Staff
Hope Taylor, Executive Director, Durham and Asheville Offices
(919) 401-9600 – hope@cwfnc.org
Hope joined the staff in August of 1999, after six years of teaching chemistry and biology in community colleges and universities in the Durham area, as well as providing technical assistance to communities at Superfund sites. During her 20 years of work as a basic biomedical researcher at the National Institutes of Health and Duke University, she remained active on environmental and social justice issues. Deciding to train for a career more connected to communities, she graduated with a Master of Science in Public Health in Environmental Chemistry and Biology from UNC-CH in 1993. Hope is also a dairy goat farmer and works to deepen CWFNC ties with rural communities across the state to protect our surface and ground water.
Katie Hicks, Assistant Director, Asheville Office
(828) 251-1291 – katie@cwfnc.org
A native of Western North Carolina, Katie graduated from UNC-Asheville with a double degree in Environmental Science and Spanish, so she’s well equipped to help us with outreach to – and collaboration with – diverse western NC communities. She co-chaired Active Students for a Health Environment at UNCA, interned with Dogwood Alliance, worked on a wide range of laboratory projects at the Environmental Quality Institute, and most recently provided a variety of educational programs as a resource interpreter at the Cradle of Forestry in America. Joining the staff in December 2009, Katie is excited to be part of CWFNC’s team; her work focuses on environmental justice issues affecting NC communities.
Maribel Sierra, Water and Energy Researcher/Organizer, Durham Office
(919) 401-9600 – maribel@cwfnc.org
Maribel grew up in Biscoe, NC, and joined CWFNC’s staff after graduating from UNC Chapel Hill with a major in biology and minor in Spanish. She has a background in science, including research to monitor various chemical processes that occur at the cellular level, as well as a commitment to social and environmental change demonstrated by past work with UNC hospitals, Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools and Piedmont Wildlife Center. Maribel is happy to have joined CWFNC and looks forward to using her skills to work with diverse communities to promote clean water for all.
Belinda Joyner, Northeastern Organizer, Garysburg, grew up in Northampton County and has worked as a teacher’s assistant specializing in reading skills. She has been involved in numerous local environmental struggles and has been an effective organizer against threats including a liquid fertilizer plant, a hazardous waste incinerator and a private prison, with a strong history of grassroots fundraising for diverse causes.
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Board of Directors
Back row: Nathanette Mayo, Joanna Connolly, Katie Hicks, Jodi Lasseter, Isaac Coleman. Front row: Hope Taylor, Montie Hamby, DeWayne Barton
Joanna Connolly (Vice Chair) – Lawndale, NC
DeWayne Barton – Asheville, NC
Isaac Coleman (Treasurer) – Asheville, NC
Allen Hubbard (Secretary) – Lincolnton, NC
Jodi Lasseter (Chair) – Durham, NC
Nathanette Mayo – Raleigh, NC
Marshall Tyler – Mocksville, NC
Tina Motley-Pearson – Durham, NC
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