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keynote speakers
Opening Session
| Clark Duncan Clark currently serves as Senior Vice President for Economic Development, and Executive Director for the Economic Development Coalition for Asheville-Buncombe County at the Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce. He leads a departmental team of nine including functional areas of industry retention and expansion, equitable workforce development strategies, new employer recruitment, research and the entrepreneurial programs of Venture Asheville as guided by the AVL5x5 Strategic Plan for Job Creation. Across his 15-year career in local economic development, Duncan has supported the expansion or recruitment of over 60 Buncombe County employers, facilitating the creation of 6,000 new jobs and over $2Billion in new investment in Asheville and Buncombe County. Significant corporate projects have included the recruitment of Pratt & Whitney, New Belgium Brewing, Linamar, Reich Automotive, White Labs and Fox Factory as well as strategic local industry expansions such as GE Aviation, Kearfott Navigation and Guidance Systems, Borg Warner Turbo Systems, Jacob Holm Industries, Thermo Fischer Scientific, AVL Technologies, Nypro and Moog Music. Duncan also lead the development of new initiatives like the WNC Transportation Alliance, Sustainable Manufacturing Council, Next AVL Mentorship Coalition and the Inclusive Hiring Partners that advance the goals and core values of economic sustainability. The EDC maintains rigorous accreditation by the International Economic Development Council and remains one of only 70 accredited economic development organizations in the nation. The Asheville Chamber was also awarded National Chamber of the Year by the Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives in 2019. |
Closing Session
| Joseph B. Hill Joseph B. Hill is a strategic leader with over 20 years of experience as a Chief Inclusion Officer, renowned for transforming organizations through innovative diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) strategies. He has a proven track record of driving measurable outcomes in healthcare, non-profit, and education sectors, aligning DEI with organizational growth and sustainability. Joseph’s executive leadership spans multiple academic and medical institutions such as Cone Health, Thomas Jefferson University, Jefferson Health, Froedtert, and the Medical College of Wisconsin where he led enterprise-wide initiatives that strengthened governance, advanced health equity, and enhanced stakeholder engagement. As the founder of JBrady5 Consulting, he advises organizations in the U.S. and South Africa on strategic leadership and social impact, demonstrating a global perspective on business and community advancement. His governance expertise is underscored by his role on the Board of Trustees for Herzing University and his tenure at Virginia Union, where he established the Joseph Brady Hill Endowed Scholarship to support students and promote educational access. Joseph’s ability to bridge strategic vision with actionable results reinforces his influence as a valuable contributor to organizational oversight and mission-driven success. Joseph earned a Master’s degree from Howard, a Bachelor’s degree from Virginia Union, and a certificate in Diversity Healthcare Management from Georgetown University. He actively engages with organizations such as Virginia Union, Herzing University, Intelligere, and Generation Growth Capital, leveraging his expertise to create equitable opportunities and drive holistic change. |
