Marilyn Ball

Areas of expertise: Marketing, Advertising, Speaking, Business Coaching

After an early career in teaching, Marilyn went back to school to begin a new career path majoring in Mass Communication. She then took a job with an emerging advertising agency, Kelso Advertising & Design, and soon became a partner. Throughout her time in the industry, she worked on many big projects for big name clients. She prepared and executed all pre-grand opening media and public relations for Harrah’s Cherokee Casino Resort, as well as the 2012 re-grand opening of their $650 million dollar expansion; she successfully spearheaded the creation of the I-Wall Exhibit; and she generated public and private partnerships for funding the first-ever marketing tool on National Park lands. She also owned her own marketing agency.

Outside of advertising, Marilyn’s passions include writing, speaking, teaching, business coaching and training. In October 2015, Arcadia Publishing/The History Press published her first book, The Rise of Asheville: An Exceptional History of Community Building. She is also a Leadership Asheville Fellow. When she’s not busy working, you’ll find Marilyn taking photos or practicing Tae Kwon Do.