Mr. Ric Cavender was re-elected to his third term on the Kanawha County Board of Education in 2024 and currently serves as president. Ric is the Executive Director of Charleston Urban Works (formerly known as Charleston Main Streets), a non-profit organization focused on urban 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 $420 million. He has a combined 23 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 Past-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 in high school and middle school.
Email: Ric Cavender