2019-2020 YPA BOARD

Born and raised in Asheville, Jonathan attended Asheville High School and Belmont Abbey College outside of Charlotte NC, graduating with a BS in Business Administration.  He began his professional career working with Skyline Properties as a real estate appraiser and eventually formed his own firm, J.A. Hunter, Inc.  In 2013, Jonathan switched gears and moved to the brokerage side of the real estate business. He joined Keller Williams Professional Realty as the Lead Sales Professional for the Streppa Team.  In 2015, Jonathan formed the Asheville and Associates team at Keller Williams and has been a multi-million dollar producer since starting the team.

Jonathan is a true Ashevillian who resides in Haw Creek with his wife, Karen Edey, a recent PharmD graduate from the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy satellite program at UNCA. He is also dedicated to several area organizations and sits on the Board of Directors with the Young Professionals Asheville, Green Opportunities, and the Agent Leadership Council at Keller Williams. 

  After growing up here in Asheville, Josh had always wanted to come back home to lay down roots and build a wonderful life.  After moving back, Josh was introduced to YPA and immediately enjoyed being a part of this small community.  He graduated from Clemson University with a degree in Mechanical Engineering and is now a Manufacturing Manager at a small company in the large-diesel engine industry called Aprotech Powertrain.  Josh has always been a “people person,” with the gift of gab, ever since he was a little boy, pushing a pallet jack around the warehouse in his grandfather’s company and talking to customers as they shopped in the stores.  When Josh is not at his day job, he is working on building his own design services company as well as starting in real estate (Licensed NC Broker) and investing.

Meg Nolte currently serves as the General Manager of UNC Asheville Sports Properties with Learfield IMG College. Meg relocated to the Western North Carolina area from Tampa, Florida, where she was previously Senior Director of Partnership Services, Activation & VIP Experiences for the global endurance sports and lifestyle brand, IRONMAN. With extensive experience in the sports marketing, sponsorship, professional sports & collegiate multimedia rights space, Meg brings a professional background of leading teams of varying sizes and abilities. She believes your own professional development is a crucial element of setting yourself up for continued professional success. Meg graduated from St. John Fisher College with a double major in Sports Management and Marketing and a minor in Spanish. Additionally, she was a Service Scholar and a 4-year starter on the Women’s Soccer Team. Meg is an avid traveler and is settling into the Asheville area with her husband, Reid, and rescue kitty, Dixie. She is a graduate of Leadership Asheville XXXVII and enjoys living an active lifestyle, while soaking up the sun.

Jared Kay is the Creative Lead & CEO of Amplified Media, and has served as a YPA board member in the past. We liken Jared Kay to a golden retriever: aside from the obvious friendly and easy going demeanor, Amplified’s founder’s determination, enthusiasm, and loyalty make him stand out in a field that can often feel cold and pretentious. He’s been capturing amazing adventure and outdoor photography in our region for many years, and partners on campaigns for Explore Asheville, Visit North Carolina, and National Geographic. Jared is rooted locally but is visible globally. As the only  team member without a desk, Amplified’s founder can often be found on location or in the studio. When he isn’t behind a camera, Jared spends early mornings exploring the mountains at sunrise, and enjoying the countryside by bike, behind the lens, or on foot with his wife Sonia, and their dog Cookie. He can often be found with a cup of coffee and a good book.

As a dedicated member of YPA since 2013, Justine is delighted to assume more responsibility on behalf of the organization’s membership.  Justine owns a local organic-based landscaping firm, RootWise Landscape Solutions, LLC, alongside her husband Jake.  She also holds a bachelor’s in mass communication concentrated in journalism from UNC Asheville.  Justine’s educational background coupled with her business management experience lends her the skill set necessary to ensure YPA is striving for excellence through all its practices and offerings.  Justine believes that YPA members each have a unique story to tell, expertise to relate, and motivation to share.  Her primary goal is to foster this cumulative energy in order to create more measurable, meaningful experiences to draw from.  Justine intends to work hand-in-hand with both the board and greater membership to elevate YPA, taking our ‘Connect, Lead, Serve’ mission to the next level.  Justine has two daughters, Veronica and Abigail, and enjoys playing music, baking, spending time with her family, and getting away to the NC coast whenever possible.

Celesta Edge is the co-owner for local businesses, Monogram Asheville and Mtn Merch. Monogram Asheville is a business and specialty embroidery boutique. Mtn Merch is your one stop shop for locally made goods and Asheville apparel. She was born and raised here in the beautiful North Carolina mountains. Her favorite things to do include hiking, yoga, archery, and being outdoors. Celesta has been involved with YPA for a little over a year. She is very excited to be a part of the board and to get the opportunity to be more involved in the Asheville professional community. 

Ashley was born and raised in Toledo, OH, and got her Bachelors of Arts in Psychology at the University of Toledo. Her adoration for art and sustainability made Asheville an ideal home, and she made it her mission to get here. She has three and a half years’ in Workforce Development Case Management, and several years’ experience in the Customer Service Industry. Ashley loves to travel, meet new people, and has a passion for forever learning. 

Recently relocating from Cincinnati to Asheville, Mackenzie has loved getting to know the community and beauty this city has to offer. Graduating with her MBA from the University of Cincinnati in 2017 allowed her to move up within her organization, USGreentech, a synthetic turf company. Now working remotely for the same company still as Marketing Manager, she loves getting to experience all the different aspects of marketing that make every day new, exciting, and full of learning. Her specialties include branding, project management, event planning, and working with an array of marketing software to increase efficiency and effectiveness. She enjoys helping her team grow and develop personally and professionally and finding creative ways to stay connected to her team while remote. After acting as a member of the YPA for the past year, she is excited for the opportunity to become more involved and contribute her skills to the role of Membership co-chair. Mackenzie can be found in her spare time at a local brewery with her husband, Bobby, or hanging out with their cuddly cat named Crosley. But when the weather is nice on a Saturday, she loves packing a cooler and floating the French Broad river.

Michelle Citrin has successfully built her Asheville and Miami based portrait studios from the ground up by creating an experience for women in business to empower them to take their careers to the next level through impactful headshots. Michelle’s unique skill set, passion, and drive have been essential as she builds her own new career as a Realestate Broker in Asheville at DixonPacifica Realestate. Michelle is client focused and passionate about her work in the community.

Daniel’s bio to come.