Neill Yelverton
Neill has an MBA from Western Carolina University with an independent study in Corporate Social Responsibility and Sustainability in Business. He is an Investment Advisor and Partner at Earth Equity Advisors, a socially and environmentally responsible investment and financial planning firm in Asheville, NC. Neill spends his free time with his wife and son (and their border collie) in Pisgah National Forest or on the Blue Ridge Parkway on a hike or a picnic, picking blueberries, catching salamanders, and just breathing clean air!
Brandy Hall
Brandy has spent her life in the forests, rivers and lakes of the Southeast and works every day to protect them. She founded Shades of Green Permaculture Design, Inc. in 2004, teaching whole-systems perspectives, empowering individuals, businesses and communities with practical tools to address some of the world’s most pressing challenges. Brandy completed her Master’s Degree in Contemplative Education from Naropa University and reconnects folks to the beauty around them, encouraging them to engage with the world in a healing and responsible way. In her “spare” time, she serves on the Pine Lake City Council. She lives in Pine Lake with her husband, Aaron, their daughter, Zepyhr, and their rambunctious pup, Peanut Butter.
John “The Baker” Beal
John grew up in rural New England, wandering the woods, climbing trees, tracking animals and spying on copperheads sunning on rocks. In his first activist experiences with the Civil Rights and Peace movements, he saw the destructive forces of poverty and racism while learning there is tremendous power in joining together to take action. People are not powerless to affect major change. He later discovered Dogwood Alliance hosting a booth at a music festival in Atlanta. For several years, John has organized events supporting the work of Dogwood. This is his second term on the board, and John is excited to be working with the “brilliant staff and dynamic board.”
Lynne Young
Lynne works at the intersection of the environment, environmental health, environmental justice, community resilience and equity within the context of climate change. She holds a Master’s Degree in Environmental Engineering from Stanford University and worked for over 25 years in the engineering consulting industry. She currently works with environmentally-focused nonprofits, small businesses and faith-based institutions providing program and fund development assistance. She lives in Georgia where she enjoys learning about permaculture, growing food in a community garden, and African dance.
Ulla Reeves
Ulla is a career non-profit professional and passionate environmentalist with expertise on clean air, climate, energy issues and campaigns. She currently serves as Clean Air Campaign Manager for National Parks Conservation Association. Previously, Ulla worked for Southern Alliance for Clean Energy overseeing southeast regional utility campaigns to clean up and shut down coal-fired power plants. Ulla holds a Masters of Environmental Management from Duke University’s Nicholas School of the Environment and lives in Asheville, NC.
Jason Totoiu
Jason is the Executive Director and General Counsel of the Everglades Law Center in Winter Haven, Florida. He oversees the firm’s operations and legal programs and represents environmental organizations in a variety of environmental and land use matters. He also writes and speaks on a wide-range of wildlife, public lands and wetland protection issues. He is passionate about working to protect the South’s natural wonders.
Elise Nabors
Elise has spent the last decade working on environmental & progressive issues. She is currently the social media specialist for National Nurses United, the largest union of registered nurses, based in San Francisco. Elise also served as a digital campaigner at Rainforest Action Network and as the frontline campaign specialist at Greenpeace USA. A native of western North Carolina, Elise grew up with a love of Southern forests that led her to begin her environmental career as an intern for Dogwood Alliance in 2006. Elise loves quilting, playing pinball, and caring for her cat, Mildred.
Cappi Harrell
Cappi Harrell is a native of Coastal South Carolina. She spent her career working with nonprofits focused on conservation and education. Most recently she was the Director of the Pathfinder Foundation, where she advanced a Dogwood general support grant. Pathfinder has become a consistent donor for the past 3 years. Prior to working for Pathfinder, she was the Director of Institutional Advancement for the South Carolina Aquarium, where she managed a capital campaign that raised $26 million. She is a lover of people and the planet, with a special place in her heart for forests.
Morgan Rowden
A graduate of Presbyterian College with a Bachelor of Science, Morgan first got involved with Dogwood in 2016 when she worked as the Community Organizer in Laurens County, SC, joining the movement to stop the construction of an Enviva wood pellet facility. Now Morgan is an Environmental Monitor Technician in Columbia, SC. From the time she hunted and fished with her father when she was a young girl, Morgan has always loved the outdoors. Now she likes to spend her time hiking and camping with friends.
James “J.C.” Woodley
After working in academia for a number of years, James took a job with the US Environmental Protection Agency in Washington, DC. His greatest joy involves working on issues to protect the environment. Having to retire early because of recurring bouts of polio, James has immersed himself in addressing environmental issues from his home. During the past year, he began working with Dogwood Alliance in addressing industrial logging impacts on the target environments and affected communities. Being invited to become a member of the Dogwood Alliance Board of Directors is important to him because the issues that are being addressed are vital to the welfare of the community that he was born and raised in.
Judy Kinney
Judy is the Executive Director at the Durham Center for Senior Life in Durham, NC. She’s a community builder and a nonprofit executive, who loves to rouse, rally, and connect people for good. She creates connections within the Durham area and the LGBTQ community. She likes raising money, fostering a movement, having a good time in the process. She also plays well in the proverbial sandbox and in the forest.
Dr. Thomas RaShad Easley
RaShad is the former Director of Community for Diversity at NC State School of Natural Resources and is now the Assistant Dean of Diversity at the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies. He brings a quantitative and qualitative understanding of diversity to Dogwood’s Board. He’s a forester, a professor, and a hip hop artist. He is skilled at spontaneous performance, talent development, and is great with people and working on teams. Being a diversity professional, he is adept at communicating cross-culturally and advocating for marginalized populations.
Sami Grover
Sami is a writer and the Creative Director at The Change Creation, a brand creation agency that works with entities who make the world better, fairer, or truer. His clients include Larry’s Beans, Burt’s Bees, Canaan Fair Trade, and Jada Pinkett Smith/Overbrook Entertainment. His core skills lie in practical, strategic communication – and specifically in helping organizations identify the point where their identity, values, and culture align with the interests, values, and passions of their audiences. Having worked on the Dogwood on several projects and over many years, Sami helps ensure that the theoretical work of defining the brand translates into effective communication on the ground.
Reverend Leo Woodberry
Reverend Leo has a long history as an activist and community organizer. He is the Executive Director of New Alpha Development Corporation and serves as the pastor of Kingdom Living Temple in Florence, South Carolina. Throughout his work, Reverend Leo has exhibited remarkable leadership in combating racism and promoting justice. In addition, he works to advance the understanding of environmental racism and climate justice.
Gary Cook
A native of Birmingham, Alabama, Gary has worked on climate change and renewable energy policy since 1994 along with governments and corporations to support effective solutions to climate change internationally, nationally, and locally. Gary leads the evaluation of the environmental performance of major IT companies for Greenpeace International to ensure these rapidly growing companies are committed to powering their growth with renewable energy. Gary holds a J.D. from the University of Alabama and currently calls San Francisco his home but makes regular trips back to the Southeast and to his second “hometown” of New Orleans.