In July, 1982, four business people met for lunch to discuss forming a network to exchange and share sales marketing leads and ideas. The germ of this network was developed by Frank Pomeroy and Leigh Tarleton of Manpower, Inc., both of whom had been involved in similar groups in Charleston, SC and Miami, FL

The four people at this meeting were Tarleton, Bob Sheldon of Financial Independence Group, Bob Welch of Welch Moving and Storage and Jean Spence of First Realty. The group met informally once per week at breakfast where numbers and diversity grew quite rapidly. Soon a decision was made to formalize the group.

The Asheville Business Leaders Association was incorporated as a nonprofit organization, adopted By-Laws, and elected officers. The first president was Welch, who served for two and a half years, followed by Dr. Steve Siebert, Bob Jolly, Dick Martin, George Jensen, Bentley Leonard, Bill Stark, David Shenaut, Pam Schuler, Stephanie Cooper, Tommy Ridgeway, Dave Ogren, Martin Lewis, Steven Foster, Norma Carroll, Bob Welborn, Pat Worley, Sid Border, Chris Moore, Doug Keen, Mike Pires, Clark Sanders, Tara Jaynes, Kimberly Raphael, Adam Bennett, Choya Harden, Ed Sullivan, Carrie Woodward, Todd Dunnuck, and Savannah Price.

ABLA now averages around 20 members.

Invocation

Dear Lord ~

We praise You and thank You for this day. We thank You for Your prescence here among us. We ask Your blessing on us as Your children, and as business people. We ask that You lead, guide and direct us in our daily transactions. We ask that whatever we do, in our personal or business lives, we do to Your honor and to Your glory.

Amen