Sound Rivers Board

David Emmerling’s first retirement failure was when he went back to work as the executive director of the Pamlico-Tar River Foundation (Sound Rivers’ predecessor, along with the Neuse Riverkeeper Foundation). Born and raised in Wisconsin, Dave became a North Carolinian in 1991, and got involved with the Pamlico-Tar River Foundation (predecessor of Sound Rivers, along with the Neuse River Foundation) while working in the counseling field.

Under Dave’s l eadership, the grassroots campaign to Save Blounts Creek was launched, the push to provide more river access to the general public was started and the seeds to merge PTRF and NRF were planted.

“I’m just so proud of where we are and what we’re doing at Sound Rivers,” Dave said.”It’s not that we don’t have our challenges, but I think that we have unlimited possibilities and potential.”