a Dedicated Team you can trust
Chris Smith, Interim Executive Director
Chris Smith was named the Interim Executive Director effective July 1 through March 2023. Smith has an extensive history with the Sports Commission and served on the original task force in 2008 that led to the establishment of the Asheville Buncombe Regional Sports Commission. In 2014, Smith was selected to serve on the Board of Directors and served as Vice Chairman (2017) and Chairman from 2018 until December 2021. As Chairman, Smith was a member of the Local Organizing Committees for each of the three Billie Jean King Cup Ties and the Asheville Championship and was asked to serve an extended term during the pandemic.
A native of Hendersonville, Smith played baseball and graduated from Hendersonville High and UNC Asheville. Smith worked for 24 seasons with the Asheville Tourists as the Assistant General Manager for 17 seasons and the Senior Sales Manager for 7 years. Prior to working for the Tourists full-time, he served as the official scorer while also working as a beat writer for the Asheville Citizen-Times. Before joining the Tourists, Smith was a Baseball Coach and Sports Information Director at Mars Hill College.
Chris resides in Fletcher with his wife Mandy. He has four children, Pali (21), Zach (19) and Presley (7) and a step-daughter Taylor (15).
Chris can be reached at CHRIS@ASHEVILLESPORTS.ORG
Madison Davis, Vice President of Operations
Madison Davis joined the Sports Commission staff in November 2016. Davis received his Bachelor’s Degree from the University of North Carolina at Asheville where he played basketball for the Bulldogs and went on to become Director of Basketball Operations after his four-year playing career. Davis later earned his Master’s Degree from Western Carolina University in General Business Administration. Davis was recently promoted to Vice President of Operations.