Christina Cress Joins Bald Head Island Conservancy Board

Ward and Smith attorney Christina Cress has been elected to serve a three-year term on the Board of Directors of the Bald Head Island Conservancy, a Brunswick County nonprofit committed to protecting one of North Carolina’s most ecologically rich coastal environments.

The Conservancy’s work spans barrier island conservation, sea turtle protection, wildlife research, and broader environmental stewardship — the kind of hands-on mission that fits naturally with how Christina spends her time outside the office. An avid citizen scientist, she volunteers for field research efforts ranging from bird surveys to alligator censuses, putting in the work that makes that data possible.

Based in Ward and Smith’s Wilmington office, Christina leads the firm’s Energy + Utilities Practice and is a North Carolina State Bar Board Certified Specialist in Utilities Law, a distinction held by only a small number of attorneys in the state. Her practice centers on regulatory compliance, energy policy, and complex utility matters before the North Carolina Utilities Commission, including electric and natural gas rate cases and utility resource planning proceedings. She also advises clients on the implementation of North Carolina’s evolving energy programs and has been deeply involved in shaping the legislative and regulatory landscape around energy in the state.

The Bald Head Island Conservancy has served as a steward of the island’s natural resources for decades, balancing public education with active wildlife and habitat preservation. Christina’s election to the board reflects her deep investment in that mission and in the future of Brunswick County’s coastal ecosystems.