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Critical Issues Luncheons

The 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 Buncombe County Board of Education, 175 Bingham Road. See Upcoming Events section for times and directions.)

• August 25, 2010: Southern Conference 2012
  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.
  
  Here are the details:
  
  WHAT: LAF’s season-opening Critical Issues luncheon
  
  WHEN: Wednesday, August 25, 2010
  
  WHERE: The Buncombe County Board of Education building
  
  TIME: Food service begins at 11:45am, program at 12:15pm
  
  COST: $14 for LAF members, $16 for all others, payable at the luncheon
  
  RESERVATIONS ARE REQUIRED by Friday, August 20, 2010. RSVP to Nancy Williams at nwilliams@unca.edu, or 250-2353
  


• May 26, 2010: LAF Visits Asheville Tourists at McCormick Field:
  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.
  
• April 28, 2010: Patsy Keever and Bruce Goforth have a debate on the merits of their candidancies.
  
  
• March 31, 2010: Hank Dunn, AB Tech's new president introduces himself.
  
  
• March 11, 2010 (rescheduled from February 24, 2010): Charlie Flynn-McIver, co-founder and artistic director of North Carolina Stage Company, Asheville's only full-time professional theatre, examines arts in Asheville.
  
  
• January 27, 2010: Moderator John Boyle, of the Citizen-Times leads discussion about Asheville as “beer city” - Tony Kiss, “the Beer Guy” of the Asheville Citizen-Times, Mike Rangel of Asheville Brewing, president of the Asheville Brewer’s Alliance, and Oscar Wong of Highland Brewery are the panelists.
  
• November 18, 2009: Asheville Citizen-Times publisher Randy Hammer on the state of the daily newspaper in America and the outlook for the daily paper in Asheville.
  
  
• October 28, 2009: City Council Candidates Forum.
  
  
• September 15, 2009: Tom Tveidt and President of Beverly-Hanks & Associates, Neal Hanks provide an overview of our current economic situation and offer some thoughts about the future.
  
  
• March 25, 2009: Gary Giniat, the new executive director of the Pack Square Conservancy and Guy Clerici, board chair: Pack Square Park redesign.
  
  
• February 25, 2009: Jack Stevens: Great Depression days in Asheville.
  
  
• January 28, 2009: Rick Lutovsky, President and CEO of the Chamber, and Asheville City Councilman Brownie Newman on the I-26 expansion alternatives.
  
  
• October 29, 2008: Jane Whilden and Tim Moffitt, candidates for NC State House Seat 116
  
  
• September 24, 2008: Congressional candidate Carl Mumpower.
  
  
• September 17, 2008: Downtown Master Plan.
  
  
• August 27, 2008: Candidates for chairman of Buncombe County Commission David Gantt and Nathan Ramsey.
  
  
• April 16, 2008: Presentation at Blue Ridge Film facility.
  
  
• March 2008: Presentation on gang supression efforts of the Asheville Police Department and a realistic view of the impact of local street gangs on the Asheville community.
  
  
• February 2008: Discussion by Randy Hammer of his experience as executive director of Asheville Citizen-Times
  
  
• January 2008: Presentation by NC Arboretum director George Briggs.
  
  
• November 2007: Dr. David Brown, director of Hub-Alliance, on "Rejuvenation and Climate Change Trends: Asheville's Tickets to a Healthy Job Outlook"
  
  
• October 2007: Sheriff Van Duncan reviews his first year on the job.
  
  
• September 2007: Dr. Betty Young, president of AB-Tech, on "Living the Community College Story."
  
  
• May 2007: Elaine Lite of Mountain Voices Alliance on "Development versus the Public Good," including the growing erosion and sedimentation problems and steep slope building issues.
  
  
• April 2007: Virgil Smith on the state of the media.
  
  
• March 2007: Joe Minicozzi leads a discussion of creative ways to design bridges, gateway, and neighborhoods around the I-26 connector project.
  
  
• February 2007: John Martin on the proposed Center for the Performing Arts, and City Councilman Jan Davis with an update on the civic center.
  
  
• January 2007: County Commissioners David Gantt and Carol Peterson and County Zoning Commissioner Jim Coman on the proposed comprehensive zoning plan.
  
  
• November 2006: UNCA political science professor Bill Sabo on "Did the 2006 Election Mean Anything Other than Politics is Really Expensive?"
  
  
• October 2006: Candidates for Sheriff Bobby Medford and Van Duncan.
  
  
• September 2006: Congressional candidate Heath Shuler.
  
  
• August 2006: Congressman Charles Taylor.
  
  
• May 2006: Dan Ray, head of the Institute at Biltmore, on the WNC HUB project for rejuvenation of the economy of Western North Carolina and its implementation in Buncombe County.
  
  
• April 2006: Asheville's new Chief of Police Bill Hogan detailing his strategies for fighting crime.
  
  
• March 2006: Pat Whalen, president of Public Interest Projects, addressing challenges for downtown Asheville.
  
  
• February 2006: Mayor Terry Bellamy on her priorities for the first year of her administration.
  
  
• January 2006: Michael Miller with Riverlink speaking on lessons from the local floods of 2004.
  
  
• November 2005: Dr. Martha Salyers speaking on WNC preparations for the bird flu.
  
  
• October 2005: Mayoral finalists Terry Bellamy and Joe Dunn.
  
  

Information: Nancy Williams at 828-250-2353
Email (preferred): events AT leadershipashevilleforum.com