Chairman, Timothy F. Johnson
Timothy is the President and CEO of Leadership 101, a leadership training company. Timothy has served in the US Army. He serves on several boards and is an Adjunct Professor at Shaw University. He is married to Latessa Johnson, Director of Student Services at Asheville City Schools. They are members of the Mount Zion Missionary Baptist Church. He has four children from his previous marriage and is the proud grandfather of two.
1st Vice Chairman, William R. Jenkins
Rick is currently employed with the IWANNA USA. He has been married 17 years to his wife, Tommi, and has 2 children, Amanda 17 and Brooks 15. He had a 7-year career in the Gospel music business with the group Chronicle, which was honored by the Southern Music Gospel Association with Newcomer of the Year and several other gospel music nominations. He is a Desert Storm veteran and recently gave up his popular Charter Cable TV series “Rick’s Racing Report” and popular radio talk show to pursue a dream in politics. He currently promotes hunting and fishing in his home state of North Carolina.
Secretary, George E. Keller
George is a retired physicist. He and Alice moved to Asheville in 1999, and they have been actively involved in the community since that time. George has served as Chairman of the BCGOP as well as Vice Chair. He is President of the BCGOP Men’s Club. He began www.buncombegop.org in 2000. George presently serves as Chairman of the Asheville Civic Center Commission. He is married to Alice. Their three children have given them five lovely and lively grandchildren.
Treasurer, Ed Osada
Ed is a retired mathematics teacher who still helps coach the T. C. Roberson baseball team. He has been married to Cathie for 46 years. She sells their honey at the North Asheville tail gate market. They have 6 children and 4 grandchildren. They are members of St. Barnabas Catholic Church.
Member, Board of Elections, Robert Van Wagner
Communications Director, Diana Kantor
Diana relocated to Asheville in May of 2007. She registered Republican soon after, while following the Presidential election. Her passion for the Republican Party’s message of fiscal responsibility and limited government inspired her to get active with the Buncombe County Republican Party. Diana has worked as a software developer for over 10 years and is now part owner of the website design company, Xondie.
Membership Director, Gary Shoemaker
Gary is a retired businessman. He served as CEO, president and owner of several manufacturing corporations in Pennsylvania. Gary is also a veteran. He served as the PsyOps officer for company “A”, 5th Special Forces Group, in Bien Hoa, Vietnam. He was a candidate for U.S. House of Representatives in Pennsylvania in 1984 and 1998. Gary recently served as the Asheville grassroots campaign coordinator for Republican Presidential candidate Ron Paul and is now the coordinator for Revolution Asheville; a non-partisan, education based organization dedicated to promoting the principles of liberty. Gary is the proud father of two fine sons.
As Membership Director, Gary will reach out to new residents, new Republicans, unaffiliated voters, and young people, all those who support the principles of the Republican Party.
Chaplain, Reverend Spencer E. Hardaway
Reverend Hardaway is the pastor of Rock Hill Missionary Baptist Church in Asheville and the Chairperson of the Interdenominational Ministers Alliance. He also chairs the Social Action committee of the Baptist Ministers Union.
Member At Large, Mark Delk
Mark is the immediate past chairman of the Buncombe County GOP, a lifelong Republican, civic activists and a local businessman. Mark holds an undergraduate degree from Western and a Juris Doctorate from Wake Forest University. Mark has served his church parish as a vestryman, and Jr. warden and his diocese in various capacities. Mark has served on numerous charitable boards and organizations and views his service to the party as a civic duty. Mark is married to Kim Delk, Director of Pediatrics Services at Mission Hospitals. Their son is David Hampton Delk.
Member At Large, Don Yelton
Don is a Buncombe County native that was educated at UNC-A (double major in Biology and Psychology), ETSU( MS in Biology) and Clemson University (MS in Environmental Systems Engineering). His career has spanned from biology professor to currently teaching Environmental Science at Montreat in the SPAS program. He has published many articles and presented papers at national conferences on food cost, recycling and waste reduction, and Construction and Demolition waste. His latest project is developing a new approach to planning and development that rewards proper action when developing in sensitive areas. He lives on the land where he was raised in Jupiter with his wife of 38 years, Deborah Metcalf Yelton and their dogs Roxie and Mutt and two goats. In his spare time he produces two TV shows and answers many questions from citizens of Buncombe County about their government.
Member At Large, Zora Hays
Zora Reece Hays is a native of Madison County, moving to Buncombe in 1946. She has remained here except for the decade of the 1950s when she lived in Washington, D. C.(1950-55) and throughout the midwest after her marriage to Robert Hays from Indiana. She worked as a communications analyst at the National Security Agency while in Washington.
Zora’s post High School education consists of Asheville-Biltmore Jr. College, George Washington University and Indiana University.
Bob and Zora owned and operated the Hays House Restaurant from 1960-1972. They have two children.
Zora has been an active residential and commercial builder in our area for thirty years. She is Vice-Pres. and Staff Gen. Contr. for Quality Plus Homes, Inc. In 1985 she became the first female to be named Builder of the Year by the Asheville Home Builders Association.
