N.C. Lt. Governor Walter Dalton has reappointed W. Thomas Alexander of Asheville to the board of the Western North Carolina Regional Economic Development Commission (AdvantageWest), which serves Polk County as well as other counties in the region.

Chartered by the North Carolina General Assembly in 1994, AdvantageWest is a non-profit, public-private partnership whose primary focus is marketing the North Carolina mountains to corporations seeking to relocate or open a new facility, expand an existing business within the region, and those who might otherwise improve the quality of life for citizens within the region through activities such as filmmaking, entrepreneurship and tourism. Polk is among the counties served by AdvantageWest.

Alexander is the business development manager at Taylor and Murphy Construction Company in Asheville and is currently chair of the board. He holds a degree in civil engineering from North Carolina State University.

“Tom Alexander brings a wealth of leadership experience to the position,” said Dalton. “He particularly understands the economic issues facing Western North Carolina and I am confident he will continue his great work on the AdvantageWest board.”

The four-year term began July 1.