Candidate Biography (submitted by campaign):

Esther moved to Norwood Park in Asheville as a teenager in 1988. After graduating from Asheville High she went to college at the University of Colorado at Boulder. When she returned to Asheville, she became the volunteer coordinator for Meals on Wheels and met her future husband, Mark Harris. In the fall of 1994, Esther returned to school for a Masters in Public Administration and Law Degree, from UNC-Chapel Hill.

During school, Esther had an opportunity to work for the City of Asheville, drafting the cell tower ordinance. After law school, Esther and Mark married and Esther went to work for the North Carolina General Assembly. At the General Assembly, Esther served as an attorney to several legislative committees.

After their first son was born in 2001, Esther and Mark moved back to Asheville. Mark continued his teaching career with his alma mater, Enka High School, where he teaches and coaches today.

Esther began as an associate with The Van Winkle Law Firm in downtown Asheville, where she is now a partner. Esther practices law as a land use attorney and a real estate litigator.

Esther has served on the Board of the Jewish Community Center of Asheville since 2004, serving as the President Elect in 2006 and the President in 2007. Esther is currently serving again as the President Elect. Esther also the Vice-Chair of the Asheville Board of Adjustment.

In 2007, Esther was nominated by the Buncombe County Bar and Pisgah Legal Services for the North Carolina Bar Association's William Thorp Pro Bono Services Award.

Esther was also a YWCA of Asheville 2009 Tribute to Women of Influence Award honoree.

Esther and Mark live in North Asheville. They have three sons, Levi, Greyson and Asa, who attend Jones Elementary School and the Jewish Community Center of Asheville.

I decided to run for Asheville City Council when I realized I was beginning to take Asheville for granted. Ashevillians enjoy a quaintness where people still waive to their neighbors from the front porch, bump into friends at the local grocery store, walk to the local tailgate market, and help out a stranger in need. In other words, I was starting to take for granted Asheville's community. I decided then that I needed to work to ensure that Asheville would always have community.

After college, I moved back to Asheville so that our family could benefit from living in this wonderful community. My husband and I wanted our three children to live near their grandparents; the two older ones can walk to Jones Elementary School; and my husband Mark teaches at his alma mater, Enka High School. We're enjoying the quality of life Asheville provides and which must be preserved.

Everyone talks about quality of life, but what does that mean? To me, quality of life means maintaining and enhancing a community for all ages. A place where we can raise our children and also retire -- a community that encourages and fosters interactions across generations; a community enhanced by the arts, locally owned-businesses, and contributing citizens. We have this community in Asheville, but it needs to be both preserved and enhanced.

I share with you our common goal of preserving Asheville's community, and ensuring that tomorrow's Asheville continues to be the "home" where you and I can happily and wholesomely raise our children, engage in a meaningful existence, contribute to our neighbors as well as strangers, and enjoy our quality of life.