From left to right, top row, are Lee Higginbotham and Don Wilkinson. Second row, left to right, are Justin Reiter, Jon Fitzgerald and Ashley Bennett.

Meet the New Alleghany Highlands Chamber of Commerce & Tourism Board Members Covington, VA (Feb. 3, 2022) - The Alleghany Highlands Chamber of Commerce & Tourism is pleased to announce the following new board members: Lee Higginbotham Lee Higginbotham, a native of Charlottesville, Virginia, was appointed Chief Executive Officer of LewisGale Hospital Alleghany in May 2021. Throughout his career, Lee served in executive positions at Dominion Hospital in Falls Church, Virginia, Frankfort Regional Medical Center in Frankfort, Kentucky, and Levinson Heart Hospital in Richmond, Virginia. Lee earned his Master of Health Administration from the Medical College of Virginia in Richmond and his bachelor’s degrees in History and Political Science from Virginia Tech. Lee is a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives and is the recipient of the Regent’s Award and Service Award. Lee and his wife have three children, a son and two daughters. In his spare time, Lee is an outdoor junkie and loves to mountain bike, fly fish, and backpack. * * * Don Wilkinson Don Wilkinson earned his B.S. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Maryland in 1985, and his MBA from Frostburg State University in 1987. He earned his Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt in August 2006. Don joined Westvaco’s Luke mill in 1985 as a project engineer and moved through the ranks to superintendent of Luke’s No. 9 and No. 8 Paper Machines. He then accepted the position of paper machine superintendent in August 2004 and by April 2015, Don had been promoted to finish products manager. Don joined WestRock’s Covington mill as paper mill superintendent in November 2015 and became joint production manager in 2017. Don was later named mill general manager in 2019. Don, a native of Garrett County, Maryland, currently resides in Covington with his wife, Marsha, who works in Finance for WestRock. They have two grown children, Claire and Bryan. In his spare time, he enjoys cycling, snowboarding, cross-country skiing, and running.* * * * Justin Reiter Justin Reiter is the Executive Director of the Historic Masonic Theatre Foundation. Prior to joining the Foundation, he served as Principal of Reiter Group specializing in Arts and Cultural organizations consultations. Justin moved to Staunton, Virginia in 2011 while he was President and CEO of the Heifetz International Music Institute. He then served as Executive Director of the American Frontier Culture Foundation. Prior to moving to Staunton, Justin was Production Manager for one of the largest Producers of Broadway touring musicals, where he was a part of 30+ touring productions. He has served on a number of non-profit Boards in Kentucky, New York, Virginia & Ohio. Over his decades of working with not-for-profit and for-profit arts and cultural organizations, Justin has acquired extensive knowledge in Board Governance; Non-Profit Fiduciary Responsibilities; Strategic Planning; Regulatory Policy Creation; Marketing; Contract Negotiation; and Fundraising. * * * Jon Fitzgerald Jon Fitzgerald, a native of the Alleghany Highlands, is a Sales Associate with Oliver Distributing Company. Prior to accepting a position with Oliver Distributing Company, he worked for Westvaco/WestRock in various operating/quality roles and responsibilities with a career that spanned 31 years. Jon graduated from Covington High School in 1984 and earned his AAS in Pulp and Paper Technology at Dabney S. Lancaster Community College in 1992. He and his wife, Laurie, own and operate the Evergreen Inn, a local Bed and Breakfast in Alleghany County. Jon is greatly looking forward to working with the community and current/new business owners and professionals. * * * Ashley Bennett Ashley Bennett is a lifelong resident of the Alleghany Highlands. She currently owns and operates Mountain Field Market, which specializes in locally sourced produce, meats, and other goods and is located in Clifton Forge. In addition to local produce and meats, Ashley’s fresh baked goods, such as breads and cookies, are also available at Mountain Field Market. Prior to opening Mountain Field Market in 2019, Ashley had a sixteen-year career as a hairdresser. She currently resides in Alleghany County with her husband, Ron Bennett, and their two children. When she is not working at Mountain Field Market, she is helping her husband on his dairy farm. She looks forward to serving on the Chamber Board and continuing to work with the community.

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