Pamlico Rose Institute

The Team

Robert Sands, PhD

Executive Director

&
Program Director, PRI Wellness Corps

Robert R. Greene Sands, Ph.D., is the co-founder and Executive Director of the Pamlico Rose Institute for Sustainable Communities. An anthropologist by training, Dr. Sands brings over three decades of experience in cultural research, education, and nonprofit leadership to his work advancing wellness through nature-based programs. He led the development of PRI’s flagship initiative, transforming Rose Haven in Washington, NC, into a center of healing and a model for community-driven wellness gardens.

Dr. Sands’ innovative approach blends evidence-based health practices, creative expression, and service learning. He has designed and taught interdisciplinary courses, led AmeriCorps initiatives focused on food security and healthy living, and contributed to national dialogues on military and veteran wellness. As a writer, artist, and gardener, he believes that healing and resilience grow where people find purpose, community, and a connection to nature.

Our PRI AmeriCorps Wellness Team

Senior Strategic and Operational Consultant
Kelly Earp, PhD

Kelly M. Earp is a multi-disciplinary strategic leader, offering 25 years of experience in health, business, research, and innovation. She is the Founder/CEO of KayeM, Inc. and has earned recognition from college, university, and national level organizations, including two consecutive maternal and child health traineeship awards. She also holds a concurrent affiliation with Duke University School of Nursing, and has served on multiple boards.

Trained in public health, community and family health, and medical anthropology, Dr. Earp has applied her skills across multiple sectors, including academic, non-profit, government, and small business. She has worked with multiple government funders including USAID, NIH, and VA HSR&D. The connection between all her efforts is a desire to develop and/or lead teams in the execution of innovative, pragmatic, appropriate solutions to complex challenges.

Aurora Gardens Coordinator

Joy Dunn

Long a resident of Aurora and Beaufort County, Joy was our first resident we met when we started exploring the possibility of a wellness garden in Aurora. Over the last 18 months, she was a frequent visitor and became our biggest advocate in the community. Her almost 20 years of service to the Richland/Aurora Chamber of Commerce has been valuable to extend and provide deeper our outreach A firm believer in the many benefits that can be realized from a wellness garden, especially the opportunity for folks to become more involved in creating/sustaining a healthy living lifestyle. The next logical step in our friendship/partnership was for Joy to join our team and we haven't looked back since she became the garden coordinator for our Wellness Gardens of Aurora . Of course, we also get to spend quality time with Samantha, a win-win all the way around.

Our Members

Aurora - Nina Wiseman and Chris Fleming

Nina and Chris have been gardening for as long as they can remember. With deep family roots in eastern North Carolina, their shared love of the land led them to the PRI Wellness Corps and the emerging project in early 2024 that would become the Wellness Gardens of Aurora. They quickly proved to be the perfect fit for “planting the seeds” of the garden’s design and helping it grow from concept to a thriving reality, both literally and figuratively.

Nina brings a lifetime of gardening experience, and her knowledge has produced bountiful harvests in the garden’s first two years. Her authentic, passionate commitment to sustainable, garden-friendly practices sets a strong example for the garden’s future.

Chris is an accomplished carpenter with extensive construction experience. He has taken Executive Director Sands’ vision of an outdoor wellness center and steadily worked it into reality. He designs—and leads Members in building—a wide array of hardscape and infrastructure features that form the foundation of our nature-inspired wellness space.

Perhaps most importantly, Nina and Chris are exceptional ambassadors of the PRI Wellness Corps.

Durham - X Peterson

X is currently pursuing a degree in engineering with a focus on biomaterial science, driven by a deep fascination with mathematics and a desire to understand how systems and structures function. A natural problem-solver, X brings analytical precision to every task. During high school, X served as captain of both the swim and cross-country teams, a testament to their leadership and passion for endurance sports. These activities continue to ground them—especially when they can train outdoors and immerse themselves in the restorative rhythms of nature.

Outside of academics and athletics, X is an avid music enthusiast. Whether discovering new tracks with headphones on or behind the turntables DJing, they find creative freedom through sound. This blend of intellectual curiosity, physical discipline, and artistic exploration shapes X’s unique path forward. With goals that merge technical innovation and community wellness, X is committed to using their skills and passions to create sustainable and meaningful impact.

Washington - Lisa Hodges

Lisa grew up with parents who lived through the Depression and taught her to make the most of what you have, passing down lessons in hard work, gardening, raising animals, making art, reading, doing your best, and building a family with love and grace. She first trained as a secondary science teacher before shifting into physical therapy, beginning a 42-year career in pediatric PT in 1983 that included work across multiple states, teaching courses, and supporting therapists and parents through coaching approaches. After retiring in September 2024, she launched into her next chapter by training as a Master Gardener through NCSU, earning her certification after coursework, an exam, and volunteer hours. She’s also a mosaic artist and recent Best in Mixed Media winner in a local juried Fine Arts Show. When the Beaufort County Arts Council and PRI invited her to help coordinate a community project blending wellness, gardening, and art, it felt like the perfect opportunity to bring all her skills together.

Whitsett - Antionette Cuthbertson

Antionette was born and raised in Greensboro, North Carolina, as the youngest of four siblings. She graduated early from James B. Dudley High School in 2023 and has since dedicated herself to serving her community. Through volunteer work with local organizations, Antionette has supported youth and neighborhood wellness by managing arts-based programs focused on painting, photography, and creative expression.

As a member of the PRI Wellness Corps, Antionette brings her passion for the arts, reading, animal care, and agriculture into her service. She hopes to use her talents to help others find joy and healing through creativity and connection to nature. Her commitment to community wellness and her compassionate approach make her a valued contributor to the Gardening to Wellness initiative.

Our four-legged garden companions

“Dogs are not our whole life, but they make our lives whole.”

Otto Van Bismark

Samantha

Bella

Key ah

Hazel

Marnie Jane

Holly

Pamlico Rose Institute Board of Directors

Greg Smith

Darby Arakelian

Shannon Landrum, PhD

Allison Greene, PhD

Colonel (Ret.) Litonia Wilson, U.S. Army

Our team practices what we preach

Wherever or whomever we serve, we promote the notion that achieving and sustaining healthy lives depends on a holistic and integrated wellness approach engaging mind, body and soul. Our team models this in our service and personal lives. We are firm believers in healthy eating and sustainable and "natural" gardening. We are artisans and creators, animal lovers, teachers and advocates who appreciate the power of nature-based education. We are promotors of community-based approaches to wellness and in general public health. If not "us" who live in and around our gardens, then who?