Mr. Ric Cavender was elected for his first term on the Kanawha County Board of Education in 2016. For the past 11 years, Ric has served as the Executive Director of Charleston Main Streets, a non-profit organization housing two Nationally Certified Main Street districts on the West Side and East End of Charleston, focusing on economic development, community development, business district marketing, and public space improvements. Since the programs' inceptions, the districts have experienced public and private investments totaling over $470 million. He has a combined 19 years of nonprofit and business development experience in Kanawha County. A 2000 graduate of Sissonville High School and 2005 graduate of West Virginia State University (Business Administration - Management & Marketing), Ric currently serves as Chairman of the Board of Directors of the YMCA of Kanawha Valley. He is a 2015 graduate of Leadership West Virginia, serves on the Marketing Committees for the Charleston Convention & Visitors Bureau and FestivALL Charleston, as well as the Economic Development Committee of the Regional Intergovernmental Council. In 2018, Ric was among 30 urban development professionals selected worldwide for the Emerging Leaders Fellowship through the International Downtown Association. He resides in Charleston and is the parent of two boys who attend Piedmont Elementary.
Email: Ric Cavender