Staff and Trustees
Our world faces complex conservation challenges. Meet some of the people who are working to create lasting solutions.
Media Inquiries: To schedule an interview with a member of our science, conservation or policy staff, please get in touch with Ann Nallo, Virginia communications director, by phone at 804-613-9921 or email ann.nallo@tnc.org.
For philanthropic questions or other topics, please contact our development team and office staff here.
Virginia State Director
Bettina Ring
Bettina Ring became state director of The Nature Conservancy in Virginia in April 2023, bringing decades of conservation leadership and public service experience to the role. Since joining TNC, she has guided statewide growth in land and water protection, strengthened long‑term financial and operational sustainability and helped secure the largest public funding award in the chapter’s history—a U.S. Forest Service Hurricane Helene grant supporting forest restoration and freshwater conservation across key Appalachian landscapes. She also supported staff in advancing the Cumberland Outdoor Access Legacy easement, which will permanently open roughly 65,000 acres in Southwest Virginia for public recreation while protecting critical wildlife habitat.
Bill Kittrell, Deputy State Director
Bill develops the overall conservation strategy for the chapter, manages its conservation programs and develops specific high-risk strategies that achieve big impacts.
Judy Dunscomb, Sr. Conservation Scientist, Southern U.S. Division Renewable Energy Strategy Lead
Judy leads multi-disciplinary and multi-stakeholder teams at state, regional and national scales to develop and implement strategies to address pervasive challenges faced by nature and people, including energy development and freshwater management. She also supports science-based decision making by collaboratively developing and communicating scientific information to decision makers.
Sam Lindblom, Director of Landscape Conservation
Sam facilitates information and knowledge exchange across the chapter’s landscapes and cross-boundary conservation teams, fostering collaboration with the goal of achieving the greatest conservation outcomes.
Bramble Klipple, Director of Development
Bramble leads donor outreach and strategic fundraising efforts toward our ambitious conservation goals. Between 2007-2015, she worked for TNC’s World Office in Arlington in development and campaign positions, then served as senior director of advancement at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology for nine years before returning to TNC.
Ann Nallo, Director of Marketing and Communications U.S. Southern Division
Ann leads a communications team dedicated to telling compelling stories that showcase Virginia’s natural beauty and the incredible TNC staff working every day to conserve these lands and strengthen biodiversity. She oversees strategy, content and outreach efforts that help connect more people to the importance of conservation across the Commonwealth.
Thomas Colbert, Director of Operations
Tom ensures the chapter has the people and financial resources needed to achieve our priorities.
Program Directors
Blair Smyth, Allegheny Highlands
Allegheny Highlands Program Director
Blair oversees our Allegheny Highlands program and its preserves, providing guidance on conservation real estate transactions and working with federal and state partners to increase forest and aquatic restoration across public lands in Western Virginia.
Brad Kreps, Clinch Valley
Clinch Valley Program Director
Brad provides strategic leadership to the Clinch Valley Program and Cumberland Forest Project, conservation real estate transactions, solar energy projects, government relations, mined land reclamation efforts, conservation planning and science applications, and community partnerships.
Karen Johnson, SWMP
SWMP Program Director
Karen leads the Virginia Stream and Wetland Mitigation Program (SWMP), a mitigation program that offsets impacts to stream and wetland resources throughout Virginia, using TNC science and priority setting to pursue projects in ecologically significant areas.
Brian van Eerden, Pinelands
Virginia Pinelands Program Director
Brian manages TNC’s conservation work across the southeastern Coastal Plain and leads the chapter’s effort to re-establish longleaf pine forests to Virginia as part of a nine-state effort to restore one of the most species-rich ecosystems in North America. Brian’s areas of focus have come to include longleaf pine and floodplain forest ecosystems, fire ecology and management, native plant conservation, peatland restoration, land conservation funding and land protection.
Jill Bieri, VVCR
VVCR Program Director
Jill leads the Volgenau Virginia Coast Reserve (VVCR) program working to protect, restore and sustain the barrier islands, coastal lagoon and bayside ecosystems of the Eastern Shore. Her interests include coastal and bay ecology, environmental education, gender equity and non-profit leadership.
Kate Wilke, Mid-Atlantic Seascape
Mid-Atlantic Seascape Director
Kate helps protect marine habitats for the benefit of both people and nature. She works with fishery managers to create regulations that promote efficient, sustainable harvest of fresh seafood. She also addresses the challenges of identifying the most important—and vulnerable habitats—and designing rules to protect them for the benefit of the fish and marine life that rely on them for food, protection and reproduction.
Volunteer and Education
Jennifer Dalke, Volunteer Program
Volunteer Program Manager
Jen leads the strategy, management and growth of volunteer and community engagement initiatives. She collaborates with community members, organizations, staff and volunteers of all backgrounds to create meaningful, hands-on and skill-based opportunities. More than 1,000 volunteers help each year with projects like seagrass restoration, preserve and trail maintenance, invasive species management, native plant restoration, education and outreach, GIS, marketing and communication and more.
Contact Jen: jdalke@tnc.org
Taylor Fanelli, STEP Internships
Short Term Experience Program Manager
Taylor leads our efforts to create intentional opportunities for students and emerging professionals from all backgrounds to work at TNC. She supports the next generation of conservationists by managing paid internships, recruiting students through partnerships with local colleges and universities, and creating engagement opportunities for interns to connect with our conservation teams and mission.
Contact Taylor: taylor.fanelli@tnc.org
Margaret Van Clief, VVCR Outreach
Outreach and Education Coordinator
Margaret works in the community to connect residents and Eastern Shore visitors with the Volgenau Virginia Coast Reserve’s properties through public events and educational programming, both on and off the preserve.
Contact Margaret: margaret.vanclief@tnc.org
Jennifer Miller, VVCR Education Program
Environmental Education Program Manager
Jenny leads environmental education programming for around 1,000 local elementary, middle and high school students annually while also providing professional development for local teachers. Engaging in hands-on experiences with our local students and educators encourages future stewards of nature on the Eastern Shore and beyond. Jenny also manages the 1,250-acre Brownsville Preserve, which serves as the headquarters for the Virginia Coast Reserve.
Contact Jenny: jennifer.miller@tnc.org
Kate Coleman, VVCR Education Specialist
Conservation Education Specialist
Kate is a licensed secondary science teacher, leading place-based environmental field experiences and lessons that connect local students with the Eastern Shore’s unique ecosystems and TNC’s restoration projects and work. She collaborates with local schools, TNC staff, volunteers and the Eastern Shore community.
Contact Kate: kate.coleman@tnc.org
Nick Proctor, Community Outreach
Community Outreach Manager
Nick leads the program’s outreach volunteer stewardship efforts, including community support and capacity building and volunteer recruitment and stewardship activities. He aims to increase people’s understanding of nature as a cultural and economic asset worth protecting for generations to come. Nick also leads TNC’s Cumberland Forest Community Fund, a grant program focused on nature-based economic and community development projects that make tangible contributions toward local economies, community capacity and environmental quality.
Contact Nick: nick.proctor@tnc.org
Trustees
Officers
William H. West Jr., Chair
Richmond
Katherine Fralin Walker, Ph.D., Vice Chair
Roanoke
Trustees
Brian R. Ball, Richmond
Edward A. Booth, Richmond
Christopher B. Davidson, Ph.D., Richmond
Kedren H. Dillard, Washington, DC
Timothy P. Dunn, The Plains
Katherine Fralin Walker, Ph.D., Roanoke
Quinn F. Graeff, Roanoke
John H. Haldeman Jr., Williamsburg
Jil W. Harris, Richmond
Karl K. Kindig, Abingdon
Georgia Chaffee Nassikas, McLean
William A. Owen, Williamsburg
Rebecca R. Rubin, Fredericksburg
Puja Seam, Charlottesville
William H. West Jr., Richmond
Mills Wehner, Machipongo
Ting M. Xu, Richmond
Stay in Touch
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Take a Closer Look
Volunteer in Virginia
Welcome to our community of people making a positive impact across Virginia. Connect with nature and help make a difference in Virginia.
Cumberland Forest Community Fund
Supporting nature-based economic and community development in the Appalachian regions of Southwest Virginia, Tennessee and Kentucky.
OktoberForest: Taste Virginia
Celebrating the lands and waters on which all life—and beer—depends.