Charlie Gerencer is an Asheville-based event producer and has produced comedy around the world and in some of the country’s most distinguished venues. He has been a comedy club owner, live event producer, and television producer. Through comedy television development deals with Lionsgate, Gerencer produced multiple projects including “The Joel McHale Show with Joel McHale,” “Norm Macdonald Has a Show” for Netflix, “Kevin Hart: Lyft Legend” and many more. Most recently he Executive Produced and showran “The DL Hughley Show” and “DL Hughley Uncut” featured on Kevin Hart’s LOL network. He is also an active comedy development executive with several comedy streaming channels. He is the owner and Executive Director of Asheville Comedy Festival.

Suzie Shields is the head of front-of-house operations for the ACF team.  If you’re in her lobby she knows it and you’re getting a hug.  As part of the ACF family for nearly 13 years, Suzie’s attention to detail, customer service, and workflow are unparalleled assuring every single attendee, performer, or guest, the best comedy experience possible.

Trevor and Sara Sharp have been producers with the ACF family for over 10 years.  They are the collective glue that keeps Suzy from yelling at Andy during the festival.  Together they navigate logistics and details with every moving part of the festival.  The duo is unmatched with their love for spreadsheets, lists, comedy and passion for the most amazing festival every year.

Andy Shields is the train wreck Suzie married.  But it’s not her fault.  He truly is lovable.  The thing is…eh hemm.  Andy is the director of back-of-house operations for the festival's events and has been for 14 years.  Every detail, every minute of every show day, and every show is silk because of Andy’s undeniable skillset as a leader and his love for comedy and the live event experiences.

The person who makes sure the funniest people on Earth actually show up in Asheville. Ryan’s got the eye of a talent scout, the patience of a saint, and the inbox of someone who clearly doesn’t sleep. If you laughed at the festival, thank Ryan. If you didn’t, it’s Ryan’s fault.

Laurel is the festival’s official keeper of sanity in our whirlwind of insanity. An HR professional by trade, we tread lightly with the bad ideas and off color jokes with her. We can thank her for not allowing the beer drinking live donkey in the lobby.