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Our Team
We have two, part-time employees who work together with our board and our many community partners to keep our organization moving forward. The strategy, the sweat, and the time by the creek, all contribute to the success of the Piney Creek Watershed Association.
Meet The Employees
Nate Sydnor
Executive Director
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Nate hails from Appalachia but spent the better part of the last twenty years out west working as a rock climbing and mountain guide in some of the country’s greatest venues. Originally from Emory, Virginia, he eventually settled in Moab, Utah, operating a rock climbing and canyoneering guide service that helped thousands of folks from all over the world enjoy adventures in some of the most spectacular desert terrain on Earth. As the years wound on, though, he found himself homesick for the rolling hills and green mountainsides of America’s oldest mountain range, and so relocated to Fayetteville in 2020. As an avid angler, Nate eventually found his way into Piney Creek, hiking hundreds of miles within the gorge chasing after trout and enjoying encounters with bear, bald eagle, blue heron, and beaver, just to name a few. During his many days on the water, Nate came to realize that the streams, creeks, and rivers in West Virginia are an essential part of what makes this state so special. With that in mind, he felt compelled to engage in work that would help to preserve and protect these precious resources. Luckily for him, organizations like the Piney Creek Watershed Association exist for this very purpose. Nate couldn’t be more thrilled to work with this organization and the great people in Beckley and Raleigh County for the betterment of water quality within the amazing Piney Creek Watershed.
Jim Fedders
Associate Director
Jim and his wife Barbara are originally from northern Kentucky and have lived in Beckley for over 30 years. Jim worked as an ecologist at the USDA-ARS research center in Beaver before retiring in 2012. Since then, Jim has worked in higher education at New River Community and Technical College, Concord University, and WVU Tech. Jim has served Piney Creek Watershed Association as a board member, Associate Director, and Executive Director. Jim has managed a variety of remediation projects ranging from wetland restoration at Woodrow Wilson High School and revegetation of barren areas along New River Drive to wetland restoration at the Shady Spring Library. Jim has always enjoyed the outdoors and loves the streams and woodlands of West Virginia. He continues to be amazed at the scenic beauty our area has to offer. He hopes that more people will take advantage of the growing local trail systems to experience, appreciate, and be moved to preserve and protect the natural treasure of the Piney Creek Watershed.