Central Regional Office

MountainTrue's Central Regional Office and headquarters is located in Asheville, serving all 26 counties in our organization's footprint.
Volunteer

About the Central Regional Office

29 N. Market Street, Suite 610
Asheville, NC 28801
(828) 258-8737

The Central Regional Office partners with and serves communities in Buncombe, Madison, McDowell, Mitchell, and Yancey counties through the following programs and initiatives:

 

Central Region Team

Bob Wagner

Bob Wagner

Executive Director

Julie Mayfield

Julie Mayfield

Senior Policy Advisor

Gray Jernigan

Gray Jernigan

Deputy Director & General Counsel

Karim Olaechea

Karim Olaechea

Deputy Director of Strategy & Communications

Anna Alsobrook

Anna Alsobrook

French Broad Riverkeeper

Susan Bean

Susan Bean

Housing & Transportation Director

Adam Bowers

Adam Bowers

Development Director

Hartwell Carson

Hartwell Carson

Clean Waters Director

Amy Finkler

Amy Finkler

Development & Engagement Manager

Jack Henderson

Jack Henderson

French Broad Paddle Trail Manager

Chris Joyell

Chris Joyell

Healthy Communities Director

Josh Kelly

Josh Kelly

Resilient Forests Director

Greg Parlier

Greg Parlier

Marketing & Debris Cleanup Communications Manager

Jon Stamper

Jon Stamper

River Cleanup Coordinator

Sydney Swafford

Sydney Swafford

Development & Operations Coordinator

Linda Tatsapaugh

Linda Tatsapaugh

Organizing Manager

Maddy Watson

Maddy Watson

Communications Manager

Volunteer with us!

We have many regular volunteer opportunities throughout the warmer months – visit our events calendar to view upcoming volunteer opportunities. Please note that volunteer event dates and times are subject to change due to weather conditions with short notice. Follow the MountainTrue Instagram and Facebook Page, as well as the French Broad Riverkeeper Instagram and Facebook Page, or email outings@mountaintrue.org to receive the most up-to-date information on event changes/cancellations.

Central Region News

What’s Going On With the NC Farm Bill?

Last night Governor Roy Cooper vetoed SB711, a dangerous bill that would greatly limit the constitutional right of North Carolinians living near industrial hog farms to seek justice in the courts for nuisance and pollution of their air and water. This is when we need your calls more than ever. Will you make a quick call to your state representative now to make sure Governor Cooper’s veto of SB711 stands?

read more
MountainTrue Raleigh Report: The End (of the Session) is Near, CCA Goes to Raleigh & More

MountainTrue Raleigh Report: The End (of the Session) is Near, CCA Goes to Raleigh & More

On the veto override front, the two biggest environmental bills of the session – the 2018 Farm Act and the legislature’s annual regulatory “reform” bill –  are now on the Governor’s desk. A veto of the Farm Act is widely expected. There are 74 Republicans in the House and 35 in the Senate, so a strict vote along party lines would override the vetoes. However, collecting the needed votes for an override is a very different game in each chamber. Expect the Senate majority to easily and quickly override any veto of these bills. In the House, however, the vote is likely to be much closer, with many environmental groups (including MountainTrue) and other opponents of the bill working hard to find the votes to sustain a veto.

read more
Open Letter: We Stand with the City of Asheville in Opposing Cascading Section A of the I-26 Connector Project

Open Letter: We Stand with the City of Asheville in Opposing Cascading Section A of the I-26 Connector Project

On behalf of our members and supporters, Asheville on Bikes and MountainTrue write in opposition to cascading Section A of the I-26 Connector Project from the statewide to the regional tier of projects. We firmly believe that negotiations between the City of Asheville and NCDOT on outstanding design questions related to the Connector Project should be completed and incorporated into the final Environmental Impact Statement before the project moves forward. We cannot support cascading Section A until this occurs.

read more
MT Raleigh Report: The Good, The Bad and The Big Picture on NC’s New Budget

MT Raleigh Report: The Good, The Bad and The Big Picture on NC’s New Budget

Last week, in a blur of committee meetings and debates on the Senate and House floor, the legislature completed its most important task of the 2018 General Assembly session – approval of the $24 billion state budget for the 2018-19 fiscal year, which begins July 1.

As is often the case in the sausage-making of the General Assembly, one has to consider what the General Assembly included (or didn’t) in the budget as well how it went about its work. It’s also important to step back from the details of the budget and consider it in a broader context.

In this report, we’ll try to do a little of all three.

read more
Michael Franti Returns to Asheville July 27 to Headline the Riverkeeper Beer Series

Michael Franti Returns to Asheville July 27 to Headline the Riverkeeper Beer Series

“Michael Franti & Spearhead brought such amazing energy to Asheville last year that it was a no-brainer to bring him back for this year’s French Broad Riverkeeper Concert,” says French Broad Riverkeeper Hartwell Carson. “Asheville loves Michael and he seems to love us back. Last year he took a surprise tubing float down the French Broad before jumping on stage.”

read more
MountainTrue Raleigh Report: The General Assembly, GenX and the Future of NC Drinking Water

MountainTrue Raleigh Report: The General Assembly, GenX and the Future of NC Drinking Water

May 16 marked the first day of the 2018 legislative session, and it took less than one day for lawmakers to begin making headlines about what is likely to be the biggest environmental issue of the session – the General Assembly’s response to the 2016 discovery of GenX, an “emerging contaminant” in the water supply of tens of thousand of people in the Cape Fear region and perhaps thousands more across the state.

read more

Support our Central Regional Office

Donate

We’re Refreshing Our Look — But Our Mission Remains the Same

Read our blog to learn more.