Cheers!

Business Shout-outs from Around Western North Carolina Awards & Recognitions

James Radford, MD, an oncologist and cancer research pioneer who retired in 2021 from Pardee UNC Health Care after more than 20 years, was presented with the Order of the Long Leaf Pine. This is the highest award for state service granted by the Office of the Governor.

McDowell Technical Community College proudly announced that Centro Unido Latino Americano, in partnership with the college and Isothermal Community College, has been awarded the 2023 NC Community College System Distinguished Partners in Excellence Award.

S. Yaseen Zia, MD , a radiation oncologist with Pardee UNC Health Care, has been appointed by Governor Roy Cooper to serve as a member of the North Carolina Advisory Committee on Cancer Coordination and Control.

National Association of Home Builders recognizes Semper Fi Custom Remodeling with two awards for best home kitchen remodel.

The Haywood Regional Medical Center announced Emergency Department Manager Jackie Sanford, RN their most recent DAISY Foundation Award winner.

Henderson County Education Foundation inducts Patricia Allen , Brenda Walker Gorsuch , Ingrid McNair, and Dr. Kathy Revis into the 2023 Education Hall of Fame.

Promotions & On The Move

Dogwood Health Trust announced the addition of two members to its Board of Directors. The Board has confirmed Carol Burton, Ed.D. (Jackson County) and Jamie McMahan (Yancey County) as new members.

Pardee UNC Health Care has named Joel Callahan, M.D., FAAN , a board-certified neurologist, as chief of staff. In this role, Dr. Callahan will provide leadership, guidance and a voice for medical staff, as well as create a dynamic physician environment committed to high-quality, patient-focused care and safety.

AdventHealth welcomes Laura Maure, CPC, CMA to her new role as Physician Services Director for AdventHealth Hendersonville. Maure has been part of the AdventHealth team since 2019, most recently serving as Practice Manager at AdventHealth Medical Group Obstetrics & Gynecology at Medical Office Building.

Hatch Innovation Hub welcomes new leaders. Maui Vang , co-founder of Tilly and founder of Uphora Dance Fitness, will be stepping into the organization’s Vice Chair position. Also, four new members, Betty Shotton , founder of LiftOff Leadership, Dr. Susan Clark Muntean , Associate Professor of Management at UNCA, Kim Celentano, co-founder and CEO of VirtualJobShadow.com, and Chris DeVault, founder of Alpha Vanguard, will be joining the Hatch board.

The Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce welcomed a new Director of Business Recruitment, Keevon Baten . Keevon was an intern with the Chamber fifteen years ago. Since then, Keevon graduated from Appalachian State University, working in finance and lending for the Peace Corps, Merrill Lynch, and most recently Mountain BizWorks.

Dogwood Health Trust announced that Mark D. Constantine, PhD , a well-respected leader and influencer within health philanthropy, will join the organization as Senior Vice President of Community Investment in mid April 2023. Constantine joins Dogwood after having served as President and CEO of Richmond Memorial Health Foundation for seven years.

AdventHealth Hendersonville welcomes Constance (Connie) Stec, H(ASCP) to her new role as Director of its Laboratory. Stec most recently served as Laboratory Operations Supervisor at AdventHealth Hendersonville. Stec is an experienced laboratory scientist, with 11 years in health care management focused on operations and process improvements.

Regional affordable housing nonprofit Mountain Housing Opportunities welcomes Victor “Vic” Anderson to the organization as its new Chief Financial Officer. Anderson will lead MHO’s financial strategy and guide day-to-day fiscal operations, including oversight of MHO’s Loan Fund.

Joel Adams and Associates, an Asheville-based registered investment advisor, announced that Certified Public Accountant Chad Storck joined the firm as a co-owner at the start of 2023.

Poppy Handcrafted Popcorn, Inc. announced that global brand and business executive Susan Aplin has joined the company as its Co-CEO and Chairwoman of the Board of Directors. Aplin will co-lead the company with Founder and Co-CEO Ginger Frank.

Haywood County Schools named Casey Conard , Jennifer Reeves , and Jacob Shelton as new administrators at a Special Called Board Meeting in February.

Coming Soon

AFC Urgent Care will celebrate its Arden location’s grand opening in April.

First Contact Addiction Ministries will celebrate the opening of a residential recovery center in Henderson County in April.

Mini Batch Bakery will celebrate their grand opening with a ribbon cutting in April. Looking Glass Realty will celebrate their new Hendersonville location with a ribbon cutting in April.

Movement Bank , located at 2397 Hendersonville Road,will celebrate the opening of their new full service retail location that handles both consumer and commercial clients in April.

Mountaineer Motor Tours will celebrate its grand opening at Greenwood Village in May.

Chai Pani Restaurant Group announced Indian street food concept Botiwalla to open in West Asheville in June.

Expansions & Grand Openings

Taco Billy opens its second location in downtown Black Mountain. This restaurant features unique tacos for breakfast and lunch.

Fermenti opens a brick-and-mortar location in Woodfin. In their new location, they will offer special products, classes, collaborations, and a fermentation club.

Prism Studio Space is now open in the Hatch Innovation Hub building in downtown Asheville. The studio is available to rent on its own or with photography, art direction, and styling services offered by the in-house creative team.

Hendersonville Toy Company celebrated their Grand Opening and Ribbon Cutting in February. Located inside Gateaux Cakes & Pastries at 315 S Church St., Hendersonville Toy Company is more than your average toy store offering a variety of toys, adult & youth games, and a great selection of books.

Formation PR + Brand has expanded its leadership team with the addition of two new senior strategists. The addition of Annie Carlson and Julia Hockenberry equips the agency to better meet the burgeoning needs of clients within the agency’s focus areas of higher education, nonprofit and philanthropy, healthcare, and regional and economic development.

Bunnell-Lammons Engineering has relocated its Asheville, NC office to 30 Park Ridge Drive in Fletcher. The new location will provide additional office space for an expanding staff and for the Asheville office’s construction materials laboratory.

Homestead Recovery Center in Boone celebrated its grand opening in March. Their vision is to create a unified voice and access point for peer led recovery in Watauga County.

Crossroads Ice Cream & Coffee in Mill Spring celebrated their grand opening in March. They are a family-owned business serving a variety of coffee drinks and more than 30 flavors of Hershey’s ice cream.

Beech Mountain’s Town Hall and Visitor Center will undergo an expansion project from May 2023 to April 2024. VPC Contractors from Banner Elk will be adding 1,775 square feet to the Town Hall and 958 square feet to the Visitor Center.

Partnerships, Mergers & Acquisitions

Appalachian Regional Healthcare System is partnering with Senior Care Services to promote wellness communication and improved patient outcomes. Those identified patients will receive letters introducing this new service, along with a call to participate in the Senior Care Program.

Prime Capital Investment Advisors has partnered with Earth Equity Advisors to expand PCIA’s national footprint and provide the firm with valued momentum in the sustainable, responsible, and impact investing space while adding $151 million in assets under management.

Bojangles and Appalachian Mountain Brewery have partnered to brew Bojangles Hard Sweet Tea. The two Carolina-born brands joined forces to carefully combine Bojangles’ knowledge of expertly steeped sweet tea and AMB’s award-winning brewing innovation.

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