Lake James Environmental Association

Meet LJEA's Newest Board Members 

LJEA is pleased to introduce the newest members of our Board of Directors! Each bring a unique background and skill set to the table, and we look forward to seeing what we can all accomplish together. Welcome Mike, Vicki, and Dave! 

Mike Hunsucker
Mike is a North Carolina native. He has an Associate of Arts in General Studies from the University of New Hampshire, a Bachelor of Science in Meteorology from North Carolina State University, and a Master of Science in Space Operations from the USAF Institute of Technology. He has more than 45 years of military experience in many capacities for the USAF, including 27 years active duty and 24 years at the 14th Weather Squadron in Asheville, NC—part of a team of national scientists archiving and managing the world’s largest collection of weather and environmental data. This past year, however, he worked as a data scientist for an Asheville electronic health records company, where he applied his data analytic skills to convert data into no-nonsense graphical solutions. Previously, Mike managed the Climate Analysis Flight at the 14th Weather Squadron, Asheville, NC—the Department of Defense’s (DoD) premier climate operations center. He ensured production of climate and event-related weather studies in support of DoD exercises, force deployments, equipment design, and forecaster training. His section was the face of the unit to external customers and, as such, he is a senior technical consultant for climatological advice and scientific analyses to National Command Authorities and other nationally important programs. Mike has been married to Patsy from China Grove, NC for 46 years. He has one child, Kristopher, and a granddaughter, Brianna.

“I've been on the lake since 2003 and want everyone to have the same enjoyment it has brought me and my family.”


Vicki McQuade
Vicki is midwest born and has been a barefoot gardener since childhood. She is a proponent of reduce, reuse, recycle. She loves any creek, river, lake, ocean or raindrop. She spent 30+ years in Florida sand, and now hopes for 30+ years in NC clay.


Dave Oetjen 
Dave was raised in Huntsville, Alabama. He graduated from Vanderbilt University in 1985 with a BE in Chemical Engineering. He was then hired by Procter & Gamble and worked in Memphis, TN with the Cellulose & Specialties Division for seven years before transferring to Cincinnati in '92. There he worked in the Paper Division supporting P&G's feminine hygiene brands. He was in R&D his entire time with P&G and holds over 40 patents. He retired in 2018 after 33 years.

"My wife and I purchased property on Lake James in 2004 and have been visiting the area since then. We moved here in 2018 when we both retired. We both became LJEA members when the organization was working to prevent the inter-basin water transfer from Lake James to the Charlotte area. Now that I'm a local, I have time to contribute more to the protection of our watershed and I'm glad for the opportunity to serve on the board."

Annual Lake James Cleanup-Burke Side


On Saturday, March 23rd, 205 volunteers helped remove 4.5 tons of trash and 30 tires from the lake and nearby roadsides. There were volunteers from many different lake communities, as well as students from Freedom High, App State, Georgia Tech, and Hickory Christian Academy. Thank you to Community of Lake James and the Lake James Area Wildlife and Nature Society for organizing such a great effort, and thank you to all the volunteers who made it possible! 

**If you observe anyone littering, please call to report the offender to the NC Department of Transportation’s Swat-A-Litterbug Program. A report may be filed by calling NCDOT Customer Service Officer at 877-368-4968 or online at the NCDOT website.**

LJEA Annual Meeting 


LJEA's Annual Meeting on January 14, 2019 drew quite a crowd at Catawba Brewing in Morganton. LJEA unveiled the 2018 State of the Watershed Report, which you can read here. The big draw, however, was local historian Denise Bishop, who shared her wealth of knowledge of the history of Lake James and the Fonta Flora Community. You can view the first part of her presentation on youtube here. Thanks again to both Catawba Brewing and Denise, who both played a huge role in the success of the evening!