The UNC Asheville Board of Trustees, and all boards within the state university system, is comprised of 13 trustees. Eight trustees are appointed by the UNC Board of Governors, four appointed by the Speaker and President Pro Tem. The President of the Student Government Association also serves as a trustee and is elected annually among the student body. Contact the Board of Trustees at trustees@unca.edu.
Richard J. Lutovsky
A native of North Dakota, Rick earned a Masters Degree in Economics from North Dakota State University and served in the US Army Adjutant General Corps. Rick retired as President & CEO of the Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce in 2010. Previously, he served as President of the Greater Binghamton…
Robby Russell
A graduate of the University of North Carolina at Charlotte in 1983 with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration, Robby began his banking career with Central Fidelity Bank in Richmond, Virginia as a commercial lender. In February 1990 he joined First Union in Charlotte, as a Small Business…
Karen K. Brown '81
Karen K. Brown is a proud alumna of UNC Asheville, having graduated in 1981 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Fine Art. Karen is a full-time artist specializing in landscape oil paintings and her studio, Pink Dog Creative, is located in the Asheville River Arts District. She enjoys connecting…
Jim Peterson
Jim Peterson was born and raised in the Chicago, Illinois area and has resided in North Carolina since 2006. He received his Bachelor's degree in Business from Western Illinois University, and his MBA from University of Minnesota. Jim began his career in construction equipment manufacturing, distribution, and rental with Caterpillar…
Kennon Briggs
Kennon received his MPA in Urban Management and BA in Sociology from NC State before pursuing post graduate studies at the School of Government at UNC Chapel Hill. Kennon retired in 2012 as the Executive Vice President and Chief of Staff with the North Carolina Community College System after serving…
Roger Aiken
Roger Aiken has over three decades of experience in the financial services industry. Beginning his career with J.C. Bradford, Roger started his tenure at Wells Fargo Advisors with the merger of A.G. Edwards & Sons/Wachovia Securities and Wells Fargo Advisors. Having been through numerous changes and major market shifts in…
JW Davis
JW holds a BS in business administration from the University of South Carolina and is a graduate of the LSU School of Banking. JW is currently an associate with Bison Investments, Inc., a private equity investment firm. His previous work included 43 years in the banking industry, beginning with NCNB/NationsBank.…
Maurice Green
Maurice “Mo” Green is the executive director of the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation – a private, family foundation that has been a catalyst for positive change in North Carolina for more than 80 years and invested more than $589 million into the state. Mo works alongside Trustees and staff to…
Peter Heckman
Peter Heckman is the former President and CEO of Horace Mann Educators Corporation, a company focused on providing auto, home, property, and life insurance, as well as retirement annuities for K-12 teachers and educators. Prior to retiring in 2014, he served in this role for three years following his stint…
London Newton
London Newton is UNC Asheville's Student Body President and the student-representative on the Board of Trustees. She was born in Columbus, Ohio and relocated to Charlotte, North Carolina in 2010. She is a junior majoring in Political Science and double-minoring in Mass Communication and Legal Studies. She's served as a…
Wilma Sherrill
A Yadkin County native, Wilma served as an elected member of the North Carolina House of Representatives from 1994 until 2006. Prior to her elected service, Wilma was Commissioner of Motor Vehicles for the State of North Carolina and served as Director of Boards, Commissions and Personnel Appointments for Governor…
Cissie Stevens
Cissie received a BA in political science from Bryn Mawr. She retired from UNC Asheville where she led the College for Seniors program in 2002, and was asked to serve as the Interim Director for the North Carolina Center for Creative Retirement in 2009-10. Cissie is an active member of…
Oscar Wong
Oscar is a retired licensed professional engineer who started a new career in beer manufacturing in 1994, the first legal brewery in Asheville since Prohibition. He is still active in the business as his daughter takes over the helm. Over the years, Oscar has been recognized by the Tourism Development…
