Mayor Barbara Volk on Leadership, Longevity, and her Love of Hendersonville
In this episode of the Kudzu Project, I sit down with Barbara Volk, the first female and second longest-tenured mayor of Hendersonville, North Carolina, for a thoughtful conversation about leadership, legacy, and love of place. Having served the city for nearly four decades — first on City Council and then as mayor — Volk has helped guide the city through growth, challenges, and change. Our conversation goes beyond policy and politics. We talk about what it means to steward a community you care deeply about, how Hendersonville has evolved over the years, and the delicate balance between progress and preservation. Volk reflects on her journey in public service, the responsibilities of local leadership, and her hope for the future of the city she has called home for more than half a century.
Recorded in Hendersonville, NC — where Southern stories grow wild.
