Staff

Heather was born and raised in Durham, North Carolina. She earned a B.A. in Business Administration at Meredith College and an M.A. in Environmental Policy at Tufts University. Heather worked with the Neuse River Foundation to establish the first Upper Neuse River Foundation program. She came to EarthShare North Carolina in 2001 and has served as Executive Director since 2006. Outside of work, Heather spends her time backpacking in the NC and VA mountains, cooking, and silversmithing.

Originally from New York City, Brian came to NC via Boston. After graduating from college, he opened his own used and rare bookstore and has been involved in entrepreneurial pursuits and operational management ever since. He has a breadth of experience in operations, having built long term sustainable systems and infrastructure for multiple organizations resulting in strong organizational growth and stability. When he’s not at EarthShare NC you may find him around town with his three daughters.

Born and raised outside of D.C., Melissa headed south in 2009 to attend NC State University and earned a B.S. in Environmental Technology & Management. She discovered her deep passion for environmental sustainability during her undergraduate years and has since served as an AmeriCorps member and worked with various Triangle area environmental organizations helping to strengthen and grow programmatic systems and communication efforts. Outside of work, she enjoys creating colorful abstract visual art, writing and playing music, growing and foraging for food, and exploring the beautiful landscapes in and around NC.

Raised in a small town in rural Iowa, Laura’s early passions included animals, music, time on her grandparents’ farm, and reading. After high school, Laura joined the US Marine Corps to serve our country, while getting her college education. After the Marines, she found her way to the nonprofit world where she discovered her passion for helping others. Eventually, she landed in North Carolina where she began to work for the State Employees Combined Campaign in 2005, connecting charities to state employees. Laura & her son Marcus have called Raleigh home for 15 years now. She still enjoys playing the piano, reading, and working in her small garden, but when the opportunity strikes, she loves to travel, exploring historical sites near and far.

Born and raised in New Jersey, Bernadette moved down to Charlotte for high school. After moving to Raleigh for college, she earned her B.A. in International Relations and Spanish at Meredith college. She spent the first years post undergraduate working with a community foundation based in Durham. She worked directly with individual donors, legacy giving, auditing, community engagement, grant applications, Board best practice, and strategic planning. Then, she earned her graduate degree in Nonprofit Management from Duke University with a concentration in Strategic Planning, Best Practice, and Diversity Equity Inclusion to continue strengthening her skills. Since moving to Charlotte, NC in 2020, she continued to grow her experiences working across the for-profit and non-profit sectors. Over the years, Bernadette has been actively involved with nonprofits across Raleigh/Durham as well as Charlotte that have more limited resources to succeed. She brings her enthusiasm for supporting communities to work together for all to thrive with her expertise in many different facets of the nonprofit sector. Outside of work, she enjoys writing, dancing, musicals, long walks, museums, and cuddling with her cat Mr. Darcy.