
Who We Are
We are fortunate to have a diverse group of
individuals who are willing to volunteer their time and energy into helping
protect the Cape Fear River Basin.
Kemp Burdette (Executive Director)
Doug Springer (Cape Fear RIVERKEEPER®)
Carrie Frohling (Resource Development Coordinator)
Joe Abbate (Greenfield Lake Coordinator)
Elise Rocks
(President)
Art Brownell (Vice-President)
Audrey Albrecht
(Secretary)
Jim Bitto (Treasurer)
Audrey Albrecht
Audrey is a Wilmington resident of 27 years (in NC since 1966). She has been a member
of the board for seven years and secretary for five. An Oregon native, she is a retired NC
school administrator who has worked in private industry and foundations. Audrey is a
link to League of Women Voters, which often speaks publicly with CFRW on local
environmental issues.
Julia Berger
Julia has been a resident of Wilmington since 1988. In 1994 she earned a MS degree in
geology (emphasis on coastal processes). As a Senior Environmental Scientist at the
Wilmington office of CZR Incorporated, she navigates clients through state and federal
permits pertaining to wetlands/streams/buffers/protected species, evaluates land for
suitable wetland and stream mitigation potential, prepares state and federal
documentation of impacts to natural resources, and coordinates with permitting agency
representatives. Julia joined the board in 2008.
Lara Berkley
A graduate of Vanderbilt and Harvard, Lara is an experienced landscape architect whose
diverse history includes residential and institutional gardens, interpretative centers,
museums aquariums, and zoos. Over the last 13 years, she has worked in all facets of
project development from the planning and feasibility stages to construction
administration. She is particularly interested in thoughtful site planning, where respect
for ecological context results in low-maintenance landscapes that celebrate our region.
Jim Bitto
Jim is a Professional Business Manager having served successfully as president of 5
uniquely different mid-size manufacturing companies over a period of 20+ years. He is
currently self-employed as a real estate broker in downtown Wilmington. His education
includes a BA in Economics and MBA in Marketing. In addition to serving as Treasurer
of CFRW, Jim is Vice President of Wilmington's Downtown Business Alliance, on the
Board of Downtown Wilmington, Inc., and on the Board of the City of Wilmington
Downtown Parking Advisory Committee.
Arthur Brownell
Arthur is an Educated Forest Entomologist. He has worked for the US Forest Service, the
Department of Natural Resources, and was the Commissioner of the Department and
Chairman of the MA Water Recourses Commission. He worked for International Paper in
the Public Affairs and Government Affairs Department as the Regional Public Affairs
Director, The Associate Director of Government Affairs, and then was the Director of
Government Affairs. For all of his time at International Paper, he was a lobbyist at the
federal and state level of government. After retiring from International Paper in 1996, he
started his own consulting firm, Brownell Associates, in McLean VA. The firm was
dissolved in 2003 when he moved to Wilmington, NC. Arthur joined the board in 2007.
Larry Cahoon
Larry is a Professor at UNCW with a Ph.D in Zoology from Duke University. He is a biological oceanographer and limnologist (studier of freshwater lakes and ponds) with strong interests in water quality analysis and remediation. He is also a certified Senior Ecologist with the Ecological Society of America.
Alan Cradick
Alan is a professional photographer who, before moving to Southeastern North Carolina, founded Sanctuary Friends, a non-profit organization supporting the educational and research goals of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. In addition to CFRW he is also an active volunteer with Audubon North Carolina and the North Carolina Coastal Federation and is member of the PenderWatch Board of Directors.
Bill Farris
Bill has more than 30 years experience in all aspects of municipal planning and management. He is currently the Town Manager for the Town of Leland. We welcome his expertise as well as increased input from the Brunswick County side of the river.
Jane Hartley
A board member since 2006, Jane is a retired Coast Guard Captain with extensive experience in environmental studies and concerns, including work on the Great Lakes and Chesapeake Bay. New to the area and living in Leland, she is already involved in local issues in her neighborhood.
Kay Lynn Plummer Hernandez
Kay Lynn has worked from 1999 to 2005 in Louisiana, Netherlands Antilles, and Florida
as an environmental specialist/biologist for private industry, national parks, and NOAA
where she managed projects, staff, and research and monitoring. She also created,
implemented, and coordinated a worldwide volunteer program.
A resident of
Wilmington since 2005, she is interested in serving in the areas of advocacy and
grants/donors.
Jeannie Lennon
Jeannie is a retired licensed family therapist and social worker who moved to Wilmington
in 1999 from Washington DC. She has had numerous experiences as a worker and
volunteer with a variety of non-profits (Women Strike for Peace; Potomac Appalachian
Trail Club; American Rivers Conservation Council among them). Currently she
volunteers as a Disaster Mental Health Worker for the American Red Cross and serves on
the Community Crisis Response Team in New Hanover County. She is interested in
helping expand the membership, educating local politicians about environmental issues,
and looks forward to being useful to Cape Fear River Watch.
Captain E. Jot Owens
Jot is one of the founding captains in CFRW’s annual Striper Tournament and won First
Place overall and First Place Aggregate in 2008. Active in the charter fishing and
tournament business since 1996, Jot has managed to translate his lifetime passion for
fishing and guiding into his own charter business which he began in 2007.
Dave Pyle
Dave has been a board member for seven years; six as Treasurer. Dave is from
Washington DC where he worked with the Defense Department and spent 17years as a
Program Analyst with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. He has has also served on the
Advocacy Committee for CFRW and volunteers with the Jazz Appreciation Society and
the Wilmington Symphony.
Paul Ritchie
Paul consults with small to medium companies or startups to improve the performance of
their organizations on a group or individual basis and brings 30 years of business
management and consulting experience and expertise. He is currently on the Wilmington
Harbor Enhancement Trust board, serves on the board of Community Homeowner’s
Association, is a leader within the Cape Fear Council of Boy Scouts and enjoys boating,
diving, backpacking, and competitive tennis. He looks forward to helping Cape Fear
Riverwatch in any capacity he is able.
Elise Rocks
Elise is a real estate development and appraisal professional. She provides business consulting services for systems and personnel management. She is heavily involved with many civic groups and has a long history with Cape Fear River Watch as a volunteer with the organization and its programs. Elise is an avid kayaker and leader in the local environmental community at large.
Brad Rosov
Brad Rosov, new on Board in 2006, UNCW Research Technician, Aquatic
Ecology, previously on staff with The Nature Conservancy in Florida,
similar to CFRW, other positions with Carolina Ocean Studies, Coastal
Encounters and Human Genome Science related to environmental
studies and concerns. Numerous presentations and published articles.
Roger Shew
Roger is a Geology and Environmental Science professor at UNCW and has been teaching since 1999. He is very interested in the Coastal Plain of North Carolina and uses it as a natural laboratory in his classes. He conducts field trips to the coasts, the Green Swamp, and up in the Bay Lakes areas. Roger grew up in Brunswick County and worked in the Energy Industry for 20 years. He is also an active volunteer with the Nature Conservancy and the NC Coastal Federation.
Mike
Sheehan
Mike is a lifelong resident of New Hanover County and has spent over 30 years in the
Wilmington Historic District. He is retired from a position as Information Security
Officer at UNCW where he was responsible for data integrity and
computer/communication security and policy development for the UNCW campus,
including the Aquarius Habitat in Key Largo, FL. Mike served on a state-wide group that
developed policies, procedures, and implementation of computing security best practices
for all UNC campuses. He also chaired the Residents of Old Wilmington committee
which successfully restricted heavy truck traffic on Third Street. Past experience includes
10 years conducting and publishing research in underwater physiology.
Dave Thomas
A local builder interested in “Building Green”, Dave has been on the
board since 2005. He is on the New Hanover County Watershed
Management Advisory Board, Lower Cape Fear Stewardship
Development Committee, the Board Wilmington Cape Fear Homebuilders
and serves as the New Hanover Soil and Water Conservation District
Supervisor. He is the voting member on the C-Cap committee
representing Brunswick, NH, & Pender counties.
Dawn York
Dawn has been a resident of Wilmington since 1995. In 1999 she earned a BS degree in biology and chemistry with a minor in environmental studies. While working as a research technician under the supervision of Dr. Courtney Hackney on the Cape Fear River Harbor Deepening Project, she decided to continue with her education and received an MS degree in marine science (emphasis on ecological estuarine/coastal processes.) Her Masters work focused on the use of bryophytes as indicators of hydrologic and salinity change within the swamp system of the Northeast Cape Fear River. She has worked for CZR Inc., as an environmental consultant to industry, municipalities, and property owners. Currently she is working for Coastal Planning & Engineering of NC, Inc. as a coastal biologist in which she navigates clients through state and federal permits pertaining to natural resources (wetlands/EFH/protected species) for the purpose of shoreline protection and evaluation, prepares state and federal documentation of impacts to natural resources, and coordinates with permitting agency representatives.
yes...
a few... We are always looking for more people to get involved.
If you are interested in helping, please visit our Volunteer Now! section.
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