Yadkin Riverkeeper held a half day board-staff retreat on February 28 at the Catawba College Center for the Environment in Salisbury. The board elected new board officers for 2026 as follows:

Colleen McDaniel – President
Cliff Dossel – Vice President
Andrew Jacobson – Secretary
Jonathan Engram – Treasurer

Following the business meeting, which also included approval of investment policy recommendations from the YRK Development Committee and discussion of YRK’s most recent jurisdiction expansion request, the board and staff heard an overview presentation from Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (JEDI) Committee chair Elise Tellez Alridge. After Elise’s overview of how environmental justice issues intersect with YRK’s work, board and staff broke into smaller groups to do a self-assessment of YRK’s current organizational JEDI policies and programs.

**YRK board member and JEDI Committee chair Elise Tellez Aldridge shares the work of the YRK JEDI committee w/ board and staff.**

**YRK board member Richard Leak discussing YRK’s outreach and environmental justice work with the Concerned Citizens of West Badin.**

During the second half of the morning, the group heard from Patton McDowell, whose firm, Armstrong McGuire, has been hired by YRK to develop a leadership succession plan for the organization. Topics discussed included the board and staff’s role in succession planning, current staff capacity and needs, organizational management structures and job responsibilities and other operational considerations. The board appointed an ad hoc Transition Committee, to be chaired by immediate past YRK president, Steve Ilderton, YRK also presented the “golden canoe” award to for his service on the YRK board, including two years as board president.

**Patton McDowell with Armstrong McGuire presenting on his firm’s work on YRK’s leadership succession plan.**

**YRK Riverkeeper and executive director Edgar Miller, presents outgoing YRK president Steve Ilderton with an award in recognition of his board service.**

Following the presentation and lunch with special guests Fred Stanback and Jason Walser, executive director of the Blanche and Julian Robertson Family Foundation, Edgar Miller presented the results of a recent program evaluation workshop conducted for staff by Shannon Varcoe of Teams Together consulting. The workshop helped YRK evaluate the stage of development of its major programs and how the organization can better organize and deliver those programs to help YRK achieve its broader goals and missions.