A month after Hurricane Helene devastated Western North Carolina and Asheville, the Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority (TDA) started inviting tourists back. As a Buncombe County and City of Asheville resident, I think this is a bad idea. I recognize tourism is an important part of the Asheville and Buncombe County economies, but now is […]
Dear City of Asheville Mayor Esther Manheimer – Times of crisis reveal character and leadership. Your resilience and unwavering commitment have been truly inspiring! You have done an outstanding, heroic job of coordinating the efforts of the City of Asheville, NC, with federal, state, county, and faith-based agencies responding to the havoc, chaos, and damage […]
We are coming up on day 14 without power, internet, and water. Someone recently asked, “What is a typical day like without power, internet, or water?” My day begins in the first sunlight. When I get out of bed, I “wash” my hands with hand sanitizer and brush my teeth using water from a bottle. […]
This disaster in Western North Carolina is beyond imagination. No movie director could top the scenes in and around us. The pictures I could share of downed trees, power lines, and water runoff are nothing compared to what you see on the national news. The destruction in Biltmore Village is heartbreaking. The communities of Swannanoa, […]
Tim Walz can call me weird, but I appreciate this serious crisis I am experiencing in Asheville, NC. “You never want a serious crisis to go to waste!” – Rahm Emanuel Reminded: I am a creature of habit. After seven days without power, I still walk into a room and reach for a light switch! […]
One of my favorite questions to ask coaching clients is, “When did you become an adult?” Louise Aronson, Elderhood: Redefining Aging, Transforming Medicine, Reimagining Life, writes if we live a full life, we will experience childhood, adulthood, and elderhood. Adulthood is that expansive gap between childhood and elderhood. Defining childhood is hard. Is it biological […]
The Republican Party is in chaos. There are two very different brands of Republicans. There is the Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger Republican brand who put the United States over party. They support democracy, not autocracy. I know Liz and Adams’s values. I trust Liz and Adam. I can agree to disagree with Liz and […]
I’ve never worn a presidential campaign button. I have never donated to a presidential candidate campaign. I’m doing both now as an older, white, heterosexual, Christian, able-bodied, economically stable, registered independent, privileged male who not only supports and will vote for Kamala Harris but will also be voting for: – democracy over Project 2025 and […]
I attended the Braver Angel WNC Town Hall, a significant event that was based on the Braver Angels Trustworthy Elections Report, a comprehensive and credible resource on Restoring Trust in Our Elections. The Town Hall began with an overview of the report. Then, we broke into seven small groups, each discussing one of the seven election topics. 1. […]
An electrician recently charged me $1,200 to rewire our kitchen for remodeling. He and his partner were there for 6 hours. The cost of supplies was over $100. I thought his bill was expensive. Then, I heard back from a client on a proposal for leadership development, who told me my fee was too high. […]
