Advisory Council sprouts in Piedmont
The new Piedmont Advisory Council met for the first time in August in Salisbury. Left to right: Program Director Cynthia Peedin, Jay Bolin, Field Office Director Elise Tellez, Chris Cagle, Missy Rankin, Michelle Leonard, Mary Wallace, and Jason Walser. Not pictured: Don Martin and Chris Magryta.
In summer 2019, Muddy Sneakers strengthened its community ties in the Piedmont of North Carolina as we launched our first Regional Advisory Council. Consisting of eight members drawn from diverse backgrounds, the new Piedmont Advisory Council promises to bolster our drive to be a multilocal organization.
“I look forward to collaborating with and seeking guidance from our new Piedmont Advisory Council as we work together to build enhanced community awareness and regional support,” said Piedmont Field Officer Director Elise Tellez.
The council will amplify the groundwork that Muddy Sneakers has accomplished since we first opened our Piedmont field office in Salisbury in December 2016. We have grown to serve 1,150 students in 16 schools across seven Piedmont counties — with additional school interest exceeding current program capacity.
The inaugural members of the Piedmont Advisory Council include: Jay Bolin (Rowan County), Chris Cagle (Montgomery/Randolph counties), Michelle Leonard (Forsyth County), Dr. Christopher Magryta (Rowan/Mecklenburg County), Don Martin (Forsyth County), Marjorie ‘Missy’ Rankin (Randolph County), Mary Wallace (Stanly County), and Jason Walser (Rowan County).
At the council’s first meeting in August, the new members shared stories of how they first developed a connection with nature and why they are excited to join in Muddy Sneakers’ outdoor science education efforts in the region.
Bolin, a professor at Catawba College, said he has two daughters who go to Overton Elementary in Rowan County. “My kids, even though they’re not in fifth grade, they know about Muddy Sneakers and they can’t wait to be in fifth grade to take part in the program,” he said.
Cagle, owner of Eldorado Outpost in Montgomery County, said when his daughter was born, fellow council member Walser brought her a little T-shirt that said, “Save a little land for me.” “It truly was a lightbulb moment, and I realized I really had to become even more engaged, not just for my daughter but for her peers,” he said.
Wallace, a teacher for 35 years in Stanly and Anson counties, looks forward to sharing her perspective as an educator with Muddy Sneakers. “It’s always good to have somebody to share the teachers’ views of how it is,” she said.
The Piedmont Advisory Council will meet quarterly with the mission of supporting the efforts of the regional field office, including helping to build a local network of support.
