VCC's Staff Members

Over the years Valley Conservation Council has had a small staff supplemented by a broad network of professional contacts and dedicated volunteers.

Meet the VCC Staff

John Eckman, Executive Director, joined the VCC staff in January of 2004 after being a member since 1991. John has worked with non-profit conservation and education organizations since 1987. A native of Waynesboro, John's background includes experience with cultural and natural heritage conservation, public education policy, and rural economic development programs. He has worked on national projects with the Rural School and Community Trust and locally with the Shenandoah Valley Pure Water Forum. John also worked with The Mountain Institute for 10 years and served as Chief Administrative Officer of this international conservation organization. He is a JMU graduate and holds a master's in Environment and Community from Antioch University.

 

Jill Templeton, Program Manager, joined VCC’s staff in 2008. She brings nonprofit experience working for the National Parks Conservation Association in their Southeast Regional Office and for the Tennessee Clean Water Network. Since moving to the Shenandoah Valley, she has worked as a fire effects monitor at Shenandoah National Park and completed a graduate program in public administration at James Madison University. Jill received a B.A. in Environmental Studies with a concentration in environmental policy from Warren Wilson College in Asheville, North Carolina.

Jackie Jamison, Conservation Officer, joined VCC in August of 2005. Jackie recently received her master's in environmental planning from the University of Vermont. She has worked with the Lake Champlain Land Trust and the Vermont Forum on Sprawl, as well as a stint as a consulting geologist in California. Jackie holds a bachelors degree in geology from Yale University. She grew up in Vermont and is deeply familiar with the issues that face fast growing rural communities. Jackie brings a useful mix of technical and adminstrative skills to VCC.

Sara Hollberg, AICP, Planner, is one of the founding members of VCC. She has consulted on a number of VCC projects over the years--as an author of Better Models for Development in the Shenandoah Valley and the State of the Valley report, editor of our newsletter, and coordinator of the Shenandoah Land Use Network. She continues her public policy work encouraging strong comprehensive plans and sensible community design. She is also leading VCC's efforts to encourage local government engagement in conservation programs such as purchase of development rights which can help keep the Valley a viable farming area. Sara graduated from William and Mary, worked in editing in Washington, DC, and earned a master’s in planning degree from the University of Virginia. She and her husband Mark and their three young children live in walkable downtown Staunton, so they can devote their spare time to managing the family tree farm in Campbell County.

Sheryl Van Gundy, Office Manager. Born in Charlottesville, Sheryl grew up in northern Virginia and worked for years in Washington, D.C., as a legal secretary. For the last decade, she lived in Loudoun County and worked in Winchester organizing and running the North American registry of Selle Francais, a specialized breed of French horse. Sheryl has a deep love for Virginia and a special fondness for the Shenandoah Valley and its majestic beauty and historic and cultural heritage (especially Civil War history). She lives in a historic home on 25 acres in Augusta County where she breeds and raises horses. Having traveled to many farms throughout the U.S., Canada, Mexico, and France, she knows there is no place like home in Virginia. At home, she is surrounded by her eight horses, one donkey, four dogs, and more cats than she would wish to publicly acknowledge.

Field Staff Members

Genevieve Goss, Botetourt County Steward, Genevieve has been VCC's presence in Botetourt County for many years and has also served as a VCC Board member. Genevieve has established the Botetourt Community Partnership, a community group that meets quarterly to discuss local planning and land use issues in the county. She has also been active in promoting promoting voluntary means of land protection which has led to real gains in conservation in Botetourt County, including more than doubling the acres under easement in the county in 2006 alone. Genevieve received a Bachelor of Arts degree from St. Mary’s College, Notre Dame, and a master’s degree from Indiana University , and is an adjunct professor of Spanish and French. She and her husband have become active in the International Dark-Sky Association, in hopes of preserving the beautiful night skies of rural Virginia, and have introduced improvements to Botetourt County’s lighting ordinance

Kathryn Pfeiffer, Frederick and Warren County Steward – Kathryn joined VCC as a part-time county steward in the summer of 2007. She initially became involved in conservation through working to protect Ogden Cave, a 100 acre property adjacent to her home. The property was recently protected by The Nature Conservancy and the Department of Conservation and Recreation after 12 years of efforts by Kathryn and other neighbors. Kathryn is an author of two books for young adults and lives with her husband and three sons near Middletown where they have horses and chickens.

Wildlife and Resource Specialists

Ben Jamison, Yellow Lab, is VCC's River Protection Specialist.

 

 

Artemis Nash (Eckman) , a Tibetan Mastiff, is VCC's
Mountain Protection specialist.