Harrison Marks
Executive Director

Wilmington Office
(910) 726-3049

Marks attended Dartmouth College, earning a degree in Biogeography and serving as co-chair of the newly formed Environmental Studies Division of the Dartmouth Outing Club. He attended an executive development program at UNC – Chapel Hill and had a long and successful career as an executive at Wachovia Bank, leading multiple departments in several divisions of the company before taking early retirement.

Marks served as Executive Director of Sound Rivers for several years, overseeing the merger of the Pamlico-Tar River Foundation and Neuse River Foundation into a new organization. After stepping down as Executive Director at Sound Rivers, Marks and his wife, Suzie, spent almost two years on their sailboat, sailing the east coast of the US and the Bahamas.

Marks was an active member of the Coastal Land Trust’s Finance Committee for many years before joining the board of directors in 2021. In September 2022, Marks resigned from the Board to become its Executive Director and subsequently relocated to Wilmington.

A Richmond, Virginia native and longtime resident of Winston-Salem and New Bern, Marks has a strong connection to the North Carolina coast going back to his childhood vacations at the Outer Banks and a vacation home on Oak Island. An active out-of-doors person, Marks has been a volunteer with numerous environmental organizations and frequently expresses his appreciation at having the opportunity to play a leadership role with the Coastal Land Trust to help conserve important lands and varied landscapes of the coastal plain.

Jesica Blake
Associate Director

Wilmington Office
(910) 726-3057

Jesica Blake joined the Coastal Land Trust in 2002 as its very first stewardship staff member, and she’s been a driving force in land conservation ever since. With a B.S. in Environmental Science and Natural Resources from Johnson State College and a Certificate in Forestry and Wildlife Conservation, Jesica brings deep expertise to her role overseeing monitoring, enforcement, and preserve management across Coastal Land Trust’s conservation properties. In her current role, Jesica has taken on greater leadership responsibilities, including guiding organizational strategy and overseeing people operations to support a strong, collaborative team. She recently expanded her leadership toolkit by earning Executive Leadership and Change Management certificates from Cornell University.

Jesica is a recognized Southeast stewardship leader and a Land Trust Alliance Advanced Practitioner, known for her dedication to long-term land protection and collaborative conservation. She co-chairs the Cape Fear Arch Conservation Collaborative and currently sits on the Board of Champlain Area Trails. Her past service includes board roles with the Cedar Hill/West Bank Cultural History Foundation and the Alliance for Cape Fear Trees. In 2020 (through 2024), she was appointed to the national Land Trust Alliance Conservation Defense Advisory Council, helping strengthen conservation defense efforts nationwide. She is especially passionate about community-based conservation, including projects that celebrate cultural heritage and increase public access particularly within the National Park Service’s Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor. One of her favorite efforts is helping preserve and restore Reaves Chapel, a historic African American church in coastal North Carolina.

Outside of work, Jesica enjoys being outdoors, whether on the beaches of the NC coast or by Lake Champlain in upstate New York and loves traveling to visit her three adult children in Charleston, Charlotte, and Melbourne, Australia.

Mellissa Dionesotes
Land and Stewardship Manager

Wilmington Office
(910) 726-3095

Mellissa moved from the Chicagoland area to Wilmington, NC in 2003 to follow her lifelong dream of living near the beach and studying marine biology. She earned her BS in Marine Biology from UNC Wilmington (UNCW) in 2006 and began working for the university’s Center for Marine Science. In 2015, Mellissa found she had a passion for coastal conservation and went back to school. She earned her MS in Environmental Science and Post Baccalaureate Certificate in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) from UNCW. She joined the Coastal Land Trust in 2018 and is excited to help preserve the ecosystems unique to the North Carolina coast. In her free time, Mellissa paddles the local waterways or works in her garden. She is a long time sea turtle volunteer and loves anything that has to do with the coast!

Kenneth Lingerfelt
Director of Land Protection

(910) 726-3065

Born in Asheville, NC, Kenneth grew up exploring the high elevation creeks of the Southern Appalachian Mountains. On family vacations, he enjoyed exploring the tide pools of the NC coast. He earned a B.S. in Ecology and Field Biology from UNC Asheville in 2014 where he also competed for the university’s D1 soccer program. He built a baseline of academic experience in aquatic ecology, wildlife conservation, and GIS before working field research positions with the National Park Service, US Forest Service, and then the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC). During his time with the NCWRC, he led backcountry field research teams dedicated to studying and mapping the distribution of native fish species in WNC and was selected for the Technician of the Year award in 2018.  He joined the Coastal Land Trust team in January of 2022 as GIS Specialist and Stewardship Associate and assumed the role of Director of Land Protection in April 2024.

Kenneth always felt drawn to the coastal landscape and is excited for the opportunity to bring his skills and experience to the Coastal Land Trust team and to the conservation of wild places in the region. In his free time he enjoys canoeing, hiking, and camping with his girlfriend and their dog, as well as the occasional soccer game just for fun.

Bryce Tholen
Environmental Education and Stewardship Coordinator

Wilmington Office
(910) 726-3005

Bryce Tholen graduated from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington in May of 2021 with a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Sciences and a minor in Geospatial Technology. In the Spring of 2021, Bryce interned for the City of Wilmington and taught a wildlife explorers program downtown. Later that year Bryce joined the Coastal Land Trust team as an AmeriCorps Service member. In 2023, Bryce officially joined the staff as the new Environmental Education Coordinator and Stewardship Assistant. Bryce will support the stewardship team with fieldwork and continue to grow our environmental education programs.

Before moving to Wilmington Bryce grew up on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. Bryce enjoys spending time outdoors hiking, birding, hunting, fishing, surfing, or laying on the beach. Bryce’s favorite Coastal Land Trust preserve is the Gales Creek Preserve.

Lauren Waibel
Volunteer and Trail Coordinator

Wilmington Office
(910) 726-3105

Lauren Waibel grew up in Baltimore and spent her childhood exploring the Gunpowder River, Assateague Island, and the Outer Banks. Lauren graduated from the University of Vermont in 2022 with a BA in Sociology and minors in Environmental Studies and Studio Art, shortly before moving to Wilmington. In her time at the Coastal Land Trust, Lauren has enjoyed becoming more closely acquainted with the communities and ecosystems of Eastern North Carolina. Lauren loves being in the woods, swimming in all bodies of water, travel, and the fiber arts.

Laura Wilson
Development and Communications Specialist

Wilmington Office
(910) 726-3076

Laura Wilson has a deep connection to coastal lands and life. Having spent childhood along the beaches of Delaware, Laura grew up appreciating and admiring the ocean. Laura then moved to South Carolina where Laura earned a BS in Marine Science from Coastal Carolina University.  Wilson’s love for marine mammals and coastal exploring took Laura to the central coast of California where Laura lived for nine years before returning to the east coast in 2019.

Before joining the Coastal Land Trust in 2019, Laura worked in development for the Land Trust of Santa Cruz County in California. Wilson is excited to continue the great work of land conservation. Wilson enjoys yoga, being a wife and mom of two boys, hiking with their dog, and swimming in the ocean.

Lizzie Barkley
Office and Event Coordinator

Wilmington Office
(910) 726-3089

Lizzie Barkley was born and raised in Raleigh and grew up exploring all that North Carolina has to offer, including the mountains, the city, and the coast. She graduated from Appalachian State University with a degree in Recreation Management and a Concentration in Outdoor Experiential Education. Lizzie recently moved to Wilmington and is enthusiastic about all the city has to offer.

Prior to joining the Coastal Land Trust, Lizzie worked as the Operations Manager for High Gravity Adventures in Boone, NC. After many years in the outdoor recreation industry, she is excited to focus her passion for the outdoors towards saving the lands we love along the coast! In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family, reading fiction books, and kayaking in the marsh.

Addisen Antonucci
Duke Stanback Fellow

Addisen was born and raised in New Jersey and discovered her passion for conservation after moving to Florida. She earned a B.S. in Ecosystem Science and Policy from the University of Miami in 2022. She has since worked as a Restoration Intern with the Coral Restoration Foundation in the Florida Keys and as an Ecology Assistant with the Pacific Island Inventory and Monitoring Network through the National Park Service.

Driven by her passion for diving and marine ecosystems, Addisen continued reef restoration work on the Caribbean island of Bonaire. Addisen is currently pursuing a Master of Environmental Management at Duke University, focusing on coastal and marine systems, as well as data analytics and modeling. She is particularly interested in applying data-driven approaches to coastal management. In her free time, Addisen enjoys SCUBA diving, sailing, exploring National Parks, and running.

Addisen will be utilizing the Coastal Land Trust’s Sea Level Rise modeling tool, which was developed by Meg Manning during her 2024 Fellowship term, to analyze the potential impacts of sea level rise on the Land Trust’s coastal preserves. The results of Addisen’s analysis will provide a baseline of information from which sea level rise response plans will be drafted for preserves at highest risk of inundation, allowing the Land Trust to plan for, and adapt to, shifting environmental conditions

Mary Catherine Parker
Administrative Assistant

Wilmington Office
(910) 790-4524

Mary Catherine grew up in Annapolis, Maryland where she learned to drive the family boat on the Chesapeake Bay and pick hand-caught crabs! She graduated from Arcadia University in December of 2018 with a bachelor’s degree in political science and moved to Wilmington in 2021 to explore a coastal city similar to the one she grew up in.

In her free time, Mary Catherine loves to read and can play classical piano. She is passionate about our environment and waterways. Working for the Coastal Land Trust is a dream come true, and she’s excited to contribute to its mission.

Lee Leidy
General Counsel

Elizabeth City Office
(252) 335-9495

Lee joined the Coastal Land Trust in 2002, after having represented the Coastal Land Trust in conservation acquisitions while in private practice. She loved the work, professionalism, mission, and people of Coastal Land Trust – so much so that she eventually left private practice to join the Coastal Land Trust as a staff attorney and the northeast region director in the Elizabeth City office.  In private practice, she focused on residential and commercial real property transactions.  This practice engendered a special appreciation for the fragile balance which exists between economic, and, in turn, political demands and environmental concerns – particularly in the state’s coastal plain. Lee earned her B.A. degree in Biology from Wake Forest University and her J. D. degree from the UNC Chapel Hill. She lives in Elizabeth City, North Carolina, with her husband.  They have two grown children. Lee loves running, hiking and playing at the beach. Her favorite Coastal Land Trust projects are Springer’s Point Preserve, Bray Hollow, Sample, Rayburn Farm, and Jubilee Farms.

Brian Rubino
Northeast Region Director

Southern Shores Office
(252) 216-2095

Brian received a BS and MS in geology from East Carolina University in 1997 and 2001 and is a Professional Geologist in N. C. (#1933). Brian’s professional career has primarily included private sector interdisciplinary environmental consulting with an emphasis on coastal natural resources. He has enjoyed working on coastal restoration projects where his role has involved management of stakeholder teams that include members of the general public, resource and regulatory agencies, local government, legislators and conservation groups.

Brian and his family have lived in the Outer Banks area for 25 years, raising their 2 children who have attended Dare County schools. Brian’s personal connection to the Northeast, service on the Coastal Land Trust’s Board of Directors (from October 2022 – November 2025), as well as his professional relationships made him the ideal choice to become the Coastal Land Trust’s Northeast Director in December 2025.