Eric Smallwood

Serving as the Deputy Director of Catawba Riverkeeper, Eric Smallwood is responsible for the daily operation of the organization and the leadership of engagement efforts that include education, recreation, and retail spaces. Eric works closely with engagement team members to execute high quality public programming and he works closely with the Executive Director and senior leadership to ensure sound fiscal practices, strengthen external relationships, and maximize the impact and mission of the organization.

As part of the shared services collaboration with Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden, Eric consults on Outdoor Programs through close collaboration with the Deputy Director of DSBG.

Eric is an outdoor enthusiast and nature lover at heart. He was born in Summersville, West Virginia right in the heart of whitewater and climbing country and grew up camping and trout fishing with his family in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains of western North Carolina. Now, with a family of his own, he continues to make those same memories and connections with nature through camping, hiking, biking, and paddling the local trails and beautiful waterways of our area. He still enjoys the solitude of a long trail run and the grind of an all-day mountain bike ride in the woods quite frequently to disconnect from the noise of the world and connect with melody of nature.

After graduating from Guilford College with a bachelor’s degree in Sports Business Management, Eric began a 15-year career in the public Parks and Recreation field. What began as a desire to be involved with sports quickly became a reignited passion for the outdoors and our natural spaces. In his most recent position as the leader of the Town of Cramerton Parks and Recreation Department, it afforded Eric the opportunity to partner with like-minded individuals and organizations to capitalize on and conserve our natural resources and establish Cramerton as one of the premier outdoor recreation destinations in the Charlotte Region.

Eric currently resides on the banks of the South Fork Catawba River in Cramerton, NC with his wife Olivia and son Lincoln.