Michael Beinenson
Focused on environmentally conscious and financially sound business models across the Southeast.
Michael believes in the importance of preserving our environmental equilibrium and has devoted the last several years of his professional career to ensuring that our presence on this planet leaves a positive mark.
This all started in 2013 when Michael made the decision to drive electric. At that time Electric Vehicles were a novelty, and with the advent of American-made Nissan LEAF, driving on electrons was possible. He soon joined the EV Club of the South and became a very active member and significantly contributed to the promotion of the EV movement. Michael appears in many interviews, articles, and video posts devoted to electric mobility.
Michael’s passion is in environmental restoration and preservation. After years of working on numerous land projects, he finds enjoyment in seeing nature being restored to its natural state through active mitigation efforts or passive preservation initiatives.
Michael graduated high school in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and went on to receive a Bachelor of Arts in economics and management from Gettysburg College in Pennsylvania. Mr. Beinenson is philanthropically involved with the Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. In his spare time, you can find him cheering at an Atlanta United game or spending time outdoors with his two kids and wife of twenty-three, Natalia.
This all started in 2013 when Michael made the decision to drive electric. At that time Electric Vehicles were a novelty, and with the advent of American-made Nissan LEAF, driving on electrons was possible. He soon joined the EV Club of the South and became a very active member and significantly contributed to the promotion of the EV movement. Michael appears in many interviews, articles, and video posts devoted to electric mobility.
Michael’s passion is in environmental restoration and preservation. After years of working on numerous land projects, he finds enjoyment in seeing nature being restored to its natural state through active mitigation efforts or passive preservation initiatives.
Michael graduated high school in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and went on to receive a Bachelor of Arts in economics and management from Gettysburg College in Pennsylvania. Mr. Beinenson is philanthropically involved with the Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. In his spare time, you can find him cheering at an Atlanta United game or spending time outdoors with his two kids and wife of twenty-three, Natalia.
Natalia Beinenson
Natalia's areas of focus at Eco Terra are Human Resources and Marketing. She believes that when you hire a person, you do not invest in a set of skills, but rather in a person. That's why in the pursuit of talent, Eco Terra concentrates not only on the job skills, but also on a cultural fit.
Natalia received a Bachelor of Arts in journalism and public relations from Georgia State University. She spent over ten years working for various banks and an independent consulting firm primarily focusing on regulatory compliance and enterprise risk management. Natalia is a Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist (CAMS). Her passion for learning resulted in earning a Master of Business Administration Degree from Georgia Institute of Technology.
When Natalia is not at work, she loves spending time with her family, friends, running on the Beltline with her favorite pal Frenchie, or traveling the world.
Natalia received a Bachelor of Arts in journalism and public relations from Georgia State University. She spent over ten years working for various banks and an independent consulting firm primarily focusing on regulatory compliance and enterprise risk management. Natalia is a Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist (CAMS). Her passion for learning resulted in earning a Master of Business Administration Degree from Georgia Institute of Technology.
When Natalia is not at work, she loves spending time with her family, friends, running on the Beltline with her favorite pal Frenchie, or traveling the world.
Norton Webster
Norton has actively worked to promote the rehabilitation of degraded ecosystems and preservation of environmentally sensitive habitats through sound, strong economic and ecological partnerships.
Norton works in the North Carolina office where he helps landowners determine the best mitigation options in resolving issues with existing mitigation banks. He is also actively engaged in pursuing opportunities with potential partners as well as federal and state regulatory agencies. Norton works with engineers and consultants, client representatives, and regulatory officials during the concept, proposals, design, construction, and monitoring phases of our mitigation projects. He is the founder of the Palustrine Group, which had a similar mission, focusing on mitigation as well as conservation banking. Norton had served previously as Operations Manager for Environmental Banc & Exchange (EBX). Before joining EBX, Norton was an environmental scientist with Kimley-Horn and Associates, Inc. and was a staff scientist at ARCADIS Geraghty & Miller. Earlier in his career, he served as a wetlands consultant with Triangle Wetlands Consultants and as a research assistant in the department of forestry at NC State.
Norton is currently on the board of directors and serves as treasurer for Carolina Wetland Association. A non-profit, non-partisan, science-based organization advocating for wetlands. Norton is the past chairman and currently serves on the executive board of the Piedmont Conservation Council (PCC). PCC is an independent, non-partisan, non-profit organization that is community-based and regionally focused. PCC addresses natural resource conservation and development issues in the North Carolina Piedmont. Norton was also past president of the North Carolina Environmental Restoration Association, Inc. (NCERA). NCERA is a collaboration of environmental consultants, mitigation bankers, contractors, engineers, surveyors, and financial professionals with an interest in promoting and expanding the environmental restoration industry in North Carolina.
Norton works in the North Carolina office where he helps landowners determine the best mitigation options in resolving issues with existing mitigation banks. He is also actively engaged in pursuing opportunities with potential partners as well as federal and state regulatory agencies. Norton works with engineers and consultants, client representatives, and regulatory officials during the concept, proposals, design, construction, and monitoring phases of our mitigation projects. He is the founder of the Palustrine Group, which had a similar mission, focusing on mitigation as well as conservation banking. Norton had served previously as Operations Manager for Environmental Banc & Exchange (EBX). Before joining EBX, Norton was an environmental scientist with Kimley-Horn and Associates, Inc. and was a staff scientist at ARCADIS Geraghty & Miller. Earlier in his career, he served as a wetlands consultant with Triangle Wetlands Consultants and as a research assistant in the department of forestry at NC State.
Norton is currently on the board of directors and serves as treasurer for Carolina Wetland Association. A non-profit, non-partisan, science-based organization advocating for wetlands. Norton is the past chairman and currently serves on the executive board of the Piedmont Conservation Council (PCC). PCC is an independent, non-partisan, non-profit organization that is community-based and regionally focused. PCC addresses natural resource conservation and development issues in the North Carolina Piedmont. Norton was also past president of the North Carolina Environmental Restoration Association, Inc. (NCERA). NCERA is a collaboration of environmental consultants, mitigation bankers, contractors, engineers, surveyors, and financial professionals with an interest in promoting and expanding the environmental restoration industry in North Carolina.
- Master of Science in forestry, NC State University, 1998
- Bachelor of Science in business, Wake Forest University, 1989
- North Carolina Real Estate Broker (#288986)
Mike Eagan
Mike’s professional career includes 30+ years focused on ecosystem restoration, specifically wetland and stream systems. His technical skills include the execution of wetland, stream, and listed species habitat restoration in conjunction with large-scale mitigation banks and small-scale project specific restoration projects. He has completed the assessment on well over 40 miles of degraded stream channels and has surveyed and designed over 20 miles of stream channel restoration. Mike has completed all Wildlands Hydrology Consultants Natural Channel Design courses and has worked in all southeastern states.
Mike currently serves as the Operations Manager in the Atlanta, Georgia office, where he oversees the daily North Carolina, Georgia, and Alabama operations. He also works with and seeks opportunities to engage local and regional partners as well as working hand-in-hand with regulatory agencies across the southeast. Mike is highly familiar with the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) Office of Environmental Services operating practices, state regulatory agencies and permitting, as well as having dealt with the Savannah U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for well over 15 years.
Mike is currently on the Board of the Georgia Environmental Restoration Association (GERA) as chairman of the GDOT Committee. He has been a member for five years and has served on both the Technical and Regulatory Committees. Mike has been a volunteer with the Atlanta Botanical Gardens assisting with the documentation of their efforts to re-establish rare mountain bog ecosystems across northern Georgia. His interest in photography extends to documenting wildlife, rare plants, and landscapes within wilderness areas of the southeast. If he is not out with the camera you may find him on a north Georgia trout stream with a nymph rod, working with his brittany and labrador retrievers on upland game birds, or relaxing with his grandchildren.
Mike currently serves as the Operations Manager in the Atlanta, Georgia office, where he oversees the daily North Carolina, Georgia, and Alabama operations. He also works with and seeks opportunities to engage local and regional partners as well as working hand-in-hand with regulatory agencies across the southeast. Mike is highly familiar with the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) Office of Environmental Services operating practices, state regulatory agencies and permitting, as well as having dealt with the Savannah U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for well over 15 years.
Mike is currently on the Board of the Georgia Environmental Restoration Association (GERA) as chairman of the GDOT Committee. He has been a member for five years and has served on both the Technical and Regulatory Committees. Mike has been a volunteer with the Atlanta Botanical Gardens assisting with the documentation of their efforts to re-establish rare mountain bog ecosystems across northern Georgia. His interest in photography extends to documenting wildlife, rare plants, and landscapes within wilderness areas of the southeast. If he is not out with the camera you may find him on a north Georgia trout stream with a nymph rod, working with his brittany and labrador retrievers on upland game birds, or relaxing with his grandchildren.
Will Amoroso
Will serves on our Land Acquisition Team as a Landowner Specialist. He focuses primarily on site acquisition, landowner relations, and project management. Will lives on his farm outside of Phenix City, Alabama and works at our Auburn office where he covers Eco Terra’s Alabama and Georgia territories.
Will’s goal at Eco Terra is to bridge the gap between farmers and environmentalism. He believes landowners can play a crucial role in protecting and improving the environment while maintaining their way of life and the integrity of their land. He strives to provide landowners with opportunities to participate in restoration solutions that maximize the use of their land and enhance their financial security.
Will graduated from Auburn University where he received a Bachelor of Science degree in agricultural business and economics with a minor in natural resources ecology.
His passion for the environment stems from his love for the outdoors. In his free time, Will can be found as far from civilization as possible hunting, fishing, or working on his farm.
Will’s goal at Eco Terra is to bridge the gap between farmers and environmentalism. He believes landowners can play a crucial role in protecting and improving the environment while maintaining their way of life and the integrity of their land. He strives to provide landowners with opportunities to participate in restoration solutions that maximize the use of their land and enhance their financial security.
Will graduated from Auburn University where he received a Bachelor of Science degree in agricultural business and economics with a minor in natural resources ecology.
His passion for the environment stems from his love for the outdoors. In his free time, Will can be found as far from civilization as possible hunting, fishing, or working on his farm.
Abby Mercer
Abby works for both our Sales and Operations teams as a support and intelligence specialist. She focuses on helping further the long-term goals of Eco Terra by providing data analysis and market research. Her goals are to help create long term environmental solutions that are attainable for all people.
Abby is a recent 2022 graduate of North Carolina State University where she majored in biology with a concentration in ecology, evolution, and conservation. While at NC State, she spent time working for the Triangle Land Conservancy studying soil composition at the Williamson Preserve. Her background in field work and research gives her a broad perspective of techniques and strategies.
When she is not at work, Abby is an avid hiker and music lover. She has a goal of visiting every single National Park and enjoys spending time with her family and friends and her two family dogs, Maple and Piper.
Abby is a recent 2022 graduate of North Carolina State University where she majored in biology with a concentration in ecology, evolution, and conservation. While at NC State, she spent time working for the Triangle Land Conservancy studying soil composition at the Williamson Preserve. Her background in field work and research gives her a broad perspective of techniques and strategies.
When she is not at work, Abby is an avid hiker and music lover. She has a goal of visiting every single National Park and enjoys spending time with her family and friends and her two family dogs, Maple and Piper.
Jordan Burbage
Growing up in rural South Carolina, Jordan came of age hunting and fishing the fields and streams of the Lowcountry. Instilled with a resource conservation mindset, he brings that same ethos to the table as a Project Manager with Eco Terra. You will find Jordan across the Carolinas performing site assessments, monitoring the health of sites under management, and tracking the team’s ongoing progress.
After graduating from Clemson University, Jordan went on to work for the Cooperative Extension Service in support of farmers across South Carolina and Georgia. With nearly a decade of experience working at the interface of agriculture and water chemistry, Jordan understands the issues affecting the homeowner, the landowner, and small agribusiness alike. Jordan also brings regulatory experience to the team, most recently serving as a Regulatory Specialist and Watershed Monitoring Coordinator for the State of North Carolina.
In his spare time you can find Jordan fishing, hiking, writing songs, and performing with best friends in their Americana band, Foxfire Revival. He and his wife Carolyn are excitedly expecting their firstborn in the spring of 2022.
After graduating from Clemson University, Jordan went on to work for the Cooperative Extension Service in support of farmers across South Carolina and Georgia. With nearly a decade of experience working at the interface of agriculture and water chemistry, Jordan understands the issues affecting the homeowner, the landowner, and small agribusiness alike. Jordan also brings regulatory experience to the team, most recently serving as a Regulatory Specialist and Watershed Monitoring Coordinator for the State of North Carolina.
In his spare time you can find Jordan fishing, hiking, writing songs, and performing with best friends in their Americana band, Foxfire Revival. He and his wife Carolyn are excitedly expecting their firstborn in the spring of 2022.
Jack Boydoh
Jack currently serves as a Landowner Specialist within Eco Terra’s Land Acquisitions team. He primarily focuses his efforts on land acquisition, business development, and project management. Born and raised in Greensboro, North Carolina, Jack has spent much of his life hunting, fishing, and hiking the various regions of the Carolinas. As an Eagle Scout and life-long outdoorsman, he has a deep passion for conservation work and its impact.
Jack graduated from Elon University with a degree in economic consulting. While at Elon, he worked for a sustainability consulting firm at which he helped clients understand sustainable business practices and assisted in the creation of the Fly Fishing Climate Alliance. In his spare time, Jack can be found spending time along the North Carolina coast and playing with his one-year-old Labrador retriever, Beasley.
Jack graduated from Elon University with a degree in economic consulting. While at Elon, he worked for a sustainability consulting firm at which he helped clients understand sustainable business practices and assisted in the creation of the Fly Fishing Climate Alliance. In his spare time, Jack can be found spending time along the North Carolina coast and playing with his one-year-old Labrador retriever, Beasley.
James Lee
James was born in Trenton, North Carolina, but has lived and worked in Wilmington, North Carolina, and now resides on the banks of the Trent River in New Bern, North Carolina.
He earned his associate degree in applied science at Cape Fear Community College in Wilmington, North Carolina. James started his own landscaping company at 19 years of age. At 25, an opportunity to be a farm manager came about, and he took full advantage of it. With farming and a horticulture background, the science behind growing corn, soybeans, and wheat came naturally. He was able to purchase 118 acres of land, four valley center pivots to water crops in just seven years. As a licensed crop insurance adjuster, the extra income helped build equity in land. Due to his experiences, knowledge, and connections within the east coast region, James has landed a position as a Landowner Consultant within Eco Terra's North Carolina Division of Sales.
James’ friends call him Jimmie Lee, and he loves to spend time with his nine-year-old daughter, Bella. He travels every time he gets the chance, and he loves to surf and snowboard.
He earned his associate degree in applied science at Cape Fear Community College in Wilmington, North Carolina. James started his own landscaping company at 19 years of age. At 25, an opportunity to be a farm manager came about, and he took full advantage of it. With farming and a horticulture background, the science behind growing corn, soybeans, and wheat came naturally. He was able to purchase 118 acres of land, four valley center pivots to water crops in just seven years. As a licensed crop insurance adjuster, the extra income helped build equity in land. Due to his experiences, knowledge, and connections within the east coast region, James has landed a position as a Landowner Consultant within Eco Terra's North Carolina Division of Sales.
James’ friends call him Jimmie Lee, and he loves to spend time with his nine-year-old daughter, Bella. He travels every time he gets the chance, and he loves to surf and snowboard.
Maitrayee Basu
Maitrayee joined the Eco Terra family in 2022 and is a proud alumnus of the University of Texas at Dallas. She graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Geology and later pursued two certifications in GIS and a Master’s degree in Climate Science from Columbia University. Maitrayee focused her skills in geospatial analysis for visualizing environmental data such as disaster impacts, hazards, and mitigation using these skills later to work with multiple state agencies and volunteer organizations. Her most notable accomplishments include using her skills to deepen the understanding of various sectors’ geospatial needs while furthering her GIS software capabilities.
In her free time, Maitrayee can be found exploring Atlanta with her friends or dog Genji. Maitrayee is a seasoned traveler and is a frequent visitor to her home state of Texas. When not traveling, she is most likely hiking, dancing, reading, or watching a thriller movie, because she firmly believes if it isn’t creepy, it is not worth watching.
In her free time, Maitrayee can be found exploring Atlanta with her friends or dog Genji. Maitrayee is a seasoned traveler and is a frequent visitor to her home state of Texas. When not traveling, she is most likely hiking, dancing, reading, or watching a thriller movie, because she firmly believes if it isn’t creepy, it is not worth watching.
Amanda Pestorius
Amanda joined us here at Eco Terra in 2022 and graduated from Georgia Southern University in 2020 with a degree in Child and Family Development. Amanda serves as the main liaison between visitors and the company by performing a variety of administrative tasks and providing support to managers and employees by handling the company’s general administrative activities.
Amanda is a creative thinker and a proud cat mom to Wheezie and dog mom to Magnolia and Sullivan. When she is not cuddled up with her pets, she can be found baking or watching New Girl, which she frequently quotes at work.
Amanda is a creative thinker and a proud cat mom to Wheezie and dog mom to Magnolia and Sullivan. When she is not cuddled up with her pets, she can be found baking or watching New Girl, which she frequently quotes at work.
Valentina Ziri
Valentina works for the Operations Team as support for the expansion into the Georgia Mitigation Banking market. Valentina primarily focuses her efforts on field site sampling, GIS mapping support, and project management. Growing up in North Carolina, Valentina was captivated by its varied landscape, from scenic mountain regions and rustic farming communities to wild coastal systems. These experiences only fueled her passion to get involved with environmental policy, justice, and conservation.
Valentina received her bachelor’s degree at UNC-Chapel Hill, furthering her education at Florida Institute of Technology, where she received her master’s in environmental resource management.
While at FIT, she spent time researching under the direction of her advisor to complete groundwater, surface, and sediment analysis/sampling along the Indian River Lagoon.
She furthered her experience as an environmental scientist where she contributed to environmental data collection, GIS mapping, and scientific research, specific to groundwater and soil contamination.
Once the weekend arrives, you can find Valentina obstacle training with her Fitness team or just enjoying a peaceful bike ride on a nearby trail.
She also regularly researches new recipes to cook for her family and friends to bring everyone together as well as try out different cuisines.
Jack Cox
Jack was born and raised in Kingsport, Tennessee, and has also lived and worked in Nashville, Minneapolis, Portland, Seattle and Atlanta. He now calls Atlanta home.
For his undergraduate degree, he attended East Tennessee State University in Johnson City, Tennessee where he earned a Bachelor of Science in sociology and a minor in secondary education. He then later went back to higher education to earn his Master of Science in digital marketing from ETSU. His sociological perspective helps him understand the complexities of the world and how to problem solve technical social issues and differences. This perspective crossed with media lead to Jack developing a digital portfolio that includes culture, geography, and nature. Jack's passion for business, media, experiential marketing, and the environment has led him to become Eco Terra's Director of Marketing.
In his personal life, he and his wife, Daniela, are proud parents to their German shepherd puppy, Mango and their female French Bulldog, Maggie (aka Gorda). His interests consist of travel, nature, animals, documentation, music, art, family, friends, and his spiritual community.
Travis Black
Travis serves on the land acquisition team as a Land Specialist. His main focuses include site acquisition and landowner relations. Travis lives in Greenville, South Carolina and works at our Greenville office where he covers Eco Terra's South Carolina, North Carolina and Georgia territories.
Travis' goal at Eco Terra is to provide landowners with restoration solutions that have the smallest possible impact to their current land usage and/or agricultural practices. He understands the sentimental and physical values of land and strives to provide project options that best maintain the operational function of the property.
Travis graduated from Auburn university where he received a Bachelor of Science from the Auburn College of Forestry, Wildlife, and Environment.
Travis has a background in guiding waterfowl hunts and enjoys teaching his clients about habitat management and conservation. Through guiding, he developed an understanding of waterfowl habitat management and development. This passion for enhancing land to benefit waterfowl resources is what ultimately led to Travis' decision to pursue a career in mitigation banking.
Josh Sizemore
Josh serves on the operations team as an Assistant Project Manager. Josh lives in Cary, North Carolina and works at our North Carolina office where he primarily focuses on buffer and nutrient mitigation.
Growing up in rural Tennessee, Josh was always out in nature and grew to love the land on which we live. Prior to his employment at Eco Terra, Josh served as an Environmental Research Assistant in Tennessee and an Environmental Consultant in Georgia. Josh graduated from Mercer University where he received a Bachelor of Science degree in biology with minors in both chemistry and business administration.
While in Georgia, Josh met his fiancée, Tori, in 2021. Then Josh and Tori, along with their puppy Luna, moved to North Carolina in January 2024. In his free time, Josh can be found hanging with friends, going for walks with Luna, or cheering for his favorite sports teams.
Garrett Santora
Garrett serves as Project Manager on the operations team. He focuses primarily on project implementation and acquisition. Garrett lives in Raleigh and works at our Cary office where he covers Eco Terra’s North and South Carolina territories.
Garrett has more than 15 years of experience in ecological restoration including thousands of hours of implementation and construction oversight. He has an extensive background in managing and implementing large scale restoration projects with particular emphasis on riparian and wetland habitats, assessment of plant health, and developing long-range plans for invasive species.
Garrett graduated from Edmonds College where he received an associate degree in restoration horticulture. He is passionate about conservation and spending time outdoors. In his free time, Garrett enjoys hunting, fishing, traveling, and listening to live music.
Frenchie
This chocolate guy, Francesco (aka Frenchie), is also a part of our Eco Terra family. He is an English Cocker Spaniel. Don’t dare to call him a Boykin; he might not like it. His parents and grandparents are hunters and currently reside where Frenchie is from, Otter Creek Farm. No wonder he is as fast as lightning. This little curly pal is no joke in the snuggle department. He has equal parts in energy and patience. He is the happiest when he is with his people; therefore, you can find Frenchie following us in the house, in the office working (NOT), and traveling all over the States.
Samson
His mother was a hamster, and his father smelled of day-old ducks; Dad was otherwise known as Rocket Blasts for Blue, and his mom is Docheno Sc's Sharp Shooter. He enjoys long walks on the beach, family time, and game night. In other words, he chases everything he can, retrieves every ball he finds, and pesters everyone to play games (toss the ball, play tug-of-war). Born in December 2021, he is growing fast and slowly finding his way in this world. He hunts squirrels, rabbits, moles, and everything else in his backyard with Rayder and Shadow. His education by Rayder and Shadow will include upland hunting for quail this year. At home, he relaxes on the couch and chairs and sleeps well in the master bed.