Western North Carolina Economic Development Group

Staff Members

Scott Hamilton (Staff)
President & CEO, AdvantageWest

In January 2009, the AdvantageWest Board of Directors unanimously promoted Scott Hamilton to serve as the organization’s third President & CEO. As CEO, Scott is responsible for implementing policy as determined by the AdvantageWest 21-member Board of Directors and to support the staff with implementation of the organization’s program of work. In this role, he serves as an ex-officio member of the Board of Directors and Executive Committee. As a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and of the University of Oklahoma’s Economic Development Institute, Scott has enjoyed a varied career in economic development. Before being recruited back to AdvantageWest in 2006 to serve as the organization’s Executive Vice President, Scott served as the founding President & CEO of the Henderson County Partnership for Economic Development, Inc., after several years as Executive Vice President of the Henderson County Chamber of Commerce. Prior to his service in Henderson County, Scott was Director of Marketing & Site Development for AdvantageWest. Subsequent to that, he served with the Caldwell County Economic Development Commission as the Retention & Expansion Specialist and also as its Interim Executive Director. Before starting his career in economic development, Scott worked in the healthcare industry as the Business Office Manager at Watauga Medical Center in Boone NC. He is a past President of the NC Economic Developers Association and served for five years as the co-chair of the organization’s Legislative Committee. In addition to his membership in the NCEDA, he is a member of the International Economic Development Council and the Southern Economic Development Council. He serves on the Board of Directors of the NC Rural Economic Development Center and is co-chair of the organization’s Workforce Development Program Committee. He is a member of the WCI Inc. Board of Directors and, since 2001, has served as a gubernatorial appointee on the Governor’s Commission on Workforce Development. He is also a past member of the NC Economic Development Board and the NC Community Colleges Foundation Inc. Board of Directors. Scott lives in Henderson County with his wife and two daughters.

Tom Johnson (Staff)
Executive Vice President, AdvantageWest

Tom Johnson joined the AdvantageWest team in November 2011 as the Executive Vice President with primary responsibilities in the industrial recruitment and large business area. Tom’s previous experience includes economic development positions in Rutherford County NC, Burke County NC and Greene County Tennessee. Tom holds a Bachelor of Science Degree from East Tennessee State University and a Masters Degree from the University of Oklahoma. He is also a graduate of the Economic Development Institute through the University of Oklahoma. He is an active member in the International Economic Development Council where he is a Certified Economic Developer (CEcD). He is also active in the Southern Economic Development Council and has been awarded the Honorary Life Membership (HLM). Over his economic development career, Tom has coordinated the location of companies with a combined announced value in excess of one billion dollars. In 2011, Tom was presented the North Carolina Economic Developer of the Year award by the North Carolina Economic Developers Association.

Kathy Neall (Staff)
Sr. Vice President - Finance, AdvantageWest

Senior Vice President of Finance, Kathy Neall works closely with AdvantageWest President & CEO Scott Hamilton and the board’s Finance & Audit Committee to manage the day-to-day fiscal responsibilities and administrative policies for the organization. Among her primary responsibilities are budget preparation and monitoring, financial management and reporting, payroll and benefit administration and technical support and analysis. Kathy earned her Certified Public Accountant certificate and was formerly employed by the financial management and accounting firm of Hansen, Johnson & Associates, PA. With more than 20 years experience in accounting, including governmentals and nonprofits, she brings both depth and breadth to her position at AdvantageWest. Kathy and her husband live in the mountains of Henderson County.

Matt Raker (Staff)
VP of Entrepreneurship & AdvantageGreen, AdvantageWest

Matthew Raker serves as Vice President of Entrepreneurship and AdvantageGreen. As director of AW’s entrepreneurship efforts, Matt works closely with regional partners to ensure WNC is home to a thriving entrepreneurial ecosystem. This work includes managing the Blue Ridge Entrepreneurial Council, the Certified Community Program and the Advantage Opportunity Fund. Building on his considerable work at the intersection of economy and environment, Matt also heads the AdvantageGreen program, an initiative to capitalize on WNC’s exceptional natural assets and opportunity to be a leader in sustainable industries. Through AdvantageGreen, Matt works with startups, existing industry and regional partners to advance WNC economic clusters in clean energy, green building technologies, natural products, sustainable agriculture, outdoor sports and climate science. Prior to joining AdvantageWest in 2009, Matt was an entrepreneur himself, first starting an interactive marketing firm and then a web-software startup providing social network management and visualization services. Matt holds degrees in Economics and Natural Resources Management from UNC Asheville. He lives in Asheville with his wife Danya, where he enjoys cycling, music, local food and pretty much anything outdoors. Matt also serves as Chair of the Sustainability Advisory Committee for Asheville City Council, on the board of the Western North Carolina Alliance and is a member of the International Society for Ecological Economics.

Mary Lou Surgi (Staff)
Executive Director, Blue Ridge Food Ventures, LLC

Mary Lou Surgi holds a B.S. in Health Education from Appalachian State University, and Masters Degrees in Public Health and Food Systems Administration from the University of Tennessee. She is also a graduate of the A-B Tech Culinary Program, and combines this culinary knowledge with over 15 years experience working with farmers in Africa and Asia. She is FDA-certified to supervise acidified food processing operations as well as Juice Production under HACCP Guidelines. She regularly teaches at the John C. Campbell Folk School and is a member of the American Culinary Foundation. Mary Lou lives in Asheville.

Amanda Baranski (Staff)
Executive Assistant & Assistant Corporate Secretary, AdvantageWest

Amanda Baranski, a native of Woodleaf NC, joined AdvantageWest in September 2006. She maintains the day-to-day workings of the office, supplies key administrative support to both the AW Board and CEO Scott Hamilton, and assists each program director. Amanda earned her bachelor’s degree from UNC Asheville and has prior work experience with the Catawba College President’s Office and with Catawba’s Board of Trustees. Amanda resides in Fletcher with her fiance and enjoys photography and natural surroundings in western North Carolina.

Karen Davis (Staff)
Accounting Associate, AdvantageWest

Karen Davis joined AdvantageWest on a contract basis in August 2008 and became a full time employee in December 2008. She is a native of Henderson County and has one married son finishing his degree at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Her work experience has always been in accounting, payroll and secretarial work. In her free time, Karen enjoys spending time with her family, working with her husband on their home, yard and vegetable garden, plus volunteering at their church.

Mimi Hill (Staff)
Administrative Assistant, AdvantageWest

Mimi Hill joined the AdvantageWest team in November 2011. She helps with the day-to-day tasks and operations in the office. A native of Asheville, she recently graduated with a bachelor’s degree in communications from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Kathi Petersen (Staff)
PR/Marketing/Communications Manager, KP Communications

Kathi Petersen provides communications expertise to AdvantageWest as a member of our contract staff. The owner of KP Communications in Asheville, Kathi has more than two decades of hands-on and leadership experience in corporate communications, PR and marketing, media relations, advertising and promotion, issues and reputation management, strategic counseling, writing and editing, and community outreach. She has a B.S. degree in Communications Media/Media Advertising from Appalachian State University and a Master’s degree in Public Affairs from Western Carolina University, and is the recipient of numerous local, regional and national awards for her work.

We are stronger together than we are as individuals. Regionalism is critically important for local developers as we work to improve the economy and quality of life for our citizens. AdvantageWest provides the means for us to think and act regionally.

Dr. Patricia Mitchell
Chair/Local Developers Advisory Council
Ashe County Director of Economic Development