Council of Stewards  

From left to right: Jeff Masten, Ed Sredzienski, Cris Rivera, Liz Peeples, Shenae McPherson, André Richmond. 
​Missing from photo: Al Lauritano, Beth Tillman, Kathleen Davidson, Heidi Hannapel and Terry Conlon. 
The Council of Stewards provides oversight of Bluestem's vision and mission. It is guided by Bluestem's bylaws and constitution that provide the framework for its operations, for now and into the future. Council Stewards currently serving are community members specializing in spiritual ministry, community building, end of life care, government, public health, estate law, conservation, and nonprofit management. Learn more about our Council Stewards below.
KATHLEEN DAVIDSON 
Council Steward - Hillsborough
PictureTraining tour guides (and dogs)
Kathleen (she, her) brings her tremendous people skills and joy to sharing Bluestem. She leads our tour guide team of volunteers and  provides guests with green burial information to guide their decision making. Kathleen is a former teacher and was the admissions director at Carolina Friends School for 20 years. Grateful for the ways Bluestem builds community, fosters a healthy relationship with nature, and offers a final resting place that nourishes the earth, Kathleen lives with her partner Doug and amazing 97 year old mother. 
TERRY CONLON 
Council Steward - Henderson
PicturePhoto coming soon!
Terry (he, him) is a leadership coach for professionals in the arts, environmental, nonprofit, and private business,   sectors. He helps these professionals identify key goals and outcomes and supports their roles in their organizations. Terry graduated from Michigan Technological University with a Bachelor’s of Science, was granted a CPA from the University of Illinois, and has a Master’s Certificate in Project Management from Villanova University. Terry lives in Henderson but spends much of this time connecting with people in the Triangle. Whenever he can, he stops off at Bluestem for a visit with his beloved wife Virginia, who was laid to rest in 2024. 
AL LAURITANO
Council Steward - Chapel Hill  
PictureSupporting families
For 40 years, Al (he, him) devoted his career to the pharmaceutical, biotechnology and medical device industries, where he focused on marketing research and new business development. Since Bluestem's earliest days, he has been a regular volunteer, clearing and building hiking trails, and assisting with burial services. Al is honored to support and serve Bluestem families. He comes out for the Friday Workdays because he appreciates "the opportunity to meet my future neighbors!"​
SHENAE MCPHERSON 
Council Steward - Graham 
PictureCommitted to our elders
Passionate, energetic and joyful, Shenae (she, her) is a committed advocate for healthy aging in Orange County. As the administrator for the Volunteer Connect 55+ program, she excels in the role, creating and developing meaningful programming for the community at large, with particular attention to our aging elders. Shenae is excited to support green burial in the region as an option for people seeking a simpler, more economical form of honoring and remembering their loved ones. Find more about Shenae here. 
BETH TILLMAN
​Council Steward - Chapel Hill 
PictureCommitted from the beginning
Beth (she, her) has been a dedicated friend to Bluestem before it even had a name. A founding partner of Tillman, Whichard and Cagle, Beth has practiced estate and probate law in the area for over 25 years. Beth is also a writer, who among many great short pieces, has captured the spirit of Bluestem's mission so well. "As an estate planner I think about death probably more than most people. I have considered death as a period to the final sentence in the final paragraph that is life. Of late it seems to me to be like a colon: that which follows after it is as much a part of life as the words before the colon. If you consider your death as a part of your life, perhaps you will be inspired to prepare for it rather than to turn away from it."  Read more of Beth's writing here.  
LIZ PEEPLES
​Council Steward - Durham 
PictureLoving the outdoors
Liz (she, her) is an educator, mother, and fan of  Bluestem. A Florida native, Liz has been teaching high school in North Carolina since 1997. She first came to Bluestem in 2022 leading a class of  students from North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics, where she has been teaching in the Humanities Department since 2008. She fell in love with the magic, solitude and beauty of Bluestem and regularly introduces students and friends to the hiking trails. Liz believes that listening to the birds, feeling the breeze and experiencing the deep connection to the earth while helping families hold space for their grief and love is a sacred privilege.
ANDRÉ RICHMOND
Council Steward - Hillsborough 
PictureDedicated public servant
Andre (he, him) holds very deep family roots in Orange County. Currently a Captain at the Orange County Sherrif's Office, Andre is a public servant in many other capacities, serving on the Orange County School Board of Education, and with Volunteers for Youth, State Employees Credit Union, and the Project Engage Intergenerational and End of Life Choices Senior Resource Teams with the Orange County Department on Aging. He is an active member of Lattisville Grove, where throughout his life his goal has always been to create resources and options that educate, empower, and bridge the gaps to ensure support for those living in Orange County. 
CRIS RIVERA
Council Steward - Durham 
PictureAppreciates the quiet
Originally from southern Maryland, Cris (they, them) thrives on providing operational, strategic and administrative support for organizations in the advocacy, education, climate and social justice arenas.  They currently serve as the Director of Finance and Operations for DPS Foundation. Prior to DPSF, Cris served with Student Action with Farmworkers and the Durham Co-op Market, two positions that solidified their commitment to having equitable workplaces that "walked the walk."  They completed a masters in public theology at Union Presbyterian Seminary this year, and fell in love with Bluestem the moment they stepped onto the land and into its sacred space. If there's any spare time, Cris enjoys hiking, photography, posting highs and lows on Instagram, and experimenting in the kitchen. 
ED SREDZIENSKI
Council Steward - Hillsborough
PicturePhoto coming soon!
Ed (he/him) is a retired critical care pharmacist with 41 years of bedside patient care in the trauma and surgical intensive care units.  This work experience brought him face to face with death and dying on a frequent basis. After witnessing the impact of loss on families and loved ones in a raw, clinical setting, Ed discovered Bluestem and green burial in 2022. He was immediately called to volunteer and serve both with trail work days and the burial crew. Ed is passionate about supporting families with their final goodbyes in a beautiful natural setting. Every burial has been a unique and impactful experience and he feels honored to be a part of the Bluestem community.  
PictureFirst Field in the Fall
Gratitudes
We thank our former Council Stewards -- friends and colleagues -- CARL BAUMANN, SELETHA PHERRIBO, ALLEN BRIMER, JENNIFER EVANS and FRANZI ROKOSKE for their generous time, creativity and care in shepherding Bluestem through its earliest years.