“We are so blessed in Haywood County to be a headwaters county — this is an amazingly special responsibility and gift,” Petrea said. “As a recreation programmer, I am thankful that we have many streams running along many of our trails in this county. These make for very relaxing hiking, picnicking, reading and other recreational opportunities. As president of Haywood Waterways, I look forward to working with everyone to help spread our reach and protect our waterways.”

Petrea has been a member of Haywood Waterways’ Board of Directors since 2015. He replaces outgoing president Lauren Bishop, who served from 2015 to 2017. 

Haywood Waterways is a nonprofit that works to protect and improve surface water quality in Haywood County through education, volunteer engagement and water quality improvement projects.