Audubon North Carolina is excited to welcome Secretary of the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources Reid Wilson as our keynote speaker at the upcoming 2024 Summit in Durham. 

Secretary Wilson’s department oversees the the state parks system, historic sites, and the Parks and Recreation Trust Funds—an essential tool for protecting North Carolina’s air, water, and habitat. He has also been an important advocate for native plants; last summer, his department announced a landmark policy that requires the use of native plants for landscaping on all of the agency’s properties, which also applies to projects funded by the Parks and Recreation Trust Fund.  

Prior to his role as secretary, Wilson was the department's chief deputy secretary, responsible for the agency’s natural resource divisions. Before joining DNCR, Wilson was the executive director of the Conservation Trust for North Carolina, a statewide nonprofit that advances land conservation and connects people to the outdoors. He previously served in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, rising to chief of staff, and the national Sierra Club.   

Secretary Wilson has been a leader in conservation on both a national and state scale, has extensive experience with environmental advocacy, and has worked alongside Audubon on key issues. 

He has a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Biology from Grinnell College in Iowa and currently lives with his wife Karen Rindge in Raleigh.