Margaret Miller Growe is the Executive Director of The Tamassee Group, which she founded in 2016 to promote cultural and environmental education via the conservation and preservation of significant historical and natural resources.
As one of the Tamassee Group’s projects, Margaret envisioned a documentary film about the history and future of the Outer Banks of North Carolina. This current initiative builds on her life-long commitment to protecting the environment, and to her family’s legacy of activism.
Margaret draws on comprehensive organization-building experience in media and communications, in writing and voice-overs.
Her idea captured the imagination of PBS NC and of David Kasper, Oscar-winning film-maker. As Executive Producer, she and fellow Board members have used their extensive capabilities to tell the story of the unique, fragile Outer Banks through initial interviews and gorgeous photographic footage.
As the documentary enters the next phase, Margaret is partnering with foundations and donors to bring the film to fruition.
She lives on her family farm with her husband and animals, including horses she has rescued. Margaret, Bryn Mawr College class of ’84, graduated from NC State.
Originally hailing from New England, Dan combines his background in environmental sciences and digital mapping to consult in the field of Geographic Information Systems in Bend, Oregon. Using cutting edge technology, he helps people solve critical problems in the fields of urban planning and land and resource management. When not thinking about how to better use maps to save the planet, Dan can be found adventuring—climbing, hiking, and biking—throughout the mountains of central Oregon and beyond.
Dan graduated from the University of Vermont in 2011 with a degree in Environmental Studies, where his thesis assessed the viability of using
carbon offset funding as a catalyst for ecological health initiatives for small-scale sugar producers in rural Honduras. From there he cultivated his love for Geography working as an Engineer at Environmental Systems Research Institute (Esri) in Southern California.
Through principle, passion, and positivity, Dan brings his skills and industry background to the table at the Tamassee Group to better help the Earth and the people on it.
Linda is experienced in management and leadership development, succession planning, mentoring and employee opinion survey initiatives. Prior to her retirement, she guided leaders in managing these processes as Assistant Vice President of Training and Organization Development at AIG United Guaranty in Greensboro, RTI International at Research Triangle Park, and the NC Department of Revenue in Raleigh. Most recently she spearheaded the frontline leadership program for staff managers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Linda holds a Masters degree in Counseling, and provided career and employee assistance counseling and training for over 35 years. She is certified to
administer and interpret the Myers Briggs Type Inventory (MBTI), Strong Interest Inventory, DiSC, Center for Creative Leadership’s 360 feedback instruments, and multiple other programs.
Linda grew up in Duplin County, North Carolina on her family’s tobacco farm that has been in the family since 1774. Her first job after graduating from UNC-Greensboro was as the Agricultural Extension Agent for 4-H in Yadkin County. She now lives near the Haw River in northern Chatham County, where she swims, kayaks, and spends copious hours in her garden.
Nerissa served in senior financial positions in her 30-year tenure at Duke University, where she oversaw several million-dollar budgets. She managed all aspects – purchasing, payroll, human resources, budgeting and planning – for the Undergraduate Financial Aid Office’s $2.2M budget. Additionally, she was responsible for Duke’s awards budget, which provides many types of aid to undergraduate students, including need-based aid, merit aid and athletic aid, totaling near $150M. This included nearly $50M of endowed and gift funds, which required compliance with endowment agreements and consistent communications with Duke’s Development and Endowment Administration.
Nerissa was also responsible for all federal codes dealing with Campus-based awards, such as Pell, SEOG, and Federal Work Study, which totaled about $6.5M. As part of her
oversight, she provided analysis to the Provost and the President on the effectiveness of Duke’s aid programs and how the university can improve or better meet the needs of the student population. In addition, Nerissa prepared all outside reporting on undergraduate aid for the University, using a variety of tools such as SAS, Access and Excel. All of these financial management skills, and Nerissa’s familiarity with regulations on spending for grants/contracts from both public and private entities, are of direct benefit to the Tamassee Group’s projects.
Nerissa graduated from Bryn Mawr College in 1983; then completed her graduate work in Public Administration at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She lives in Alamance County, NC, where she and her husband are developing habitats for bees and native pollinators.
Hi, my name is Isla Tarleton, I’m 24 years old, and my aunt is Margaret Growe! I grew up traveling to the Outer Banks and my experiences there have shaped the course of my life. During high school I had the opportunity to take summer courses studying marine science in Wilmington, NC and gained a greater appreciation for the ecology and physical processes occurring on our incredible coastline.
Last year, I graduated with a BS in Marine and Coastal Sciences from Western Washington University, an interdisciplinary program taking place on a very different coastline. Now, I’m working towards graduate school (likely back on the East Coast) and looking for ways to get involved in ocean conservation while living in landlocked Nashville, TN. I’m very excited to be a part of the board this year and get an inside look at the exciting projects I’ve heard so much about over the years.
Adrian Miller has spent 1/52nd of his life on the Outer Banks, congregating with family in Nags Head for a week every June. He spends most other weeks in Texas, living on Galveston Island and working for NASA at the Mission Control Center in Houston.
Adrian enjoys his work as a member of the International Space Station flight control team, and is proud to train and protect the astronauts who perform essential science and Earth environment monitoring aboard the orbiting laboratory. When away from work, Adrian can often be found on a barrier island beach. He enjoys surfing, soccer, travel, and crossword puzzles.