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Critical Issues LuncheonsThe following overview reflects Leadership Asheville Forum's renewed effort to focus on its core mission: to foster leadership by connecting our members to critical issues and to other leaders in the community. For information on upcoming luncheons, please contact Nancy Williams at the address below. (Luncheons are held at the Country Club of Asheville, 170 Windsor Road, Asheville. See Upcoming Events section for times and directions.) Now that the sales tax referendum has passed, what will ABTech use the money for? Hank Dunn has been invited to answer these questions. Here are the details: WHAT: LAF’s January 25th Critical Issues Luncheon WHERE: The Country Club of Asheville, 170 Windsor Road TIME: Food Service begins at 11:30am, the program at 12:15pm COST: $14 for LAF members, $18 for nonmembers RESERVATIONS REQUIRED by Friday, January 20th. RSVP to Nancy Williams or 250-2353 (email preferred). Everyone knows that college athletics – especially football – is big business. One college conference recently reported a billion dollars in revenue from its athletic programs. Some say that kind of money inevitably leads to corruption – like paying top players and violating recruiting standards. Others argue that college players should be paid for their efforts, and therein lies the crux of a growing controversy. At LAF’s November 16th luncheon, a panel of local experts will discuss this important issue and offer their perspectives. Our panelists are David Brown, former UNCA Chancellor, who now works part-time for the Atlantic Coast Conference, Janet R. Cone, Director of Athletics at UNCA Asheville and a member of the NCAA’s Division 1 Leadership Council, and Keith Jarrett, senior sportswriter for the Asheville Citizen-Times. Here are the details: WHAT: LAF’s November 16th Critical Issues Luncheon WHERE: The Country Club of Asheville, 170 Windsor Road TIME: Food Service begins at 11:30am, the program at 12:15pm COST: $14 for LAF members, $18 for nonmembers RESERVATIONS REQUIRED by Friday, November 11th. RSVP to Nancy Williams or 250-2353 (email preferred). Job creation. Gay rights. Scandal at the ABC Board. These and a host of other issues will confront candidates for the Asheville City Council running in the November election. At Leadership Asheville Forum’s October 26th luncheon, we’ll host a panel discussion among the six finalists who will vie for three open City Council seats. It may be your last chance to see and hear from the contenders firsthand and find out where they stand on the issues that matter to you. Here are the details: WHAT: LAF’s October 26th Critical Issues luncheon WHERE: The Country Club of Asheville, 170 Windsor Road TIME: Food service begins at 11:30am, the program at 12:15pm COST: LAF Members $14, non-members $18 RESERVATIONS REQUIRED by Friday, Oct. 21st to Nancy Williams or 250-2353. (email preferred).
WHAT: LAF’s season-opening Critical Issues luncheon WHEN: Wednesday, September 28, 2011 WHERE: The Country Club of Asheville, 170 Windsor Rd., Asheville TIME: Food service begins at 11:45am, program at 12:15pm COST: $14 for LAF members, $18 for all others, payable at the luncheon. RESERVATIONS ARE REQUIRED by Friday, September 23, 2011. RSVP to Nancy Williams at, nwilliams@unca.edu, or 250-2353. The mountains of Western North Carolina are home to an unparalleled diversity of plant life. For centuries, many of those plants have been used in folk medicines. In recent years, a whole industry has grown up around the therapeutic benefits of plant-based products. The Bent Creek Institute, located at the North Carolina Arboretum, is working to further develop this industry. Its laboratories discover, develop and test natural medicines and integrative strategies aimed at improving human health and wellness. That can translate not only into better health, but also new businesses and more employment opportunities. At the forefront of this effort is Gregg Cumberford, one of the founders and now the Executive Director of the Bent Creek Institute. He will be the featured speaker at LAF’s May 25th Critical Issues luncheon. As any parent knows, North Carolina schools are facing a number of challenges in these uncertain times. That certainly holds true for the Asheville and Buncombe County schools. Recently, there has been talk of consolidating the two systems. There also are issues of student achievement and testing standards. Perhaps even more urgent, there are serious budget problems to be confronted. At Leadership Asheville Forum’s April 27th Critical Issues luncheon, we’ll get a firsthand assessment of these and other matters from Dr.Tony Baldwin, Superintendent of the Buncombe County schools and Asheville City Schools Superintendent Allen Johnson. Asheville is home to one of the nation’s most enduring African-American institutions: the YMI (Young Men’s Institute) Cultural Center. Since 1892, it has provided social and economic opportunities for members of the black community. But these days its scope is broader than that. In recent years, it has played a role in developing the South Pack Square Redevelopment plan and has become a partner in the Pack Place Education, Art and Science Center. Now, from the historic building on Eagle Street, the YMI board is once again focusing on the economic and social welfare of the community. At Leadership Asheville Forum’s February 23 luncheon, YMI Board Chair and Interim Director Dan Johnson will tell us what other exciting things are in store for YMI and will offer a tour of the building. The guest speaker will be Chris Gentile, director of the Western North Carolina Nature Center. He will be accompanied by Nibbles, the groundhog, who will explain her predictions for Spring in a rare post-Groundhog Day press conference. The WNC Nature Center is one of Asheville's cultural gems. It exhibits only animals native to this region and its mission is to connect visitors to the incredible bio-diversity of the southern Appalachians. Mr. Gentile will tell us about the past, present and future of the WNC Nature Center and answer questions from the audience. Find out what Ashley Capps, CEO of AC After a major overhaul, Asheville’s downtown Pack Library reopened recently to considerable fanfare. At LAF’s November 17th Critical Issues luncheon, we present “Nook vs. Book” – an examination of how Kindles, Nooks and electronic books are changing the face of libraries, reading and even literature itself. Our presenters are Ed Sheary, director of Pack Library and Kirk Brown of Christ School. This provocative discussion originally was presented to Asheville’s historic Pen and Plate club. Find out what Ashley Capps, CEO of AC Entertainment, and Pat Whalen, Owner of The Orange Peel have to say about the music scene in Asheville: - Why do promoters like to bring concerts to Asheville? - Why is Asheville a mecca for musicians? - What is music’s economic impact on Asheville? The Biltmore Estate and Asheville have been nearly synonymous for well over a century, and their story is still being written. In recent years, the Cecil family has broadened Biltmore’s business beyond the historic home to include a winery, a hotel, and a host of other enterprises. Even in today’s difficult economic times, Biltmore continues to expand ambitiously into new areas. At Leadership Asheville Forum’s September 29th Critical Issues luncheon, Biltmore’s Jerry Douglas will discuss the company’s latest innovations, its commitment to community service and its plans for future development. This will be a unique opportunity to look inside – and ask questions about – one of the major engines of Asheville’s economy. The Southern Conference basketball tournament is scheduled to return to Asheville in 2012: a move which some believe will be of great benefit to the local economy. The tournament venue will be the Civic Center, which will receive $2 million in upgrades, thanks to a grant from the Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority. But is the tournament worth that much to Asheville? Will $2 million be enough to satisfy So Con officials, who are asking for $5.5 million in improvements? These and other questions will be discussed at LAF’s August 25th Critical Issues Luncheon. Our panel includes Civic Center Director Sam Powers, City Councilman Jan Davis, Executive Director Kelly Miller of the Asheville Convention and Visitors Bureau and Citizen-Times Sports Reporter Keith Jarrett. A behind-the-scenes look at the Asheville Tourists baseball club and a meeting with the team’s new president at McCormick Field to give the history of this Asheville institution and plans the new owners have for the Tourists. Information: Nancy Williams at 828-250-2353 |
