WAYNE RIDER
Wayne is the Executive Director of Sustainable Sandhills. Wayne is a long-time resident of Fayetteville, arriving in 1994 with an assignment to the 82d Airborne Division. His education highlights include a Master of International Relations Troy State University, Bachelor of Science in Biology (With a concentration in conservation and natural resources) Central Michigan University, NC licensed Broker, NC Broker In Charge and Trust Account Certification. Numerous military and civilian course completions to include NC Certified Prescribed Burner and , NC Clean Energy Fundamentals of Photovoltaic Design. Over the last twenty-eight years of living in North Carolina. My activities outside of spending time with family and career include backyard gardening, composting, Longleaf Pine Forest restoration, beekeeping, shiitake mushroom cultivation, wildlife habitat improvements, real estate, conservation & preservation of natural resources and sustainable development. Wayne is a conservationist at heart and is always looking for opportunities to give back to our environment.
GLORIA LENGEL
Cumberland County Schools Go Green Initiative Director Gloria, traveled extensively as a member of an Air Force family. She landed in NC in time for high school at Reid Ross High followed by graduation from UNC Greensboro. She is an educator first and foremost, having served in Public Health as a clinical educator for 10 years and over 18 years as a middle and high school teacher. After her retirement from teaching, she worked on her Master’s in Environmental Education. Gloria brings to her position her philosophy of sustainability and education from her background of conservation and observation of our multiple biomes and human impact on our environment. She is a beekeeper, a fiber spinner, and a weaver, the carbon bank manager for our schools, and the sustainability problem-solver for our schools and community. Gloria has worked with Sustainable Sandhills for over 10 years, retired, and is now back.
Email Gloria at Sustainable Sandhills
Email Gloria at Cumberland County Schools
EURIKA JENNINGS
Cumberland County Schools Go Green Initiative Director. Eurika was born in Oakland, CA and grew up traveling around the world in an Army family. She earned her Business Administration and Elementary Education degrees from Missouri Southern State University. Although she served both on Active Duty and in the U.S. Army Reserves in the Military Intelligence branch, her heart and passion were in the classroom where she taught 1st grade for seven years. Focused on providing a clean, sustainable planet for today’s children, Eurika works to assist schools in Cumberland County attain and maintain their Green School certification.
DENISE BRUCE
Denise Bruce is the Air Quality Program Manager. EMAIL Denise Previously, She worked at Sustainable Sandhills as Environmental program manager, and for the NC Division of Air Quality as an Environmental Specialist I. She has a B.S of Environmental Health from East Carolina University and is working toward a Masters of Data Science. In her role as Air Quality Program Manager, she manages the Cumberland County Ozone Advance Program, and community Air Quality outreach programs.
TRINITY VETERE
Sustainability Program Coordinator – Waste Management EMAIL Trinity
Born and raised in Nebraska, Trinity grew up surrounded by agriculture and land conservation. She became a florist as soon as she could work, and excelled at it due to her creativity and quick-thinking. After high school, she was accepted into, and attended, the Savannah College of Art and Design. While doing research for a found objects sculpture project, Trinity’s heart was broken over beach litter and her aspirations changed soon after. She later moved to Fayetteville in the fall of 2021 to be with her husband who is stationed at Fort Bragg. Trinity is currently pursuing her B.A. in Sustainable Governance and a minor in Project management at Arizona State University online. In her free time, Trinity enjoys thrifting, yoga, gardening, and cooking. Trinity is passionate about preserving enough equity in the earth so that every future human being will have sufficient resources to live a life that is worth living. Trinity leads Sustainable Sandhills’ litter abatement, illegal dumping abatement, and recycling education and infrastructure projects. She coordinates outreach activities and events related to pollution prevention including the 5 for Friday reverse litter campaign, with Cumberland County and the City of Fayetteville, Fayetteville Beautiful, and monthly litter collections with Keep Moore County Beautiful.