Our friend Neill Yelverton always loved outdoor adventures as a kid, and he really got interested in the environment in college as an intern with the Fish & Wildlife Service. During those summers, he helped sea turtle hatchlings to the sea, banded terns & pelicans, and howled with wild red wolves. By that point, he knew he was going to live a life centered around our natural world. Neill says:

When I’m in the woods all of my senses light up, the feeling of wind on my face, the smell of a flowering black locust or mountain laurel, and the sound of a mountain creek. For me, life just slows down in the woods. I feel more like myself; I feel at home.

Neill got involved with Krull & Company because he believed in helping people invest with their values. He’s sympathetic to the many people who have retirement accounts and own mutual funds, but feel too overwhelmed to “read the ingredients list”. Krull & Company educates people about what is in their portfolios and helps them invest in companies that align with their values. Neill and his partners at Krull & Company strive to invest fossil-fuel-free and to work with companies to push the paradigm in that direction.

Neill is inspired by the words of Edward Abby, who said, “Sentiment without action is the ruin of the soul.” Neill says:

My environmental values, especially since the birth of my son, drive me to want to make a difference. More specifically for me, large scale market-based environmental solutions get me excited. I see that in Dogwood Alliance’s mode of action and it really resonates with me.

In the woods or on the water – Neill likes to get out into wilderness and feel the recharge it gives him. Most weekends, he can be found with his wife and son (and their border collie) in Pisgah National Forest or on the Blue Ridge Parkway on a hike or a picnic, picking blueberries, catching salamanders, and just breathing clean air!