Todd Miller

Todd founded the N.C. Coastal Federation in 1982 which now has 22 staff, three offices, a multi-million dollar budget, and more than 10,000 members. He is a coastal North Carolina native, and holds an undergraduate and masters degree from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. He received The Old North State Award from the governor in 2007 and the National Wetlands Community Leader Award from the Environmental Law Institute in 2012. Todd is a founding board member of Restore America Estuaries and has served on its board with other national leaders in coastal habitat restoration since 1995. He currently serves on the Board of Visitors for the UNC Institute for the Environment as well as the chair of the Policy Committee for the Albemarle-Pamlico Estuary Partnership. As executive director, Todd formulates the federation’s goals and policy positions, serves as the federation’s spokesperson and provides staff and operations oversight. . [ Email ]

Ladd Bayliss

Coastal Advocate

A native of Dare County, Ladd joined the federation in 2012. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in political science and environmental studies from the College of Charleston and was a graduate of the School for Field Studies Wildlife Management Program in Kenya. Ladd has a background in field research through work with Oregon State University’s Columbia River Avian Predation Project and through various local research projects focusing on fisheries science and management. [ Email ]  

Sam Bland

Sam joined the federation in 2009 after completing a 30-year career as a park ranger and park superintendent at the N.C. Division of Parks and Recreation. Most of that time was spent at Hammocks Beach State Park near Swansboro where Sam specialized in resource management and environmental education. His work with state parks earned Sam the federation’s Lifetime Achievement Award in 2009; the Order of the Long Leaf Pine, the state’s highest civilian honor; and the Rotary International Outstanding Public Citizen Award. With the federation, Sam is responsible for helping develop programs at the education center on Jones Island. Sam graduated from East Carolina University with a bachelor of science degree in parks and conservation and is a certified environmental educator. [ Email ]

Rachael Carlyle

Rachael joined the federation in March 2004 as the new volunteer coordinator.  She holds a Master of Arts degree in marine affairs and policy from the University of Miami and a Bachelor of Arts degree in environmental studies from Gettysburg College.  She currently manages the federations state and federal grant contracts, oversees facility operations and runs the volunteer program. [ Email ]

Emily Farmer

Emily, a long time federation volunteer and former board member, joined the staff in 2008. She served two terms on the Emerald Isle Town Board of Commissioners where she spearheaded the creation of Emerald Isle Woods, the town's 40-acre park and stormwater project on Bogue Sound. Emily is also a pediatric nurse. [ Email ]

Erin Fleckenstein

Coastal Scientist; Manager, Northeast Regional Office 

Erin joined the federation in February 2008 and manages our regional office in Manteo. She holds a Master’s of Science in marine biology from the University of North Carolina-Wilmington and a Bachelor’s of Science in marine and freshwater biology from University of New Hampshire. She leads a variety of initiatives to restore wetlands, create oyster sanctuaries and living shoreline and build rain gardens. [ Email ]

Mike Giles

Mike joined the staff in May 2006. Mike is a North Carolina native, and before joining the federation, he served as the open-space land manager for Durham County for five years. Mike has extensive stewardship, enforcement and advocacy experience, gathered from positions with the National Park Service and the Army Corps of Engineers and as chief park ranger for Mecklenburg County. He studied wildlife management at N.C. State University, which included additional research and course work in coastal ecology. Mike monitors the Southeast Region from the Wrightsville Beach regional office. [ Email ]

Sarah Gilliam

Sara Hallas

Before joining the federation in 2008, Sara worked as a special activities instructor at the N.C. Aquarium on Roanoke Island. She holds a bachelor’s of science degree in biology along with a minor in dance from Wittenberg University in Springfield, Ohio. Sara leads outreach programs in the northeast region and has organized a network of local environmental educators. When she’s not working to protect the coast, Sara stays active in the community teaching dance and physical fitness. [ Email ]

Sarah King

Development Officer

A native of Wilmington, Sarah first joined the federation in 2004 as a restoration scientist before relocating to Raleigh to work for the N.C. Clean Water Management Trust Fund. Sarah re-joined the staff in 2012 as a development officer in the Triangle. She has a master’s degree in marine science from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill and nearly a decade of environmental experience focusing on water quality, conservation, restoration and low-impact development. Sarah volunteers with several local nonprofits focusing on alternative energy, parks and recreation and stormwater. [ Email ]

Lauren Kolodij

Lauren heads up the federation's low-impact development stakeholder outreach efforts. In addition she coordinates many of the federation's conferences and coastal issue meetings. Lauren serves as liaison to the federation board of directors and staffs the Coastal Caucus, a coalition of grassroots and formal environmental organizations. Working with the executive director, Lauren's primary responsibility is to ensure implementation of federation program goals and objectives. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in environmental conservation from N.C. State University. She has worked for the federation since 1992.
 [ Email ]

Jo Ann Marsh

Jo Ann started with the federation in 1993. She brings over 30 years of business and accounting experience to the job. Her duties include handling the day-to-day business for the federation, financial reporting, personnel and the management of the membership database. She has an associate degree in accounting and computer technology. [ Email ]

Christine Miller

Christine joined the staff in 2006. She's responsible for government fundraising and staff and program planning for the federation's three offices. She also manages special policy initiatives and programs from the main office and helps plan our communications strategies. She has worked on coastal policy and protection issues for over 10 years. Christine holds a bachelor of arts in English from the University of Southern California and a master’s degree in marine policy and coastal management from the University of Delaware. [ Email ]

Sarah Phillips

Originally from the mountains of Virginia, Sarah has worked and lived in coastal North Carolina since 2001. With the federation since August 2004, Sarah coordinates and manages all citizen and student-based education and restoration programs for the central region. She is on the Citizen's Advisory Committee for the Albemarle-Pamlico National Estuary Program and the planning committee for the N.C. Coastal Science Café. Sarah received a degree in elementary and secondary education from Longwood University and has been teaching in traditional and non-traditional settings, including the Peace Corps, for over a decade. [ Email ]

Rose Rundell

Rose joined the staff in 2003. She does a little bit of everything around here and is likely the voice on the other end of the phone when you call our office. She also buys the plants and composes fact sheets for federation’s annual Native Plant Festival. Originally from Ohio, she moved to the area from Charleston, S.C.  Environmental issues have always been one of her interests and are what brought her to the federation. [ Email ]

Tracy Skrabal

Tracy joined the federation in 1996 and leads our regional office in Wilmington. She holds a masters in marine science and a Bachelor of Science in geology from the College of William and Mary. Having held positions with the Virginia Institute of Marine Science and the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control and as a private consultant, she has accumulated more than 17 years experience in coastal policy and planning and in implementing conservation projects. [ Email ]

Sally Steele

Sally joined the federation staff in mid-1996. Before coming to Ocean, she was with the N.C. Zoological Society for 23 years where she served in progressive positions including retail director, membership director and associate director. Her duties at the federation include membership, grant writing, fundraising programs, member communications and events and marketing.  She is an active volunteer in the community, an instructor for the Duke University Nonprofit Management Certification Program and has more than 35 years of nonprofit management experience.  Sally enjoys kayaking with her buddies.  [ Email ]

Frank Tursi

Frank heads our advocacy communications, which includes managing our Web site and Facebook page, and is the editor of our online news and feature service, Coastal Review Online. He also is responsible for regional advocacy along the central coast. He works out of our main office in Ocean. Frank joined the federation in January 2002 after an almost 30-year career as a newspaper journalist – the last 23 at the Winston-Salem Journal where he was the environmental and special-projects reporter. He has won numerous state and national writing awards for his environmental reporting and is the author of three books. [ Email ]

Dr. Lexia Weaver

Originally from Hialeah, Fl, Lexia joined the federation in April 2007 after living in coastal North Carolina since 2002. Her background is in estuarine water quality and plant ecology and she has conducted over 12 years of research in estuarine environments in Florida, Delaware and North Carolina. Lexia holds a Master of Science and a Ph.D. in Marine Studies from the University of Delaware and a Bachelor of Science in Biology with a specialization in Marine Biology from Barry University in Miami Shores, Fl. Lexia manages coastal restoration projects within the central region of North Carolina and supervises the central regional office.  [ Email ]

Ted Wilgis

Ted works in the Wilmington Regional Office focusing on oyster restoration projects and implementation of the Oyster Plan. Previously, he served as the Cape Fear Coastkeeper® for five years and as the federation's education director for five years. Before coming to the federation, Ted worked with the Chesapeake Bay Foundation for nine years managing and developing education programs and a watershed planning initiative. Ted holds a bachelor of arts degree in zoology from Connecticut College and a Coast Guard captain's license and is currently enrolled in the marine biology graduate program at the University of North Carolina-Wilmington. [ Email ]

Ana Zivanovic-Nenadovic

Program and Policy Analyst

Ana, a native of Serbia, joined the federation in 2011. She helps the executive director evaluate and devise policies, programs and guidance to achieve the federation’s goals and benchmarks. She also works on short and long-term strategic research and analysis projects. Ana develops, manages and supervises graduate level internship program. Ana has a master’s of business administration degree in sustainable business from the University of Maine. She received her undergraduate degree from Universidad Rey Juan Carlos in Madrid, Spain. Ana also attended the University of Belgrade majoring in Hispanic philology before completing her undergraduate work in Spain.[ Email ]