Board and Staff

John is a former corporate lawyer who started his career in the International Corporate Law Department of Fulbright & Jaworski in Washington D.C.  He ultimately became the Chief Legal Officer of Life Technologies Corporation, an approximately $3.5 billion corporation at the time of its acquisition by  Thermo Fisher Scientific in 2014.  At the time of the acquisition, John was leading a legal team of 130 people including approximately 80 attorneys involved in all aspects of corporate legal activity (contracts, intellectual property, commercial and IP litigation, mergers and acquisitions, corporate governance, regulatory, international business, government contracting, and compliance).   At other times he also had responsibility for Government Relations (D.C. and Sacramento), Environmental, Health and Safety, and Employment Law.  John has a B.A. in Political Science from Furman University, a J.D. from the University of South Carolina, an LL.M. in Securities Regulation from Georgetown University, and a Master of Science in Executive Leadership from the University of San Diego.  He has served on the boards of the California Healthcare Institute and the Association of Corporate Counsel – San Diego.  Since founding The Pisgah Conservancy in 2015, John has served as its Executive Director and a member of its Board of Directors.  He splits his time between Hendersonville, NC and San Diego, CA.

Nina joined TPC as Director of Development in November 2021. She's worked in the environmental nonprofit industry since 2014, most recently as Director of Development at Tampa Bay Watch, a 501c3 dedicated to the restoration and protection of Florida's Tampa Bay watershed. Nina has held various roles in which she's managed membership programs, planned large-scale events, played a key role in capital campaigns, and helped to solidify and grow major gift programs - and she's thrilled the culmination of those experiences have brought her to TPC. Nina received her Bachelor's degree in Public Relations from the University of Florida and is a native Floridian. She moved from St. Petersburg to Asheville in the fall of 2021 with her boyfriend and their two dogs.

Jeff worked for 14 years at the National Park Service as a trail worker and trail crew leader, including 9 years in Sequoia National Park in California’s Sierra Nevada and 5 years in Great Smoky Mountains National Park.  He has also been employed as an educator, working as an adjunct professor for Furman University as well as teaching college courses at the University of Colorado and serving as a Teaching Fellow at Phillips Academy-Andover.  As The Pisgah Conservancy Trail Specialist, Jeff works side by side with the Forest Service out of the Pisgah Ranger District Office in Pisgah Forest, NC to improve the quality and sustainability of the Pisgah District trail system, plan and implement trails projects, and lead and train collaborating Forest Service partners and volunteers with a primary focus on trail maintenance and construction.  Jeff received a Bachelor’s degree in English from Fordham University in the Bronx, New York and a Master’s degree in English from the University of Colorado in Boulder.  Jeff, his wife, Michele, and their daughter Charlotte currently reside in Greenville, SC, but are eager to move up to the mountains closer to the Pisgah.

Peter retired in 2019 after a career in investment banking at Wells Fargo in Charlotte, Bankers Trust in New York, and Continental Bank in Chicago. His responsibilities included managing Private Finance and Loan Sales, where he was responsible for teams of professionals distributing corporate debt instruments to institutional investors. Peter previously worked in New York as a commercial lender and in Hong Kong as a private equity analyst. He and his wife Amy have been major donors, fundraisers, and public policy advocates for The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, serving as co-chairs of the National Volunteer Leader Initiative, co-chairs of National Volunteer Advocacy and board members of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation's Western North Carolina Chapter. Peter currently serves as Treasurer of TPC.  He received his Bachelors in Economics from Dartmouth College and his Masters in Management from the Kellogg School of Management. He and Amy live in Pisgah Forest, NC.

Amos is currently Managing Member of Seward Capital, an investment firm based in Charlotte NC.  For eighteen years, he has managed private real estate, credit and private equity funds for a variety of platforms, most recently Columbus Nova and Bracken Capital.  Before becoming a fund manager Amos worked at First Union Capital Markets in Charlotte and CoreStates Bank in Philadelphia.  Amos is a past chairman of the board of North Carolina Outward Bound.  He and his wife Kimberly have also worked for and supported other organizations focused on the nexus between youth, healthcare and the environment including The Philadelphia Youth Organization, The Philadelphia Street Project, and The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.  Amos and Kimberly split time between Charlotte and Brevard, NC.  Amos is a graduate of Middlebury College.   He and Kimberly split their time between their homes in Charlotte and Brevard.  

Nancy has had a career in marketing and advertising, mostly with advertising agencies around the country. She and her husband Joe moved to Brevard in 2001. They launched and operated Poppies Market before retiring in 2011. Nancy has been a very active volunteer in the community including with TPC, the Transylvania County Animal Shelter, the US Forest Service, and Friends of the Ecusta trail. She graduated from Elizabethtown College with a degree in business. Nancy and Joe live in Brevard.

Clark is Managing Director at UBS Financial Services Inc. and oversees The Gallivan Group, a team of 7 professionals who provide legacy focused wealth management and estate management services to over 200 clients representing approximately $850 million in assets under management. The Gallivan Group consistently ranks among the top investment advisors in South Carolina, according to Barron’s and Forbes. Clark began his career in environmental consulting and commercial banking. Clark has served in a number of leadership roles with the YMCA of Greenville, Christ Church Episcopal School, Upstate Forever, and the United Way of Greenville County, including chairing/co-chairing multiple fundraising campaigns. He is a graduate of The University of the South in Sewanee, Tennessee, where he earned a bachelors in Natural Resources. Clark and his wife, Katie, live in Greenville, SC, with their four sons.

Elizabeth is a mom, climber, mountain biker, yogi, and local business owner.  She graduated with a Masters in Environmental Management from Duke University’s Nicholas School of the Environment in order to drive sustainable development and environmentally conscious pursuits at the corporate level. Drawing from her varied experience in the fields of outdoor recreation and environmental sustainability, Elizabeth shifted her focus in 2019 to create the Riveter - a climbing gym, bike park, yoga studio, and bar in the heart of Western North Carolina. The Riveter is a 40,000sf outdoor adventure facility neighboring the Sierra Nevada Brewery and Asheville Regional Airport, and serving Asheville, Hendersonville, Brevard, Greenville, and outdoor enthusiasts from around the country. Working intimately in the outdoor industry and The Pisgah Conservancy’s primary market, Elizabeth is excited to continue the evolution of the outdoor experience while fostering support for The Pisgah Conservancy’s work in the region. Elizabeth lives in Brevard with her three daughters.

Gail graduated from Duke University with a degree in Political Science. She moved to Brevard in 2017 from Columbia, SC where she worked as a lobbyist at the Statehouse in Columbia, primarily representing a variety of non-profit organizations which included Eat Smart Move More South Carolina, March of Dimes, YMCA, S.C. Community Loan Fund, among others.  Early in her career she served as the Administrative Assistant to Governor Richard Riley during his two terms of office after assisting in a variety of roles in his campaign.  After staying home to raise three daughters for twenty years, she returned to work in the non-profit arena.  Gail also served on many non-profit boards, including Vice President of the Southeastern Institute for Women in Politics, President of Katrina’s Kids, and serving on the board of the Jackson-Macon Conservation Alliance and the Women’s Shelter.  When she moved to Brevard, she joined the Board of the Hunger Coalition of Transylvania County, started a support group for Davidson River School called the Friends of Davidson River School, and is involved with several other local organizations.   Gail and her husband, Ken, have four grandchildren who will, hopefully, be future hikers in Pisgah.

For the last 35 plus years, Allen has  been a commercial real estate broker specializing in the sale of retirement communities across the United States (over 200 communities sold in 38 states).  Formerly with Cushman & Wakefield,  he is  currently with Grandbridge Real Estate Capital.  Allen received his bachelors degree in Economics from Vanderbilt University. Allen serves as Board Secretary for TPC. He and his wife Nell live in Brevard. 

Kent retired in 2017 after a 40 year career in public accounting. He began his career at an international firm and then spent the next 35 years helping his clients succeed while being part of the the growth of DHG into one of the largest firms in the country. His practice areas included income and estate tax planning and he developed special expertise in personal financial planning. Having served as the firm’s Chief Operating Officer for many years he retired as Chair of the Governing Board. He holds undergraduate and graduate degrees from the University of South Carolina. Kent has served on many boards over the years including as chair of the PhD Project and most recently as chair of the board of the North Carolina Outward Bound School. He and his wife Linda live in Greenville, SC with their two dogs.