Staff + Board - Conservation Trust for North Carolina

Board of Directors

As a statewide organization, we strive to represent the diversity of our state's demographics among members of our Board leadership. At current, CTNC's board members are comprised of 58% males to 42% females and represent racial diversity in 50% White and 50% Black members. If you have questions or wish to express interest in board service, please email a member of our staff.

Brandon A. Robinson,
CTNC Board President
Attorney

Bio

Brandon A. Robinson currently serves as President of CTNC, and has served on its Board of Directors since 2016. A Durham-based attorney with a practice in corporate law, estate planning, and business litigation, Brandon is also President of the Durham County Bar Association and 16th Judicial District Bar, and is a past board member of the North Carolina Bar Association and North Carolina Bar Foundation. He also currently serves on the Western Carolina University Foundation Board.

Jamilla Hawkins, Immed. Past President
NC Pandemic Recovery Office

Bio

Jamilla Hawkins serves as Chief of Staff of the North Carolina Pandemic Recovery Office, a newly created office to effectively manage the 11 billion in federal COVID-19 pandemic dollars allocated to the State of North Carolina by Congress. In this role, she oversees the federal and state reporting functions, communications, outreach, and strategy to meet program goals set by the U.S. Treasury and the North Carolina General Assembly.    A native of southeastern N.C., Ms. Hawkins most recently worked at the N.C. Rural Center to strengthen food systems state-wide by promoting and providing resources to food business entrepreneurs, and community leaders. In addition to her work, Ms. Hawkins serves as a Commissioner of the N.C. Martin L. King, Jr. Commission, board member of the Wake County Community Foundation, North Carolina Center for Non-Profits, and the past President of the Board of Directors for the Conservation Trust for North Carolina.

She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from UNC Greensboro and a Master of Public Administration from North Carolina Central

University. 

Ebony Perkins
Director of Impact Investments
UnitedHealthcare

Bio

Ebony Perkins is a dedicated, solution-oriented social entrepreneur whose heartbeat is community. She has a demonstrated ability of working with investors and philanthropists to help them make smart and strategic decisions. As the Director of Impact Investments at United Healthcare, Ebony advances their social impact and tax credit investment strategy across the country. Before that role, she served as the Vice-President of Investor Relations at Self-Help Credit Union. Ebony managed a national team that helps groups and individuals invest funds in a socially responsible financial institution that supports communities of all kinds, especially those underserved by conventional lenders.

Ebony holds a Master of Public Administration from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a Bachelor of Science in Marketing from Claflin University as a summa cum laude graduate. She also has an Executive Certificate in Financial Planning from Duke University.

Bill Leslie, Vice President
Anchor/Reporter/Musician
WRAL-TV

Bio

Kathy Hamilton Gore
Teaching Associate Professor
Emerita N.C. State University

Bio

Kathy has been a Board member since 2019 and currently serves as Chair of the DEI Committee and Member of the Executive Committee and Land Protection Committee. She has more than 40 years of professional experience connected to sustainable management of natural resources through a variety of positions in VA and NC, most recently as faculty for the Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management Department in the College of Natural Resources at NCSU, where she retired after 25 years. As a Board Member, Kathy loves helping to secure and expand natural areas in NC for appreciation and enjoyment of others, including her children and six grandchildren, with whom she loves spending time outdoors.

Alton Perry
Forest Management-Land Retention Consultant
Roanoke Electric Cooperative

Bio

Alton Perry is the Director for Roanoke Electric Cooperative’s Sustainable Forestry and Land Retention Project. Alton is retired from the NC Forest Service where he served from 1982 until 2012. Currently, he serves as the Director of the Sustainable Forestry and Land Retention Project where he and staff provides assistance to forest landowners with a focus on assisting African American landowners to use their woodlands as a means of increasing family wealth and legacy in order to meet Roanoke Electric Cooperative’s mission of “enhancing the quality of life in the diverse communities they serve.

Dodd Haynes, Treasurer
CPA

Bio

A board member since 2020, Dodd Haynes currently serves as the CTNC Treasurer. Dodd, a former CFO, lives in the Charlotte metro area. Since he returned home to North Carolina in 2019, Dodd has sought ways to protect the Blue Ridge where he grew up hiking, camping and bicycling. CTNC has provided him with opportunities to protect land across NC for future generations to enjoy. Professionally, Dodd has served in executive roles at several North Carolina companies including Mood Media/ Muzak, Family Dollar Stores, Goodrich, and Price Waterhouse. Dodd participated in the Arts and Science Council Leadership Training program and previously served on the Board of Directors of the Carolina Raptor Center and the Muzak Heart and Soul Foundation. Dodd holds an undergraduate degree from UNC and a Masters degree from Duke University.

Mozine Lowe
Executive Director
Center for Energy Education

Bio

In 2017 Mozine Lowe was appointed Executive Director of The Center for Energy Education (C4EE). The Center for Energy Education is a nonprofit organization that provides education and training to support the growth of renewable energy in communities. Under her leadership C4EE has become a recognized organization for its strong focus on rural communities in providing several programs to include community engagement, K-12 educational programs, and workforce development training. Mozine was also instrumental in developing programs for government officials to prepare them for the growth of renewable energy in their communities. A vast number of these programs focused on the economic benefits of renewable energy, as well as the disadvantages rural communities suffer from dealing with climate change. Mozine has a Bachelor of Science degree in Sociology/Social Work from North Carolina A&T State University. She has also completed AT&T’s two-year Organization Effectiveness Program and is a certified Myers-Briggs Type Indicator Trainer.

John Stanback
Adjunct Professor
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Bio

John Stanback is a North Carolina native and ardent conservationist. Recently retired from his role as a Senior Scientist at Family Health International, Dr. Stanback is a globally-recognized leader in family planning and reproductive health. He earned his masters degree in economics from Duke University and a doctorate in health policy and administration from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he is now an adjunct professor in the Department of Maternal and Child Health. Dr. Stanback also holds a US Coast Guard 25 ton master’s license.

Joe Vrabel, Secretary
Adjunct Professor of Law
University of N.C. at Chapel Hill

Bio

Mr. Vrabel joined the Board in 2020 and is an attorney who currently teaches Business Law in the MBA program at the University of North Carolina School of Business. He has served on numerous not-for-profit boards of directors in leadership roles for over 35 years. He also serves as one of the Presiding Justices in the International Criminal Court's Moot Court program (in The Hague, Netherlands), participated in by more than100 law schools around the world. As a fly fishing enthusiast, he is fully committed to the responsible and resilient conservation projects initiated and developed by CTNC across North Carolina and the national leadership role CTNC has taken in those efforts.

John Noor
Attorney
Roberts & Stevens P.A.

Bio

John Noor is a litigation attorney focusing on environmental law, complex business litigation, governmental affairs, and public policy.

John has been involved in cases concerning a broad range of companies from multi-billion-dollar financial institutions to small, closely-held family businesses. In his environmental practice, John has worked on Brownfields Redevelopment, permitting under the Clean Water Act and Endangered Species Act, nuisance actions, administrative rulemake, oil and natural gas leasing, and energy performance contracting.

John, a North Carolina native, serves the Asheville community as a volunteer domestic violence attorney with Pisgah Legal Services and is a member of UNC Asheville’s National Alumni Council. John, and his wife, Carolina, currently reside in Asheville.

Julia Truelove
Senior Director, Tax Reporting & Planning
Martin Marietta Materials, Inc.

Bio

Julia joined the CTNC Board in 2022, bringing more than 30 years’ worth of finance and accounting knowledge and non-profit board leadership experience. She developed a passion for sustainability through programs she has spearheaded at Martin Marietta, and is excited to learn from, promote, and support the incredible work of CTNC. When not working or volunteering, Julia enjoys spending time exploring new places with her friends and family.

Staff

COVID-19 RESPONSE: While CTNC does not currently mandate COVID-19 vaccinations for its staff and volunteers, we highly encourage all who can to be vaccinated for the safety of themselves, colleagues, their families, and the communities we serve. Based on self-reporting, 100% of current staff are fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Are you interested in joining our team? Browse open positions here.

See below for a staff email directory. If you are not sure who to contact, please email info@ctnc.org.

Chris Canfield

Executive Director
chris@ctnc.org

Bio

Chris leads CTNC's efforts to build resilient, just communities through a lens of climate resilience, community health, and equity and inclusion. He is committed to conservation solutions that honor these complex relationships, balancing environmental and economic needs. Chris graduated from Birmingham-Southern College with a B.A. in mathematics. He earned his M.Phil. degree in 20th-century English literature from the University of Oxford where he was a Rhodes Scholar. Chris and his wife Kate Finlayson's passion for nature and especially birds awakened when they moved to North Carolina. He also enjoys playing tennis, drumming and dancing in all forms.

Anna Behnke

AmeriCorps Communications and Outreach Associate
communications@ctnc.org

Bio

Anna serves as an AmeriCorps member with Resilience Corps NC in support of CTNC’s communications and outreach goals. Her role includes creating content and storytelling efforts to engage the public with CTNC’s mission to build resilient, just communities. She focuses on highlighting the importance of finding conservation solutions to address the impacts of climate change. Anna graduated from North Carolina State University with a B.S. in Conservation Biology. In her spare time, Anna enjoys working on crochet projects, spending time with her cats, visiting NC beaches, hiking, and wake surfing.

Nick DiColandrea

Climate Strategies Officer
nick@ctnc.org

Bio

Nick DiColandrea returns to CTNC in a new role - Climate Strategies Officer - where he works to connect AmeriCorps service opportunities to communities in need of expanded climate mitigation and recovery capacities. Nick has extensive experience in the nonprofit sector, holding positions across multiple organizations dedicated to community capacity building, youth leadership, mentoring, and community service. Currently, in his little free time, he also serves on the Board Treasurer of the Museum of Life in Science in Durham, the school PTA as VP of Fundraising & Volunteer Chair, and as Board Treasurer of his neighborhood's HOA. Nick holds a Bachelors of Arts degree from NC State University, and a Masters of Public Policy and Administration from Mississippi State University. Nick lives in Raleigh with his veterinarian wife Valerie, their daughter Kara, their twin sons Luke and Ben, and adopted pup Otis. They enjoy building Lego sets, exploring local parks, hitting up the Outer Banks for vacations, and all things Star Wars!

Aaron Flannery

Land Protection Associate
aaron@ctnc.org

Bio

Aaron joined CTNC in January 2023 and primarily conducts field work as a member of the Land Protection department. With a strong emphasis on establishing and maintaining positive relationships within the communities of Western North Carolina, most of his duties are heavily tied to conservation efforts in proximity to the Blue Ridge Parkway and U.S. Forest Service lands. In addition to advocating for the preservation of natural mountain environments for CTNC, Aaron is also responsible for conducting interpretative and educational programming as Park Naturalist at Mount Mitchell State Park, the highest point east of the Mississippi River.

Aaron holds a life-long passion for learning, having earned a B.S. in Organizational Leadership and a M.A. in School Counseling. In previous years, he has served Appalachian students as a school counselor, with specific areas of interest including geographic isolation, rural poverty, and the first-generation college experience. Living in the Blue Ridge Mountains often leads Aaron into the outdoors for exploration and there you may find him hiking to scenic vistas and waterfalls or fishing for brook trout in a cold-water stream. Aaron has a strong appreciation for Appalachian culture and an enthusiastic interest in traditional mountain music, whereas he studies old-time banjo locally with other musicians.

Mary Alice Holley

Associate Director & Community Innovation Officer
mholley@ctnc.org

Bio

Mary Alice liaises with CTNC's staff, board, and partners to ensure the organization advances its mission to build resilient, just communities for all North Carolinians. Before joining CTNC, Mary Alice supported conservation organizations throughout the state in building smart communication strategies that better connect supporters to their missions. She holds a B.A. in mass communications and rhetorical writing from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. In her spare time, you'll find Mary Alice on the water exploring hidden treasures from her kayak or in the garden where she's expanding her family's homestead to include 13 chickens, raised garden beds, and a few beehives.

Michaella Kosia

AmeriCorps Program Director
michaella@ctnc.org

Bio

Michaella supports CTNC's Resilience Corps NC members during their service term by coordinating trainings, planning cohort connection events, building relationships, and strategizing other best practices for member sustainability. She graduated from East Carolina University with a B.S. in Public Health. She has a passion for community focused service work. In her spare time Michaella enjoys cooking, walking the local trails, spending time with friends/family, and watching movies with her husband and kitten.

Jordan Lorenz

Donor Relations Specialist
jlorenz@ctnc.org

Bio

Jordan works with CTNC to help grow their donation base in an effort to conserve land across the state in order to help grow resilient communities. She holds a B.A. in International Studies from the University of South Carolina where she was heavily involved in many on campus nonprofits. In her free time Jordan enjoys spending time outside with her friends and family, playing soccer, rock climbing and volunteering for Meg’s Smile Foundation a local charity in Holly Springs NC.

Sehdia Mansaray

AmeriCorps Program Associate
sehdia@ctnc.org

Bio

Sehdia provides program management and member support to the AmeriCorps program. Sehdia has worked across fields of food security, humanitarian affairs and international development, environmental education, and justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion as a researcher and practitioner. Outside of work, Sehdia enjoys binging murder-mystery shows, gardening, trying new foods and traveling. She has a B.A. in Anthropology and B.S. in Environmental Science from North Carolina State University and a Master's in Development Practice from University of Arizona.

Rusty Painter

Land Protection Director
rusty@ctnc.org

Bio

Rusty oversees CTNC’s land protection efforts along the Blue Ridge Parkway and our collaborative partnerships with local land trusts. Rusty holds a master's degree in forestry and a Master of Environmental Management from the Nicholas School of the Environment at Duke University. He received his Bachelor of Science degree in biology from Wake Forest University. In his spare time, Rusty enjoys activities with his wife, son, and dog including hiking, canoeing and mountain biking. His passion for conservation stems from a lifelong enjoyment of outdoor activities.

Stephen Payne

Finance Director
spayne@ctnc.org

Bio

Steve manages CTNC’s finance department. Steve graduated from Rutgers with a BS degree in accounting. He started his career spending over nine years in a CPA firm before moving on to the nonprofit world. Steve spent 23 years at Integrity House where he rose to the position of VP-Finance before two stints as Controller at other nonprofits. Steve and his wife moved to North Carolina to be closer to their two sons. Steve was the Finance Director at a local Montessori school before joining CTNC. He enjoys driving around the countryside and taking in the local sites.

Erin Witcher

Director of Philanthropy
ewitcher@ctnc.org
(404) 229-9058

Bio

Erin works to build a community of supporters who will partner with CTNC to conserve land in ways that inspire and enable people to build resilient, just communities. She holds a BA from UNC-Chapel Hill and a JD from the Georgia State University College of Law where she focused her studies on property, land use and environmental law. Finding restoration in nature has been a through-line in her life, from spending her childhood summers outside at overnight camp to now taking her own children on family hiking, canoeing, and kayaking adventures. It’s a privilege to connect with people across the state whose support will create a more resilient state and ensure that the places she treasures are preserved for generations to come. Erin, her husband, and three children live in Raleigh with two dogs and - defying the odds - three thriving NC State Fair goldfish.