The Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce inducted Carolyn Coward of The Van Winkle Law Firm as Board Chair on Dec. 5th at the organization’s December Board of Directors meeting. Coward has served as chair of public policy, treasurer and most recently as first vice chair.
As a principal with The Van Winkle Law Firm, Coward focuses her practice on health care and employment law. She is a frequent speaker before legal and health care industry organizations as well as private businesses in North Carolina.
She presently serves as a member of the University of North Carolina Board of Governors and is the acting secretary of the Budget and Finance Committee and the Committee on Healthcare. She also participates as a board member of the Asheville Art Museum.
Coward said, “The Chamber has long been interested in finding ways to support small employers with healthcare, so that will be a focus for us in the next couple of years. We’ll also continue to drive job creation and support existing businesses through active engagement with state legislators.”
Coward replaces Himanshu Karvir of Virtelle Hospitality who served as board chair since June 2017. During his tenure as chair, the Asheville Chamber was named Outstanding Chamber of the Year by the Carolinas Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives. Other notable accomplishments include conducting a ten-county State of the Workforce Analysis, recruitment of Fox Factory, successfully lobbying for funding of the I-26 connector, collaboration with Center for Craft Creativity and Design on an affordable housing survey targeting the creative sector, supporting women in business through the WomanUP program and welcoming more than 200,000 visitors to the Asheville Visitor Center.
“Himanshu has been a steadfast advocate for the Asheville Chamber,” said Kit Cramer, the Chamber’s President and CEO. “He and Carolyn both graciously agreed to serve as board chair for an additional six months to allow for a seamless leadership transition.”
Karvir remains on the board and executive committee as Immediate Past Chair.
About the Asheville Chamber
For more than 120 years, the Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce has supported the community by growing jobs, advocating for a business-friendly environment and helping businesses thrive. The Asheville Chamber consists of 1,700 member organizations (representing more than 80,000 employees) who are dedicated to building community through business. Located at 36 Montford Avenue, the Asheville Chamber also operates the Asheville Visitor Center, serving more than 200,000 visitors each year, and the Asheville Shop, showcasing many local products and Asheville gifts.
Learn more at ashevillechamber.org.
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