Heather Deck joined the staff of Sound Rivers* in July 2003 and over the years has led the organization's advocacy, volunteer and educational programs.

As the Pamlico-Tar Riverkeeper, she provides the scientific expertise to aid members’, the public’s, planners’ and lawmakers’ understanding of the complexity of the Tar-Pamlico ecosystem. She responds to the public’s environmental concerns, notifies agencies that enforce water quality regulations and monitors the responses to pollution events. She collaborates with universities, community colleges, civic organizations, schools, and others to restore and monitor the Tar-Pamlico waterway, and she educates the public in the watershed about how they can all help protect the river.

Ms. Deck is a sought-after expert on river environmental issues. She has been appointed to numerous commissions, including the Sedimentation Control Commission, and working groups related to North Carolina’s water policies and management of the watershed.

*Sound Rivers is a private nonprofit organization that guards the health and natural beauty of the Neuse and Tar-Pamlico River Basins. The organization partners with concerned citizens to monitor, protect, restore and preserve the watersheds covering 23% of North Carolina’s land mass.