Board of Directors

Executive Director, Carrie Banks, MS, (919) 428-7119* Carrie Banks became the first Executive Director of North Carolina Rail-Trails in July 2010. She received her Master’s of Science from North Carolina State University in Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management in 2010. She was awarded the NC Tourism Education Foundation’s 2008 Tourism Student of the Year award at the North Carolina Governor’s Conference on Tourism. Carrie also holds a B.A. in Environmental Studies, with honors, from UNC-Chapel Hill. Between 2002 and 2007, Carrie was the conservation coordinator for the North Carolina Chapter of The Nature Conservancy, where she worked with the protection staff acquiring thousands of acres of land for conservation. As a ninth-generation native of Ashe County, Carrie has a strong personal interest in seeing the natural areas of our state preserved in ways that will have the most long-term benefit for everyone. She believes that directing the activities of North Carolina Rail-Trails is a wonderful mix of environmental protection along with creation of recreation opportunities and tourism growth across North Carolina. Carrie lives in Carrboro with her husband, Matt, and their dogs, Wasatch and Kit. Carrie's term ends 12-31-13.

Chair, John Morck, AICP, (919) 362-9822 John Morck was elected Chairman of NCRT in October of 2008. John has been a member of the board of North Carolina Rail-Trails since the mid 1990's. He has previously served as secretary of the board. John is presently a Chief Planner with the NC Division of Community Assistance (DCA). John first joined DCA as a Community Development Planner in 1993. After departing for three years to serve in local government, he returned to DCA in 2000 where he has been Senior Planner and now Chief Planner. John graduated from Ripon College in Wisconsin with a B.A. in Economics and the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee with a Masters in Urban Planning. John's areas of specialty include land use planning, meeting facilitation, growth management, and historic preservation and recreation trails. In addition to NCRT he serves on the board of the North Carolina Chapter, American Planning Association as VP for Professional Development. He is also a volunteer locomotive engineer for the New Hope Valley Railway. John's term ends 12-31-13.

Vice Chair, Dave Connelly, (919) 544-6372 Dave Connelly, NCRT vice chair, lives in Durham, near the American Tobacco Trail. By day, he's a library assistant at Duke University. His interests include cycling, walking, mapping, photography and genealogy. He has ridden on rail trails in 8 states and 1 province. Dave believes trails are vital for improving public health. And he says the crucial word for greenways is "connectivity" (getting people where they want to go). He is active in the East Coast Greenway Alliance, the Carolina Tarwheels, Habitat of Durham, and Watts Street Baptist Church. He's married and has one son. Dave's term ends 12-31-14.

Secretary, Nancy Pierce, (704) 458-5503 Nancy Pierce is a long-time trails advocate who lives near downtown Charlotte and joined the Board of Directors in 2008. Currently she serves as NCRT's Secretary. As an avid bicyclist, runner, swimmer and paddler, she believes that easy and abundant public access to trails, water and natural areas are essential to a community's quality of life. A professional corporate/editorial photographer and occasional writer, she often uses her communication skills to advocate for alternative transportation options, land and water conservation and sustainable growth. She, her husband and their two sons have bicycled many rail-trails throughout the United States and Canada. Nancy's term ends 12-31-15.

 Treasurer, Robert S. "Bob" Segal, (336) 886-3235 joined the NCRT Board of Directors in 2006 and is curently serving as Treasurer. Rail-trails are a family affair for him and his family. The family has bicycled the Virginia Creeper and New River Trails in Virginia. "We believe rail-trails in North Carolina could be successful on the basis of improving health and tourism, and we want more trails in North Carolina." He is a CPA and owns the consulting firm, Robert S. Segal, CPA PA in High Point. Bob's term ends 12-31-14.

Director, Harry Clapp, PE, (336) 697-7499 Harry Clapp is a long time board member of NCRT. Harry is active with the Greensboro Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society, and instrumental in the Battleground Trail in northwest Greensboro which is being extended toward the center city where it will form a mile long western leg of the Downtown Greenway, a 4.8-mile loop around the center of Greensboro. This trail is on the old Atlantic and Yadkin Railway (former Cape Fear and Yadkin Valley Railway). Harry is a founding member of the NC Alliance for Transportation Reform and active in the Carolina Association of Passenger Trains. He is a retired engineer of the railroad industry. He lives in Greensboro with his wife of 57 years along with their son David. Harry's term ends 12-31-14.

Director, Charles Farley, (252) 717-4873  Charles Farley is a long time member of NC Rail-Trails and has been active in the Greenway group in Pitt County. He was a prime mover in getting local governments to plan and build the initial phase of the Washington-Greenville Greenway. Charles' term ends 12-31-13.

Director, Tony Reevy, (919) 416-0965 Tony Reevy, a long time member of NCRT is Senior associate director of the Institute for the Environment at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Tony Reevy is a graduate of North Carolina State University, UNC-Chapel Hill and Miami University. He is a David P. Morgan Award winner (2006) and a Pushcart Prize nominee. His previous publications include poetry, non-fiction and short fiction, including the poetry chapbooks Green Cove Stop, Magdalena, and Lightning in Wartime. He resides in Durham, North Carolina with wife, Caroline Weaver, and children Lindley and Ian. Tony's term ends 12-31-13.    

Director, Clare Reece-Glore, (919) 616-5048 Clare has lived in NC most of her life after growing up around Southport and Wilmington. She currently lives in Durham with her husband John. She is a life-long equestrian, trail rider and advocate. Clare is a long-time volunteer and trails advocate with the NC Horse Council, serving as Eastern Trails Committee Chair, committee member for the successful 2005 Southeastern Equestrian Trails Conference, executive board member and Treasurer of NCHC. Professionally, she is a management consultant and has been the co-owner of CJ Associates for 16+ years (www.clarejohn.com). Additionally, she has a new venture, YAY dog!, providing coaching services and seminars for dog owners (www.yaydog.com). As a trails advocate Clare is for practical solutions for trail use and conservation. She believes there are times when certain trails are not appropriate for all, but that all users should learn to appreciate our different forms of recreation and help each other politically. Clare’s term ends 12-31-15.

Director, Edward Lewis, (910) 235-0561 Ed Lewis, retired president of the Aberdeen & Rockfish Railroad, began his railroading career as a ticket agent on the Long Island Railroad at the age of 19. While still inexperienced in the industry, he was fortunate to have an opportunity to become the "Assistant to the President" of the Arcade & Attica Railroad. By the age of 23 he had become the General Manager of the A&A RR, thereby beginning a 40-plus year career in the shortline railroad industry. He subsequently worked for the Providence & Worcester Railroad in Rhode Island as auditor of revenue, as vice president of the Strasburg Railroad in Pennsylvania and as general manager of the Lamoille Valley and Twin States Railroad in Vermont. In January, 1987, Ed came to Aberdeen, North Carolina where he achieved a lifelong ambition of becoming a railroad president with the Aberdeen & Rockfish Railroad – one of the most successful shortline railroads in the United States. He served as the first president of the Railway Association of North Carolina when it was reactivated about 15 years ago and he currently heads up its Legislative Committee. The Railway Association named Ed their 2006 “Railroader of the Year." He is also a director of a national trade association, the American Shortline & Regional Railroad Association, and is a member of their Legislative Policy committee. Ed has authored a number of books on railroading, including the very popular “American Short Line Railway Guide.” Ed’s term ends 12-31-15.           

   Director, Adam Olls, JD, 919-828-0731 Adam graduated with honors from the University of North Carolina School of Law in 2008. A proud double Tar Heel, Adam received his undergraduate degree from UNC’s Kenan-Flagler Business School in 2005, where he attended as a William Richardson Davie Scholar.  Adam currently practices law in his native city of Raleigh, where he concentrates on regulatory compliance issues, business transactions, commercial litigation and campaign finance matters. Adam also presently serves as a board member and treasurer of a nonprofit fraternal organization, SOMF, and served as an assistant treasurer for Committee to Elect Judge Thigpen, a North Carolina Court of Appeals campaign committee. In his spare time, Adam enjoys almost any outdoor activity, including especially running, golfing and skiing.  In addition, Adam likes live music and is attempting (as of yet unsuccessfully) to learn to play the mandolin. Adam's term ends 12-31-15.

Director, Michael Goodmon, B.S., 919-433-1568 leads one of the country's most dynamic urban mixed-use developments, the American Tobacco Campus in Durham.  As vice    president of real estate for Capitol Broadcasting Company, Inc., the campus' owner and master developer, Michael manages the day-to-day activities of approximately 1,000,000 square feet of class A office, restaurant and retail space.  He also scopes and develops new projects and opportunities.  Michael has assembled a multitude of complex Historic and New Market Tax Credit transactions.  He earned a B.S. in Mathematical Economics from Hampden-Sydney College and a Masters in Trust and Investment Management from Campbell University.  His board service includes the City of Durham Workforce Economic and Employment Development, the Healing Place of Wake County, the Duke Catholic Leadership Counsel, the Rocky Mount Chamber of Commerce, Community Affordable Housing Equit Corporation (CAHEC), and Bull City Forward. Michael's term ends 12-31-15. 

President Emeritus, Al Capehart , PhD, (919) 542-0022 Al Capehart was a co-chair of the North Carolina Rail-Trail Steering Committee from 1987 to 1990 and has since served as the volunteer President and Executive Director of NCRT, Inc. AL facilitated North Carolina's first Federal Railbank - the Dunn-Erwin Rail-Trail, helped form the North Carolina Rail Corridor Round Table and fostered the development of five rail-trail master plans (with NCSU's College of Design). In addition AL has consulted with numerous local rail-trail groups and represented rail-trail interests with other land trusts, non-profits and professional and governmental agencies. Al is also a professional Santa Claus, SantaAL.com. As of January 1, 2011 Al is serving as President Emeritus. 

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