Our Economic Development department staffs the Economic Development Coalition for Asheville-Buncombe County (EDC). The EDC is a public-private partnership funded by Buncombe County, the City of Asheville, the Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce and private investors through the AVL 5×5 Campaign.
Chair: Carol Steen, Biltmore Farms
Immediate Past Chair: Sabrina Rockoff, McGuire, Wood & Bissette
Secretary: Kit Cramer, Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce
Kirk Ritchie, Thermo Fisher Scientific
Greg Lowe, Mission Health / HCA NC Division
Jay Richardson, Burial Beer
Allison Blake, SoulKu
Abhishek Biswas, BorgWarner
Jael Skeffington, French Broad Chocolates
Amanda Edwards, Buncombe County Commission Chair
Avril Pinder, Buncombe County Manager
Lew Bleiweis, Greater Asheville Regional Airport Authority
John Oswald, Mills Manufacturing Corporation
Dr. Maggie Fehrman, Asheville City Schools
Debra Campbell, City Manager, City of Asheville
Dr. Robert Jackson, Buncombe County Schools
Hon. Esther Manheimer, Mayor, City of Asheville
Dr. John D. Gossett, A-B Tech Community College
Jennifer Bennett, Duke Energy
Greg Reynolds, Enbridge Gas North Carolina
Michael Baer, AVL Hatch Foundation
All meetings begin with networking at 8:00 a.m. and the meeting from 8:30–10:00 a.m. in the Chamber Boardroom, unless otherwise noted. All details are subject to change. For information about meetings, contact dmonstrola@ashevillechamber.org
Friday, July 25, 2025
Friday, August 29, 2025
Thursday, September 25, 2025 – Chamber & EDC Leadership Circle Meeting, 3:00–5:00 p.m., Location TBD
Friday, October 31, 2025
No November Meeting
Wednesday, December 10, 2025 – Metro Economy Outlook, 11:00 a.m.–1:30 p.m., Omni Grove Park Inn Resort & Spa
Friday, January 30, 2026
Friday, February 27, 2026
Thursday, March 26, 2026 – Chamber & EDC Leadership Circle Meeting, 3:00–5:00 p.m., Location TBD
Friday, April 24, 2026
Friday, May 29, 2026
Friday, June 26, 2026