Press release from RiverLink:
ASHEVILLE, NC — RiverLink is pleased to announce nine new members have joined the RiverLink Board over the past several months and two positions have been created for local college students to provide board service opportunity:
Leah Wong Ashburn, Leah is the owner and president at Highland Brewing Company in Asheville, N.C. Leah has been a driving force to encourage Highland’s involvement in environmental causes and for developing sustainable business practices like solar energy on the campus of the Brewery. She was recently honored as a nominee for Outstanding Beer Professional by the James Beard Foundation.
Dan Hitchcock, Dan Hitchcock is a previous Board Chair of the RiverLink Board of Directors. Dan is partner in the law firm of Hitchcock Hildrebran where his practice is focused on commercial real estate and business transactions and real estate finance.
J Hackett, J is Executive Director at Asheville Green Opportunities where he brings 17 years of experience in supportive services and community-based programming, with previous roles ranging from counselor and program manager to executive director.
Sandi Garcia Boyer, Sandi is Executive Director of the NC Youth Camp Association having served more than two decades in marketing, communications and nonprofit development roles. Sandi and her husband Jason moved to Asheville in 2010 for his position at WLOS-TV and Sandi for a position with a local nonprofit as the Director of Development and Marketing.
Lach Zemp, Lach is an attorney with the Roberts & Stevens Law Firm and has 25 years experience trying cases and representing a variety of professional, outdoor-recreation, industry, and business interests. He has served on a variety of local boards including Pisgah Legal Services, Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy, Warren Wilson College, and WCQS Public Radio.
John Ross, is the principal of RossWrites LLC which provides strategic communications to higher education and conservation non-profits. He is also a past chairman of the Virginia Council of Trout Unlimited.
Anne Keller, PHd., Anne is recently retired from a career at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency where she was responsible for sustainable community initiatives across several federal agencies to promote more sustainable approaches to housing, transportation, health, and food production at the local level.
Kimani Anderson is a Junior at UNC Asheville and Alexandra Blue is a recent UNC Asheville Graduate and McCullough Fellow. Both are serving terms for students of local universities as part of our Collegiate Board Member Program providing board service opportunities to local students.
Existing RiverLink Board Members include:
Chair, Fred Cardina – Retired HR Professional
Vice-Chair, Michael Bragg — Retired Vice Pres. and General Claim Counsel – State Farm Insurance
Treasurer, Dave Lewis – Retired Chief Financial Officer
Board Secretary, Sandy Melton – part owner, Blue Heron Whitewater
Ken Grossman – CEO and founder, Sierra Nevada Brewing
Jason Young – Town Manager, Town of Woodfin
Peter Sprague – Director of Fuel Operations, Ingles Markets
Lowell Grabel – Retired Project Management Consultant
Paul Dismukes – Retired Healthcare Professional
John Oswald – President and CEO, Mills Manufacturing Corporation
Joseph Ransmeier – Joe Ransmeier Woodworking
Joe Sasfy – retired Music Critic Washington Post and Time-Life Music series
David Whilden – Senior Trust Officer Boys Arnold Trust Company
According to Garrett Artz, Executive Director of RiverLink, “We are proud that so many of our region’s best and brightest leaders choose RiverLink as a place to provide their diversity of skills to carry forward the hard work of revitalizing the French Broad River Watershed.”
Founded in 1987, RiverLink is a catalyst for the environmental and economic revitalization of the French Broad River and its watershed.
For more information about RiverLink and its programs, contact Suzanne Moore, development manager, (828) 252-8474, suzanne@riverlink.org; or check out riverlink.org.
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