Toxic Free NC's Board of Directors
About
the Board of Directors
The Board
of Directors is a group of people who each bring their unique
skills and resources to the task of overseeing and caring
for our organization. They meet four times a year as a full
group to ensure that the organization stays true to its mission,
stays in compliance with the law and with best practices,
has the resources it needs to succeed, and to plan for our
long-term health and well-being. Throughout the year, Board
members contribute their energy and time to supporting Toxic
Free NC's programs as volunteers and committee members. They
are a wonderful group of talented and creative people, and
their leadership and support are critical to Toxic Free NC's
success!
The Board of Directors has several
permanent or "standing" committees, and also convenes
temporary or "ad-hoc" committees to work on specific
projects, like special events or hiring. Volunteers who are
not members of the Board can also serve on these Committees
(except the Executive Committee). The standing committees
are:
Board Development
Committee. This committee is responsible for
recruiting new members to the Board, and ensuring orientation
and skill development for all Board members.
Fundraising
Committee, a.k.a. "The Pollinators." This
committee leads the Board's involvement in fundraising,
and supports the staff in planning, carrying out and evaluating
our fundraising activities each year.
Executive
Committee. This committee
includes the Board's President, Treasurer, and Immediate
Past President or President-Elect. Together with the Executive
Director, these Board Officers ensure that the Board is
fulfilling its responsibilities, and prepare the agendas
for Board meetings.
Board members serve three-year
terms, and can be nominated by any Board, staff or committee
member, or by any volunteer or community member for election
by the full Board.
Members
of Toxic Free NC's Board of Directors
(last
updated 12/08)
|
Colleen
Boudreau
Treasurer and member of the Board Development Committee
Colleen has served on the Board since 2004. She
is an independent contractor and CPA, providing business
and accounting services to organizations throughout North
Carolina. She lives in Raleigh with her husband Russell,
their two dogs Shasta and Chimay, and is expecting her
first child in August 2008. In her spare time, Colleen
enjoys hiking with her family (dogs included), futzing
with her plants, cooking, and traveling. |
|
Ghassan Hamra
Ghassan joined the Board in December of 2008. He is a PhD candidate in Epidemiology at the UNC School of Public Health, focusing on environmental and occupational epidemiology. Ghassan is an alumnus of Americorps VISTA in NC, and a former Toxic Free NC intern (2004-05). He's also an avid mountain biker, and volunteers for L'il Farm outside Chapel Hill.
Photo: Ghassan (left) and his wife Leah at party last summer. |
|
Laxmi Haynes
Laxmi is the National Student
Organizer at Student Action with Farmworkers, coordinating
the Sowing Seeds for Change Fellowship program, and
directing the Into the Fields Theater Group. In her
spare time she likes to dance, work in her garden and
collect antiques. |
|
Mindy
Hiteshue
Chair of the Board Development Committee
Mindy graduated from NC State University in
2001 with a degree in Spanish. She works as Business
Manager at the NC Conservation Network and has served
on the Board of Toxic Free NC for almost 2 years.
She enjoys singing, running, and spending time with
her 8 nieces and nephews!
Photo: Mindy Hiteshue (left) and her mother Diane
Hiteshue at Toxic Free NC's 20th Anniversary Party. |
|
Cathy Jones
Cathy and her husband Mike Perry
own Perry-winkle Farm located in northern Chatham County.
They raise vegetables, cut flowers and pastured poultry
for sale at local farmers' markets and to area restaurants.
Although their work is sunrise-to-sunset, they take
a yearly trek in late summer to New England searching
for cooler temperatures!
Photo: Cathy Jones (right)
with a bouquet of flowers from Perry-winkle Farm and
staff member Fawn Pattison at Toxic Free NC's 20th
Anniversary Party. |
|
Omar Laínez
Omar is the Community Education
Coordinator of the Farmworker Unit of Legal Aid of NC.
Because of his background with farmworkers, he became interested
in Toxic Free NC, and has served on our board since 2005.
He is a Honduran native and he now lives in Garner with
his wife and their son, Saul. Omar enjoys traveling with
his family. |
|
Michelle
Nowlin
President-Elect and member of "The Pollinators"
Michelle is an attorney with the Environmental
Law and Policy Clinic at Duke University and has served
on the board of Toxic Free NC for 4 years. She
has two children and spends her non-work time restoring
her old mill house, toxic-free gardening and making
pottery. |
|
Annie O'Leary
Member of "The Pollinators"
Annie is a major gift officer
for the Southern Environmental Law Center in their
Carolinas office in Chapel Hill. She joined Toxic
Free NC’s
board in 2006. Hiking, yoga and gardening and anything
else she can do outside are her favorite things to
do.
Photo: Annie O'Leary
(right) with staff member Billie Karel at Toxic Free
NC's 20th Anniversary Party. |
|
Katherine
M. Shea
President
Katherine is a staff physician at NC State
University Student Health Service. She has served on
the Board since 2003 and has a particular interest
in children's environmental health. She is married,
has two grown children and has recently become a certified
yoga teacher. |
|
Allen
Spalt
Immediate Past President and member of "The Pollinators"
Allen was co-founder and executive
director of Toxic Free NC. He is now happily retired
and watching the current staff and board do amazing
things. He remains active on the board and with Beyond
Pesticides. At other times he is at the beach, travelling
with his wife Susan, or playing with their Irish Setter
Lucy.
Photo: Allen Spalt (right)
receiving a lifetime achievement award from Emeritus
Board Member Billie Rogers at Toxic Free NC's 20th Anniversary
Party. |
Emeritus Board Members
Billie Rogers, Founding
Board member (pictured, left)
Jane Sharp MacRae, Founding
Board member (pictured, left side of center photo)
Erick Umstead, Toxic Free NC Co-founder (pictured,
right) |
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