Just Economics of Western North Carolina
Board & Staff
Board of Directors 2010
Zach Comer – Chair; Maven Marketing
Sara Levine – Vice-Chair; Community volunteer
Chris Berthiaume – Treasurer; OnTrack Financial Education & Counseling
Tyrone Greenlee – Christians for a United Community
Isaac Coleman – Asheville Housing Authority
J. Nelson-Weaver- Health Partners
Kathleen Barnes- Living Wage Coalition of Transylvania County
Staff
Vicki Meath, Executive Director
Vicki comes to Just Economics with a background in community organizing. She has worked on environmental, social and economic justice issues ranging from responsible oil and gas drilling to protecting health and human services in the Ohio state budget. In 2006 Vicki worked with Let Justice Roll and Cleveland Jobs with Justice on the successful campaign to raise the state minimum wage and continued to work with Jobs with Justice on the Cuyahoga County Living Wage Campaign and other worker justice issues. Vicki has a strong commitment to and passion for economic justice work. Vicki has a 9 year old daughter and has lived in the Asheville area for nearly 3 years. Since moving to Asheville, Vicki has worked at Tripp’s as a bartender. Vicki has been very involved in the Parent Team at Vance Elementary serving one year as Co-chair, and she recently bought a house in West Asheville. Outside of her work life, Vicki started a camping club, she plays on a recreational soccer team, and enjoys spending time with her daughter.
Mark Hebbard, Living Wage Certification Coordinator
Mark first became involved with Just Economics as a volunteer during the preparation for the organization’s 2009 fall fundraiser. It was during those first meetings that he gained an appreciation for what JE stands for and its position in the Asheville area. Mark comes to JE with an extensive background in sales and marketing. . After graduating from East Carolina University with a marketing degree, he spent five years as a sales representative for Kodak in their office imaging division, working throughout Tennessee and North Carolina. Mark honed his marketing skills while promoting soccer to inner-city youth throughout the country. This led to various promotional positions with Nascar, Pepsi, Proctor and Gamble, Sunoco, and several other major global corporations. In addition to his marketing work, Mark has also traveled the globe and taught English in Korea. He is excited about the opportunity to focus on Asheville and work with local businesses in creating a sustainable local economy. In his spare time, Mark fixes up old houses, and is an excellent chef and skilled drummer.
Sophia Hatz, Voices for Economic Justice Program Coordinator Americorps VISTA
Sophia was first involved with Just Economics as a volunteer before stepping in to the VISTA position this year. Sophia graduated from Warren Wilson College in 2008 with a bachelor’s degree in global studies and a concentration in Latin America, history, and political science. Shortly after graduating, she spent five months in Panama, working with Global Brigades- a nonprofit, student-led international development organization. As a country director, she helped build and launch the Global Business and Global Environmental Brigades, which reached out to communities across Panama developing microenterprise and natural resource solutions. While in college, Sophia worked with community development in Bolivia through the Foundation for Sustainable Development. She plans to pursue a master’s degree in environmental economics and policy at Duke University in 2011. Sophia has a home in Sweden as well as in Asheville, and enjoys gardening, pickling, baking bread and raising chickens.