In 2008, Donna
Lisenby moved to the Appalachian
Mountains to become the first Upper Watauga
Riverkeeper. She is a full-time public advocate
for the Watauga River, the Elk River, Doe Creek
and Watauga Lake watersheds. She is part
investigator, scientist, lawyer, and advocate.
A tenacious and highly experienced change agent
for building sustainable human relationships
with the earth, Ms. Lisenby is also a
compelling and passionate voice for rivers and
watersheds in the Southeast. Through the
support and vision of Appalachian Voices, Ms.
Lisenby will protect YOUR WATER from polluters.
In the 10 years that she served at the helm
of the Catawba Riverkeeper Program, Ms. Lisenby
was named “Charlotte’s
Best Advocate” by Charlotte Magazine in May,
2000, a “1999 Guardian of the Environment” by
The Charlotte Observer and was selected as a
recipient of the Charlotte Coalition’s “Blue
Thumb” award. The Catawba Riverkeeper Program
is also the only environmental organization to
receive three Best of Charlotte Awards for
“Best Effort to Improve the Environment” in
1999, 2000 and 2004. Other awards include the
the Mountain Island Lake Marine Commission’s
Blue Fin Award for 2003, the Lake James Task
Force Award for Outstanding and Distinguished
Service in 2004, and the 2005 J. H. “Mac”
McSwain Community Service Award for exemplary
community service to the Lake Wateree
Community.
In 2005, Ms. Lisenby was elected by her
fellow Waterkeepers to serve in a leadership
position as a board member of Waterkeeper
Alliance. The Waterkeeper Alliance is the
international organization led by Robert F.
Kennedy, Jr. There are currently 177 local
Waterkeeper Programs in the United States,
Canada, Mexico, Bolivia,
Australia,
Africa, India, China, Europe
and Russia.
Waterkeeper Alliance and its member
organizations around the globe spend each day
protecting the waterways upon which all living
beings depend. The Alliance approves new
Waterkeeper programs and licenses the use of
the Waterkeeper names. The Waterkeeper program
names, such as “Riverkeeper,” “Lakekeeper,”
“Baykeeper,” “Coastkeeper” and others, are
synonymous with effective citizen action.
