Staff

Karen Cragnolin
Executive Director
828.252.8474 x 16
karen@riverlink.org

Karen is the executive director of RiverLink. She is a member of the New York and District of Columbia Bar Associations.  Her prior experience includes: co-founder and executive director the American Business Council of Dubai and is an honorary member of its board of directors, Director of Public Affairs for the American Arab Affairs Council, in Washington D.C., and Tax Editor for Prentiss Hall Publishing Company.

She currently serves as the acquisitions chair for the Clean Water Management Trust Fund, Buncombe County’s Conservation and Environmental Boards, the City of Asheville’s Watershed Advisory Board and ex-officio member of the Asheville Tree and Greenway Commission, the French Broad River Garden Club and Foundation Board and the Warren Wilson College Board of Visitors. 

Her passion is preserving open space and developing greenways along the river corridors.  In her spare time, Karen enjoys reading, gardening and paddling the river.

Nancy Hodges

Watershed Resoures Manager

828-252-8474, ext 14

nancy@riverlink.org

Nancy grew up in Charlotte North Carolina in 2001 she graduated with her B. S. in Ecology Field Biology from UNC-Asheville.  Later she continued her education obtaining her Masters in Landscape Architecture from Virginia Tech.  She loves days on the river and bicycling.  She is happy to be back in the North Carolina Mountains with her dog Mona.

Nancy is the Watershed Resources Manager, and comes from a broad range of experience in LEED design, integrated storm water management, stream restoration, park planning, greenway, and community planning and design.  She has wetlands delineations experience as well as being trained in Rosgen stream restoration methods level II.

Prior to joining RiverLink she worked for Kimley-Horn and Associates in both the Raleigh and in Atlanta, where she concentrated on stormwater management, parks and stream restoration design projects.   She also worked at ECOS Environmental design as a landscape ecologist, overseeing environmental permitting, and specializes in stream restoration and water resources; while focusing on park and greenway projects.

Dave Russell

Director of Volunteer Services

828.252.8474 x 11

dave@riverlink.org

Dave Russell comes to RiverLink following an eight-year run on the editorial staff of the Asheville Citizen-Times. Dave lives on the Swannanoa River in the Oteen community, with his wife Anne and their children Matt (19), Katie (16), and Joshua (12).

Dave’s branch of the Russell family came to these shores from Ireland in the mid-1700s, settling in what is now Rutherford County. An Atlanta, Ga. native, Dave has a degree in English from Augusta (Ga.) College. He and his family have lived in San Francisco, Calif. and Hamilton, New Zealand, almost always near moving water. The Rivers of his life include the Savannah, Waikato and Swannanoa.

When he is not at RiverLink, Dave gardens the floodplain between the Swannanoa and his house, and maintains a blog (www.myavantgarden.squarespace.com or google: Dave Russell rocks) about it. He also likes to read and do things with his family. When the weather warms, he plans to kayak to work on occasion.

Bunny has joined the RiverLink family as Office Manager/Bookkeeper.  She has an extensive background in accounting and office management with more than 15 years experience with leases, contracts and government regulations.

Bunny grew up in a small New England town and moved to Virginia Beach in the early 1970s.  She enjoys the outdoors, camping, and open boat paddling.  She spent several years paddling the rivers of Virginia and North Carolina.  In 2008 she and her family moved to Asheville to live in the mountains, and be near waterfalls and rivers. 

Bunny is excited about all the different aspects of RiverLink and looks forward to being a part of the RiverLink family.

J. Worth McAlister IV

Assistant Volunteer Coordinator

828.252.8474 x 17

worth@riverlink.org

Worth is a brand new addition to the RiverLink team, acting as assistant volunteer coordinator through AmeriCorps Project Conserve. Worth was born and raised in Charlotte, and has spent his entire 26 years living in the various regions of this great state. Throughout this time he has developed strong connections to the Pee Dee, Dan, New, and French Broad Rivers. His passion for moving water, and the quality of life within and around these places, was manifested through a childhood filled with canoeing, swimming, and fishing along these magical waters.

Worth moved to Asheville in 2008 to pursue an Associates of Applied Science in Fish and Wildlife Management Technology from Haywood Community College. His love and knowledge for our region's natural ecosystems, and the flora and fauna within, blossomed while in school here. He is extremely excited to be working with RiverLink and all of the wonderful volunteers associated with the organization. His background and passion for freshwater ecology and stream dynamics will surely make him a positive addition to our RiverLink community.  

Nikki Bauman comes to RiverLink as the Education Coordinator for the 2011-2012 term with a degree in Environment and Natural Resources, emphasizing in Conservation Biology, from Clemson University. Growing up in Concord, North Carolina, Nikki has enjoyed access to both the mountains and the coast and has developed a passion for animals and the environment. As her professional career unfolds, Nikki has established a trend targeting job opportunities pertaining to the outdoors and the water.

Upon her graduation from Clemson, Nikki spent a year in the Florida Keys teaching marine biology and this past summer has been devoted to environmental education in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. Thrilled to finally be back in her home state, Nikki is looking forward to teaching WNC’s youth how to become stewards of the environment.

Nikki loves any outdoor adventure from scuba diving to snowboarding, and plans to explore the WNC culture to its fullest potential.  

Hayley Smith

828.252.8474

hayley@riverlink.org

Hayley loves to inspire students to think about the various ways living and non-living things are connected in our environment.  Her favorite thing is to get kids outside.  

Hayley grew up in Indiana and has degrees in Geology and Philosophy from Hanover College.  She has a passion for international travel and exploration of developing countries, including some expeditions funded and focused on river research and biodiversity. 

In Hayley's free time she enjoys cooking, hiking with her dog, and reading the science section of the New York Times. Her aspiration for this year includes continuing to develop the education curriculum, become more active in stream restoration and spread awareness throughout Western North Carolina about the importance of a clean French Broad River.