One of the region's most storied conservation groups, Western North Carolina Alliance, has some new blood on its board. From this area, new board member are:

• Mike Jackson, Macon County at-large communication specialist, The Orianne Society; Jackson has a degree in communications from Park College in Missouri and currently serves on the board of trustees of the Little Tennessee Watershed.

• Alan O'Connor, Haywood County at-large writer and managing partner of AOA Learning, an international management training company. O'Connor has more than 35 years of extensive, hands-on experience in professional management, marketing, sales, new product development and strategic business planning in both the private and public sector.

Returning board members from this region are: Greg Kidd, Buncombe County at-large (Waynesville); Bill Crawford, Macon Chapter (Franklin); Mike Jackson, Macon County at-large (Franklin); Mary Osmar, B.E.A.R. Task Force (Highlands); Neva Duncan Tabb, Haywood Community Alliance (Waynesville).