Susan Andrew

Susan Andrew came to Asheville in 1995, where she quickly became a fan of RiverLink’s work to restore and revitalize the French Broad River; she joined the RiverLink staff in September, 2021. Susan earned a Masters in biology from University of Michigan, which led to a doctoral study of bowerbirds in the Ramu River watershed in Papua New Guinea. Then came a pivotal opportunity in Asheville, serving as staff ecologist for the Southern Appalachian Forest Coalition, where she worked for seven years to conserve species and habitats found in high-quality land and waters of the mountains from Virginia to Alabama.

A journalism fellowship from the American Association for the Advancement of Science led to work as an investigative reporter for Carolina Public Press and MountainXpress, where Susan earned state-level recognition for her investigations of environmental contamination at dozens of sites in Buncombe County. She then gained skill as a fundraiser in a position with Buncombe County Schools, and as a consultant with institutions including Asheville Museum of Science, Wild South, USDA Forest Service Southern Research Station, and others. Susan enjoys her garden, her music, and any opportunity to explore the expansive French Broad watershed.