Our Team

Growing up in Morganton, a small town in the foothills of western North Carolina, Shyla discovered a deep appreciation for the outdoors and Appalachian communities. Being immersed in the landscape of the Blue Ridge Mountains, surrounded by natural features such as pristine lakes and dense forests, she developed a strong passion for conservation and outdoor recreation, and grew particularly fond of activities like hiking, kayaking, and white-water rafting.

Shyla''s passion for the environment led her to pursue an education in environmental policy at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she earned both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees. Her education focused on the intersection of the environment and human welfare, furthering her commitment to protecting natural landscapes for the benefit of both people and wildlife.

This passion led Shyla to ATC in 2024, where she began her year-long fellowship as a Community Conservation Innovator Fellow. In this role, she focused her efforts on developing a strategic community conservation roadmap for the AT Community Program, which could assist trail towns in better identifying, planning, and implementing conservation projects within their own communities. Today, Shyla serves as the Landscape Conservation Program Coordinator, where she still works to manage and strengthen the Appalachian Trail (AT) Communities Program, while also assisting to support and coordinate the Appalachian Trail Landscape Partnership (ATLP).

Outside of her role with ATC, Shyla enjoys spending time exploring her home state of North Carolina and beyond with her fiancé and their dog Junie.