Welcome Wendy Nilsen Long to the North Carolina Coastal Land Trust
For Wendy, joining the Coastal Land Trust represents a meaningful full-circle moment. Her career began on the coast, where a love for salt marshes, barrier islands, and the natural world first took root. She has built a career in nonprofit leadership and development – while carrying with her a deep appreciation for the places and communities that make the Carolina Coast so special. Now, she brings those passions and experiences together in a role dedicated to protecting the land and water she has spent a lifetime learning from, celebrating, and loving.
Wendy brings more than 15 years of nonprofit leadership experience to the Coastal Land Trust. She built her skill set in event planning, fundraising, communications, volunteer management, and CRM administration in development roles at Habitat for Humanity, Immune Deficiency Foundation, American Cancer Society, Friends of Caroline Hospice in Beaufort, SC. Most recently, Wendy served as Development Director at Feast Down East, an organization that supports small to mid-size farmers in twenty-five counties across Eastern North Carolina and expands access to healthy, local, affordable food in Brunswick, Pender and New Hanover counties. A graduate of Clemson University with a B.S. in Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management, Wendy began her career as Interpretive Program Manager at Hunting Island State Park in South Carolina, where she developed a lifelong passion for salt marsh and barrier island ecology. She taught fifth- and seventh-grade State of South Carolina science standards through the Discover Carolina program and worked alongside the Friends of Hunting Island, a 700-family volunteer organization that first inspired her commitment to mission-driven work.
A proud former Lowcountry resident, author, and naturalist, Wendy has spent her life appreciating and celebrating the coastal environment and the places she’s called home. She raised her two daughters, Abbie and Julia, as a single mother to honor and respect the land and water that surround them, to revel in its authentic culture, and absorb the history of its people, so that they too would value our precious opportunity to protect the places we love most. Abbie is a recent graduate of Clemson University, where Julia is currently a senior. Both will hold B.S. degrees in Biological Sciences.
After relocating to Wilmington and serving the community through Feast Down East, she found a deep appreciation for the people and landscapes of Eastern North Carolina, which she found remarkably similar to her home in the Lowcountry. Joining the Coastal Land Trust represents a pivotal moment in Wendy’s career, as she incorporates her years of experience in nonprofit development, her genuine love of the Carolina Coast, and, most importantly, her passion to conserve and protect the very qualities she has watched disappear in parts of her beloved South Carolina, specifically Isle of Palms, Mt. Pleasant, Peninsula Charleston, and northern Beaufort County.
Wendy lives in Wilmington with her husband, Scott Long, and their chocolate lab, May. She is a member at Wrightsville United Methodist Church and is guided by her faith, family, and a deep commitment to conservation and responsible growth.
Wendy’s books are published under her former name, Wendy Nilsen Pollitzer. They include Images of America: Isle of Palms, Images of America: Port Royal, SOUTH-What it Means to be Here in Heart or in Spirit, and Charleston Salt and Iron.
Wendy’s arrival comes at an exciting time for the Coastal Land Trust. As we continue working with landowners, communities, partners, and supporters to conserve the places that make coastal North Carolina extraordinary, strong relationships and a shared commitment to our mission remain at the heart of everything we do.
We are so excited to have Wendy on our team and look forward to the experience, enthusiasm, and deep personal connection to the coast that she brings to the role.
Please join us in welcoming Wendy to the Coastal Land Trust!
