Ivey, an Asheville native, will support community outreach and fundraising in the greater Asheville area. He has held a lifelong appreciation for the Blue Ridge Parkway, as a teenager working as a busboy at the Pisgah Inn and riding the scenic route’s entire 469 miles in 2004. 

“From childhood trips up to Graveyard Fields to more recent visits for birding and hiking, I love the Parkway and all it does to celebrate and protect our natural and cultural heritage and support local tourism,” said Ivey. “I look forward to growing the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation’s ‘Community of Stewards.’”

Ivey holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from Duke University and is pursuing a master’s degree in parks, recreation, tourism and sports management through N.C. State University. He has previously worked for The Nature Conservancy, Friends of the Smokies and the N.C. Arboretum. He lives near Hendersonville with his wife and son. 

The Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation is the Parkway’s primary fundraising partner and recently launched the Trails & Views Forever Fund to protect Parkway amenities as the National Park Service faces continued funding shortfalls.