Mr. Stephen H. Robertson

Stephen Robertson grew up on the coast of North Carolina where he developed a lifelong passion for the sea and sailing, as well as a love of nature in the marshes and waterways of the barrier island coastal ecosystem. An after-school and summer job during his high school years with an architectural firm fostered an interest in design and aesthetics. Since the principals of the firm were graduates of the NCSU School of Design, now known as the College of Design, that became the natural place for Steve to continue his education. With his interest in boats and marine-related products, he entered the Product Design Program, now known as the Industrial Design Program, graduating in 1971. After two years spent crewing and working on sailboats in the South Pacific, Steve returned to North Carolina where he co-founded a furniture design and manufacturing firm. After the fast- growing firm was acquired by a large diversified corporation in the mid-1980s, Steve was able to devote more of his time and resources to his interests in boat projects and sailing, investing in small start-up businesses and joining his wife Lisa in an increasing concern for, and support of, environmental issues. He and Lisa now live in western Wyoming and in Hawaii, where they continue to be involved in wildlife and habitat conservation efforts through environmental philanthropy and advocacy.