Laurel Park operates under a council-manager form of government. The Council consists of the mayor elected for a term of four years and four commissioners elected for staggered terms of four years. The Council is the policy-making body and appoints a manager. The manager is the chief administrator responsible for the administration of all departments and handles the day-to-day operations of the Town.

Henry was first elected Mayor in 1999 and is now serving his third four-year term. He previously served on the Laurel Park ABC Board and has served on various local governmental and nonprofit committees and boards. He was the Executive Director of the United Way of Henderson County from 2001 to 2006. He was raised in Kingsport, Tennessee, and graduated from the United States Air Force Academy in 1968 and earned an M.A. in Economics from UCLA in 1969. He retired from the Air Force in 1994 as a full colonel after 26 years of commissioned service and moved with his wife (Fair Romeo of Hendersonville) and daughter to Laurel Park. An Air Force command pilot with over 3,400 flying hours in tactical reconnaissance and trainer aircraft, he still enjoys flying for pleasure and travel. Henry and Fair purchased and renovated a historic Laurel Park home on Lake Drive, which was built around 1890 and reputedly owned by Laurel Park’s first mayor and the site of early Town council meetings.

Rich was elected to the Town Council in 2007 and prior to his election served on the Town Planning Board. He represents Laurel Park on the LGCCA and serves as the Town’s Mayor Pro Tempore. Rich is a native Tarheel. He grew up in Smithfield, North Carolina and currently resides in the Sky Village area of our community. Rich is graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a degree in Political Science and Speech Communication. He served for 26 years in Sales, Sales Management, Marketing, and Account Management in the Pulp and Paper Industry.

Carey was elected to the Council in November 2009. Prior to serving on Council, Carey was involved with the Laurel Park Civic Association, serving as president for three years. He lives in the Echo area of our community. He is a native of the community and learned how to swim in the old Laurel Park Lake where he also taught life saving. He retired from the commercial construction industry in 2005. Carey is a graduate of Clemson University with a degree in architectural construction in 1972. He spent his work life in Denver, CO; Birmingham, AL; and Raleigh, NC working with such clients as Greenbrier, Saks Fifth Avenue, and Bloomingdales. Carey is married to Lutrelle Livingston, a native to Laurel Park, and they have four children.

Dona was elected to the Council in 2001 and re-elected in 2005 and 2008; prior to her election she served on the Board of Adjustment. Dona serves both as the Town's Finance Officer and its representative to the Land of Sky Regional Council. She has lived in Country Ridge since 1992. Dona holds a BA degree from George Mason University and a master's degree from the University of Maryland. She retired from SAIC in 1994 where she designed and developed information systems as a consultant for government and industry and wrote technical papers which she presented at conferences here and abroad. Prior to that, she worked at Booz, Allen, and Hamilton in their Energy and Environment Division and at the Smithsonian Institution as a researcher for their joint program with the Peace Corps. She is married to Robert and has two daughters.

Bob was appointed to the Council in February 2007 to fill a Council vacancy and elected to Council in November 2007. Prior to serving on Council, he served on the Town Planning Board. Bob represents Laurel Park on both the Henderson County Transportation Advisory Committee and the French Broad River Metropolitan Organization Transportation Advisory Committee. He lives in the Timber Creek area of our community. Bob is a graduate of Clemson University with a degree in Architecture. He practiced for fifteen years before becoming involved in construction program management. Bob managed and worked on many local projects including additions to the Grove Park Inn in Asheville, the Peace Center, and the First Union bank tower in Greenville, S.C. He retired several years ago from the City of Asheville where he served as the assistant Director of the Building Safety Department.

Jim became Laurel Park’s Town Manager on September 2, 1997 and lives in the Fleetwood section of our community. Jim is a native of Bristol, Tennessee and served 23 years in the U. S. Army retiring from the service as a Lieutenant Colonel. He holds a BS degree in Business Management from East Tennessee State University and a master’s degree in Business Administration from Florida Institute of Technology. Also, Jim successfully completed a one year course in Municipal Administration taught by the School of Government, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.