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.
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.
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.
Ashton Lamb attended Colorado State University where he received a bachelor’s degree in Natural Resource Recreation and Tourism and a master’s degree in Conservation Leadership. Following graduation Ashton moved to Charleston, SC to work for Lowcountry Land Trust where he worked to steward and protect land for over four years. Aspiring to create more publicly accessible lands for all to enjoy, Ashton accepted his role with the Carolina Thread Trail in 2021.
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.
E.C. is a Charlotte native who is thrilled to return home and help preserve the landscapes she grew up loving. She joins Catawba Lands Conservancy as the new Land Conservation Manager after serving as Director of Outreach and Engagement with Conservation Partners, a Virginia-based conservation easement consulting organization. In that role, she focused on building relationships with landowners, generating new conservation easements through education and creative outreach, and guiding landowners through the due diligence process. With 4.5 years of experience advancing land protection in Virginia, E.C. is excited to bring her skills and passion to expanding conservation efforts in the region that means so much to her, and she is eager to join the Catawba team, confident it will be a rewarding and natural fit.
Lauren McKenzie brings over 15 years of leadership experience to her role, guiding the financial management and stewardship efforts that support the mission-driven success of Catawba Lands Conservancy and the Carolina Thread Trail. A Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and dedicated nonprofit professional, Lauren is passionate about aligning financial strategy with organizational vision to foster sustainable growth and long-term impact. Outside of work, she enjoys reading, experimenting with new recipes, and traveling—often exploring the greater Charlotte area with her beloved dog, Sandy.
Grace graduated from Davidson College in May 2024 with a degree in Environmental Studies. As an undergraduate, she conducted aquatic macroinvertebrate research in Kenya and worked at the Davidson College Farm. She joined Catawba Lands Conservancy as the 2024 Davidson Impact Fellow, but now in her permanent role as the Land Conservation Associate, Grace supports conservation projects and serves as a key point of contact for landowners interested in protecting their land. She’s excited to deepen her knowledge of the Piedmont region while contributing to its conservation. Outside of work, Grace enjoys making pottery, experimenting in the kitchen, and enthusiastically losing at pickleball.
Will joined Catawba Lands Conservancy and Carolina Thread Trail in 2020 after a past life as a North Carolina State Park Ranger. Originally from Western Maryland, he grew up exploring the Appalachian Mountains and learning about the natural world from his Park Ranger father, Jeff. Will now shares that same love for the outdoors with his wife, Stuart, their two young children, and their dogs, Jasper and Ziggy. In his free time, he enjoys biking, cooking, and catching a good soccer match. Whether it’s grasslands, hiking trails, or prescribed fire, Will’s passion for conservation continues to guide and inspire his work.
Anne brings over 25 years of experience in Business Development and Advancement in the nonprofit sector to the Conservancy. Her background includes real estate, event planning, volunteer engagement, donor relations, and strategic community partnerships. She is passionate about connecting people with causes they care about, helping them contribute to their community in meaningful ways. Anne enjoys spending time outdoors and finds that being in nature centers her and brings her joy. A graduate of UNC Chapel Hill, she loves all things Carolina blue and also enjoys spending time with her teenagers and experiencing adventures with them.