With a new democratic majority in both the House and the Senate, there are new legislative priorities and an immense number of bills have been filed. Given this, we are working hard to track all of the relevant bills, as well as keep our issues in the minds of the legislators.
Marco Sanchez
About the General Assembly
The Virginia General Assembly is the legislative body of the Commonwealth of Virginia. Its bicameral body consists of the Virginia House of Delegates, with 100 members, and the Senate of Virginia, with 40 members.
Virginia Conservation Network (VCN)
PEC coordinates with our partners at the Virginia Conservation Network (VCN) on important statewide environmental issues—everything from clean energy and renewables to menhaden and Metro funding.
Hechl, Gertraud
Gertraud Hechl joined PEC staff in the summer of 2019. Gertraud has a broad background in the arts and business and serves on several non-profit boards. She holds a degree in strategic management from Wirtschaftsuniversität, Vienna, where she also studied modern languages.
A Few Highlights from 2019
Through the generous support of our members and help from PEC’s partners, a lot of great things have happened this year! We’ve pulled together this quick list of some of the highlights from 2019 throughout our 9-county region.
Maggi Blomstrom
Rappahannock-Rapidan Conservation Initiative Coordinator
(540) 347-2334 ext. 7067
mblomstrom@pecva.org
Maggi Blomstrom rejoined PEC’s staff in November 2019 as the Rappahannock-Rapidan Conservation Initiative Coordinator — a multi-faceted initiative to promote land conservation, water quality improvements, natural habitat protection and restoration, and public access throughout the Upper Rappahannock watershed.
Maggi served previously as PEC’s field representative for southern Fauquier and Culpeper counties and as land conservation and stewardship coordinator. She brings years of experience and enthusiasm engaging with landowners, volunteers, communities, and partners to advance environmental stewardship and land management.
Maggi grew up in Fauquier County. She holds a B.A. in Geography and Urban and Regional Studies from Virginia Commonwealth University and a M.A. in Community Development and Planning from Clark University in Massachusetts.
Kendra Atkins
Advancement Assistant
(540) 347-2334 ext. 7005
katkins@pecva.org
Kendra Corbin was hired in December of 2019 as an Advancement Assistant for PEC. Kendra attended Shenandoah University, where she graduated in 2014 with a degree in Mass Communications. Prior to joining PEC, Kendra worked as a marketing coordinator. She also volunteered as a board member and social media chairwoman for the Virginia Chapter of Women in Cable Telecommunications. She is excited to join an energetic team to help preserve the environment and make a difference in the world.
Kendra resides in her hometown of Front Royal with her fiancé, their energetic chocolate lab, and their 3-legged cat. In her free time, she enjoys painting, listening to audiobooks, and kayaking in the Shenandoah River, located just a short walk from her home.
Montpelier CEO Kat Imhoff to join The Piedmont Environmental Council
Piedmont Environmental Council President Chris Miller is pleased to announce the appointment of Kat Imhoff to the organization’s staff on Dec. 2. Imhoff joins the organization following seven years as president and CEO of James Madison’s Montpelier
2019 Photo Contest Winners & Finalists
We asked you to pick your favorite photos in four different categories: Beautiful Landscapes and Streetscapes, Native Plants and Wildlife, Outreach and Communications and the Youth Category. Congrats to Piedmont locals Cass Girvin, Susan Tucker and Ezra Staengl for their respective category wins!
Kat Imhoff
Senior Conservation Fellow
kimhoff@pecva.org
Kat Imhoff rejoined PEC as Senior Conservation Fellow in December 2019. She previously worked for the organization in the 1980s and 1990s.
In the seven years prior, she has served as the President and CEO of James Madison’s Montpelier, where she oversaw all aspects of a national historic site, including the management of the historic house and grounds, its diverse education and museum programs, and the Robert H. Smith Center for the Constitution.
Before joining Montpelier in January 2013, Kat enjoyed a five-year tenure as State Director for The Nature Conservancy in Montana, where she led a successful $490 million effort to conserve an ecologically intact unit of 310,000 acres of land in the Northern Rockies that serves as an environmentally-protected migratory corridor extending from Wyoming across Montana to Canada.
Before her leadership role at The Nature Conservancy, Kat served as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer for the Thomas Jefferson Foundation (TJF) which owns and operates Monticello, a UNESCO World Heritage site.
She has served as the Executive Director of the Preservation Alliance of Virginia and the Executive Director of the Commission on Population Growth and Development, a 33-member legislative study commission established by the Virginia General Assembly to promote growth management legislation. Earlier in her career, Kat served as Vice President for Conservation and Development for PEC.
This continuing dedication to preservation has been recognized by the American Society of Landscape Architects, the Virginia Wildlife Federation, and the Piedmont Environmental Council. It also led to her gubernatorial appointment as chair of the Virginia Outdoors Foundation, the largest holder of easements in the United States. She also served on the national Land Trust Accreditation Commission.