Diversity: can include differences in ethnicity, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, socioeconomic status, physical ability, veteran status, etc.

      Equity: the process of ensuring that practices and programs are impartial, fair and available on an equal basis – “leveling the playing field.”

      Inclusion: creating a workplace and classroom culture where people feel a sense of belonging and feel comfortable and supported by the organization.

******************************************************************************

    At first glance, these principles seem reasonable but a large number of Americans believe just the opposite – that DEI doesn’t create fairness but promotes injustice and division. Approximately half the states have legislation in place to dismantle DEI programs in state-run institutions.

    At LAF’s April 24th Critical Issues luncheon, we’ll hear from legal expert Lucien “Skip” Capone, who will discuss the genesis of DEI, the reasons why it is being criticized and the strategies being employed to change or terminate it with a focus on how that is impacting DEI programs at North Carolina institutions of higher education.

        Dr. Capone was University Counsel with the University of North Carolina at Asheville from April of 2010 until his retirement in 2015. Prior to that, he was the University Counsel at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro from 1991 until his move to Asheville. Capone was a Navy Reservist in the Judge Advocate General’s Corps from 1982 to 2002. He served on active duty during Desert Storm and retired as a Commander.  Capone received the North Carolina Bar Association’s Citizen Lawyer award in 2008. He is a general aviation pilot and flight instructor.

Here are the details:

WHAT: LAF's April 24th Critical Issues Luncheon

          WHERE: The Country Club of Asheville, 170 Windsor Road

          TIME: Food Service begins at 11:45am, the program at 12:00pm

          COST: $25 for LAF members, $35 for nonmembers

         RESERVATIONS REQUIRED, by 12 Noon Wednesday, April 17th.

Luncheon Reservations for April 24th

   LAF is working to simplify and expedite the reservation process. To that end, we strongly encourage everyone to use our new on-line reservation system. Reserve by clicking this link https://forms.gle/Zvs9vX26oNJREkej7, and you will receive an email confirmation upon submission.

   If you prefer, you may still email LAF board member, David Bennert at lafregister@gmail.com. to reserve.  Nancy Williams hopes to be back at the helm later this spring!

Pratt & Whitney, one of the world's largest jet engine producers, opened a huge facility in Asheville in 2022 to manufacture turbine airfoil components.  The company's decision to locate its 1.2 million square foot plant here has important implications -- both for our region's  economy and our national security.  At LAF's March 27th Critical Issues Forum, we'll explore the evolution of that decision and how it was coordinated with the help of state and local officials.  Our panel of guest speakers are:

   Dan Field                 Ben Teague             Clark Duncan

    Dan Field manages Pratt & Whitney's Asheville production facility.  He also serves on the Western Carolina University Board of Trustees and the Asheville Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors.

   Ben Teague is Vice-President Strategic Development at Biltmore Farms, where his focus is crafting and executing strategy to turn real estate and relationships into capital investment and jobs for the community.

   Clark Duncan is Senior Vice-President of Economic Development for the Asheville area Chamber of Commerce, a public-private partnership charged with expanding economic opportunity in Buncombe County.

 Here are the details:

WHAT: LAF's March 27th Critical Issues Luncheon

          WHERE: The Country Club of Asheville, 170 Windsor Road

          TIME: Food Service begins at 11:45am, the program at 12:00pm

          COST: $25 for LAF members, $35 for nonmembers

         RESERVATIONS REQUIRED, by 12 NoonWednesday, March 20th.

Luncheon Registration for March

This month, we are taking luncheon registrations through an online form, as we work to provide a more streamlined experience for attendees.  You may register by clicking this link, and you will receive an email confirmation upon submission.  If you prefer, you may also email LAF board member, David Bennert at davidbennert@gmail.com to register.  Nancy Williams will be back at the helm later this spring!

Three local investigative reporters, two from Asheville Watchdog and one from the Asheville Citizen-Times, are continuing to dig deeply into the situation at Mission Hospital.  At LAF's February 28th Critical Issues forum, they'll present an update on their findings.

   The panelists are Peter Lewis, executive editor/reporter with Asheville Watchdog and a former senior writer, editor and columnist with The New York Times...

   Andrew Jones, investigative reporter with Asheville Watchdog and a former investigative reporter with the Asheville Citizen-Times.

   The forum will be moderated by David Feingold, Strategic Advisor to Asheville Watchdog and retired CEO of Blue Ridge Public Radio.

   Please note: Representatives from Mission Hospital and Dogwood Health also were invited to this forum.  Susan Mims of Dogwood Health had another engagement.  Nancy Lindell from Mission Health declined to participate "with the current group of reporters."

   We hope you will join us for this important program.  Be sure to bring your questions.

Here are the details:

WHAT: LAF's February 28th Critical Issues Luncheon

          WHERE: The Country Club of Asheville, 170 Windsor Road

          TIME: Food Service begins at 11:45am, the program at 12:00pm

          COST: $25 for LAF members, $35 for nonmembers

         RESERVATIONS REQUIRED, by 12 NoonWednesday, February 21st. RSVP to Nancy Williams at nancylcwilliams@gmail.com

Jingle on over to the McGuire, Wood & Bissette Law Firm for LAF's Holiday Party.  Our members-only party is a highlight of the year.  Enjoy hors d'oeuvres catered by Sweet Joy's Kitchen, along with drinks, raffle prizes, festive music and bright conversation!

Admission is free, but Santa would appreciate it if you would bring a check or a can of food for the MANNA Food Bank.

Space is limited, so RSVP now to nwilliam@unca.edu.

SEE YOU THERE!!!!

Victoria Isley, the president and CEO of Explore Asheville and the Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority will be the featured speaker at LAF's October 25th Forum.  The TDA is one of the most influential agencies in the Asheville area.  Ms. Isley will discuss "the ins and outs of how state legislation and local listening sessions shape how Explore Asheville and the Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority go about their important work on behalf of our community."

A graduate of UNC Chapel Hill, Victoria Isley's career in the travel and tourism industry spans 28 years.   She also has been named one of North Carolina's most influential leaders by Business NC magazine.

She will be  joined by Chris Cavanaugh, a past chair of the Buncombe County TDA, who served on the North Carolina Travel and Tourism Board, and later founded the Magellan Strategy Group.  He has spent much of his career in consumer marketing and as a tourism and hospitality expert.

Help Frame the Presentation

To ensure her presentation addresses the topics and questions of most interest to the audience, Vic Isley invites participants to submit questions in advance.  You can do that by listing your questions when you RSVP to Nancy Williams.  There also will be an opportunity to ask questions at the event.

Here are the details:

WHAT:  LAF's October 25th Critical Issues luncheon

WHERE: The Country Club of Asheville, 170 Windsor Road

TIME:  Food service begins at 11:45am, the program at 12Noon

COST: $25 for LAF members, $35 for others

Reservations required by 12 noon Wednesday, Oct. 18th. RSVP to Nancy Williams at nwilliam@unca.edu

Click here to view photographs from this program. Photo credit: Paul King

AI is revolutionizing how people are working and doing business, so why does it scare some people while exciting and inspiring others? This presentation promises to demystify the hype, provide historical context, and illuminate the limitless possibilities for transforming industries, enhancing customer experiences, and revolutionizing problem-solving. Reserve now and be part of the conversation that might reshape the way you perceive AI's role in our world.

Dr. Semmy Purewal is a software consultant who currently resides in Asheville where he is starting a consulting business. He has spent the past decade working as a software engineer for several large Silicon Valley companies including Netflix and Meta (formerly Facebook). Before that, he was an Assistant Professor at UNC Asheville.   

Dr. Sara Van Wart is an Assistant Professor of Computer Science at UNC Asheville. After receiving her Ph.D. in Information Science from the UC Berkeley School of Information she taught at Northwestern University. Prior to academia, she worked as a software designer/developer, building data and communication systems to support public accountability for city and regional development projects.   .

Jeffrey Kaplan is an award-winning entrepreneur, published author, and professional speaker on the topics of entrepreneurial development and startup ecosystems who currently serves as the Director of Venture Asheville. Prior to leading Venture Asheville, Jeffrey worked for a number of startups in product development spanning ed-tech, healthcare, pet-tech, a dating site, and an internet-connected kegerator

Here are the details:

WHAT:  LAF's September 27th Critical Issues luncheon

WHERE: The Country Club of Asheville, 170 Windsor Road

TIME:  Food service begins at 11:45am, the program at 12Noon

COST: $25 for LAF members, $35 for others

Reservations required by 12 noon Wednesday, Sept 20th. RSVP to Nancy Williams at nwilliam@unca.edu

Click here to view photographs from this program. Photo credit: Paul King

LAF kicks off the second half of its 2023 luncheon forums with one of our most popular programs: "The State of the City and County." Again this year, our guest speakers will be Asheville Mayor Esther Manheimer and Buncombe County Board Chair Brownie Newman. 

However, this year we plan to streamline the program by limiting each speaker to five slides, covering only their most important topics.   After their presentations, there will be follow-up questions from the moderators and an open q&a period with the audience.  We expect this to be a very informative program and we hope you will be able to join us.

Here are the details:

WHAT:  LAF's August 23rd Critical Issues luncheon

WHERE: The Country Club of Asheville, 170 Windsor Road

TIME:  Food service begins at 11:45am, the program at 12Noon

COST: $25 for LAF members, $35 for others

Reservations required by 12 noon Wednesday, Aug. 16th.  RSVP to Nancy Williams at nwilliam@unca.edu

NOTE: Registration is not required to attend this program. Please join us!

Leadership Asheville Forum (LAF) presents “The Opioid and Fentanyl Crisis: What Is Going on in WNC?” an evening forum and panel conversation at the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at UNC Asheville on August 9th from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. in the Manheimer Room of the Reuter Center.  This forum is free and open to the public.            

• Sheriff Quentin Miller, Sheriff of Buncombe County

• Dr. Shuchin Shukla, Physician at Julian F. Keith Alcohol and Drug Abuse Treatment Center, owner of Shukla Health Consulting LLC.

• Sarah Gayton, Community Integration and Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) Services Director at the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office.

• Claire Hubbard, R.N., Paramedic and Manager of the Community Paramedicine Program of Buncombe County. 

Questions and answers from the audience will follow the presentations and discussion by the panel.  

Please visit our website, leadershipashevilleforum.com for information about membership and future forums.  

Nancy Waldrop, chair of Leadership Asheville Forum

Artie Miller and Joe McGuire, co-chairs of this forum 

Click here to view photographs from this program. Photo credit: Paul King

This Spring marks the 144th anniversary of one of the most important and tragic events in the history of Western North Carolina. On March 11, 1879, railroad work crews finally broke through Swannanoa Mountain, opening a tunnel that connected Asheville to Salisbury and the rest of eastern North Carolina. It was a tremendous feat of engineering, but it came at a terrible cost of human lives – nearly all of them African-Americans.

At Leadership Asheville Forum’s May 24th Critical Issues Luncheon, we’ll hear from Dr. Dan Pierce, professor of history at UNC Asheville, about this landmark achievement and about those who suffered and died to bring Western North Carolina into the modern world.  We hope you can join us.

At this event, we will present our annual Circle of Excellence award, which honors an individual who has made significant contributions to the community. The program will also include a very short Annual Business Meeting. The sole purpose will be to elect LAF officers and board members for the coming year.

WHAT: LAF's May 24th Critical Issues Luncheon

WHERE: The Country Club of Asheville, 170 Windsor Road

TIME: Food Service begins at 11:45am, the program at 12:15pm

COST: $25 for LAF members, $35 for nonmembers

RESERVATIONS REQUIRED by 12:00 Noon Tuesday, May 16th RSVP to Nancy Williams at nwilliam@unca.edu

Click here to view photographs from this program. Photo credit: Paul King

The Amadeus Festival, the Asheville Symphony’s extraordinary, area-wide celebration of music and the arts, returns in May for a 10-day run.  This year, the theme is American music of every style from bluegrass, jazz and classical to rock, pop, and folk – plus stage, cinema and dance performances at venues throughout the greater Asheville area.  Among the headliners this year are Bela Fleck, the internationally-renowned banjo artist and Kishi Bashi, the celebrated multi-instrumentalist.

The Amadeus festival began in 2015 as a week-long event.  In 2017 and 2019 it was expanded to a major 10-day festival, bringing together many of Asheville's most talented musicians, artists and entertainers for a range of performances, education programs and social events.

This year, the celebration kicks off on May 11th with a beer tasting at Cursus Kĕmē on Thompson Street, a tribute to beer-lover Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. It concludes on the 20th with an evening performance by Bela Fleck and the Asheville Symphony.

At Leadership Asheville Forum’s April 26th forum, we’ll hear more from Daniel Crupi, the executive director of the Asheville Symphony.  We hope you’ll be able to join us.

WHAT: LAF's April 26th Critical Issues Luncheon

WHERE: The Country Club of Asheville, 170 Windsor Road

TIME: Food Service begins at 11:45am, the program at 12:15pm

COST: $25 for LAF members, $35 for nonmembers

RESERVATIONS REQUIRED, by 12 Noon Tuesday, April 18th. RSVP to Nancy Williams at nwilliam@unca.edu

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the program.

Be sure to mark your calendars for the next Leadership Asheville Forum event:

Wednesday, May 24th:  An Engineering Marvel & A Human Tragedy:  the history of the Swannanoa railroad tunnel, with UNCA history professor Dr. Dan Pierce.  At this event, we will present our annual Circle of Excellence Award to an outstanding local individual.  There also will be a very brief Annual Business Meeting to elect LAF officers and board members for the coming year.

Click here to view photographs from this program. Photo credit: Paul King

Springtime can be prime time for encounters with black bears in North Carolina. Does the presence of black bears worry you, or do you like seeing them in your back yard? 

At Leadership Asheville Forum's March 22nd luncheon, Ashley Hobbs, the Assistant Bear Biologist from the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission, will discuss the natural history of black bears in Western North Carolina and how you can use that information to safely coexist with these remarkable animals.   Among the topics to be covered are:

• Bear behavior and biology in North Carolina

• The BearWise initiative, which provides ways to prevent conflicts, resolve problems and strategies to keep bears wild.

• What to do (and not do) in a bear encounter.

• A question-and-answer session will follow the presentation.

Ashley Hobbs holds a degree in Forestry Resources from the University of Georgia. After graduating in 2015, she worked with several state and federal agencies before joining the Wildlife Resources Commission in 2019. She assists the state black bear biologist with the management of bears and 17 other furbearing species statewide. She also is responsible for the implementation of North Carolina's statewide BearWise Program. 

Here are the details:

WHAT: LAF's March 22nd Critical Issues Luncheon

WHERE: The Country Club of Asheville, 170 Windsor Road

TIME: Food Service begins at 11:45am, the program at 12:15pm

COST: $25 for LAF members, $35 for nonmembers

RESERVATIONS REQUIRED, by Noon Tuesday, March 14th. RSVP to Nancy Williams

Like journalists all across America, news professionals in Asheville, Buncombe County and the surrounding area find themselves struggling with issues both economic and political. Newspapers are seeing falling subscription rates and staff cuts.  Radio and television newsrooms face audience skepticism about media bias, fostered by accusations on social media and other internet sources.

To provide an update on the state of local news outlets, LAF will host a panel of leading journalists and editors at its February 22nd Critical Issues luncheon.

The panelists are Peter Lewis, reporter and managing editor for Asheville Watchdog; Karen Chávez , interim executive editor of the Asheville Citizen-Times; Jeff Pope, general manager of Blue Ridge Public Radio; Scott McLeod, owner-publisher and editor of the Smoky Mountain News, and Brian Nemitz, news director at WLOS-TV. Here are short biographies of each of the panelists.

This could be your best chance to ask questions of the people who report the news. We hope you can join us.

WHAT: LAF's February 22nd Critical Issues Luncheon

WHERE: The Country Club of Asheville, 170 Windsor Road

TIME: Food Service begins at 11:45am, the program at 12:15pm

COST: $25 for LAF members, $35 for nonmembers

RESERVATIONS REQUIRED by12 Noon, Tuesday, February 14th. RSVP to Nancy Williams

With a few exceptions, the 2022 mid-term elections were relatively calm and free of significant controversy.  But the issue of what constitutes “free and fair” elections still is  far from settled.  Just how secure and reliable is our state's election process from hacking and fraud?  A bi-partisan group called The Trusted Election Tour is working to provide information on the process and build trust in the state’s voting system. 

In December, the Democrat-majority state supreme court struck down a 2018 voter ID law passed by the Republican-dominated state legislature, saying it discriminates against minority voters. The court also ruled that a Republican-drawn redistricting plan used for the 2022 election was still a partisan gerrymander and needed to be redrawn.  That decision may not hold up for long, however, because the election changed the high court’s balance to a five-to-two Republican majority.

At LAF’s January 25th Critical Issues Forum, we’ll hear about these and other issues from former North Carolina Supreme Court Justice Robert Orr and from Western Carolina University Political Science Professor Chris Cooper. 

WHAT: LAF's January 25th Critical Issues Luncheon

WHERE: The Country Club of Asheville, 170 Windsor Road

TIME: Food Service begins at 11:45am, the program at 12:15pm

COST: $25 for LAF members, $35 for nonmembers

Reservations are required by Tuesday, January 17th. RSVP to Nancy Williams at nwilliam@unca.edu        

IMPORTANT REMINDER:  The deadline for renewing your LAF membership was December 31st!  If you haven't renewed yet, please do so today by following this link:

Leadershipashevilleforum.com/membership

You're invited to the 2022 Leadership Asheville Forum Holiday Party & Social

Please join us at the Country Club of Asheville for beer or wine, delicious appetizers and stimulating company!

WHAT:  LAF's Annual Holiday Party

WHEN:   Thursday, December 15th, 6:00 - 8:00 p.m.

WHERE: The Country Club of Asheville, 170 Windsor Road

This is a free event for LAF members and their spouses/partners, but we MUST have your reservation by Tuesday, December 6th.  No late reservations can be accepted. 

RSVP to Nancy Williams, nwilliam@unca.edu

BUY A RAFFLE TICKET AT THE PARTY

YOU COULD WIN a LARGE ANN VASILIK ORIGINAL WATERCOLOR 

Again this year, we are asking our guests to bring a donation for the MANNA Food Bank, either a nonperishable food item or a check. Donations are strictly voluntary, but we hope you will join us in helping the less fortunate at this special time of year.

China's authoritarian leader Xi Jinping has called the United States "the biggest source of chaos in the present-day world."  As the most powerful Chinese leader since Mao Zedong, Xi has been critical of America's "strategic pivot" to Asia and hasn't been reluctant to express his displeasure with U-S policy on a number of other issues. 

On Wednesday, November 30th, China Expert Dr. Jim Lenburg will discuss Xi's rise to power and how it has made his name almost synonymous with modern-day China.  It's a topic that should interest anyone concerned about the tense relationship between the world's  two most powerful nations.

This special Evening Forum, sponsored by LAF,  will be from 6:00 to 8:00pm in the Manheimer Room at UNCA's Reuter Center. Admission is free and the public is invited.

Dr. Jim Lenburg is Professor of History Emeritus at Mars Hill University, where he served as Chair of the Humanities Division, Dean of Arts and Science, and Dean of General Studies.  Jim received a bachelor’s degree from Butler University, a master’s degree in history and political science at Bowling Green State University and a Ph.D. from Penn State University. His major in college was Modern American history with a minor in Modern Chinese history. After graduate school he concentrated on U.S./China relations.   He has served as a Visiting Professor of English and American Studies at Jilin University in Changchun, China.  He also has led several study groups to China including one that coincided with the Tiananmen Square uprising in 1989. 

We hope you can join us for this special evening event.

With several entrances in the Asheville area, the Blue Ridge Parkway is our community’s most accessible national park.  It runs between the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in North Carolina and Shenandoah National Park in Virginia.

Begun in 1935 during the Franklin D. Roosevelt administration, the Parkway covers 469 miles and took more than half a century to build.  Since 1946, except for four years, it has been the most-visited unit of the National Park Service. 

The new superintendent of the Blue Ridge Parkway is Tracy Swartout, a Carolina native and a 23-year veteran of the National Park Service. She will be the featured speaker at LAF’s October 26th Critical Issues luncheon.

Tracy holds a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Geography from the University of South Carolina and a master’s degree in Natural Resources Management from the University of Waterloo in Ontario, Canada.  She also has done postgraduate work at Duke University's Nicholas School of the Environment, and she looks forward to sharing with you the unique challenges of managing the Blue Ridge Parkway.

WHAT: LAF's October 26th Critical Issues Luncheon

WHERE: The Country Club of Asheville, 170 Windsor Road

TIME: Food Service begins at 11:45am, the program at 12:15pm

COST: $25 for LAF members, $35 for nonmembers

RSVP to Nancy Williams at nwilliam@unca.edu

LAF’s “Climate Change & Environmental Resiliency…Making a Difference” forum will be held on Wednesday 12 October beginning at 5:30 pm at UNCA’s Reuter Center in the Manheimer Room.

Register Here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/laf-evening-forum-climate-change-environmental-resiliency-tickets-419103498847

Using focused presentations and small-group facilitation, the forum will offer participants the opportunity to consider their role in climate change and environmental resiliency. Specifically, they will be encouraged to leave the forum with deepened knowledge of the opportunity to impact climate change and the environment across three dimensions:

• In Their Home/Backyard

• In the Local Asheville/Buncombe County Community

• Beyond Buncombe County

In Part I of the forum, held in May, Jim Fox, Senior Resilience Associate with Fernleaf, discussed mitigation strategies applicable to Asheville and Western North Carolina. Part II will expand the topics to consider conservation actions, Green energy, education, collective action, and policy development. Participants will receive a curated reading list to stimulate their thinking beforehand. Click here for a copy of that list.

The lead speakers on October 12 will be Ken Brame, Sierra Club, and Deke Arndt, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. They will be assisted by facilitators who will rotate among each small group of participants to encourage developments in the three dimensions noted above. The facilitators are Eric Bradford, Asheville Green Works; Bridget Herring, City of Asheville; Jim Fox, Fernleaf; John Ross, Author/Ecologist; Renee Fortner, Riverlink; Rachael Blackburn, Conserving Carolina; Joel Porter, CleanAIRE NC; Megan Sutton, Nature Conservancy; and Robert Turner, Author and Director Creekside Farm Education Center. In addition, UNCA student members of the American Meteorological Society Student Chapter and those enrolled in the Environmental Studies program will participate and help to document recommendations.

Nancy Waldrop, LAF President had this to say about the upcoming Forum. “Leadership Asheville Forum is exceedingly pleased to present an evening forum on Climate Change and Environmental Resiliency…Making a Difference. Nothing is more critical to a continuing “life as we know it” on Earth than our response to the changes in our climate…and our acknowledgement of the role we play in creating those changes.  This summer, as never before, those changes are in evidence all around us and all over the world.  While it literally will take the world to effect this increasingly critical situation, there IS much we, as individuals, can do.  It is our hope this special Evening Leadership Asheville Forum, with the help of its exceptional speakers and facilitators will provide insight and motivation for each of us to consciously make our own contributions to reduce the effects of this climate crisis ….. whether in our backyard, our communities, or the bigger world …for the sake of all who are here, and most importantly, for those who come after us.”

WHAT:        LAF's October 12 Critical Issues Evening Forum

WHERE:      UNCA’s Reuter Center, 300 Campus View Road, in the Manheimer Room

TIME:          Begins promptly at 5:30 pm; arrive early to check-in, get your table assignment

COST:         Free

OF NOTE:    We will follow any health and safety restrictions recommended by UNCA in effect at the time of the event.

The deadline for registration is Sunday 9 October. LAF members have priority for registration. Membership is encouraged, but not required.

Most of the news headlines about this November's mid-term elections are focused on national issues.  But some important state and regional matters are also in play – including abortion access and Medicaid expansion. To find out where the state house candidates from Western North Carolina stand on these and other issues, LAF has invited all six candidates from districts 114, 115 and 116 to our forum on Wed., Sep. 28th.

This is your chance to meet the men and women who are seeking your vote and ask them about the issues that matter most to you. We hope you can join us.    

WHAT: LAF's September 28th Critical Issues Luncheon

WHERE: The Country Club of Asheville, 170 Windsor Road

TIME: Food Service begins at 11:45am, the program at 12:15pm

COST: $25 for LAF members, $35 for nonmembers

RESERVATIONS REQUIRED by Tuesday, Sept. 20th.  RSVP to Nancy Williams at nwilliam@unca.edu

The program also will be streamed on Zoom for LAF members who are unable to attend in person.  After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the program.

We kick off the second half of its 2022 luncheon forums with one of our most popular programs: "The State of the City and County."

Again this year, Asheville and Buncombe County are facing challenging times.  There are signs that COVID pandemic may be resurgent.  The city and county have filed a joint lawsuit against Hospital Corporation of America, accusing Mission Hospital of operating a virtual monopoly.  Meantime, the city continues to struggle with longer-term issues, like a depleted police department and chronic homelessness.

We expect to hear about these and other issues from Mayor Esther Manheimer and County Board Chair Brownie Newman.  They also will be available to answer your questions.  Here are the details:

WHAT:  LAF's August 24th Critical Issues luncheon

WHERE: The Country Club of Asheville, 170 Windsor Road

TIME:  Food service begins at 11:45am, the program at 12Noon

COST: $25 for LAF members, $35 for others

Reservations required by Tuesday, Aug. 16th.  RSVP to Nancy Williams at nwilliam@unca.edu

For members who cannot attend, this forum is free and will be available via Zoom. To access it, you will need to register in advance.  Just click on this link and follow the instructions. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email and a followup reminder. We hope you can join us.

This free members-only event is LAF’s way of saying “Thank You” to our members for sticking with us through the COVID-19 pandemic. It’s also a celebration of the Montford Park Players’ 50th Anniversary! To mark the occasion, the Players will present a 20-minute excerpt from William Shakespeare’s play As You Like It.

WHEN: Wednesday June 1, 2022, 6:00 pm (Rain date June 2)

WHERE:  The Hazel Robinson Theater, 92 Gay Street Asheville

WHAT: Beer, wine and soft drinks plus box lunches catered by 67 Biltmore and entertainment by the Montford Park Players

With the May 17, 2022 primary election just weeks away, all five candidates for Mayor of Asheville have agreed to appear at LAF’s April 27th luncheon forum. Please plan to join us and hear why each one believes he or she deserves your vote.

Dr. Cliff Feingold is a local dentist and first-time candidate. His campaign issues include public safety, greater government transparency, and providing a conservative voice to a predominantly liberal city.

Michael Hayes, also a first-time candidate, is a social justice advocate. His platform includes racial equity, community healing, and improved government transparency.

Esther Manheimer, a lawyer, has been Ashevilles mayor since 2013. Before that, she served four years on City Council. Among her issues are addressing homelessness, affordable housing, and public safety.

Kim Roney is a city council member and community activist who advocates for better affordability in housing, wages, and transportation. She all favors improving the public meeting process.

Jonathan Wainscott, another community activist, ran unsuccessfully for City Council in 2013 and for Mayor in 2017. His platform includes increased government transparency.

Our goal in this two-part series is to inform ourselves on the interconnected issues of housing; to listen, learn and distill our collective knowledge; to identify bold actions to address our challenges; and to become individually and collectively engaged on “getting housing right.”

Housing in WNC Part II will be held at UNCA’s Reuter Center, in the Manheimer Room and additional classrooms to accommodate social distancing and table setup.  We will begin promptly at 5:30 pm (arrive early to check-in and get your table assignment), and will conclude by 7:30 pm.

Our speakers for Part II will be Matt Allen of Land of Sky Association of Realtors, Todd Okolichany, Planning Director for the City of Asheville and Jim Lowder of Homeward Bound.

The added experts who will join our speakers to facilitate small group discussions are: Scott Adams of Land of Sky Regional Council; Ori Baber, Ph.D. with Urban3; Barry Bialik, Founder and CEO of Compact Cottages, Inc. and Thirsty Monk Brewery; Robert Hoke, Real Estate Agent with BlueBlaze Real Estate Group, and Kate Pett, Executive Director of Thrive Asheville.  Members of LAF will serve as notetakers and timekeepers.  We plan to spend about an hour in small groups before closing.

After this two-part series, Leadership Asheville Forum will work with our speakers and facilitators to write and share broadly a “white paper” with a summary of Parts I and II, key findings and recommendations authored by our experts on how we can address the challenges of Housing in WNC.

Your active participation in these fora – including your personal commitments to engage when you return home – will inform our experts as they consider what to include in their recommendations.

In a recent New York Times story on Spokane, WA with the headline “The Next Affordable City Is Already Too Expensive,” Spokane’s director of community and economic development says what we believe is true for us: “I’m realizing more and more how important the future prosperity of this city is about getting housing right.”

LAF Presents a Special Two-Part Series on Housing in WNC

The scope will be comprehensive, covering housing cost, supply, mix (rental vs. owned, single-family vs. dense), zoning for housing, the challenges developers face, redlining and its continuing impact, and affordable housing.

Our goal in this two-part series is to inform ourselves on the interconnected issues of housing; to listen, learn and distill our collective knowledge; to identify bold actions to address our challenges; and to become individually and collectively engaged on “getting housing right.”

Our speakers on March 23rd will be Derek Allen, an attorney with Allen Stahl + Kilbourne; Geoffrey Barton, of Mountain Housing Opportunities;  Sarah Grymes, VP Impact/Housing for Dogwood Health Trust and Andrea Golden, Co-Director of PODER Emma.

After registering, you’ll receive a link to the biographies of our Part I and Part II speakers and facilitators, and a curated list of recommended reading on the complex issues of housing. We warmly encourage you to read or watch the items selected in advance of the Forum so you arrive informed and ready to engage.

Returning to our previous history of evening forums, “Housing in WNC: Part II” will be held on Wednesday, April 6th starting at 5:30 pm at the UNCA Reuter Center. A separate invitation will follow.

Part II will feature another panel of speakers as well as facilitated break-out groups. You will be an active participant in these groups, engaging directly with our experts. Look for details on Part II in the next few weeks.

What are the myths and what are the realities about economic development and the workforce in our area? What do current trends and opportunities say about our future? The answers may surprise you.

Leadership Asheville Forum will sponsor an in-depth discussion of this important topic at noon on January 26th with two local experts: Clark Duncan of the Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce and Erica Anderson of the Land of Sky Regional Council.

Clark Duncan is Senior Vice President for Economic Development and Executive Director for the Economic Development Coalition for Asheville-Buncombe County at the Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce. His accomplishments in the field are too numerous to mention here, but they include industry retention and expansion, new employer recruitment and equitable workforce development strategies. During his 15-year career, Duncan has supported the expansion or recruitment of over 60 Buncombe County employers, leading to the creation of 6,000 new jobs and over $2 billion in new investment in Asheville and Buncombe County.

Erica Anderson joined the Land of Sky Regional Council in 2010. She leads the Council's Planning, Transit and Transportation Divisions in budget, personnel, partnerships and project development and management. Erica holds a B.S. from Colorado State University and a Master's degree in Urban and Regional Planning from Virginia Tech. She also worked as a Peace Corps volunteer in Morocco and enjoys experiencing world cultures. gardening and the outdoors.

Asheville Watchdog is a nonprofit, nonpartisan team of professional journalists who provide free, in-depth reporting to local news outlets in western North Carolina.  Recently, the group investigated Hospital Corporation of America, the for-profit company that acquired Mission Hospital in 2019.  Since then, Asheville Watchdog reports that Mission Health has become the most expensive hospital in North Carolina for many of its procedures, with prices often double the state average.

At LAF's virtual forum on Wed., October 27th, two of Asheville Watchdog's veteran reporters, Peter Lewis and Barbara Durr, will talk about their work with emphasis on the HCA/Mission Hospital investigation.  They'll also be available to answer your questions.

Peter Lewis is a former senior writer and editor for The New York Times, senior editor of Fortune magazine and John S. Knight Fellow and Hearst Visiting Professional in Residence at Stanford University where he taught journalism.

Barbara Durr is a former correspondent for The Financial Times of London and a former editor of NPR's "All Things Considered." She also was a senior manager at two international nonprofits, CARE and Oxfam.

This forum is free and will be available via Zoom to current LAF members.  The program will begin at 12:00 noon and end at approximately 1:30pm.  The extra half-hour, which we're calling a Deeper Dive, should allow time for more in-depth discussion.