The Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce is delighted to announce the selection of its new President & CEO as Kit Cramer, current President of the International Downtown Association (IDA) in Washington, DC. Cramer will bring a wealth of experience to Asheville, as she was employed for 17 years in a variety of management positions with the Charlotte Chamber of Commerce, served as chief public information officer for two large school systems and is a former elected official. Cramer will assume her new role at the Chamber on November 15, replacing Rick Lutovsky who is retiring after 10 years as Chamber President & CEO.Join us in welcoming Kit Cramer and thanking Rick Lutovsky.
Full press release below...
ASHEVILLE CHAMBER ANNOUNCES NEW PRESIDENT & CEO
Asheville, North Carolina—The Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce is pleased to announce the selection of its new President & CEO as Kit Cramer, current president of the International Downtown Association (IDA) in Washington, DC.
Alice io Oglesby, chair of the Chamber Board and president of io design and illustration, inc., reported that the Chamber’s Board of Directors approved the recommendation of the Search Committee to hire Kit Cramer at its called meeting on October 6. Cramer will begin work on November 15, replacing Rick Lutovsky who is retiring after 10 years at the head of the organization.
“Kit brings an excellent set of skills to the position,” said Mike Willett, Chair of the Search Committee. “During the interview process, we were impressed not only with the variety of professional experience she has to offer, but also her enthusiasm and obvious passion for Chamber work.”
“Asheville is a beautiful, exciting place. The diversity of thought there is one of the things I found most attractive about the community. I’m honored to have been selected for this position and am excited to get to work,” said Cramer. “Rick Lutovsky has built a strong and accomplished team. I look forward to getting to know them as well as the community as I work with the Board to take the organization to the next level.”
Cramer’s current organization, IDA, is a 650-member association with the mission of being a guiding force in creating healthy and dynamic city centers that anchor the well-being of towns, cities and regions throughout the world.
Prior to leading IDA, Cramer worked for the Charlotte Chamber of Commerce for 17 years in various management capacities, including as executive director of Member Services where she worked with the Chamber’s seven area chapters. As a Vice President in the Economic Development division, she worked as a recruiter for new business as well as an advocate for existing businesses. As group Vice President for Education, she worked on education public policy and workforce development initiatives.
Prior to her tenure at the Charlotte Chamber, she served as public information officer for two school systems. She also worked as a downtown manager early in her career.
While working in education public policy, Cramer also served as Vice-Chair of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education for three years.
A graduate of the University of Florida with a degree in Journalism & PR, Cramer is a native of Jacksonville, Florida. She has received the Certified Chamber Executive designation from the Association of Chambers of Commerce Executives. She has been married to her husband, Mark, for 27 years. They have two grown children, Kathryn and Mac, who live in Charlotte.
The Chamber’s Search Committee was comprised of Oglesby, Immediate Past Chair Mike Willett of BB&T, First Vice Chair LaVoy Spooner of AT&T and former Chair Peter Alberice of Camille-Alberice Architects. Susie Jernigan of Sockwell Partners managed the process.
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