At YRK’s Annual Meeting on Monday evening, six new board members were voted onto the Board of Directors. You can learn more about them below.
David Dameron
The Yadkin River has been an important place for me since my time at Davidson College. I spent many early mornings watching the sunrise over the flooded timber while I hunted off the river. Due to experiencing the beauty and importance of our natural environment, these experiences prompted my involvement in wetland conservation organizations. While the health of the river is important to hunters, fishers, outdoor enthusiasts, or environmentalists, it also has a direct impact on everyone in the Yadkin River Basin. Through Yadkin Riverkeeper, I hope to spread awareness of conservation efforts and their positive impact in our area. I plan to work towards these goals both professionally and during my free time. After moving to Winston-Salem last fall, I look forward to utilizing this experience to become more involved in the community and meet others who are passionate about protecting nature around us.
Cliff Dossel
I have been working in the non-profit world as a museum professional for over 30 years. One of the over arching principles of working in a non-profit sector is to provide service to the community at large in the form of educational and enlightening content. Because of this, I’m always looking for ways to fulfill my place in supporting the community, from working with Scouts BSA as an adult leader to serving on the Winston Salem Public Arts Commission. I’m looking forward to the opportunity to broaden my experiences by working with the Yadkin Riverkeeper’s board, and having the opportunity to extend my service opportunities to include helping to support the stewardship of our land and water as well as providing my skills as a museum technician and designer to the organization.
Moriah Gendy
Moriah Gendy is a native of Winston-Salem and works currently for the City of Winston-Salem Office of Sustainability as the Food Resilience Program Manager. In her role, she proposes food policy meant to inform and build a resilient local food system in the Piedmont Triad. Moriah previously worked with YRK as the diversity communications specialist where she supported YRK's work by facilitating community outreach and educational opportunities through the lens of equity and inclusion. Moriah has also served as an AmeriCorps VISTA (a Federal Public service program, similar to Peace Corps), small scale sustainable grassroots agriculture, and the state parks system. Moriah is an avid believer in Environmental Justice and hopes to continue to support the work of YRK to make an impactful difference in keeping our local waterways clean and accessible for our local community.
Rev. Dr. Sharon Grant
Rev. Dr. Sharon Grant serves as an Associate Professor of the History of Christianity at Hood Theological Seminary in Salisbury, NC. Dr. Grant teaches the major required surveys on the History of Christianity and elective courses in the fields of American Religious History, Black Church History and World Religions. In 2019, the Science for Seminaries grant from AAAS funded her vision to create the International Center for Faith, Science and History (ICFSH). The center integrates scientific content within the theological curriculum at Hood and produces a podcast that features interviews with Hood students, nationally recognized scientists, community leaders and dialogue upon various interesting topics that integrate science and religion. Serving on the Yadkin Riverkeeper Board would be a wonderful opportunity to meet new people who share common interests in water and environmental conservation. Furthermore, I have an undergraduate degree in Biology/Chemistry and worked as an Environmental GC Chemist prior to entering theological education – so the programming and projects of YR would align with an early interest in the science of life. I thank the Board for their consideration.
Mark Henkle
I would like to join the Yadkin Riverkeeper Board because I am inspired by the YRK mission of environmental protection and education. I have a love for the outdoors and regularly go hiking, camping, biking, trail-running, and kayaking. I realize the importance of good stewardship of the environment. My love of the outdoors also flows into my work as an attorney in my firm’s Environmental Protection and Product Regulation group. I hope to contribute to the important work of YRK by serving on its Board.
Shannon Reed
For the past eight years, Ms. Reed has focused her career on product marketing for locally based, global manufacturing companies, including her current role as product manager for Hanes Women’s Underwear at Hanesbrands Inc. Previously, Ms. Reed spent more than 20 years as VP for several strategic marketing and public relations agencies in Chicago and Winston-Salem. She led teams that effectively captured and presented the collective voices of organizations and the individuals who amplified their success. She has managed product publicity, consumer awareness campaigns, crisis communications and litigation public relations, as well as spearheading research highlighting issues, substantiating policy recommendations, and elevating messaging via stakeholder, donor and partner communications. She looks forward to bringing her experience and focus to achieving the overall vision and mission of Yadkin Riverkeeper.