Earlier this fall UNC Asheville's Leadership Program kicked off its 27th year with a dynamic nine-month program for local participants. The 62 members of Leadership Asheville 27 make up the biggest class in the program's history.

For more than two decades, the acclaimed program has built a strong tradition of leadership development and community involvement. Utilizing lectures, discussions, work groups and service projects, the participants will explore a variety of topics, ranging from the environment to education, and from local government to economic development.

Leadership Asheville has graduated more than 950 representatives of the region's economic, service and governmental sectors. Drawing from profit and nonprofit organizations, local government officials, private industry executives, university professors, stay-at-home parents, and school district administrators, Leadership Asheville's graduate network covers a diverse array of interests, opportunities and challenges inherent to the region.

The participants in the Leadership Asheville 27 program and their employers are: Dan Anderson, Southern Community Bank and Trust; Marilyn Ball, Kelso Advertising & Design; Sherman Bass, City of Asheville; Jan Blunt, Buncombe County Schools; Bob Bolak, Asheville Radio Group; Blake Boyd, The Buyer's Agent; Bradley Cain, community volunteer; Michael Carter, Mission Health Hospitals; Christina Corey, Asheville Citizen-Times; Julia Damore, community volunteer; Jerrell Deaver Jr., First Citizens Bank; James Diaz Jr., CoveStar Investment Realty Advisors; John Dietrich, Asheville Savings Bank; Carl Donovan, Conservation Pros; Julie Duriga, Julie L. Duriga, CPA; Lance Edwards, United Way of Asheville and Buncombe County; Jeffrey Ferezan, AB Tech Community College; Kyley Ferris, Hall Fletcher Elementary School; Bill Feste, Owen Middle School; Tim Flora, Buncombe County Finance Department; Rae Geoffrey, Diana Wortham Theatre; Brian Gompers, Carolina First Bank; Tracy Gualano, Junior League of Asheville; Nikki Gunter, City of Asheville; Marie Hall, Buncombe County; Latessa Johnson, Asheville City Schools; and Tom Keever, Valley Springs Middle School.

Also, Wanda Lanier, N.C. Outward Bound; John Locke, Mission Healthcare Foundation; Christine Lowe, Threat3 LLC; Brenda Macauley, Aesthetic Gallery; Lance Martin, Ward and Smith P.A.; Molly McNichols, Justin Winter & Associates; Amanda Meyers, Mountain Housing Opportunities; Merry Brooke Michalsen, Buncombe County DSS; Phillip Murphy, Phil Murphy Household Management; Heather Nelson, Pack Place; Sarah Nunez, Western Carolina University; John O'Neal, GDS Asheville; Sharon Gentry Owen, Sisters of Mercy Services Corporation; Jeffrey Piccirillo, The Grove Park Inn Resort & Spa; David Plaisance, Financial Strategic Decisions Inc.; Mary Lynn Powell, Eaton Corporation; Rev. Jim Pritchett Jr., Episcopal Diocese of WNC; Brian Repass, Community Action Opportunities - Head Start; Michael Richardson, M & R Enterprises; Michael Rottjakob, Asheville Buncombe Youth Soccer Association; Tami Ruckman, YWCA of Asheville; Linda Saylor, Wachovia Securities; Cynthia Sellinger, Vance Elementary School; Georgia Shannon, community volunteer; Roderick Simmons, City of Asheville; David Smith, Pisgah Community Bank; John Mark Stroud, Spake Real Estate; Monique Taylor, UNC Asheville; Eric Thorp, Christ School; Fred Waldkoetter, Mountain Biz Works Inc.; Don Watson Jr., community volunteer; Kristen Weaver, YMCA of WNC; Peter Wehr, Progress Energy; Shelley White, AB Tech Community College; and David Wilkerson, Van Winkle Law Firm.

Leadership Asheville 27 is supported, in part by, UNC Asheville, Southern Community Bank and Trust and VanWinkle Law Firm.

For more information about UNC Asheville's Leadership Programs, call 828/251-6125 or visit www.leadershipasheville.org.