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
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.


