Johnny Strawn of the Hanging Dog Community of Cherokee County, NC, is the 2025 recipient of the Holman Water Quality Stewardship Award.

Originally from Morgantown, WV, Johnny Strawn attended NC State University in Raleigh, NC, where he met his wife, Pam. After graduating with degrees in conservation and wildlife biology, Johnny began working for what was then the USDA Soil Conservation Service during which time Johnny and Pam moved to Cherokee County, NC. He served as District Conservationist in Cherokee and Clay counties for nine years and they fell in love with the area. So in 1982, instead of moving on with USDA, he and Pam opened Hanging Dog Valley Nursery, a wholesale nursery specializing in native plants.  

Johnny is a founder of Murphy River Walk & Canoe Trails, serving as the project manager for eight years. He received the Cherokee County Chamber of Commerce’s Citizen of the Year award in 2013 for his volunteer work on the River Walk.

Johnny has served on the board of directors for the John C. Campbell Folk School, the Cullowhee Native Plant Conference, and the Hiwassee River Watershed Coalition (now MountainTrue). He also served on the board of the Land Trust for the Little Tennessee and Mainspring Conservation Trust for 13 years. As the first Hiwassee watershed board member of the land trust, Johnny was very instrumental in the expansion of land conservation efforts beyond the Little Tennessee River corridor in Macon County.

During his time on the land trust board, Johnny and Pam began to better understand the value of conservation easements; in 2024, they put the finishing touches on a 150-acre conservation easement on their own property, a combination of seven separate tracts which over decades they melded into one cohesive piece of land.

Upon being notified that he’d been selected to receive this award and expressing gratitude for the honor, Johnny was quick to acknowledge Pam’s role in all of the accomplishments we are attributing to him. “None of this happens without Pam,” he said. 

Each year, we present the Holman Water Quality Stewardship Award to the person or group who has done the most to sustain good water quality in rivers, lakes, and streams in the upper Hiwassee River watershed of Towns and Union counties in North Georgia and Cherokee and Clay counties in North Carolina. The award is named for Bill Holman, a lifelong conservation advocate currently serving as Senior Advisor to the Conservation Fund in NC. The Holman Award is sculpted by David Goldhagen of Goldhagen Blown Art Glass, whose studio is located on the shores of Lake Chatuge near Hayesville, NC.

Position Summary

The Organizing Director will lead and manage MountainTrue’s grassroots organizing efforts across our programs, focusing on training staff and organizers in the skills necessary to build authentic relationships, empower our communities, and develop local leaders to drive community-led solutions.

This position requires both management and on-the-ground organizing experience. The organizing director will directly supervise the Creation Care Alliance Organizer and Resilient Forests Organizer and work with other program staff to build the capacity of staff, volunteers, and community partners to identify and achieve policy, advocacy, and programmatic goals. 

This role is instrumental in developing and executing strategies to grow our network of members, supporters, and volunteers, empower communities, strengthen coalitions, and advance the organization’s mission of championing resilient forests, clean waters, and healthy communities in the Southern Blue Ridge Mountains.

Key Responsibilities

Program Leadership and Strategy

• Develop and implement a comprehensive organizing strategy to support the organization’s goals, and recruit, train, and retain a diverse and engaged base of volunteers and activists.
• Provide leadership, training, and guidance to organizers, program staff, volunteers, and supporters engaged in organizing campaigns and initiatives.
• Align organizing efforts with the organization’s strategic plan, policy priorities, and equity goals.
• Supervise and mentor organizing staff, providing ongoing professional development opportunities.
• Develop resources and training materials to build the organizing capacity of staff, volunteers, and allies.
• Work with organizing staff to cultivate authentic relationships with community members, partner organizations, and stakeholders to identify community priorities and help strategize and win community-led solutions.
• Work with organizers to identify activists with leadership potential and mentor them through one-on-one meetings between organizers and activists.
• Works on evenings and weekends as necessary, with the option to take time off during the regular work week as compensation. 

Data and Evaluation

• Track and analyze metrics to evaluate the effectiveness of organizing campaigns.
• Ensure accurate and timely reporting of organizing activities and outcomes.
• Utilize digital tools and databases to manage and grow the organization’s activist base.

Communications and Advocacy

• Collaborate with the communications team to develop messaging and materials for organizing campaigns.
• Engage directly with policymakers, stakeholders, and the media to advocate for the organization’s goals.
  

Qualifications

Required Skills and Experience

• Lived experience in grassroots community organizing.
• Strong leadership and interpersonal skills, with a demonstrated ability to build and maintain relationships across diverse communities.
• Experience supervising organizing staff and volunteers, and managing multiple projects simultaneously.
• Knowledge of public policy processes and key issues related to protecting clean waters, resilient forests, and healthy communities.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Proficiency with organizing tools, such as CRMs (e.g., EveryAction, VAN), email platforms, and social media.
• Commitment to equity, inclusion, and social justice principles.

Preferred Skills and Experience

• Bilingual or multilingual abilities.
• Experience with digital organizing and data-driven campaign strategies.
• Familiarity with Western North Carolina and the Southern Blue Ridge Mountains.

Location & Travel

This position is based in Western North Carolina, with a preference for Asheville, North Carolina. This position utilizes frequent Zoom meetings and phone calls. Travel costs are covered by the organization.

Compensation

The salary is in the mid-$60s. The benefits package includes 20 vacation days per year, 12 holidays, sick leave, a sabbatical after five years, health insurance, and a simple IRA with an employer contribution of up to 3%. 

How to apply

Accepting applications until the position is filled.
Email a cover letter, resume, and three references to jobs@mountaintrue.org.  The subject line should read: “Organizing Director”.  The cover letter should answer the following questions and address your work history, organizing skills, and management experience:

• What does grassroots organizing mean to you and how does it differ from other forms of top-down advocacy?
• Describe a grassroots organizing success and the role you played. 
• What do you believe is the role of an organizing director in managing a team of organizers?