About Us

Bryn Sonnett

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Rappahannock-Rapidan Conservation Program Manager
[email protected]
(540) 347-2334 ext. 7067

Bryn is native to the Piedmont with roots in Rappahannock County. Growing up in the area solidified her love and appreciation for the outdoors early on and inspired her career in conservation. She graduated from the University of Virginia with a degree in Global Environments and Sustainability in 2016.

After several years in Charlottesville, Bryn returned to Rappahannock and accepted a position with Virginia Outdoors Foundation where she worked for the past 7.5 years on public access and private easement acquisitions, amendments, and stewardship of 1,000+ easements throughout the Piedmont. She also served on the Preservation Trust Fund review committee and Baseline Documentation Report Committee, and spent the last two years assisting with VOF’s long-term steward pilot program for mitigation bank easements. Previously, Bryn interned at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute and worked for several local small businesses.

Bryn spends much of her spare time camping, hiking and biking around the U.S. with her husband and dog. Some of her favorite areas outside Virginia include Olympic National Park, Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, Grand Teton National Park, the Florida Keys, Redwood National Park and New Hampshire’s White Mountains. 

Lea Justice

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Volunteer Coordinator
540-347-2334 ext. 7027
[email protected]

Lea Justice joined The Piedmont Environmental Council as Volunteer Coordinator in July, 2025 after first serving as Buy Fresh Buy Local Assistant since the fall of 2024. She is honored to engage with the many wonderful people who generously volunteer their time and efforts to support the PEC mission of “protecting and restoring the lands and waters of the Virginia Piedmont, while building stronger, more sustainable communities.”

A vegetable farmer by trade, Lea has had her hands in the dirt for most of the last twenty years, on farms from Canada to Patagonia. Rooted more locally, Lea ran her own vegetable farm in the Shenandoah Valley since 2010. As a student and practitioner of sustainability, the importance of inter-locking support systems emerged as a core value. She spent time working and volunteering for non-profits in affordable housing, elder-care, equitable food access and outdoor education. Along the way, she learned invaluable lessons in not only how to grow food, but how to grow community. 

Lea enjoys fermenting flavorful concoctions from the garden and sharing them on picnic blankets with good folks and great views. 

Keely Murphy

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Keely Murphy joins PEC as the Conservation Field Representative for the Potomac Watershed. Keely got her professional start in land conservation in Colorado where she worked for Colorado Open Lands as a Conservation Fellow. Prior to living in Colorado, she spent 10 years studying and working in Washington D.C. 

Amanda Aiyar

Amanda Aiyar

Posted on by PEC

Deputy Director of HR
540-347-2334 ext. 7013
[email protected]

Amanda joined The Piedmont Environmental Council team in August 2024 and serves as the HR & Payroll Specialist.

She attended Indiana University Bloomington, gaining a B.A. in English Literature with a minor in Criminal Justice and Business Foundations Certificate, and later a M.S. in Communications from Purdue University. She spent 11 years in public service at a government agency before deciding she wanted to follow her passion for the outdoors.

This led to her to travel the United States for a past year and explore the country’s many beautiful parks and forests. She fell in love with Virginia while section hiking the Appalachian Trail and spending time in the multiple trail towns along the way.  In her spare time, Amanda loves to hike, climb, backcountry camp, read and spend time with her husband and dog.