• Erika Hernandez

    Erika grew up in Surry County and has a degree in environmental science and a geology minor from Appalachian State University. During her time at Appalachian State, Erika was heavily involved in environmental and community outreach. After graduation, she worked as an environmental educator in King, NC. There, she helped facilitate environmental lesson plans for all age groups, as well as facilitating other hands-on activities. Erika is very passionate about wildlife conservation, environmental justice, and climate action.


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  • Steph Gans

    Steph is a grassroots community organizer, social worker, and public health professional. As a grassroots community organizer, she fought to stop a coal plant, protect workers’ rights, and prevent deaths of people held in jail. She started her career as a social worker at a community mental health organization. There, she supported people with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder to reach their goals. Later she worked at Lincoln Community Health Center. She partnered with clients to lower their risk of opioid overdose. At the NC Division of Public Health, she organized statewide efforts to help people quit smoking, vaping, or…


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  • Hope Taylor

    Hope Taylor previously served as executive director of Clean Water for NC from 1999 to early 2021, and after two years of retirement on her small dairy goat farm and voting rights activism, is rejoining our staff half time as of May 1, 2023, working afternoons to continue our work on safe and affordable drinking water, community environmental justice and polluter accountability, as well as administrative support. In addition to her work with CWFNC for 22 years, Hope did biomedical  research at the National Institutes of Health and Duke University, and taught chemistry and  biology at Triangle area colleges…


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  • Belinda Joyner

    Belinda grew up in Northampton County and has worked as a teacher’s assistant specializing in reading skills. She has been involved in numerous local environmental struggles and has been an effective organizer against threats including a liquid fertilizer plant, a hazardous waste incinerator and a private prison, with a strong history of grassroots fundraising for diverse causes. she/her


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