New Members Welcomed to Board of The Nature Conservancy’s
North Carolina Chapter
Durham, NC—December 13, 2004—The North Carolina Chapter of The Nature Conservancy announces the appointment of several new members to its Board of Trustees. The new trustees are: Marla Adams of Asheville; David S. Brody of Kinston; Ruth Ann Grissom of Raleigh; Charles D. Owen III of Asheville; Dr. Mark A. Salser of Southern Pines; and Weldon Schenck of Charleston, SC.
“Our new board members have a strong commitment to preserving the lands and waters that make North Carolina special,” says Katherine Skinner, the Chapter’s executive director. “They bring with them a great diversity of backgrounds and skills. What they have in common is a dedication to the natural world, and a desire to protect it. We’re very excited to have them join us.”
Marla Tugwell Adams is a principal in The Van Winkle Law Firm in Asheville. She is a graduate of Wake Forest University School of Law (J.D., 1980) and Meredith College (B.A., 1976). She has served on numerous nonprofit boards, and attended the Harvard Business School Executive Education course Governing for Nonprofit Excellence. Adams currently serves as chair of the board of directors of the Center for International Understanding, based in Raleigh, and also serves on the boards of the North Carolina Arts Council, the YWCA of Asheville and Quality Forward.
"I've been interested in and concerned about the environment since my childhood in rural eastern North Carolina,” says Adams. “I have long admired The Nature Conservancy for its science-based ecosystem protection, and I'm pleased to be associated with a results-oriented organization that is leaving a legacy not only in North Carolina, but all over the world."
David S. Brody is managing partner of Brody Associates, a real estate development company. Educated at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School, he has served on the Brody Medical Foundation of East Carolina University, the Brody Brothers Foundation, Pitt County Memorial Hospital Board of Trustees, and with the East Carolina Council of Boy Scouts of America. Brody currently sits on the East Carolina University Board, the executive committee of the North Carolina Citizens for Business & Industry, and Duke University’s Marine Lab board.
“I have always loved the beauty of nature and the special sense of place that various regions of the country, as well as parts of our state, possess. I believe working with The Nature Conservancy is the most effective way to preserve these for future generations,” says Brody.
Ruth Ann Grissom grew up on a farm in the Uwharrie Mountains. After earning degrees in journalism and social work from UNC-Chapel Hill, she moved to New York and was a social worker in the South Bronx. While living in the city, she became an avid birdwatcher in Central Park. Since moving back to North Carolina in 1995, Grissom has been an active member of the Landtrust for Central NC. In addition to her conservation work, she reviews books for the Charlotte Observer.
“I learned to love and appreciate nature while on walks in the woods with my family,” says Grissom. “Now, I enjoy hiking, birding, botanizing, and canoeing at sites across North Carolina. I also love the deserts of the Southwest. I’m proud to be associated with The Nature Conservancy.”
Charles D. Owen, III was born and raised in Asheville, and is President of Charles D. Owen Mfg. Co., Inc., a Division of Springs Industries. He has degrees from UNC-Chapel Hill and NC State University. Owen serves on the boards of the North Carolina Partnership for Children, the NC State Textile School Foundation, and North Carolina Outward Bound, among others.
“As a child and an adult, I’ve had wonderful times fishing and enjoying the natural wonders of North Carolina. I look forward to working with The Nature Conservancy to make sure that my children, and their children, can have those same memories,” says Owen.
Mark Salser grew up in California and earned a PhD in entomology (the study of insects) at UC-Davis; his research focused on the genetic diversity of a grasshopper endemic to California and on the role of local adaptation in its survival. Salser and his wife moved to North Carolina to create a horse training business.
“I first became interested in The Nature Conservancy while working as a research biologist at UC-Berkeley. The Conservancy was instrumental in creating the Heath Angelo Reserve along the Eel River in Northern California, a critical facility for ecological researchers. I was deeply impressed by the Conservancy's role in the project,” says Salser. “I believe that residents of North Carolina need to keep perspective on what makes this region so special and to understand how we can preserve those qualities while still allowing our communities to grow and thrive. The Nature Conservancy's approach, forming partnerships with local, state and federal government and working with landowners to conserve critical areas, benefits our communities and future generations.”
Weldon Schenck is a native of North Carolina and attended Davidson College. He also has an MBA from Harvard. Though he now lives in South Carolina, Schenck feels a strong attachment to his home state and to The Nature Conservancy. His father, Alex, was a founding member of the Chapter’s Board of Trustees. Schenck brings a global perspective to conservation concerns.
“My family and I have always enjoyed the outdoors and serving as stewards of the land, so conservation comes naturally,” says Schenck. “We spend a lot of time in the mountains of North Carolina and on the Linville River, in the ACE Basin south of Charleston, as well as in the lowveld of Zimbabwe where we have a beautiful game ranch that is part of the largest private conservancy in Africa. I’m happy to follow in my father’s footsteps and to work with the staff of the North Carolina Chapter.”
The Chapter’s Board of Trustees helps set chapter goals, reviews and approves conservation plans and subjects the Chapter’s work to additional critical thinking. “Our Board has a very real stake in our day-to-day affairs,” says executive director Skinner. “Through their time, energy, expertise and financial resources, these volunteer leaders have helped us preserve biological diversity and save important landscapes across North Carolina. Without their dedication, the Conservancy could not accomplish its work across the state and around the world.”
The North Carolina Chapter of The Nature Conservancy and its 23,000 members have protected more than 570,000 acres in the Tar Heel state. Its mission is to preserve plants, animals and natural communities that represent the diversity of life on Earth by protecting the lands and waters they need to survive. For more information, contact the NC Chapter office at 919.403.8558 or visit us on the web at www.nature.org/northcarolina.
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