his professional career working with GTE/Verizon Telecom in six different states, serving in a myriad of different capacities such as Sales Manager, Technical Sales, Staff Support, Call Center Manager, Engineer, Operations Management, and Project Manager. Mr. Cain is a member of the Asheville Chamber of Commerce and Young Professionals of Asheville.

Prior to his role as Mission Hospital’s Chief Diversity Officer, Mr. Carter served as the Hospital’s staff Chaplin for two and a half years. Mr. Carter has also served as a Chaplin for New York City hospitals. While in New York City, he also served as an Anti-Racism Trainer with the Unitarian Universalist Denomination with recognition from former President Bill Clinton. Mr. Carter has also worked as a professional actor.

Ms. Corey has 17 years of experience as a Marketing Professional. She spent the first 10 years of her career working in advertising in her home town of Cincinnati, Ohio. Ms. Corey has spent the last 7 years with the Asheville Citizen-Times in such capacities as the Marketing Communications Manager, the Business Development Manager, and now serves in her current role as Business Development Director. Ms. Corey has graduated from the Gannett Leadership Training Program as well as a Dale Carnegie Training Program.

Ms. Damore has worked as a Social Worker for nine years, a public relations counselor and writer for three years, and has served as a community volunteer in Lansing, Michigan for eighteen years.  She has served as President of several boards and was a nominee for the South Carolina Penney Community Service for Sister City Work.

Ms. Damore is also a member of the Asheville Tennis Association, the AB Tech Foundation, Children First, the Emma Resource Center Advisory Board, the Health Adventure Board, and serves as Vice President of the Asheville Symphony.

Mr. Deaver recently celebrated his 21st anniversary of his career in banking. He is a graduate of Mars Hill College and received a degree in Banking and Finance. Most of his career work has been in commercial and business banking and he has served in such places as Virginia, Washington, D.C., and North Carolina. Mr. Deaver leads a team of bankers whose role is the acquisition and retention of primarily business-based relationships. The teams work with the sixteen First Citizens Bank branches located in a three-county area within the greater framework of First Citizens Bank’s franchise.

From 2002-2004, Mr. Diaz worked as an Associate with George W. Morosani & Associates, Inc. During this time, he was a million-dollar-producing Associate Broker. Since 2004, Mr. Diaz has been with CoveStar, LLC as the Principal Broker and Broker-in-Charge. He is also a Managing Member of Ashlar Development, LLC and is a Managing Member of Mountain Capitol Reality, LLC. Mr. Diaz is a member of the Asheville and Hendersonville Chambers of Commerce and is President of the Asheville Business Achievers Association. He serves on the Asheville Board of Realtors as well as Asheville Commercial Investment Realty. Mr. Diaz is a Certified Commercial Investment Member.

Mr. Dietrich began his career working for advertising agencies but later shifted his career path to banking. In the late ‘90s, he started working as Regional Marketing Director for Associated Bank. He later moved to Compass Banker A2 and then on to his current position at Asheville Savings Bank. Mr. Dietrich’s favorite leadership quote is a quote from Adlai Stevenson, “It’s hard to lead a cavalry charge if you think you look funny on a horse.”

Mr. Donovan has been an entrepreneur practically since childhood and is currently the President and Co-Founder of Conservation Pros which is a home performance contracting firm. Mr. Donovan is a member of the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air Conditioning Engineers, the National Environmental Health Association, and is a business member and board member of the Western North Carolina Green Building Council. His favorite leadership quote is one from Henry Ford, “Whether you think you can or can’t, you’re right.”

Ms. Duriga is the owner of Duriga Accountants, a firm that functions to provide audit reviews, tax services, bookkeeping and other accounting services. Ms. Duriga is a graduate of both AB Tech Community College and the University of North Carolina Asheville. In the community, she serves as the Treasurer for the Downtown Rotary Club, she is a member of the Chamber of Commerce, and is a referral partner for Mountain BizWorks.

From 2000-2003, Mr. Edwards served as the Program Director for Big Brothers Big Sisters in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. From 2003-2005, he served as the Executive Director of Big Brothers Big Sisters in Lynchburg, Virginia. In 2005, he began his current role as Community Fund Director for the United Way of Asheville and Buncombe County where he oversees the annual fund distribution process and manages the United Way’s relations with funded programs. Mr. Edwards also serves as Chair of the Advisory Committee of the Ten Year Plan to End Homelessness.

Mr. Ferezan spent eleven years working for IBM: two years as the Worldwide Sales Person of the Year and nine additional years as a Managing Partner of thirty-two offices. He also worked for a Global Consulting Firm called JMF, Inc. for thirteen years and then moved into Higher Education Administration where he has served for the previous eight years. In his current position as Vice President of AB Tech Community College, he collaborates with the President and Cabinet members to review new programs and offerings desired by the community.

Ms. Ferris has been working for Asheville City Schools for 12 years. She began as a preschool teacher in the Early Head Start Program and then began working as a kindergarten teacher at Hall Fletcher Elementary School where she has been for 7 years.  Ms. Ferris was also selected as the Asheville City Schools Teacher of the Year for 2007-2008. She is a member of the North Carolina Association of Educators. Her favorite leadership quote is by Eric Hoffer, “In times of change, learners inherit the Earth, while the learned find themselves beautifully equipped to deal with a world that no longer exists.”

From 1994-2003, Mr. Feste worked at the Sylvan Learning Center as an Educational Director and a Technology Director. He then began teaching at Poolesville High School in Maryland where he stayed until 2003. In 2003, he moved to Asheville and began working at Owen Middle School. Mr. Feste was selected as the Buncombe County Teacher of the Year in 2007-2008. He also received a Creative Writing Certificate at New Orleans Center for the Creative Arts in 1988 and is actively involved and trained in the Eagle Scouts.

Mr. Flora has worked for Buncombe County as an internal auditor since October 2007. Prior to this, he was an accountant for Gould Killian CPA Group. Other professional positions include serving as an account manager for a Fortune 500 automotive supplier, a university administrator, and various analyst positions for the Federal Government. Mr. Flora is also a recent graduate of the City of Asheville’s Citizen Academy and recently completed his second 3-year term on the Citizen/Police Academy Advisory Committee where he has served as Chair for the past 3 years. Mr. Flora is a member of the North Carolina Association of Certified Public Accountants, the Association of Local Government Auditors, the Institute of Internal Auditors, and the Government Finance Officers Association.

With a degree in theatre, Ms. Geoffrey started her career as a performer, touring the eastern United States before landing in Chicago. She worked as an Arts Administrator during the day to support her acting “habit.” Her professional experience includes work with the League of Chicago Theatres Wing and Groove Theatre Company, The Theatre School at DePaul University and locally, the Highland Repertory Theatre and Charlotte Repertory Theatre.  Ms. Geoffrey is also a volunteer at the Mountain Area Child and Family Center and is a member of the Arts-in-Education Task Force at the Asheville Area Arts Council and is a member of the North Carolina Presenters Consortium.

From 1986 to 1996, Mr. Gompers worked for Wachovia Bank in Wilmington, North Carolina. Since then, he has been working for Carolina First Bank as a Commercial Banking Manager where he seeks to help business owners, developers, non-profit and for-profit businesses reach their goals by providing the financial information, resources, and structures that add value to their vision. Mr. Gompers is also a soccer coach for the Asheville Buncombe Youth Soccer Association (ABYSA) and North Asheville Christian School.

Dr. Gualano has spent fifteen years in the field of Chiropractic Health and Nutrition and is the owner (with her husband, Dr. Brian Gualano) of the Asheville Chiropractic and Wellness Center. She is currently working part time doing the administrative duties for the Chiropractic practice and serving as President of the Junior League of Asheville. Dr. Gualano is a member of the North Carolina Chiropractic Association, the International Chiropractic Pediatric Association, and the Association of Junior Leagues International.

Ms. Gunter began her career in real estate five years ago as an Independent Residential Agent focusing on green building design and responsible land development in Buncombe County. Currently, she serves as the Real Estate Manager for the City of Asheville where she helps to build wealth within the Asheville community through the development of greenways all the way to acquiring property for fire stations. Ms. Gunter is a member of the National Association of Realtors and the Asheville Commercial and Investment Realty Association (ACIRA).

Ms. Hall has always worked in environments that serve the public. She started out working in the medical field and has since transitioned into the field of administration. Ms. Hall is a member of the North Carolina Notary Association and the North Carolina Nursing Association. Her favorite leadership quote is “If you desire to succeed, add value to others” by Dr. J. Maxell.

Ms. Johnson has served over twelve years in education and as the current Director of Student Services for Asheville City Schools, Ms. Johnson oversees Safe and Drug Free Schools, drop-out prevention, conflict resolution services, counseling and social work programs, and disciplinary issues. Ms. Johnson is a member of the North Carolina Department of Social Services Board, the Center for Diversity Education Board, the Eliada Homes Board, Links, Inc., and the NAACP.  Her favorite leadership quote is “Don’t just talk about it, be about it!”

Mr. Keever has served as Principal of Valley Springs Middle School for five years and was named the Buncombe County and Western Regional Principal of the year for 2007-2008. In 2006-2007, he was awarded the Junior Principal of the Year award. Mr. Keever’s favorite leadership quote is by Collin Powell, “The day soldiers stop bringing you their problems, is the day you have stopped leading them.”

Ms. Lanier has recently located to the Asheville area from Jacksonville, Florida where she lived and worked for twenty-one years. Much of her experience has been with non-profit agencies, where she served as Executive Director for two of the organizations she was involved with in Florida. The majority of Ms. Lanier’s work was with the homeless and dealing with affordable housing issues.  In her current position as Director of Development for Outward Bound, Ms. Lanier is responsible to raise two million dollars annually to enable youth and adults to participate in the wilderness and community-based programs. Her favorite leadership quote is by Margaret Mead, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtfully committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”

Mr. Locke began his formal career as an Industrial Sales Representative for Dow Chemical USA in Indiana. He later moved to Asheville to help run an audio, video, and entertainment production company with offices both in Asheville and Los Angeles, California. Since then, Mr. Locke has served in sales, marketing, and operations positions in the medical field, manufacturing, executive recruiting, broadcasting, and accounting. He served as the Regional Business Development Manager for Dixon Hughes, PLLC from 2005-2008 where he worked with members and managers to develop and implement strategies for industry niche growth. Mr. Locke recently accepted a new position as the Principal Gifts Officer for the Mission Healthcare Foundation. He is a member of the Asheville Rotary Club and is a volunteer with the YMCA’s Strong Kids Campaign. He was also this year’s top fundraiser for the Asheville Chamber’s Total Resource Campaign and organized a new initiative called “Lesson in Leadership” that attracted over 600 people to an evening of Leadership Training and made possible a donation to the Eblen Charities in the amount of $10,000.

Ms. Lowe is the owner of Threat3, LLC, a contract based company specializing in creative strategy and project management. With over 15 years past experience in strategic agency- based marketing, TV/Film production, special events and public relations, her work has included brands such as The Grove Park Inn Resort & Spa, The Discovery Channel, RJ Reynolds and Alexander Julian for Lowes, among many others. She currently serves on the board of directors for The Asheville City Schools Foundation, is a founding member and Vice- Chair of the international arts mentoring organization- HATCH Asheville, and in addition has served as recent past Chair of the Asheville Convention and Visitors Bureau Media Tour Task Force.

From 2000-2003, Ms. Macauley served in the U.S. Peace Corps as an Art Marketing Advisor to Woman Cooperatives in rural African villages. She sold textiles to tourists at 200% profit and was honored by the Lesotho people. Ms. Macauley’s work also received an award from the U.S. Peace Corps. As a result of her remarkable career with the U.S. Peace Corps and her experience with textiles, Ms. Macauley now owns and operates an art gallery with a focus on imported textiles created by indigenous people from emerging nations. She also serves as Co-Chair at WLOS radio station and is affiliated with Mountain BizWorks and Toast Masters.

From 1984-1991, Ms. McNichols worked in marketing and sales for Fortune 500 companies. From 1991 to 2005, she lived in Bermuda taking on extensive volunteer work and raising two boys. In 2006, Ms. McNichols became a real estate broker and started the Asheville branch of Justin Winter & Associates. She has been actively involved with Carolina Day School and in addition to Leadership Asheville, she will also be participating in the Ambassador Program at Mission Hospital. Ms. McNichols is a member of the Asheville Board of Realtors and her favorite leadership quote is by Gandhi, “Be the change that you want to see in the world.”

Prior to working at Mountain Housing Opportunities, Ms. Meyers was employed as the Associate Director of Public Relations and Communication at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill School of Nursing. Before working there, she was an Account Executive at Webb Patterson Communications, an integrated marketing communication firm in Durham, North Carolina. Ms. Meyers is a member of both the Association of Fundraising Professionals and the Public Relations Association of Western North Carolina.

Ms. Michalsen worked at Buncombe County DSS from 2003-2005 and then began at New Vistas in 2006 working with mentally ill adults. She returned to Buncombe County DSS and currently works to determine aged or disabled adults’ eligibility for medical benefits. Ms. Michalsen is a member of the American Society for Public Administration and her favorite leadership quote is by J. Michael Straczynski, “Take care, don’t forget, and remember: If you do not choose to lead, you will forever be led by others. Find what scares you and do it. And you can make a difference if you choose to do so.”

Mr. Murphy spent eighteen years in the corporate business and engineering worlds. Later, he founded Media Direct, an outstanding sales and contractor serving six states, where he held the position of President for six years. In 2006, Mr. Murphy started Phil Murphy Household Management and serves families in the Buncombe County area. He is a member of the Better Business Bureau, Asheville Chamber of Commerce, and the Noon Rotary Club. Mr. Murphy’s favorite leadership quote is by Abraham Lincoln, “And in the end it’s not the years in your life that count. It’s the life in your years.”

Ms. Nunez has worked in various capacities in the Asheville and Hendersonville areas including the service industry at restaurants such as Spirits on the River to non-profits, higher education, and organizing with campaigns. Her first experience with non-profits was with the Buncombe County library system. Ms. Nunez served as the Assistant Project Manager for the Bibliobus Project, a mobile library that serviced the Spanish-speaking communities of Buncombe, Henderson, Madison, Transylvania, and Haywood Counties. After this position, Ms. Nunez moved onto financial education and held the position of Latino Relations Manager for a Credit Union in Hendersonville. Then, she decided to work on an issue-based.

Mr. O’Neal has been serving as General Manager of Republic Service in Asheville for 5 years. During his 15 year career in the industry, he has progressed from a being a Supervisor to being a General Manager. Mr. O’Neal helped create, and received recognition for, both safety and recycling program innovations. Mr. O’Neal is actively involved in St. Eugene’s Catholic Church, Eliada Children’s Home, and the Chamber of Commerce. He is also a supporter of Advantage West and CIBO.

Ms. Owen served as an Executive Assistant for twenty-eight years with First Union Bank, St. Joseph Hospital, Mission Hospital, and Sister of Mercy Service Corporation. In addition to her administrative duties, Ms. Owen helped coordinate volunteer involvement. In May of 2008, Ms. Owen was named Development Director of Catherine McAuley Mercy Foundation. She was charged with resurrecting the foundation to support ministries of Sisters of Mercy in the community. Ms. Owen’s community involvement also includes the Chamber Campaign, the March of Dimes, the United Way Day of Caring, Meals on Wheels Notary, and the choir at First Baptist Church of Asheville. She is also a member of the Association of Healthcare Administrative Professionals, Hospital Associations, and the Association of Fundraising Professionals.

Mr. Piccirillo has worked in the food industry in such positions as Executive Director of Food and Beverages, an Executive Chef, a Senior Executive Sous Chef, and as a Chef Tournant. In 2001, he began as Executive Director of Food and Beverages at the Grove Park Inn Resort & Spa. Mr. Piccirillo is responsible for the continued success of food and beverage operations. He is also experienced in budgeting, capitol expenditures, and forecasting.
Mr. Piccirillo is a member of the Asheville Regional Airport Authority Board, the Asheville Independent Restaurant Association, the American Culinary Federation, and the Western Carolina Culinary Association.

Mr. Plaisance has served as both the Assistant and General Manager of Asheville’s own Tripps Restaurant. In 1997, Mr. Plaisance moved into the investment world and began to work with Business Estate Underwriters, Inc. He has since risen to the position of Vice President. Mr. Plaisance is a member of the Life Underwriters Training Council Fellowship and the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors. His favorite leadership quote is “Management is doing things right; leadership is doing the right things.”

Ms. Powell has worked for Eaton Corp. for the past sixteen years. She began with the company in a customer service role and has progressed into her current position as a Customer Service Sales Manager. In this role, Ms. Powell manages an organization of twenty-three people who support the customers and outside sales team. She works to support uninterruptible power supply and related products. Ms. Powell is also involved in the United Way Supporting Thriving Families Funding Council and is leading the 2008 United Way Campaign at Eaton. Her favorite leadership quote was said by Fred A. Manske, Jr., “The ultimate leader is one who is willing to develop people to the point that they eventually surpass him or her in knowledge and ability.”

Rev. Pritchett graduated from law school in 1981 and clerked for a Judge on the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals (Federal) for a year before joining a law firm as a litigation associate. In 1988, he attended seminary at the University of the South. After graduation in 1991, Rev. Pritchett was ordained as a Deacon and later as a Priest in the Episcopal Church. He served in 3 parishes in the Atlanta area, serving his last position as rector of St. John’s in College Park, Georgia. Rev. Pritchett moved to Asheville in 2007 to become the Canon to the Ordinary, “Bishop’s Assistant”, in the Episcopal Diocese of Western North Carolina. He handles a wide variety of duties for the Diocese, including Safe Church programs, background checks, conflict in parishes, transition ministries, disciplinary issues, consulting with clergy and parishes, and advisory to the Bishop.

Prior to his work as Program Operations Manager for Community Action Opportunities Head Start Program,
Mr. Repass worked in Madison County as a Health Director and a Grant Project Coordinator. Mr. Repass also spent 3 years in Washington, D.C. as an Office Manager for an insurance trade association. In his current role, Mr. Repass works for Head Start, an organization that provides high quality early childhood education, health support, and family services to over 600 families in Madison and Buncombe County. His favorite leadership quote was said by Don Wells, “Leadership is capturing passion to achieve the extraordinary. Everything else is management.”

In 1992, Mr. Richardson completed his thirty-year career with the U.S. Air Force. He has fourteen years of experience flying as a Navigator Bombardier/Weapon Systems Officer and more than sixteen years of progressive staff and managerial experience in base management and logistics activities. Mr. Richardson is currently semi-retired and recently relocated to Asheville. He and his wife Irene operate M & R Enterprises, a small, independent firm that offers consulting, research, and project management services. Mr. Richardson is functional in English and marginally polite in French, Thai, Korean, and Japanese.

Mr. Rottjakob spent ten years providing direct care for children in psychiatric hospitals. He has spent the last eight years working as Director of Coaching and the Executive Director of the Youth Soccer Organization. Mr. Rottjakob is currently devoted to serving the community by providing families access to quality youth sports activities. He is a member of the National Soccer Coaches Association of America. His favorite leadership quote is “I must catch up to the others for I am their leader.”

For the past twenty years, Ms. Ruckman has been working as an administrator for a variety of non-profits in Kentucky, Georgia, and now In Asheville. Her experience includes extensive capital fundraising, grant writing, program planning, and non-profit evaluation. In her current role as Director of Development for the YWCA of Asheville, Ms. Ruckman’s job is to lead volunteers and staff to engage the community in the mission of the YWCA of Asheville. With her team, Ms. Ruckman works to develop resources, send communication, build relationships, and hold events that will introduce more of the community to the organization. She is a member of the Association of Fundraising Professionals and the American Association of University Women.

Ms. Saylor has been in financial planning since 1995 and is currently serving on the Board for the Land of Sky Estate Planning Council. In her current role as Certified Financial Planner for Wachovia Securities, Ms. Saylor focuses on Estate Planning, Retirement Planning, and Business Plans. She has taught classes on investing at the Asheville Center for Creative Retirement and she also sponsors an on-going seminar series entitled Women and Money. She is an active member of the Christian Science Church and serves as Chairperson of its Board of Trustees. She is a former violinist of the Asheville Symphony and currently serves as First Vice President of the Asheville Symphony Guild. Ms. Saylor is also a frequent contributor to Sophie Magazine.

Ms. Shannon is a retiree of Human Resources at the Topeka V.A. Medical Center and is now a volunteer at the V.A. Medical Center in Asheville. She has also participated in the Asheville Citizen’s Academy Program and she serves as Chairperson of the NAACP’s Health and Freedom Fund. Ms. Shannon’s favorite leadership quote is “Time waits for no one; live each and every day to the fullest.”

In his current role, Mr. Simmons oversees the City of Asheville Parks, Recreation, and Cultural Arts department which provides community activity for the city. He has seventeen years of experience in the field of recreation and has worked in four different areas: Mr. Simmons served as an Athletic Supervisor for the city of Fayetteville, and as Director for the city of High Point, Sampson County, and of course, the City of Asheville. He is a member of the International Association of Assembly Managers and the Association of Fundraising Professionals. Mr. Simmons’ favorite leadership quote is “Rome was not built in one day.”

Mr. Smith began his banking career at Comerica Bank as an analyst trainee in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He was later promoted to a small business lending position in Battle Creek, Michigan, where he spent eight years. He then moved on to Bank One in Richmond, Virginia where he eventually became Market President. Before coming to Asheville, Mr. Smith was at First Citizens Bank in High Point, North Carolina. Mr. Smith is a volunteer for Junior Achievement and was invited to serve on their advisory board. He is also a member of the Asheville West Rotary Club and will be a volunteer with the United Way during the upcoming capital campaign.

After several successful years with the Marriott Corporation in Atlanta, Mr. Stroud returned to the mountains to start his own business. In 1995, Mr. Stroud opened his own FastSigns store. After twelve years of excellent growth, he sold the business to move his focus to commercial real estate investing.  Mr. Stroud serves on the Mountain BizWorks Board of Directors and is the former Chairman of the March of Dimes Walk America and the Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce. He is currently the Co-Chair of the Total Resource Campaign and is a member of the Asheville Board of Realtors and the Carolina Real Estate Investors Association.

Ms. Taylor has worked in Accounting since 1982 and has served as the Internal Auditor for Howard University and Winston-Salem University, and is currently serving as the Director of Internal Audit at the University of North Carolina Asheville. Ms. Taylor has also served as both a part-time and full-time faculty member teaching a variety of accounting-related courses. Ms. Taylor is a volunteer for the IRS for their Income Tax Service Program and is also a member of the Beta Alpha Psi. Her favorite leadership quote was said by Winston Churchill, “There is nothing wrong with change if it is in the right direction. To improve is to change, to be perfect is to change often.”

Upon graduating from Elon University in 2005, Mr. Thorpe worked for two years in the Professional Golf Business at Kiawah Island Golf Resort in Charleston, South Carolina. In 2007, he joined the Advancement Office at Christ School as Associate Director of Alumni and has recently become the Director. Mr. Thorpe also serves as the Assistant Varsity Basketball Coach and the Advisor of Venture Crew (Boy Scouts). His favorite leadership quote is, “Lead by example.”

Mr. Waldkoetter began his career at InterFirst Bank Dallas and became the London Branch Manager and the Group Head for Africa, Europe, and the Middle East. Mr. Waldkoetter also worked for Bristol Trade Finance. He began his current role as the CFO for Mountain BizWorks, Inc. in 2005 and manages loan operations, data management, and finance.

Dr. Watson is a retired Pediatric Cardiac Surgeon and former Professor of Surgery at the University of Tennessee.  His favorite leadership quote is by Viktor Frankl, “The one freedom that can never be taken away from us, that always remains, is the freedom to determine our attitude toward our circumstance.”

Ms. Weaver began her tenure at the Reuter Family YMCA in 2003 and then, in February of 2008, accepted her current position as Director of Association Wellness Advancement for the YMCA of Western North Carolina. She has since received an award nomination for the 2008 Association of YMCA Professionals Program Achievement for outstanding leadership in the Health and Wellness Field. Ms. Weaver’s community involvement includes the Pediatric Obesity Action Panel at Mission Children’s Hospital, the Healthy Buncombe Coalition, and National Girls and Women’s Sports Day annual event planning. She is also a member of the Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce.

Mr. Wehr began his career as a Co-op at Florida Power and Light before joining Carolina Power and Light following his college graduation from Clemson University. He then pursued an M.B.A. and began working for Price Water House Coopers in New York City. Mr. Wehr is a member of the National Society of Professional Engineers, the Professional Engineers of North Carolina, and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers. His favorite leadership quote is by Henry Kissinger, “The task of the leader is to get his people from where they are to where they have not yet been.”

Ms. White is the Director for Occupational Training courses in the Continuing Education Program at AB Tech Community College. She has been with the college for 7 years, beginning in 2001 as an adjunct instructor in the Human Resources Development program. In 2003, Ms. White became the coordinator of the program and then moved into her current position in 2007. Ms. White also serves on the Business Advisory Council of Goodwill Industries and has done so for 4 years. For the past 3 years, she has served as the Chairperson for the Skills Training Sub-Committee.

In 2006, Mr. Wilkerson moved to Asheville to join the Van Winkle Law Firm. He moved from Columbia, South Carolina where he had been an attorney with the firm of Ellis, Lawhorne, & Sims, PA, since 1998. In his current position, Mr. Wilkerson practices law in the area of commercial litigation. He serves on the Board of the Lakeview Park Commission in his neighborhood. His favorite leadership quote is by G.K. Chesterton, “Progress should mean that we are always changing the world to fit the vision. Instead we are always changing the vision.”