John Dorney

ECWA's Board Vice President John Dorney is an environmental scientist and wetlands expert who worked for the State of North Carolina for 28 years. During his time at NC Department of Natural Resources, John authored or co-authored most of NC’s wetland and stream buffer protection rules that are still in place today and developed a reputation as a staunch regulator (dare we say “defender?”) of our wetlands and streams. John was also a founding member of the Carolina Wetlands Association.

John now does consulting work to reduce environmental impacts of major infrastructure projects and leads workshops training the next generation of scientists and engineers how to identify and assess streams and wetlands. As Co-Chair of ECWA’s Water Management Committee and a member of the Land Protection Committee, John helps identify potential restoration projects, guides ECWA’s budding efforts to strengthen water monitoring, and is our go-to volunteer for environmental permitting. John frequently can be found trudging through the creek with his dog or on a workday.