Bret comes on board the Carolina Thread Trail with a background in public sector land use and transportation planning. Throughout his career, he has specialized in bicycle and pedestrian planning. From 2006 to 2014, Bret served as the Bicycle, Greenways, and Pedestrian Coordinator in Palm Beach County, Fl, where he was responsible for planning, funding and elevating awareness for non-motorized transportation. In late 2014, he moved to the Charlotte region and held the position of Senior Transportation Planner with the Gaston-Cleveland-Lincoln MPO. Bret is a native of western Pennsylvania and a graduate of Penn State University. He is an avid road and mountain cyclist, and also enjoys hiking, travel and NASCAR racing.
Sean joined CLC in 2011 as GIS Director and moved into the Land Stewardship Director position in 2024. His role includes mapping and geographic analysis for both CLC and the Carolina Thread Trail and leading the Natural Resource Management and Stewardship Department's baseline reporting, monitoring and management of conserved lands. Sean graduated from Catawba College with an environmental science degree and biology minor. Upon graduation he took the lead Park Ranger position at Boone’s Cave Park in Lexington, N.C. In his free time Sean enjoys hiking, camping and kayaking with his wife and son.
Brittnay is from Greenville, South Carolina so growing up amidst the mountains and development led her to obtain a degree in Conservation Biology from Winthrop University. After graduation, she was hired on at Nation Ford Land Trust in York County, S.C. and began working with Catawba Lands Conservancy and the Carolina Thread Trail on numerous shared regional projects. She was elated to hear of an opening at CTT after collaborating for years, and is excited to continue advancing trail and conservation work in our region.
Amanda joins the staff of Catawba Lands Conservancy with a background in real estate, local government, law, and policy, including more than six years with the City of Charlotte where she helped lead the Tree Canopy Preservation Program. A native of the Charlotte area, she received her undergraduate degree from the University of South Carolina, law degree from UNC Chapel Hill, and master’s in Public Administration with a concentration in Sustainability from Clemson University. In her free time, Amanda enjoys aerial fitness, hot yoga, and Pilates reformer classes, reading, and trying new recipes.
Eric comes to the Catawba Lands Conservancy and Carolina thread trail with ten years of fundraising and nonprofit administrative experience supporting disaster relief, human services, and public information services. In his free time, Eric enjoys gardening, traveling, and watching old sci-fi shows. Eric is looking forward to serving Catawba Lands Conservancy and the Carolina Thread Trail by providing the best possible service to our donors and community stakeholders.
Jennifer brings to Catawba Lands Conservancy 6 years of experience in communications and marketing for environmental nonprofits. She previously worked at Sustain Charlotte and prior to that at WakeUP Wake County, serving as the communications lead for each organization. After graduating from UNC Wilmington Jennifer earned her Master’s degree from the University of Miami. In her free time Jennifer loves doing hot yoga, baking, eating pasta, and spending time with her husband, tuxedo cat Mickey and Australian cattle dog Freckles.
Becca joins the team with over 5 years of trail maintenance and conservation experience. She is passionate about connecting people to natural world. In her free time, she enjoys concerts, traveling and puzzles.
Alesia brings to the Conservancy more than eight years of marketing and public relations experience in the nonprofit and museum sectors. Her background includes media relations, online marketing, strategic communications, branding and social media. She previously worked at the Yale University Art Gallery in New Haven, Conn., and the North Carolina Museum of Art in Raleigh, N.C., where she managed marketing and public relations for the grand openings of two landmark expansion projects. A graduate of UNC-Chapel Hill’s School of Journalism, Alesia enjoys traveling, cooking and exploring new trails.
Sophie comes to CLC with 7 years of experience implementing conservation projects across the United States. Her journey started with the University of Georgia’s Interdisciplinary Field Program, where she explored the relationships between people and land in the American West. Beginning her career as a backcountry trail builder in 2017, Sophie worked in diverse ecosystems from the Adirondak Mountains to the Mojave Desert, honing trade skills like dry stone masonry and rustic carpentry while collaborating with stakeholders to achieve park management goals. A year-long stint surveying aquatic insects throughout Colorado’s Front Range deepened her commitment to understanding the interconnectedness of people, wildlife, plants, fungi and landscape. At CLC, Sophie collaborates with partnering landowners and agencies to improve water quality, wildlife habitat and agricultural sustainability.
Bart brings nearly 30 years of fundraising and nonprofit experience to the Conservancy and the Thread Trail. He came from the YMCA of Greater Charlotte where he served for eight years as Vice President of Major and Planned Gifts. Prior to this, Bart worked at the Foundation For The Carolinas in development and planned giving. He is a graduate of Davidson College, where he also worked as Assistant Vice President of Major and Planned Gifts, then General Counsel and the President’s Executive Assistant. Prior to that he practiced law at Smith Helms Mulliss & Moore. Bart received his law degree from the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, and has always been a lover of the land. Landess, his wife and his four children all enjoy the outdoors, especially skiing.
Bart is former Chair of the North Carolina Planned Giving Council. He’s also a founding member of the Institute of Philanthropy and Leadership Gift School and a former Board member of Legal Services of the Southern Piedmont (now Charlotte Center for Legal Advocacy) and former Deacon and member of the Session of First Presbyterian Church. He was part of the Charlotte Chapter of American Leadership Forum’s Class V.
Jessica brings nearly 15 years of nonprofit and fundraising experience to the job of raising funds for the next phases of the Carolina Thread Trail. Her background includes serving as Development Director for the Autism Society of North Carolina’s Charlotte and Asheville regions, and Development & Communications Director for Community Link in Charlotte. Jessica also serves as a board member for the Association of Fundraising Professionals Charlotte Chapter, and has earned the designation of Certified Fundraising Executive (CFRE). She loves to read, try new foods and recipes, and get outside with family and friends.
Will joins the Thread Trail staff after spending five years as a North Carolina State Park Ranger. He worked for both Kerr Lake State Recreation Area and, most recently, Lake Norman State Park. Will is a native of Western Maryland. He spent much of his youth outside, roaming the Appalachian mountains and learning about the great outdoors from his Park Ranger father, Jeff. An environment and trails enthusiast, Will has a background in trail building as well natural resource and invasive management. He has a passion for fire management and holds various certifications in prescribed burning and wildfire suppression. In his free time, Will enjoys mountain biking, experimental cooking, and hiking with his wife, Stuart, and black and white dogs, Jasper and Ziggy.