Staff
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DIRECTOR
Erica Marks co-founded the Yew Mountain Center in 2016 with Dr. Bob Must. She has served as director since then. Erica has been an educator for most of her professional life--as a classroom science teacher, gifted special educator, and outdoor experiential learning facilitator. She has worked in public and private schools and camps, at home and abroad. She got her start in the non-profit world as program coordinator and co-director at the High Rocks Educational Corporation here in Pocahontas County. Erica enjoys playing music and playing outside with friends and family.
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FACILITIES MANAGER
Robin Tywoniw has a talent for creating inviting spaces, artistic meals, and making things work. A neighbor of the Yew, she quickly learned the ins and outs of its quirky facilities. When she is not trouble-shooting and improving the lodge, Robin is crafting in the kitchen, making art for and with children, and supporting programs with her practical problem-solving abilities. In her spare time, she turns her garden gourds into ornaments, crochets, sews sock dolls, and makes decorates cookie masterpieces.
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FOREST FARMING COORDINATOR
Will Lewis is the Forest Farming Coordinator at the Yew Mountain Center. He’s been practicing organic farming, beekeeping, and herbalism for over a decade and has been leading the Yew’s forest farming program for six years—growing forest botanicals and mushrooms, tapping maple trees for syrup, and caring for honeybees. He also runs his own bee business and works as a honeybee inspector for the West Virginia Department of Agriculture. Will enjoys teaching forest farming, herbal medicine, mushroom cultivation, and bee management, sharing the knowledge he’s gained through years of hands-on experience.
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OFFICE MANAGER
Erica Lewis has been the Yew Mountain Center’s Office Manager since 2022, working behind the scenes to oversee the organization’s financial and administrative tasks. When she’s not in the office, she enjoys spending time with her family- tending the garden, tapping maple trees and foraging for mushrooms. Alongside her husband, she is raising their daughter to honor the rhythms of nature and the strong sense of community that make this place home.
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CARETAKERS
Melanie Barwick and Johnathan Dunn have been the YMC's caretakers since 2023. Melanie, our Hospitality Specialist, also supports programs, marketing, and community outreach. Her and her family's first experience at YMC was as visiting participants setting up the maple tubing lines in the sugarbush. She fell in love with the idea of "farming in the shade," which to her means helping the forest grow what it wants to grow. She grew up organic farming, immersed in the mountain culture of North Carolina. Her first journey down Lobelia Road started with a feeling as though she was coming home. Since starting at YMC, she has found her life's purpose in inviting others to be excited about nature and the magic of the Yew Mountain Center.
Johnathan loves helping others and finding creative solutions to any challenge. With a background in real estate, hospitality, and customer service, he’s built a career around connection, service, and problem-solving. He serves as a caretaker at The Yew Mountain Center, where he supports community programs and stewardship of the land. Adventurous and community-minded, Johnathan is always seeking new ways to learn, grow, and make a positive impact.
Johnathan loves helping others and finding creative solutions to any challenge. With a background in real estate, hospitality, and customer service, he’s built a career around connection, service, and problem-solving. He serves as a caretaker at The Yew Mountain Center, where he supports community programs and stewardship of the land. Adventurous and community-minded, Johnathan is always seeking new ways to learn, grow, and make a positive impact.
Program Coordination and Community Outreach Team
Courtney Altice - Mountain Medicine Trail and Indigenous Voices Initiatives
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Zachery Miller - Land Projects and Development Outreach
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Sophia Rose - Education Coordinator and Greenbrier County Outreach
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Special Projects
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Adrienne Cedarleaf - Outdoor Education, Program Support, Marlyn McClendon, Photography, Program Support
Board of Directors
Board Members (left to right): Andrew Must- President, Danette Condon-Secretary, Jenny Beth Friar, Barred Owl ex officio, Meghan Betcher and Ben Luckett, Katherine Evans, Hannah Spencer, Susan Leopold.