Friends of Wilson Creek

Our Board Members

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Doug Taylor Elected October, 2003 Doug is Executive Director of the Western Piedmont Council of Governments, a position he has held since 1971. Prior to his service with the WPCOG, he was an engineering consultant. He has served as President of the Local Development District Directors' Association of the Appalachian Regional Commission and is currently serving as a member of their Board. Doug holds both Bachelors and Masters Degrees in Civil Engineering from NC State University and is a registered professional engineer. He is married to Terry Taylor, an Attorney with the firm Young, Morphis, Bach and Taylor, L.L.P. They, together with their daughter Ashley, enjoy hiking, snow skiing, and camping in the Appalachian area. Doug is a native of the Hibriten community of Caldwell County and believes firmly in preserving the natural habitat for the enjoyment of future generations.

Gary Saunders Elected 2008 Gary is a native of Caldwell County. He graduated Hudson High School, 1970 and Haywood Technical Institute in 1972. He has an AAS Degree in Wildlife Management and Fish biology. Gary has worked with the NC Forest Service, a French company, Minatome, on a geological survey team for the exploration of uranium; mostly in the Pisgah National Forest, then retired from Bellsouth in 2007 afters 28 years of service. He enjoys hunting, fishing, hiking, camping, banjo, guitar, bass playing and a little singing. He is married with one son who is a graduate of NC State. Gary loves the Wilson Creek area.

Jane Roberts Carswell, MD Elected October, 2003 Jane is a retired Family Physician. She is a native of North Carolina and has been a resident of Caldwell County since 1961. She enjoys wildflowers, growing roses, nature photography, and hiking. Especially in the Wilson Creek area. Jane received her Undergraduate degree from UNC at Chapel Hill with a major in Chemistry.

Jim A. Richardson Elected October, 2003 Jim Richardson received his doctorate in Education, Higher Learning from Duke University, and has served as President of Western Piedmont Community College since 1981. Throughout his professional career, he has played an active role as a board member of numerous national and state educational organizations, presenting workshops and seminars on institutional planning, fund raising, and leadership. Locally, he volunteers his time and ledership to many community organizations, including Burke County Friends for Animals, Burke County 4-H Foundation, and Western NC Communities, Inc. He currently serves as a member of First Citizens Bank Board of Directors in Morganton and numerous city and county civic organization boards. Jim is a native of Wilkes County and an avid horseback riding enthusiast, who enjoys backpacking, trail blazing, and conducts trail riding, horsemanship, and equine safety classes. He delights in exploring the woodland and mountain trails of western North Carolina, and enjoys packing and back country camping throughout North Carolina and the scenic western United States.

Kenneth Roberts Elected October, 2003 Kenneth is a Retired Superintendent of Caldwell County Schools. He served the Caldwell County Schools for thirty-eight and one-half years as a teacher, principal, assistant superintendent, and superintendent. It was during his five years as principal and teacher at Collettsville School in the early sixties that he developed a deep appreciation for the beauty of the Wilson Creek area and for the people who lived there. Today, in retirement, he and his wife, Jane, enjoy hiking and photographing wildflowers and nature scenes in the Wilson Creek water shed, as well as many other places in the mountains of Western North Carolina.

Kevin Knight Kevin, native of Caldwell County, has an eclectic list of jobs under his belt. His expertise includes a wide range of capabilities, touching on areas such as fabricating machine parts for furniture manufacturers and working as a scientific instrument maker at the University of Texas. He also has worked in a machine shop repairing and manufacturing parts for electric motors. For Kevin, there is one passion that has lasted longer than any of these, and that is his passion for photography. That is how he got involved with the Wilson Creek Visitor Center when it first opened. He thought it would be nice to have one of his pictures of the Wilson Creek area displayed at the center so he mentioned it to a friend working for the county. Needless to say, the visitor center now proudly displays photographs of Wilson's Creek, almost entirely made up from Knight's work alone. Kevin refers to himself as an amateur photographer, self-taught and taking photos as a hobby, but as many see from the work in the visitor center, Kevin's work is anything but amateur.

Mack Chandler Elected October, 2003 Mack is the Tax Administrator for Caldwell County in Lenoir, NC. He is certified by the State of North Carolina as County Assessor. From its inception, Mack was involved with getting Wilson Creek designated as a Wild and Scenic River. He was also involved in the construction of the Wilson Creek Visitor Center and serves as Chairman of the Building and Grounds Committee. Mack is deeply committed to the preservation of the Wilson Creek corridor and its watershed efforts essential to maintaining its pristine beauty. He has played a key role in an initiative to bring nature lovers to experience the beauty of the Wilson Creek area.

Martin Clark Elected October, 2003 Martin has always had a profound interest in the Wilson Creek corrider his entire life. For as long as he can remember, his family has maintained a weekend house in the Wilson Creek area ranging from the Walnut Bottom community of Edgemont. Martin graduated from Appalachian State University in Boone, and is currently the Regional Accounting Manager for a group of newspapers in western North Carolina owned by the Media General, Inc. Martin is married and they have a daughter.

Merlin Perry Merlin is married with two sons and one grandson. He retired from Alex Lee, Inc. and also has experience with Information Services with Magnavox Company, Champion International, and as a Consultant and Iterim County Manager with Caldwell County. He has a BS Degree from Western Carolina University and Municipal and County Administration, UNCH. Merlin has many interest with some of them being in the Wilson Creek area. He has assisted in establishing greenways, rail-trails, walkable communities, cycling, hiking, hunting and fishing. His community involvement is Friends of Wilson Creek Board, NC Rail Trails Board, Official for US Swimming, Habitat for Humanity, Caldwell County Pathways, Inc. Board, former member Social Services Board, Caldwell County Chamber of Commerce member, and Tourism Advisory Board Member.

Norma McGee Elected 2004 Norma and her husband, Joe, who hunted the Wilson Creek area for 30 some years prior to retiring in 1999, lives in the small community of Edgemont, which is located in the Wilson Creek Wild and Scenic area. Before Norma moved to the Wilson Creek area, she was employed as an administrative assistant/office manager. She is now currently working as a staff member of the Wilson Creek Visitor Center and helps the Caldwell County Chamber of Commerce part-time. Norma is on the Website Committee of the Friends of Wilson Creek. Norma has a son and a stepdaughter with 3 beautiful grandchildren. She enjoys reading, walking and crafting. Norma is involved in learning the Wilson Creek Wild and Scenic area in order to help protect and preserve its beauty for generations to come.

Patsy Richardson Elected 2003 Patsy is an Administrative Assistant for the North Carolina Cooperative Extension, Caldwell County Center. She is a member of the Collettsville Ruritan Club, a rural civic organization that works to make the community (which includes Wilson Creek) a better place to live. Patsy serves on the Hard and Flossie Clark Family Park Board as Secretary/Treasurer. She and her husband,Larry, have 2 daughters, Paige and Allison. She enjoys bird watching, hiking and cooking.

Rick Rash Rick is the Caldwell County Branch Manager for the Catawba Valley Chapter of the American Red Cross. He is retired from the City of Lenoir Parks and Recreation Department as of 2004 where he accrued 37 years of service. Rick holds a Bachelors Degree in Social Science, a Bachelors Degree in Recreation Management, a Masters Degree in Physical Education with concetrations in Recreation Administration, Junior College instruction, and a strong interest in Exercise Physiology. He holds a current Certified Park and Recreation Professional rating and numerous American Red Cross Instructor and Instructor Trainer Certifications including Wilderness First Aid. Rick has always enjoyed hiking and camping, particularly in the Wilson Creek area which he has enjoyed since the 1950's. He believes in actively helping to preserve our Natural and Environmental Heritage through responsible use of our Wilderness Resources. He is also an active participant of Caldwell County Pathways and Healthy Caldwellians. He is a US Army Veteran and married to Kaye Beasley-Rash.

Sam Erwin Elected October, 2003 Sam received his undergraduate and graduate degrees from Appalachian State University and has been employed as an Environmental Administrator with Western Piedmont Council of Governments for over 16 years. He is a member of Trout Unlimited and has served as President of the Table Rock Chapter and Vice-Chair of the North Carolina State Council of Trout Unlimited. Sam is on the Board of Directors of Foothills Conservancy of North Carolina and has served as Vice-Chair and Secretary. He is an avid outdoorsman, who has enjoyed the Wilson Creek area for many years.

Susan Powers Elected October, 2003 Susan has lived in Caldwell County for 35 years and is a Geology Major from Appalachian State University. She is the owner of Excursions in the Southern Appalachian Provinces, Inc., a guide service for the natural history of the area. Susan is dedicated to preserving the diverse treasures of natural history and scenice beauty for future generations. She makes every effort to protect our eco systems and Wilson Creek Wild and Scenic River. Susan is a water color artist and enjoys conducting workshops and classes, as well as, participating in local and regional art organizations and galleries.

Yerby Ray Elected 2008 Yerby was born and raised in Newton, NC and has been an avid outdoor enthusiast his entire life. He enjoys backpacking, mountain biking, kayaking and numerous other outdoor activities. Yerby went to UNC-Charlotte and majored in history with an emphasis on historic preservation. His career, diverse in many regards, has spanned from being a forest ranger, to working with the North Carolina Highway Patrol to now being the CEO of the Catawba Valley Chapter of the American Red Cross. Yerby spends his free time attending Revolutionary War and Civil War living history events in the southeast.