SELC Staff

The driving force behind SELC's success is the exceptional skill and dedication of our program attorneys who are among the nation's experts in their respective fields of environmental law and policy. SELC is governed by our Board of Trustees, which includes some of the South's foremost civic, business and environmental leaders. In addition, SELC's advisory President's Council is comprised of informed and influential friends and supporters who help to enhance and publicize our mission. SELC is funded exclusively by foundations, families, and individual donors.

Rick Middleton is founder and Executive Director of the Southern Environmental Law Center. A native of Birmingham, Alabama, Rick received his undergraduate degree in economics from the University of Virginia in Charlottesville. In 1971, he graduated from Yale Law School and has been in the vanguard of the environmental movement ever since. He began his environmental career as Assistant Attorney General in Alabama where he vigorously enforced the Clean Air Act and other ground-breaking national environmental legislation. Concerned that the South and its unique resources were being overlooked and under-protected, Rick founded the Southern Environmental Law Center, which remains the only environmental advocacy organization focused exclusively on the South as a region.

Headquarters and VA/TN Office:

Jeffrey M. Gleason, Deputy Director and Director of Regional Programs: Clean air expert; recipient of Clean Air Conservationist of the Year and EPA’s Clean Air Excellence Awards; Union College with honors; University of Virginia School of Law

Holly L. Hueston, Director of Finance & Administration: Oversees financial matters and responsible for the management of our three offices; Supervises SELC's legal secretaries, administrative and technology staff; Southern Methodist University; James Madison University

David W. Carr, Jr., Senior Attorney: National Parks and Forests Program Leader; National expert and regional leader for Southern Appalachian national forest conservation; Princeton University with honors; University of Virginia School of Law

Caleb Adam Jaffe, Senior Attorney: Primary focus on clean air; Former law clerk for judges in U.S. Court of Appeals (4th Circuit) and U.S. District Court; Yale University; University of Virginia (M.A.); University of Virginia School of Law, Order of the Coif; editor-in-chief, Virginia Environmental Law Journal

Deborah M. Murray, Senior Attorney: Primary focus on Virginia and Tennessee; Litigation specialist with 18+ years experience in water quality, wetlands, and transportation; University of Virginia with highest honors; University of Virginia School of Law with honors; executive editor, Virginia Law Review

Richard A. Parrish, Senior Attorney: Primary focus on Virginia and Tennessee; Clean Water Act expert with 20+ years experience representing citizens and conservation groups; University of Virginia; University of California at Davis with highest honors; University of Oregon School of Law with highest honors

Oliver A. "Trip" Pollard III, Senior Attorney: Land & Community Program Leader; National expert and regional leader on transportation and land use reform; B.A. (with high honors) and M.A., University of Virginia; University of Virginia School of Law

Katherine E. Slaughter, Senior Attorney: Senior attorney, Virginia special projects; Former mayor of Charlottesville; Founding member and former president of Virginia Conservation Network; University of North Carolina, Phi Beta Kappa; University of Virginia School of Law

Morgan W. Butler, Staff Attorney: Charlottesville/Albemarle Project Leader; Former attorney, Winston & Strawn (New York); University of Virginia; University of Virginia School of Law

Sarah A. Francisco, Staff Attorney: Primary focus on national forest protection in Virginia, Tennessee, and Georgia; Mary Baldwin College; University of Richmond School of Law

Sarah Rispin, Staff Attorney: Concentrating on energy efficiency and renewable energy resources; Former U.S. Justice Department attorney, Environment and Natural Resources Division; Former law clerk, U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit; Williams College, with honors; University of Chicago Law School; comments editor, University of Chicago Law Review

Mary Cromer, Associate Attorney: Former law clerk for U.S. District Court Judge Glen Conrad; University of Virginia; Washington and Lee University School of Law, Order of the Coif

NC/SC Office:

Derb S. Carter, Jr., Director, NC/SC Office: North Carolina Conservationist of the Year (2004); Wetlands and coastal expert; winner of 2000 National Wetlands Award; University of North Carolina; University of Oregon Law School; editor of Oregon Law Review

David Farren, Senior Attorney: Special expertise on transportation, land use, and air quality; 10+ years as private practice litigator; University of Pennsylvania, Phi Beta Kappa; University of North Carolina School of Law with high honors

Lark Hayes, Senior Attorney: Private Forest Program Leader with special expertise on southern forests; Founder and former executive director of the Clean Water Fund of North Carolina; Vanderbilt University; Boston University School of Law with honors

Michelle Nowlin, Senior Attorney: Primary focus on the coast and water management; Former Ford Foundation Fellow, Natural Resources Defense Council; University of Florida with highest honors, Phi Beta Kappa; Joint degree from Duke University School of Law and School of the Environment; editor-in-chief, Duke Environmental Law and Policy Forum

Amy Pickle, Staff Attorney: Clean Water Program Leader; Former assistant Attorney General, Environmental Division of the NC Attorney General’s office; University of Florida; University of North Carolina Law School with honors, executive editor for the North Carolina Law Review

John Suttles, Senior Attorney: Regional coal plant litigation team leader; Former deputy director of Tulane Environmental Law Clinic; Featured "interactivist" in Grist Magazine, May 2006 (Read John's column); University of Virginia; Tulane University Law School with honors; Tulane University Master's of Law with distinction

Gudrun Thompson, Staff Attorney: Primary focus on clean air and transportation in North Carolina, South Carolina; Former law clerk for U.S. District Court judge; University of Michigan; University of North Carolina Law School with honors; editor, Environmental Law Project Symposium

Chandra Taylor, Staff Attorney: Former attorney with the Financial Protection Law Center, Durham, NC; University of North Carolina; University of North Carolina School of Law

Julie Youngman, Staff Attorney: Former partner with Ellis & Winters (Cary, NC); Former law clerk to U.S. Court of Appeals judge; Duke University; BA Zoology, MA Environmental Science, JD high honors; Order of the Coif; managing editor, Duke Law Journal

Geoff Gisler, Associate Attorney: Former intern with National Wildlife Federation and Stack and Associates (Atlanta); University of Georgia, summa cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa; University of Notre Dame Law School, cum laude; development editor, Journal of College and University Law

Jovian Sackett, GIS Analyst: Former GIS Assistant for South Carolina Forestry Commission; University of North Carolina at Wilmington; M.A. in geography, University of South Carolina

GA/AL Office:

David Pope, Director, GA/AL Office: Former partner, Carr, Tabb & Pope (Atlanta); 29 years of environmental law practice; University of Florida, Phi Beta Kappa; University of North Carolina Law School

Bill Sapp, Senior Attorney: Former lead wetlands attorney, EPA Region IV; Former associate, Alston and Bird (Atlanta); St. Lawrence University; Harvard Law School; Master's of Environmental Law, George Washington Law School with highest honors

Gil Rogers, Staff Attorney: Primary focus on Alabama and water quality/management; Georgia Water Conservationist of the Year (2005); Princeton University; Harvard Law School; Harvard Environmental Law Review

Brian L. Gist, Staff Attorney: Serving several program areas—coast, wetlands, and clean air; Former associate, Keating, Muething and Klekamp (Cincinnati); University of Cincinnati with high honors; University of Virginia School of Law

Catherine Wannamaker, Staff Attorney: Primarily focused on Alabama and Georgia litigation; Former attorney, U.S. Department of Justice, Environmental and Natural Resources Division, Environmental Defense Section; Former professional staff, United States Senate Subcommittee on Oceans and Fisheries; Hollins University; Master's in Zoology, North Carolina State; Stanford Law School

Adam M. Kron, Associate Attorney: Former intern with EarthJustice and Conservation Law Foundation; University of Virginia, Phi Beta Kappa; Harvard Law School; Managing Editor, Harvard Environmental Law Review

NC Office (Asheville):

Doug Ruley, Senior Attorney: Special expertise in endangered species protection; Primary focus on Southern Appalachian national forests; Former staff attorney with Earth Justice Legal Defense Fund in Alaska; University of North Carolina with highest honors; Harvard Law School magna cum laude

Austin D.J. Gerken, Staff Attorney: Primary focus on Southern Appalachian national forests and transportation; Former litigation associate; law clerk for U.S. Court of Appeals judge; Davidson College; Master's of Urban and Environmental Planning, University of Virginia; U.VA School of Law; editorial board, Virginia Law Review; Featured in Blue Ridge Outdoors magazine, September 2007 (Read the article)

SC Office (Charleston):

Christopher K. DeScherer, Senior Attorney: Coasts and Wetlands Program Leader; Leader of SELC's Charleston Office; Former staff attorney with the Conservation Law Foundation; University of Virginia; Georgetown University Law School; Georgetown University Law Review

Blan Holman, Senior Attorney: Practice includes water, wetlands, endangered species and clean air law.; Law clerk for U.S. District Court Judge Lacy Thornburg; University of North Carolina, Phi Beta Kappa; University of Virginia School of Law, published in Virginia Environmental Law Journal, president Environmental Law Forum

DC Office:

Nat Mund, Legislative Director: Former Deputy Legislative Director for League of Conservation Voters; Michigan State University; University of North Carolina School of Law

Development:

E. Marie Hawthorne, Director: Manages fund-raising staff and operations, including marketing, publications and membership; Former associate editor of The Nature Conservancy's national magazine; University of Virginia

Susan R. Sherman, Director of Foundation Relations: Furthering fund-raising and public relations efforts; University of Michigan; Northeastern Illinois University

Bill Sublette, Director of Development Communications: Former Director of University Publications and Development Communications at the University of Virginia; University of New Orleans

Annie O'Leary, Major Gifts Officer (Chapel Hill): Previously established the major gifts program at WUNC, North Carolina's largest public radio station, and administered a cross-cultural training program to Americans in Japan; University of Illinois; University of West Florida

Ami Somers, Graphics Manager: Works with the development and program staff to create publications and audiovisual presentations; Former art director for Planet Central; University of Georgia

Jessica Clark, Internet Marketing Manager: Maintains current web and e-marketing projects as well as advancing SELC’s web presence; Former web designer for Yves Delorme; James Madison University

Annie Stafford, Major Gifts Officer (Charlottesville): Former vice president for development at Spring Hill College, Alabama; Virginia Tech

Monique VanLandingham, Major Gifts Officer (Charlottesville): Former project manager at environmental consulting firm E²; Auburn University with high honors; George Washington University, Master's of Environmental and Resource Policy

Communications:

Cat McCue, Communications Manager: Oversees media relations and other communications efforts for Charlottesville and Atlanta offices; Former environmental reporter for The Roanoke Times; recipient of Scripps Howard Fellowship in Environmental Journalism; University of Tennessee, Phi Beta Kappa; University of California, Berkeley

Melinda Pierson, Communications Manager: Oversees media relations and other communications work for Carolinas office; Previous work on public policy communications for former N.C. Governor Jim Hunt, the N.C. Dept. of Commerce, and the non-profit Institute for Emerging Issues; University of North Carolina at Asheville

Legal Assistants and Administrative Staff

Complementing our legal, development, and technical staff is a dedicated force of legal assistants and administrative staff who bring a diverse range of talents and specialized knowledge to SELC.

Regional Headquarters:
- Ariel Billmeier
- Laurie K. Blomstrom
- Marsha Burger
- Jessica Chapin
- Gayle Davis
- Lydia Gaya
- Joanna Joslyn
- Mary LaTourelle
- Lynda Mosen
- Hayley M. Parrish
- Sara Pfaff
- Kevin E. Poindexter
- Carol A. Satterwhite
Carolinas Office:
- Christopher N. Cash
- Anna M. Davis
- Maggie Davis-Bausch
- Kate Double
- Patricia A. Dunlop
- Brenda Kenion
- Brienne McKay
- Jan Moore
- Patricia Ann Oliver
- Lou Ann Phelps
Atlanta Office:
- Sara Blankenship
- Gabrielle N.K. Dean
- Jessica McFadden