Non City-managed Boards

Last updated or reviewed on April 1, 2026

There are a number of boards that the City of Asheville does not manage, but to which City Council appoints members. These boards are managed by external agencies, so the information listed below is limited. To find out more about each of these boards, please visit their external webpages or contact the staff liaison for each board using the contact information provided below.

Alcoholic Beverage Control Board
    • Purpose: The Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) Board has authority over administration, real estate, personnel and retail sales of liquor inside Asheville’s corporate limits. It is an independent unit of government that assures the responsible operation of the system within the boundaries of the laws and rules of North Carolina.
    • Membership: The ABC Board is appointed by Asheville’s City Council and serves at their pleasure. The board consists of five members. The term of office is three years.
    • Contact: For information about the ABC Board, please email Mark Combs at markc@ashevilleabc.com.
Asheville-Buncombe Air Quality Agency Board
  • Purpose: The Asheville-Buncombe Air Quality Agency Board advises City Council and the Buncombe County Commissioners on matters related to the development of policies and plans to improve air quality. The Air Quality Agency Board’s primary responsibility is to govern the overall operations of the Agency, including oversight of the Agency budget, selecting the Director according to Buncombe County personnel policies, approval of industrial source permits, and final judgment on appealed Notices of Violation and civil penalties. The board also approves rule updates and changes, including permit fees, and policies implemented by the agency.
  • Membership: The board consists of five members, two of whom are appointed by City Council and three of whom are appointed by the Buncombe County Commissioners. The term of office is six years.
  • Contact: For information about the Air Quality Agency Board, please email Ashley Featherstone at Ashley.featherstone@buncombecounty.org or call her office at (828) 250-6778.
Greater Asheville Regional Airport Authority
  • Purpose: The Greater Asheville Regional Airport Authority oversees the management and operation of the Asheville Regional Airport.
  • Membership: The authority consists of seven members: two shall be registered voters of the City of Asheville and appointed by the Asheville City Council; two shall be registered voters of the County of Buncombe appointed by the Board of Commissioners of Buncombe County; two shall be registered voters of the County of Henderson appointed by the Board of Commissioners of Henderson County; and one shall be appointed by the majority of the other six members.  The term of office is four years.
  • Contact: For information about the Greater Asheville Regional Airport Authority, please email Ellen Heywood at eheywood@flyavl.com.
Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority
  • Purpose: The Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority (BCTDA) is a public authority created by state law and subject to North Carolina state statute. Its members also serve as directors of a non-profit entity that employs the staff of Explore Asheville. Members of the Authority administer the proceeds of the occupancy tax within the legislative mandate of the legislation that established the tax. The BCTDA’s purpose is to further the development of travel, tourism, meetings and events in the county through marketing, advertising, sales and promotion. The authority also administers the Tourism Product Development Fund (TPDF) and Legacy Investment from Tourism Fund (LIFT).
  • Membership: The Authority consists of 11 members:

    • Six (6) owners or operators of hotels, motels, bed and breakfasts, or vacation rental management companies, four of which own or operate hotels, motels, or bed and breakfasts, with more than 100 rental units, two of whom shall be appointed by the Asheville City Council and two by the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners; and one of which owns or operates hotels, motels, bed and breakfasts, or vacation rental management companies, with 100 or fewer rental units, who shall be appointed by the Asheville City Council; and one of which owns or operates hotels, motels, or bed and breakfasts with 100 or fewer rental units, who shall be appointed by the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners.

      • Definitions: Vacation rental management company – (1) A corporate entity having at least five rental units that are available for rent in Buncombe County for more than sixty percent (60%) of the days in the calendar year. (2) Vacation rental management company owner – The owner of a corporate entity having at least five rental units that are available for rent in Buncombe County for more than sixty percent (60%) of the days in the calendar year. (3) Vacation rental owner – The owner of at least one vacation rental unit in Buncombe County, registered in compliance with all local and State laws, that is available for rent for more than sixty percent (60%) of the days in the calendar year.

    • Three (3) individuals actively involved in the tourist business who have participated in tourism promotion, appointed as follows:One (1) vacation rental owner or vacation rental management company owner appointed by the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners;

    • One (1) executive from a ticketed tourist attraction appointed by the Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce; and

    • One (1) restaurant owner, owner of a brewery, distillery, or winery open for tours or tastings, or executive director of a ticketed arts organization appointed by the Asheville City Council.

    • One (1) member of City Council (who is an ex-officio non-voting member); and one (1) member of the Buncombe County Commissioners (who is an ex-officio non-voting member).

    • Members shall serve three-year terms and may serve no more than two consecutive terms. 

    • Current BCTDA members and board composition requirements
  • Contact: For information about the Buncombe County TDA, please email Sarah Myers at smyers@exploreasheville.com.
Housing Authority of the City of Asheville
  • Purpose: The Housing Authority of the City of Asheville (HACA) Board of Directors reviews and approves budgets for submission to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, approves plans and specifications, awards contracts and appoints the Executive Director of the Housing Authority.
  • Membership: The HACA board of directors consists of nine members, all appointed by the Mayor. The term of office is four years.
  • Contact: For information about the Housing Authority of the City of Asheville, please email Ella Santos at esantos@haca.org or call her office at (828) 239-3522.
Metropolitan Sewerage District Board of Directors
  • Purpose: The Metropolitan Sewerage District (MSD) Board of Directors oversees the operation of the Metropolitan Sewerage District and holds hearings on related issues. The MSD is a public body organized under the provisions of the North Carolina Metropolitan Sewerage Districts Act, being Article 5, Chapter 162A of the General Statutes of North Carolina, as amended. 
  • Membership: The MSD board consists of fourteen (14) members. Three from the County of Buncombe, three from the City of Asheville, one from Woodfin Sanitary Water & Sewer District, two from Cane Creek Water & Sewer District and one each from the Towns of Biltmore Forest, Black Mountain, Montreat, Weaverville and Woodfin. The term of office is three years.
  • Contact: For information about the Metropolitan Sewerage District Board, please email Pam Nolan at pamn@msdbc.org.
Mills River Partnership Board
    • Purpose:  The Mills River Partnership Board coordinates resources to monitor, preserve, protect, and improve water quality in the Mills River through voluntary participation of stakeholders.
    • Membership: The Mills River Partnership Board invites each of the agencies and organizations identified below to appoint one individual per entity to serve as a member of the board: Conserving Carolina, City of Asheville, City of Hendersonville, MountainTrue, Farm Bureau Federation of Henderson County, Henderson County Agricultural Advisory Committee, Henderson County Board of Commissioners, Henderson County Soil and Water Conservation District, Town of Mills River, Town of Mills River Agricultural Advisory Committee, and Trout Unlimited. In addition to the Directors who serve by virtue of appointment by these agencies and organizations, there will be at least two at-large seats on the Board. The term of office is three years. 
    • Contact: For information about the Mills River Partnership Board, please email Maria Wise at maria.millsriverpartnership@gmail.com