Bianca Shoneman is an award-winning urban place manager and community development leader with more than 20 years of experience growing city skylines and cultural amenities across North Carolina. Currently serving as Vice President of Community Development at the NC East Alliance, she leads regional efforts to strengthen rural economies through small business support, workforce development, housing, and placemaking initiatives.

Before joining NC East, Bianca served as CEO of the Cool Spring Downtown District in Fayetteville, where she helped guide more than 800,000 square feet of new, planned, or under-construction investment in the urban core, organized over 100 community events, and tripled the organization’s operating budget. Her career has also included scripting zoning ordinances, facilitating design guidelines, securing millions of dollars in grants, winning national awards for development campaigns, and even helping bring potable water to a small community in rural El Salvador.

When she’s not perfecting her pesto recipe, Bianca continues to champion projects that celebrate local identity, foster creativity, and build lasting prosperity across Eastern North Carolina.