In October of 2002, Larry became the Lower Neuse Riverkeeper, based in New Bern, NC. For the next nine years, he fought for better control of pollution of all types, and specifically CAFO pollution, which was widespread in the Neuse River watershed. Witnessing these impacts firsthand, he began working with environmental justice organizations and communities to stop the harm pollution was causing to affected communities. In November of 2011, he joined Waterkeeper Alliance as NC CAFO Coordinator, working with fifteen Riverkeeper programs throughout North Carolina to end the stranglehold the CAFO industry has on our environment and communities.

In 2014, Larry, along with others, formed Coastal Carolina Riverwatch. He served as Executive Director of Coastal Carolina Riverwatch and as the Crystal Coast Waterkeeper until April of 2021.

Effective June 7, 2021, he returned to Waterkeeper Alliance as their NC Pure Farms, Pure Waters CAFO Coordinator, working with the Riverkeepers in NC to drive change in the CAFO industry and its impact on our state.

Dr. Catherine Wright is a social ethicist and full professor at Wingate University whose work advances community-engaged research at the intersection of theology, ethics, and sustainability. Her scholarship emphasizes faith-based frameworks for ethical reflection, civic responsibility, justice, and the common good. She has extensive experience designing academic initiatives that integrate service-learning, spiritual reflection, and community partnership into institutional practice. Her work focuses on building durable community infrastructure through collaboration with local leaders, drawing on expertise in strategic planning, organizational design, and research-informed approaches that strengthen long-term impact. Wright is a nationally recognized scholar and public speaker. Her first book received an ACP Excellence in Publishing Award, and she was named a finalist for the AASHE Campus Sustainability Research Award.

Belinda Joyner lives in Garysburg, North Carolina, and is a longtime grassroots community organizer. Over the past 30 years, she has fought to stop a coal plant, protect workers' rights, and prevent deaths in confinement. She has served as President of the Concerned Citizens of Northampton County, as Northeastern Organizer for Clean Water for North Carolina for 25 years, and as a Community Consultant for Dogwood Alliance for 13 years. Belinda believes everyone has the right to live in a clean and safe environment. Her voice is trusted and respected in the community, and she remains a powerful advocate for justice and environmental health.

Dr. Danielle Koonce received her PhD in Sociology in 2024. For the past four years, she has volunteered as a community organizer in Sampson County, North Carolina. She is also a licensed minister who enjoys teaching and sharing messages of compassion and faith. Her dissertation explored power dynamics within the environmental justice movement in predominantly Black, rural communities in eastern North Carolina. Danielle has taught college courses for 15 years and spends her free time writing, reading, and traveling. Her work is rooted in a desire to leave a better world for her children. She is committed to serving others through education, ministry, public speaking, and writing.

Hollyanne Trombley serves as Secretary of our Executive Board. She is a mother of three and a grandmother, motivated by the hope that her children and grandchildren will inherit a healthy, thriving planet. For more than 30 years, she has worked in environmental advocacy, participating in pollution-related flights, conducting ground surveillance, and interviewing people impacted by environmental harm. In 2001, she helped plan the nation’s first and largest hog pollution summit in New Bern, North Carolina. Hollyanne has worked for the Craven County Department of Human Services for 24 years, where she is currently a supervisor. She has also served on many local boards and committees focused on juvenile justice, substance abuse prevention, housing, refugee outreach, job access, and veterans support. Her work reflects a deep commitment to both people and the planet.

Ron Smith graduated from the University of North Georgia with a B.S. in Mathematics and a minor in Physics. He then joined the United States Marine Corps, attended flight school, and flew F-4 Phantom aircraft, including a combat tour in Vietnam. He retired after 24 years of service as a Lieutenant Colonel, with over 5,500 flight hours.

As a civilian, he developed ground school courseware for the AV-8 Harrier community, then transitioned to government service as an Aviation Safety and Standards Officer and a Cockpit Resource Management Instructor for the C-9B, C-35, and HH-46 aircraft.

Following his military career, Ron became deeply engaged in environmental issues, particularly water quality in Eastern North Carolina. He joined the Neuse River Foundation (NRF) in 1996 as a Creekkeeper and later became Creek Master, overseeing other Creekkeepers.

A certified commercial pilot with multiple ratings and owner of both land and seaplanes, Ron served as the lead pilot for the NRF “Air Force.” His hundreds of flight hours monitoring pollution in the Neuse River watershed were critical to documenting widespread environmental violations and protecting the region’s water quality.

 Jamie Berger is an award-winning documentary filmmaker, activist, writer, speaker, and communications strategist dedicated to advancing justice and transforming the food system. Her debut film, The Smell of Money, follows a North Carolina community's fight against the world’s largest pork company, earning acclaim as a top-five audience favorite at Hot Docs. A former chief of staff for a leading international advocacy organization, Jamie also founded a grant program addressing racial inequities in philanthropy. Her work has been featured in Vox, The Guardian, and USA Today, and her videos on the harms of industrial agriculture have reached hundreds of millions. Through storytelling, Jamie sheds light on systemic injustices affecting people, animals, and the planet. A North Carolina native, Jamie graduated summa cum laude from UNC-Chapel Hill.