Friends of Dupont Forest gathered at Guion Farm in Dupont Forest on April 13th for the 2025 Annual Meeting and elected four new board members.
At the meeting, Friends of Dupont Forest celebrated the legacy of a true change maker as Ericka Berg stepped off the board after two three year terms. Ericka served three years as President and nearly six years at the Development Committee and Nominating Committee Chair. She completely revamped the organization’s board nomination process bringing in talented board members who will propel the future success of Friends of Dupont Forest. Under her leadership, Friends of Dupont Forest was awarded nearly $300,000 in grants to support the NC Forest Service and expanded our membership to 1000 members. Ericka has been an integral part of the annual Dupont Forest Festival since the very beginning in 2018.
Also at the meeting, current president, Al Beers, introduced the new Executive Committee and welcomed our new board members.
Executive Committee
- Al Beers, President
- Matt Champion, Vice President
- Patrick Kennedy, Treasurer
- Ericka Berg, Secretary
Meet the New Board Members
Carolyn Ashworth – President/CEO, FIND Outdoors
Carolyn Ashworth is the President/CEO of FIND Outdoors. In this role, she partners with the United States Forest Service to manage public lands in North Carolina, Georgia and Kentucky. Carolyn’s nonprofit leadership began in the mountains of Western North Carolina, where she spent her childhood exploring the outdoors. Most recently, Carolyn served as the CEO of the Boys and Girls Club of Henderson County and led strategic growth initiatives for the organization resulting in an increase in membership and quality of all programming. Prior to the Boys and Girls Club, Carolyn was the Executive Director of The Pollination Project, where she led a global foundation supporting grassroots volunteers across 116+ countries. Under her leadership, The Pollination Project pioneered participatory grantmaking models and resilience-focused funding strategies, emphasizing community collaboration and inclusive philanthropy.
Jill Carter – Project Manager, Tetra Tec
Jill Carter is a dedicated public finance and funding professional with over a decade of experience managing funding for sustainability and community development projects. She is excited to join the Board and is dedicated to ensuring the forest remains a place for people to connect with nature and the community. An avid mountain biker and hiker, Jill enjoys exploring the forest’s trails and waterways, often accompanied by her husband Taylor and their dog Duke. Her commitment to environmental conservation and community well-being is at the heart of her work and her personal life.
Don Jordan – Real Estate Lawyer
Don Jordan grew up in Colorado, met his wonderful wife Betsy there, and started his family, now three adult children. Since childhood, Don has enjoyed the great outdoors, skiing, hiking, mountain biking, and climbing most of Colorado’s fourteeners. He has enjoyed living in the North Carolina mountains for over 30 years. He has been devoted to DuPont Forest since its infancy, personally as a hiker and neighbor, and professionally as a real estate lawyer. Don looks forward to working as a Board Member with the Friends of DuPont to support and enhance the good work of the many professionals and volunteers who make it such a special place.
Samantha (Sam) Pack – Owner, Runners Market
Sam spent over 30 years in the environmental cleanup business as a scientist, project manager, and contract program manager. Much of her focus was on the cleanup of mixed radioactive and hazardous wastes on the Department of Energy Oak Ridge Reservation. She also worked for other government agencies as well as private clients including Dupont, Olin, and American Airlines. She served as the president of a non-profit association of environmental and engineering firms, as well as on the local Sierra Club board.
She and her husband Kevin own and operate the specialty running store in Knoxville, TN, Runners Market, where they have helped establish a racing team and trail running community. They bought a chestnut log house in Penrose in 2005 and invited many visitors and family to trail run and mountain bike in Dupont Forest over the years. Since moving to part-time/remote work, Sam has migrated to spend equal time between Knoxville and the Brevard area and looks forward to getting involved in local environmental stewardship activities.
Sam has three sons – Ryan, Andrew, and Tyler – all mountain bikers! and three grandchildren.