Board of Directors

Western North Carolina Public Radio, Inc. Operating as (d/b/a) Blue Ridge Public Radio

The Board of Directors of Western North Carolina Public Radio, Inc., also known as Blue Ridge Public Radio (BPR), is responsible for the governance of BPR as a nonprofit organization. The Board provides oversight for BPR’s operations, including the management of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) broadcast licenses for the stations operating under the BPR News and BPR Classic brands.

Board and Committee Meetings for Fiscal Year 2026

The regular meetings of the Board of Directors and its Committees for the 2025-2026 fiscal year will take place from October 1, 2025, through September 30, 2026. All meetings of the Board and Committees are open to the public. Meeting minutes are available for public inspection at the BPR offices or can be requested by emailing board@bpr.org.
Closed meetings outside the regularly scheduled calendar may be held to discuss confidential matters and will not be open to the public.

The schedule for meetings is outlined below:

• Click here for the FY2026 Board & Committee Master Calendar
• Click here for the FY2026 Closed Session Meeting Calendar

Attendance

To attend any meeting, please RSVP in advance by contacting board@bpr.org.
For more information about BPR’s governance or to contact the Board of Directors, please reach us at (828) 210-4800 or (828) 210-4804 during regular business hours, or via email at board@bpr.org.

BOARD OFFICERS

Rick Devereaux, Chair
Artie Miller, Vice Chair
Ashley Saville-Amtower, Secretary
Thomas Sneed, Treasurer
Ele Ellis, CEO and General Manager

FULL BOARD
The year each member joined BPR's Board of Directors along with committee assignments.

Ricardo Bello-Ball (2026)
Committee Assignment: (To Be Announced)

Melinda Bullen (2026)
Committee Assignment: (To Be Announced)

Dan Carter (2025)
Committee Assignment: Great Place to Work

Grainger Caudle (2022)
Committee Assignment: Finance, Audit

Liz Colton (2026)
Committee Assignment: (To Be Announced)

Rick Devereaux (2023)
Committee Assignment: Executive (Chair), Community Advisory Board Liaison

Andrea Fey (2022)
Committee Assignment: Great Place to Work, Audit

Joel Kelley (2024)
Committee Assignment: Finance

Marianne Martinez (2022)
Committee Assignment: Advancement (Co-Chair), Executive

Tracie Metz (2024)
Committee Assignment: Great Place to Work (Chair), Executive

Artie Miller (2022)
Committee Assignment: Executive (Vice Chair)

Kyle Parks (2024)
Committee Assignment: Advancement (Co-Chair), Executive

Heather Parlier (2025)
Committee Assignment: Nominating and Governance

April Perry (2025)
Committee Assignment: Great Place to Work

Semmy Purewal (2025)
Committee Assignment: Finance

Susan Reiser (2021)
Committee Assignment: Nominating and Governance (Chair), Executive

Carol Rovello (2025)
Committee Assignment: Great Place to Work

Ashley Saville-Amtower (2023)
Committee Assignment: Executive (Secretary), Nominating and Governance

Thomas Sneed (2024)
Committee Assignment: Executive (Treasurer), Finance (Chair)

Tish Szurek (2025)
Committee Assignment: Advancement

Julio Tordoya (2024)
Committee Assignment: Nominating and Governance

Yvonne Villanueva-Russell (2026)
Committee Assignment: (To Be Announced)

Amber Weaver (2024)
Committee Assignment: Advancement

Rob Young (2023)
Committee Assignment: Advancement