Bringing people together through the arts is Katie’s passion, and that is just what she tries to do as the Executive Director of ArtsAVL. Along with the organization’s dedicated Staff and Board of Directors, she works to amplify what is happening in Buncombe County’s vibrant arts communities and ensure the continued sustainability and growth of the area’s richly diverse cultural sector. Katie Cornell (she/her) has more than 20 years of experience working in the Asheville arts sector and holds a Master’s degree in Arts Leadership & Cultural Management from Colorado State University and a BA in Drama from UNC Asheville. She is the Board Chair of Arts NC, Vice-President of the Western Arts Agencies of North Carolina, and the  past Chair of the City of Asheville’s Public Art & Cultural Commission. Katie also serves on the Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce’s Advocacy and Policy Committee.

Rebecca Lynch (she/her) has dedicated her 24 year professional career to cultural non profits, including three years as a project researcher for the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of American History, a 15 year development career with the Asheville Art Museum, and three years leading Chow Chow: An Asheville Culinary Event Series. While at the Asheville Art Museum, she managed the successful $25 million capital campaign for the award-winning new Museum which opened in Fall 2019. As a fifth generation resident of WNC, she has deep roots and strong ties to the area’s artist, agricultural, culinary, civic and business communities. She firmly believes that our creative community is the heart of our region’s vibrancy and central to its identity, health and success. Rebecca shares the Puffin, her tiny home nestled on family land in Fairview, NC, with her cat Maple, surrounded by local farms, family and friends. She practices her art in the kitchen as an avid culinary maker and passionate home cook, and is thrilled for the opportunity to continue to support our region’s extraordinary community of creative makers and arts organizations as Development & Grants Director for ArtsAVL.

With over five years of experience in public media, Elise McGannon (she/her) brings an understanding of the importance of community engagement to ArtsAVL. Having spent time at both Chicago and WNC’s public radio station affiliates in the music and underwriting department, Elise loves fostering meaningful partnerships within local communities. She deeply values artists and what they provide the world with – a one of a kind, genuine perspective on life that enriches the communities around them and makes an area special. Elise sees art in all its forms, including music and radio – she was a college DJ at Loyola University of Chicago for four years, also running her college radio station’s podcast studio and Production Department. She worked at WBEZ in Chicago in their music department before moving to Asheville and taking a sponsorship role at Blue Ridge Public Radio. Elise’s role as the Membership & Connections Manager helps drive our mission to enrich and engage Buncombe County’s arts communities.

Alexa Whitman (she/her) advocates for policies that will sustain and enrich our arts community. Coming from a long line of Appalachian creatives, Alexa understands the essential role of art and creativity in our region. Her love of creating began as a child, learning from her self-taught grandmother’s mountain and farmhouse watercolors. Having danced with Charlotte Ballet and then earning a BA in Art and a JD from Washington University in St. Louis School of Law, Alexa’s background allows her to appreciate both the unique ability of art to benefit a community, as well as the strategic needs of advocating for the artists and art organizations within that community. Alexa’s advocacy experience includes policy work at the Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce, post-conviction relief cases with Washington University and Phillips Black, and First Amendment research for Yale University. As Advocacy & Research Manager, Alexa advocates for policies that reflect the needs of the cultural sector to support a thriving creative workforce and resources that are accessible, equitable, and inclusive.