BILTMORE FARMS
EXECUTIVE TEAM
We are committed to providing an unparalleled level of quality service and excellence. Our leadership team promises to deliver an experience that is genuine and authentic to the high ethical standards and celebrated traditions of Biltmore Farms since 1897.
John “Jack” Cecil joined Biltmore Farms in 1984, serving in various capacities until being named President and CEO in 1992. Along with his father, George H.V. Cecil, Biltmore Farms has focused its efforts on community building, through developing an extensive portfolio of real estate projects, including a regional shopping mall, a mixed-use urban village, master planned communities, corporate offices, hotels, apartments, medical office buildings, and over 1,000 homes. Prior to his tenure with Biltmore Farms, Cecil was Assistant to the President at Foremost McKesson International in San Francisco. As a steward of economic development across Western North Carolina, Cecil serves as Chair and member of the National Advisory Board of the Institute for Emerging Issues, Governor for the Urban Land Institute Foundation, and is on the Board of Directors of the Research Triangle Foundation of North Carolina. Cecil also holds the position of Chair for the WNC Regional Advisory Board of Wells Fargo Bank, N.C., Trustee of the Duke Endowment, Vice Chairman of Dogwood Health Trust, Director of myFutureNC, and Director of Barron Collier Management, LLC. Cecil received his Bachelor of Arts from UNC-Chapel Hill and a Masters in International Management from the American Graduate School of International Management (Thunderbird). Cecil and his wife, Sarah, have been happily married since 1993 and they have four sons.
Lyle Johnson joined Biltmore Farms in 2005 and served as the Vice President of Finance before his appointment to Chief Financial Officer in 2016. His more than 25 years of experience in financial accounting and analysis, strategic planning, and forecasting for commercial, hospitality, and residential real estate has led to a modernized approach to financial planning for Biltmore Farms.
Before joining Biltmore Farms, Johnson worked at GE Capital, where he was responsible for all financial aspects of a $5.3 billion real estate portfolio. He began his financial career at Security Capital Group, where he was responsible for analyzing more than $23 billion in real estate transactions. Currently, Johnson serves as the President of the Ramble Homeowners Association Board and is a member of the Dogwood Health Trust Investment Committee. Previously, he served as the President of the Biltmore Lake Homeowners Association Board from 2007 until successfully transitioning the Association Board to residents in 2022. He was also a member of the Western Carolina University MBA advisory board, a graduate of Leadership Asheville (class of LA 33), and was listed as Biltmore Beacon’s Top 40 under 40 Emerging Leaders in 2012. Johnson received his bachelor’s degree from New Mexico State University.
Ben Teague joined the Biltmore Farms team in 2018 after serving as the Executive Director of the Asheville-Buncombe County Economic Development Coalition (EDC) for more than nine years. His focus at Biltmore Farms is crafting and executing strategy to turn real estate and relationships into capital investment and jobs for the community. Throughout his career, he has placed more than 60 economic development projects and over $1.5 billion in capital investment in multiple states. Teague’s work has been featured in Forbes, Fast Company, Wall Street Journal, Popular Mechanics, National League of Cities Case Study, Business Expansion Journal, and Trade and Industry Magazine. In 2017, he was named one of North America’s Top 50 Economic Developers by Consultant Connect and received Development Counselors International’s Top 40 Under 40 award. He led the Asheville-Buncombe County EDC team to become one of 50 Accredited Economic Development Organizations (AEDO) in the nation. Ben earned his Bachelor of Business Administration degree from Mississippi College and a Masters in Business Administration from the University of Mississippi. He has completed the University of Oklahoma’s Economic Development Institute and earned the Economic Development Finance Professional (EDFP) designation from the National Development Council.
Brad Reedy joined Biltmore Farms in 2018 as an Accounting Manager before being promoted to Controller in 2020. Over the past five years, Reedy has led several important initiatives, including overseeing research, vetting, and implementation of Biltmore Farm’s updated accounting and finance software. His main duties include serving as Biltmore Farms’ Controller and ensuring the accuracy and GAAP compliance of financial statements for all Biltmore Farms entities. Additionally, he oversees financial accounting and analysis, strategic planning, forecasting, and budgeting while also expanding lender relationships in the surrounding Asheville area. Reedy received a Bachelor of Science in Business Management from the University of Alabama at Birmingham and a Master of Accountancy from the University of West Florida. He is a certified public accountant in Florida and North Carolina, graduate of Leadership Asheville (class of LA 41), graduate of Henderson County’s United Way Rising Leaders Program, and has an agribusiness certification from Harvard School of Business. Reedy volunteers with Habitat for Humanity, Bounty of Bethlehem, and Beloved Asheville, and has served on the Board for Conserving Carolina on both the finance and audit committee, focusing on bringing the Ecusta Trail Project to fruition.
Carol Steen joined Biltmore Farms in 2019. Prior to her service with Biltmore Farms, Steen was Director of Human Resources for the Mountain Area Health Education Center, Inc. where she saw the organization succeed through significant workforce growth and expansion of healthcare programs in rural western North Carolina. Steen serves as President-elect of the WNC Human Resources Association, Board Member of the Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce, and Board Member of Asheville Museum of Science. Steen has also volunteered her time with local board of director positions with the WNC Diversity Engagement Coalition, Young Professionals of Asheville, and World Camp. Steen received her Bachelor of Arts in Management in Society from UNC-Chapel Hill, a Master of Business Administration with dual-concentrations in Finance and Management Consulting from North Carolina State University’s Jenkins Graduate School of Management, and a Certificate in Human Resources Management from Duke University. She is dual-certified as a human resources professional from the HR Certification Institute and Society for Human Resources Management. Exemplified leadership and her dedication to the field of human resources contributed to her being featured in the Triangle Business Journal as a 2009 MBA Game Changer. More recently, she was listed on Verve Magazine’s Top 30 Under 30 List and Biltmore Beacon’s Top 40 Under 40 Emerging Leaders.
Kyle Highberg joined Biltmore Farms in 2022 as Senior Director of Hotel Operations. In his first two years, Kyle has been instrumental in developing Biltmore Farm’s hospitality division, including implementing a global procurement system and restructuring Business Intelligence (BI) software synching. In his role as Vice President of Hospitality, Highberg actively builds relationships with key stakeholders, oversees hotel development, and ensures strong operational performance while leading the the managers across the Biltmore Farms portfolio of hotels. Highberg serves as a board member for the Tourism Development Authority LIFT Fund and treasurer of the Asheville Buncombe Hotel Association. Throughout his career in hospitality, he has been a General Manager over select service, full service, and luxury hotels throughout several regions across the United States. In previous roles, he has consistently demonstrated a commitment to excellence, increased focus on revenue growth, operational success through strategic leadership, and a focus on guest satisfaction. Highberg earned a Bachelor of Science degree with a major in Business Administration and a minor in Human Resource from Bellevue University.
Thomason oversees all phases of development and construction for Biltmore Farms’ commercial projects as well as the company’s homebuilding operations. During his tenure with Biltmore Farms, some of his notable projects include the commercial expansion at Biltmore Park Town Square, The Parkway Center’s Fresh Market, The Ramble’s Living Well Center and Longmeadow Park, the DoubleTree by Hilton Asheville-Biltmore expansion and renovation, the Residence Inn Biltmore remodel, the new construction of the Hampton Inn & Suites Asheville-Biltmore Village, along with residential community development within The Ramble and Biltmore Lake. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Clemson University’s College of Architecture and a Master’s degree from Auburn University’s College of Architecture, Design & Construction. Thomason is on the Board of Directors for the Black Mountain Home for Children, Youth and Families, and previously served as Chairman of the Western North Carolina Public Lands Council and Chairman of the North Carolina State Licensing Board for General Contractors.
