NC Coastal Land Trust Welcomes New Executive Director

Walker Golder has joined the North Carolina Coastal Land Trust as its new executive director. He succeeds founding executive director Camilla M. Herlevich. Golder comes to the Coastal Land Trust from the National Audubon Society.

A native of North Carolina, Golder has a deep affinity for the southeastern coast, where he grew up in Wrightsville Beach. “The North Carolina coast is my home. It’s where I learned the lasting value of protecting the places that make our coast so special, and the importance of land trusts,” Golder said. “I believe that conserving natural and working landscapes and investing in land stewardship is one of the best ways to have a lasting impact on natural and cultural resources that are so important to the North Carolina coast.”

Golder attended the University of North Carolina Wilmington for graduate school, where he earned a Master of Science degree in marine biology. He immediately began a long and successful career at the National Audubon Society. He held many roles at Audubon, notably as the deputy state director of Audubon’s North Carolina state office and most recently as the program director of the Atlantic Flyway Coast Strategy.

“We met good candidates from across the state during our search and are extremely pleased to have found Walker, who brings deep coastal conservation experience and expertise and has had a long professional relationship with the Coastal Land Trust,” said Ann C. Simpson, chair of the executive director search committee and past president of the board of directors of the Coastal Land Trust.

“I had the pleasure of working with the Coastal Land Trust on several land protection projects where the missions of Audubon and the Coastal Land Trust aligned, and I am excited for the opportunity to get back to coastal land protection,” Golder said.

Golder is the recipient of several awards and recognitions, most notably the National Audubon Society’s 2013 Charles H. Callison Professional Award. Each year, this award honors one volunteer and one staff member from Audubon who have made remarkable contributions to conservation through coalition-building, creative thinking and perseverance.

Golder’s lifelong work has contributed to the protection of coastal birds and their habitats, and has established sanctuaries for 35 percent of North Carolina’s breeding shorebirds. A talented nature photographer, Golder’s photographs have appeared in dozens of publications, including eight book and magazine covers.

“Walker’s decades of experience in conservation and deep commitment to the Carolina coast make him a perfect fit for Coastal Land Trust,” said Melanie Allen, president of the board of directors of the Coastal Land Trust. “He has the skill and enthusiasm to lead the Coastal Land Trust’s talented staff into this next chapter.”

“I am very excited and honored to join the Coastal Land Trust as executive director,” Golder said of his new position. “The work of this organization will shape the legacy that we leave to future generations.”

Learn about the North Carolina Coastal Land Trust at www.CoastalLandTrust.org.

—article courtesy of North Carolina Coastal Land Trust

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