Meet the Team

Kristy Urquhart has been Associate Director for SAHC since 1997 and has served on the staff since 1991. She graduated from King College with a BA in Business/Economics and worked in orchard management in Ithaca, NY, before moving to Asheville in 1991. Kristy is very active with the Asheville Humane Society.

Lisa joined the SAHC staff in 2011. She has a BSBA in Accounting from Mississippi College, and has 15 years of for-profit experience, including 9 years in the area of consumer finance. She relocated to western NC in August 2010. Lisa oversees the financial accounts of the organization.

Michelle joined the SAHC staff in 2007. Michelle previously served as the St. Simons Land Trust Director of Land Protection. She graduated from Lafayette College with a BA in Biology and from the Nicholas School of the Environment at Duke University with a Masters of Environmental Management degree. Michelle manages the organization’s land and conservation easement acquisitions.

Jess leads our efforts to conserve farmland. A native of Swannanoa, she grew up on the campus of Warren Wilson College and enjoyed roaming nearby mountains.  She earned a BS in neuroscience and a BA in Spanish from Furman University in 2006.  Her sense of adventure led her to study and work abroad before returning home to farm in these mountains.  Jess joined our staff in 2017, after serving almost 3 years as the Director of the Blue Ridge Forever land trust coalition.  

Chris joined SAHC in 2019 to assist with our growing stewardship responsibilities. He is from the southern Appalachians and has conservation experience that includes stewardship roles with the Blue Ridge Conservancy in Boone, NC and the Congaree Land Trust in Columbia, SC. Chris holds a M.A. from the Department of Geography and Planning at Appalachian State University and specializes in thinking about riparian ecosystems in the southeastern U.S.

Mike developed a love for outdoor places during his childhood in Upstate New York, often out on the rivers or exploring his family’s land. After earning a bachelor’s degree from The State University of New York at Potsdam, he relocated to Nashville where he became involved with The Land Trust for Tennessee (LTTN). For over eight years Mike helped lead LTTN’s statewide stewardship program by managing conserved lands, assisting landowners to navigate conservation easements, and annual monitoring. Mike joined SAHC in 2025 as the Stewardship Manager, helping to support SAHC’s growing program of conservation easements and SAHC-owned properties.

Travis Bordley was born and raised in Durham, North Carolina. Growing up, Travis was lucky enough to spend every summer in the Western North Carolina hiking in the mountains, plunging into shady creeks, and developing a deep connection with the land. He received a BS in Environmental Science from UNC-Asheville. There he developed his love for the natural world and also a passion for photography. Travis has worked with SAHC since 2016 as an AmeriCorps member, as the Roan Naturalist, and outings leader. As the Roan Technician, Travis works to incorporate all his past experiences into one position to best take care of the Roan Highlands.

Born and raised in Waynesville, NC, Cheryl completed an Associate of Applied Science degree in Commercial Art and Advertising Design from Southwestern Community College of Sylva in 1994. Cheryl worked in printing and design, and operated a graphic design business before joining the SAHC staff in 2001. Cheryl coordinates membership, our membership program materials, planning and implementing special events, and public outreach.

Erin is a Robbinsville, NC native and grew up backpacking and camping in the Joyce Kilmer-Slickrock Wilderness where she developed a deep love for the Appalachian Mountains. While obtaining a BA in Communication from Berea College, she planned and led rock climbing, canoeing/kayaking, caving, backpacking, and front-country camping student trips for the Outdoor Recreation Program. This role instilled a passion for leading outdoor programs. After graduating college, Erin obtained a job with Western Carolina University’s Project Discovery-Talent Search Program, which serves students in rural WNC by providing college access services. While in this role, she helped develop and lead experiential education programs and multi-day bike expeditions. She joined the SAHC team in August 2025 and is excited to begin leading outings and connecting more people with nature. You’ll most likely catch Erin mountain biking at Tsali or enjoying a trail run with her pups.

Kirin is a mother of two who prides herself on being able to raise her children while doing what she loves in the events industry. She received her certification for Event Coordination and has six years of experience as an event/wedding coordinator.  Kirin says, “Events are my happy place. Seeing everyone come together to celebrate a special occasion and all the love that is shared, it brings me so much joy.” In her spare time she enjoys taking the kiddos outside and going on new adventures. During the summertime they can usually be found in some sort of body of water; swimming is their favorite thing to do!

Connor just graduated from Bowdoin College in Brunswick, ME, but he grew up in Hendersonville, NC and volunteered with Asheville Greenworks and Manna FoodBank. He is a former Project Conserve AmeriCorps member at Conserving Carolina, where he completed a summer of service managing trails, performing non-native invasive plant management and participating in river clean-ups. More recently, Connor was a Bowdoin College Summer Fellow at Kennebec Estuary Land Trust in Bath, ME where he performed a variety of GIS, citizen-science and habitat restoration duties. Connor served as an AmeriCorps member with SAHC for the 2024-25 term.