Catawba College is set to host a compelling panel discussion on January 18th at 6:30 pm in the Center for the Environment, Room 302. The event, “Like an Eddy: How the State and Nation are Moving Backwards on Clean Water and Wetland Protections,” is a partnership between the Center for the Environment and the Department of Environment and Sustainability. Registration is requested at: bit.ly/Water-Panel.

Distinguished speakers will gather to address a confluence of water-related issues, shedding light on recent legislative changes that pose significant challenges to water protection. Notable among these changes are the Sackett decision at the Supreme Court and North Carolina’s 2023 Farm Bill, which collectively remove Clean Water Act protections from millions of acres of wetlands.  

These alterations not only imperil clean water but also compromise the wetlands’ ability to act as crucial buffers during drought or flooding. Additionally, wetlands serve as vital habitats for waterfowl and fisheries, making their protection a matter of environmental significance.  

The panel discussion will delve into how these recent changes intersect with climate change and their potential impact on North Carolina. Moderating the Discussion will be Lee Ball, PhD, Catawba’s new Executive Director of the Center for the Environment.  

Panelists include: 

• Dr. Stan Meiburg: Executive Director of the Andrew Sabin Center for Environment and Sustainability at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, NC. 
• Edgar Miller: Riverkeeper/Executive Director, Yadkin Riverkeeper, Winston-Salem, NC. 
• Kelly Moser: Senior Attorney and Leader of SELC’s Water Program at Southern Environmental Law Center. 
• Manley Fuller: Vice President of Conservation Policy, NC Wildlife Federation.  

About Dr. Stan Meiburg 
In 2022, Dr. Stan Meiburg became the Executive Director of the Center for Energy, Environment and Sustainability at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, NC, now renamed the Andrew Sabin Center for Environment and Sustainability.  This followed five years at Wake Forest as the Director of Graduate Studies in Sustainability and a 39-year career with the US Environmental Protection Agency.  From 2014 to 2017, Meiburg served as EPA’s Acting Deputy Administrator, the agency’s second highest position.   

Before becoming Acting Deputy Administrator, Meiburg served in senior career positions as EPA’s Deputy Regional Administrator in the Southeast and South Central regions of the United States, as well as in EPA offices in Research Triangle Park and Washington, DC. He was a member of the North Carolina Environmental Management Commission from 2017 through 2021 (Chair 2019-2021) and is a member of the Roundtable on Science and Technology for Sustainability of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, a Fellow of the National Academy of Public Administration, and a Senior Advisor to The Water Institute.  He also teaches in the Department of Politics and International Affairs at Wake Forest.   

Meiburg holds a B.A. degree from Wake Forest University and master's and doctoral degrees in political science from Johns Hopkins University.  

About Edgar Miller 

Edgar Miller became executive director of the Winston-Salem-based Yadkin Riverkeeper in October 2018 and became the Riverkeeper/executive director on July 1, 2021. Yadkin Riverkeeper’s mission is to protect and enhance the Yadkin River, its lakes, and its tributaries through education, advocacy, and action.   

Prior to working with Yadkin Riverkeeper, Miller served as the director of government relations for the Conservation Trust for North Carolina for 17 years. As a registered lobbyist, he represented the NC land trusts before the NC General Assembly and US Congress advocating for increased conservation funding and tax incentives. He also represented the state’s land trusts on the NC Agricultural Development and Farmland Preservation Trust Fund from 2006-2018 and served on the statewide NC Local Foods Advisory Council from 2015-2018.   

Miller was the director of policy for the National Recycling Coalition from 1990-2000 and worked as a lobbyist in the US Congress for the American Iron and Steel Institute from 2000-2002, both in Washington, DC, before moving home to Lexington, NC. He is the former president of the Tourism Recreation Investment Partnership (TRIP) for Davidson County, serving as president between 2011-2020. TRIP is a local nonprofit that supports the development of tourism and recreation assets in Davidson County, NC.   

Miller holds a BA in Botany from Duke University and a Master of Environmental Management from Duke’s Nicholas School of the Environment.   

About Kelly Moser 

Moser leads the Southern Environmental Law Center’s Water Program across the Southeast and nationally, focusing on stopping industrial water pollution and holding polluters accountable; controlling stormwater; protecting people from the harms from industrial animal operations (or CAFOs); advocating for broad federal Clean Water Act protections of streams, wetlands, and other waterways; and other water issues. Moser and her team filed an amicus (or friend-of-the-court) brief in the Sackett v. EPA case on behalf of over 100 environmental, conservation, and community groups across the country, and have been involved in federal court litigation over every definition of “waters of the United States” through multiple presidential administrations.    

About Manley Fuller 

Manley Fuller is the NCWF vice president of conservation policy. Fuller previously served as Florida Wildlife Federation’s (FWF) president and CEO, having served in that capacity for over three decades of conservation accomplishments.   

Fuller forged a legacy of passionate leadership and advocacy at FWF, advancing the conservation and protection of Florida’s habitat for wildlife, building partnerships, and finding common ground.  

Before taking the helm at FWF, Fuller served five years with the National Wildlife Federation as a wetlands and wildlife specialist in its Southeastern Natural Resources Center based in Raleigh, NC. A graduate of Duke University, where he earned both a BS in Zoology and a BA in History, Fuller earned an MS in Wildlife Biology at North Carolina State University. He was born in Lincolnton, NC, and grew up in Hickory, NC.  

About Catawba College 

Founded in 1851, Catawba College is a four-year, private, liberal arts college located in Salisbury, N.C. Ranked as one of the best regional colleges in the South, Catawba is known for its intellectual rigor, dedicated faculty, beautiful campus, and strong commitment to sustainability and the environment. The College offers more than 70 undergraduate and four graduate programs allowing students to explore diverse interests and create their own academic pathways. Additional information is available at catawba.edu.