Our Board

Nina Szlosberg-Landis, Raleigh
President

Nina Szlosberg-Landis is a civic leader with involvements in state, local, and national policy. She is currently in her third term on the NC Board of Transportation where she represents environmental issues. She serves on the Triangle Transit Board of Authority, and represents DOT and environmental issues on the Capital Area Planning Organization. Nationally, she serves on the Board of Directors of the Walkable and Livable Communities Institute, a nonprofit organization which promotes healthier lifestyles and built environments. Here in NC, she serves on the board of directors for Lillian’s List, an organization which helps elect women to the NC legislature.  In 2000, Nina founded and continues to serve on the board of The Hillsborough Street Partnership, which has successfully organized the community around the revitalization of historic Hillsborough Street.  In 2001, the NC Chapter of the American Planning Association named her "Citizen Planner of the Year" and the News and Observer “Tar Heel of the Week.” In 2003, Nina was selected as one of ten Eisenhower Fellows in the United States and travelled to the European Union where she studied environmental policy.   Nina is a communications professional with more than 25 years experience in broadcasting, media production, community relations, and social advocacy and is President of Circle Squared Media, a strategic media consulting firm in Raleigh. She is married to Kel Landis, III. They live in Raleigh NC.

Bill Padgett, Raleigh
Vice President, Interim Treasurer

Bill is a retired director of IT Services for NC State University for 25 years. He has led many successfully community and political efforts in Raleigh. Presently he is working to preserve as a park the 306 acres of the Dorothea Dix Mental Health facility (NC State operated mental hospital) in Raleigh. He currently serves as chair of the Wade Citizens Advisory Council, and is a strong community advocate and organizer. His current interests include investigating traffic impacts of local proposed developments and studying the stock market. He and his wife live in Raleigh where they host regular house concerts.

Chandra Taylor, Durham
Secretary

Chandra is a senior attorney with Southern Environmental Law Center specializing in transportation and land use issues. In addition to NCLCV, she also serves on the planning committee for the North Carolina Environmental Justice Network and the board of the Rural Empowerment Association for Community Help.  Chandra is from Kinston, North Carolina and currently resides in Durham.

John Runkle, Chapel Hill
Legal Counsel

John is an environmental attorney who represents communities across North Carolina facing threats from landfills, incinerators, wastewater discharges, power plants, and over-development.  He currently is an advocate for energy efficiency in the NC General Assembly.  He is the General Counsel for NCLCV and sits on the Board of Directors of the NC Coastal Federation. John has been a critical part of the North Carolina environmental movement over the years, serving on numerous environmental group boards and state advisory committees. John resides in Chapel Hill with his wife Nancy.

Guenevere Abernathy, Durham

Guenevere Abernathy is a social entrepreneur. Her latest venture is LoMoMarket to be launched spring 2012. Ms. Abernathy founded Unique Places, a conservation real estate company, in 2004 and was Managing Partner through 2011. She serves as an advisor to Greenfire Development, a development company that revitalizes inner-city properties in Durham. She sits on the Land Protection Committee for the Eno River Association, coaches gymnastics at AcroSport, and spends as much time outdoors as possible. She and her husband, Michael Lemanski, live in downtown Durham overlooking DPAC and the bustle of Main Street.

Everett Bowman, Charlotte

Everett Bowman practices antitrust law and commercial litigation with Robinson, Bradshaw & Hinson, P.A. Mr. Bowman recently received the received the Antitrust Section’s Distinguished Service Award from the North Carolina Bar Association. In addition, Mr. Bowman was selected as a 2011 North Carolina Super Lawyer. He has also been recently recognized by Best Lawyers as the Charlotte Antitrust Lawyer of the Year for 2011, and is a member of Business North Carolina’s Legal Elite Hall of Fame for his work in the antitrust area. He resides in Charlotte with his two cats, Hector and Mary.  His hobbies include whitewater canoeing and cooking.

Dan Bruer, Raleigh

Dan Bruer is the Raleigh-based major gifts officer for the national LCV. Dan first learned about fundraising and campaign management as a college intern with a political consulting firm in Missouri, where he later held staff positions on Missouri House and Congressional campaigns.  Mr. Bruer has over fifteen years experience in fundraising and nonprofit management, serving in various development positions for University of Missouri-Columbia, UNC-Chapel Hill, Mid-Atlantic Region American Red Cross, and the Triangle Land Conservancy (where he managed a $5.5M capital campaign). Dan studied Sociology and Political Science at Missouri State University, and graduate studies in Sociology at the University of Missouri-Columbia. He lives in Raleigh with his wife and two children.

Gerry Dudzik, Durham

Gerry Dudzik functions as the Chief Operating Office of Carolina Solar Energy. Gerry’s primary responsibility is to manage the day-to-day operations of Carolina Solar Energy LLC.  In addition, Gerry has responsibilities for new business development, project proposal development, marketing and communications and technology vendor relations. Prior to joining Carolina Solar Energy, Gerry was one of the founding partners of Carolina Green Energy LLC, a North Carolina utility scale wind energy developer. Gerry led the launch of the digital wireless service in the Southeast US for AT&T, serving as their Vice President of Marketing responsible for distribution channel development, service pricing, market research and advertising/public relations.  Before joining AT&T, Gerry held senior marketing, field operations and sales management positions with GTE Wireless, Cellular One and Volvo Cars of North America. Gerry has over 25 years of experience in new business development, strategic marketing, operations management and new product introductions.  Mr. Dudzik lives in Durham, NC.

Robert S. Hodgman, Greensboro

Bob Hodgman is an attorney and owner of The Hodgman Law Firm in Greensboro specializing in workers’ compensation law. He has been a regular member of the Sierra Club for many years, as well as strong supporter of The Nature Conservancy and previously the Audubon Society. He is also a strong supporter and contributor to environmental causes and his hobbies include travel, bird watching and astronomy. Bob attended Duke-AB 1969, UNC Law 1972. Most political activity has been through the NC Association for Justice (Benefactor) or the national based, Workers Injury Law and Advocacy Group -WILG ( Director). Significant interests include toxic chemical exposures and hazards in employment as it affects injured workers.

Valerie Ann Johnson, Oxford

Valerie is the Mott Distinguished Professor of Women’s Studies and Director of Africana Women’s Studies at Bennett College in Greensboro. As an advocate for environmental justice she belongs to the following organizations: North Carolina Environmental Justice Network, ACA-Net (Academics, Community, Agencies Network. She also serves as a Commissioner on the North Carolina Historical Commission. She lives with her partner and two daughters in Oxford.

Maria Kingery, Morrisville

Maria co-founded Southern Energy Management in 2001, a North Carolina-based sustainable energy company. She serves as President, chief visionary, and director of cultural development, and plays a key role in marketing and business development efforts. Prior to starting SEM with her husband, Maria served as retail operations manager for Burt’s Bees. She also has sales and marketing experience in the commercial printing and business products industries. She serves on the board of NC Sustainable Energy Association among others. Maria graduated Summa Cum Laude with a BA in English Literature from NCSU. She and her husband live with their son in Raleigh.

Ronald H. McFarlane, Raleigh

Ron grew up in Roanoke.  He graduated from the University of Virginia with a degree in Science Education. He later enrolled in Pharmacy School at VCU where he met his wife, Nancy, where they were both pursuing degrees in pharmacy. They graduated in 1980 and were married that fall.  Nancy and Ron have lived in Raleigh, NC since 1984.  Nancy was just elected Mayor of Raleigh October, 2011. While living in Raleigh, they have raised three children: Katie, Emily and Reynolds. Ron has held the position of Chief Operating Officer for MedPro Rx, Inc., a Raleigh based specialty pharmacy, since June, 2003.  He has served as Vice Chair and currently Secretary on the board of WakeUP Wake County, a citizen’s group focused on the Water, Transit, Schools, and Growth Issues in the area.  Ron has been a volunteer coach for various YMCA Youth Sports programs since moving to Raleigh in 1984. He also served on the National Board of Directors for the Myasthenia Gravis Foundation from 2001 to 2009 where he was its Vice Chair from 2005 to 2009. He is a former Board Member of the local Wake County AIDS Service Agency. He sits on the National Advisory Council for the VCU School of Pharmacy and on the VCU's Medical of Virginia Foundation.

Joel Olsen, Cornelius

Joel Olsen is the Managing Director and Founder of O2Energies. Before founding O2energies, Mr. Olsen served as the Business Development and Government Relations Director for Sencera, a manufacturer of thin film silicon solar modules. He is a graduate of UNC Chapel Hill, and spent 3 years working Japan, before working 13 years in Norway. Mr. Olsen is a former board member of the North Carolina Sustainable Energy Association and was a member of the Business committee on Energy for the Institute of Emerging issues. In January 2011, he was awarded an Energy Leadership award by the Charlotte Business Journal. Mr. Olsen lives in Cornelius with his wife and children.

Jim Overton, Durham

Jim Overton serves on the Executive Staff of Self Help, a community development lender, credit union, and real estate developer working with the underserved. Mr. Overton was historically associated with NCLCV during its founding years as the Conservation Council of NC. He and his wife Mary Mountcastle live in Durham.

Al Swanstrom, Cary

Al is a retired IBM executive and high-tech business entrepreneur.  He is active in civic and charitable organizations including the Cary Planning and Zoning Board (as chair), the North Carolina Turnpike Authority Board, the North Carolina League of Conservation Voter Board (NC Conservation Council) and he just completed a term on the Wake County Planning Board.    Al is a graduate of the Institute of Political Leadership (IOPL – a nonpartisan political leadership training program) and he is a member of the American and North Carolina Planning Associations.  He is a longtime supporter of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society as a board member, public policy advocate, mission ambassador, Team in Training program coach, and a member of the Light the Night program steering committee.   Al is an active supporter of the Frankie Lemmon School for developmentally challenged children as a volunteer, fund raiser, and program steering committee member.