Rich Cooke

I represent buyers and sellers in the communities Hendersonville, Laurel Park, Horse Shoe, Mills River, Flat Rock, Lake Lure, Asheville, Tryon, and Saluda. A native Tarheel, I grew up in Smithfield, NC, the home of Ava Gardner. I was active in my community and school as an Eagle Scout, Senior Class President, member of the high school band and chorus, a community theater actor and a Boys State Representative. In 1981, I graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with BA degrees in Political Science and Speech Communications. I was elected to the student government council while attending UNC, as well. After graduating, I spent 26 years in sales, sales management, marketing and account management positions in the pulp and paper industry with both national and international companies, including Westvaco and International Paper Company (US), Stora Papyrus (Sweden), Eka Nobel (Germany), RoboTest/Valmet Automation (Finland) and Irving Forest Products and Domtar (Canada). In 2007, I became a REALTOR®. I have lived in New York (Manhattan and Queens), New Jersey (Montclair), Georgia (Atlanta) and Florida (Tampa and Hollywood Beach). I have happily been living in Laurel Park, NC since 2002. I am a father to one son and two highly intelligent grandchildren.