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Dunwoody Nature Center

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Meet Our Staff

CLAIRE WAGGENSPACK HAYES
DNC Executive Director

Claire and WalterClaire Hayes grew up loving the streams, woods, and bayous of south Louisiana. Claire moved to Atlanta right after the Olympics, as director of a small social service agency. She uses her background in non-profit management, fundraising, and volunteer management at Dunwoody Nature Center, where she has been director since December 2000.

She loves the nature trails at DNC almost as much as the amazing volunteers! Claire is a DeKalb Master Gardener and devotes her MG service hours to the special course for School Master Gardeners.

Claire serves on the Board of Directors of Georgia's Environmental Education Alliance, and just completed a term on the board of Keep DeKalb Beautiful. She sings with the Choral Guild of Atlanta as well as the Adoration Choir of Holy Cross Church.

She and her daughter, Margaret, love to garden, when they are not sailing with husband Keely. Son, Steven, practices law in New Hampshire. The picture above includes Walter Reeves who has the most listened-to radio show in Atlanta each Saturday morning featuring gardening in Atlanta.

 

Carol Aitken
Program Manager

"Good morning! Dunwoody Nature Center; this is Carol."
 
Carol Aitken comes to DNC after four years as a Curriculum Developer and trainer at the corporate level. "My writing focused on the school-age kids, preK through 5th graders. Exploring nature and other scientific mysteries, creating art and poetry, and playing outdoor games have always been my favorite things to do, so that's what I like to write about."
 
During the past three decades, Carol has also been a classroom teacher, an educational program manager, a college student, a mom, and a fanatical (in a good way) volunteer.  In 1993, she was recognized as one of seven "Stars of Tampa Bay." Carol represented the Parent/Guardian Volunteer category.   
 
Carol still considered herself a yard kid.  "I helped my grandmother in our garden when I was little. The best part for me was climbing the huge fig tree for a snack. Then, when my boys were young, we always had something growing: flowers or fruit trees, radishes or bush beans. Now, I have a (too) small yard where hummingbirds visit, cardinals nest, bees and butterflies dance around on marigolds, sunflowers, and zinnias, and, of course, squirrels hang upside down on the birdfeeders."   
 
Teaching at DNC is a dream-made-real for Carol. "When I read about the Program Manager position, I drove over and walked around for a while. It was late one Sunday afternoon, I had the park to myself, and knew this rare opportunity wouldn't come again. I went home, applied that evening, and (ta-da) here I am!" 

 

 

DONNA CANNADY NALL
Office Administrator

Donna Cannady Nall pitches in with the membership database, public relations, marketing, event planning, and web site management. Such diversity is consistent with her collection of hats: educator, freelance copywriter, volunteer, blogger, and knitter – all at the same time! Donna is happiest when her plate is full. “Now I’m lucky enough to add the Dunwoody Nature Center to my life. This is WONDERFUL!”

Donna’s background includes stints as a high school English teacher, executive director of a nonprofit civic organization, advertising agency copywriter and media director, and preschool teacher. She grew up as an Air Force “dependent,” then landed in North Carolina where she met future husband Terry during a job interview. Their children, Adam and Anna Grace, attend Dunwoody schools.

“How can I call what I do at Dunwoody Nature Center ‘work’? I get to see my friends and the children I teach every day. I have the opportunity to support a park that has meant so much to my family. I’m outside all the time in a beautiful natural setting. And something new and different happens every day!”


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