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Inspiring Conservation: PEC’s Annual Gathering at Eldon Farms
Featuring Keynote Speaker Thomas Woltz
Join The Piedmont Environmental Council for our 2025 Annual Gathering at historic Eldon Farms in Rappahannock County. This remarkable 7,100-acre property is an example of how the intersection of conservation and thoughtful land stewardship can support agriculture and biodiversity in ways that celebrate the cultural and historical landscapes.
Purchased by the Akre family in 2021 as a conservation investment, Eldon Farms has been thoughtfully developed over the last five years with a vision to embody the values that define our region’s character — working landscapes that maintain ecological balance while supporting sustainable agriculture and being accessible to all. With its sweeping views of Old Rag Mountain and proximity to Shenandoah National Park, the property showcases the natural beauty and biodiversity of the Virginia Piedmont.
Our keynote speaker, renowned landscape architect Thomas Woltz, brings a wealth of expertise in ecological conservation and agricultural and cultural landscapes. As owner of Nelson Byrd Woltz Landscape Architects, Woltz has spent two decades weaving environmental narratives into the places people live, work and play, inspiring vital connections between communities and the natural world.
The day will begin with a welcome from PEC President Chris Miller, followed by Woltz’s keynote address on the Eldon project as an example of sustainable landscape design that balances ecological health and productive agriculture. After a community lunch, you’ll have the opportunity to participate in one of four workshop sessions exploring different aspects of conservation work in our region.
Keynote Speaker: Thomas Woltz
Thomas Woltz is the owner of Nelson Byrd Woltz Landscape Architects. Over the past two decades, Woltz and his team have developed a practice that integrates the beauty and function of designed landscapes with an understanding of complex biological systems and restoration ecology.
Woltz holds master’s degrees in both architecture and landscape architecture from the University of Virginia. Named one of the most creative people in business by Fast Company, Woltz is a recipient of the Trust for Public Land’s Land for People Award. His firm’s Conservation Agriculture Studio has transformed thousands of acres of farmland, enhancing both productivity and biodiversity. Woltz’s current projects span the United States, Canada and New Zealand, and include public parks, memorials and agricultural landscapes.
Workshops
A choice of four workshops, beginning after lunch and running simultaneously, so please choose the one you’d like to attend when you register to help us plan accordingly. There is some flexibility to change your mind on the day of the event.
1. A Walking Tour of Conservation at Eldon Farms
Join Eldon Farms’ geneticist and agribusiness Manager John Genho and PEC’s conservation team to learn about best practices being implemented at Eldon Farms to conserve the Upper Rappahannock watershed. The walk is about ¾ of a mile long.
2. Data Centers & Virginia’s Clean Energy Future
A focused discussion on data centers and energy generation and transmission, how these affect local residents and the environment, and the challenges of balancing Virginia’s clean energy goals with growing energy demands. Discover how community members can help shape policies to protect our rural landscape.
3. Connectivity & the Larger Landscape — from Blue Ridge to the Bay
Join PEC staff and partners for an exploration of habitat connectivity across our region, with a particular focus on how conservation corridors like those being developed at Eldon Farms contribute to wildlife mobility and ecological resilience throughout the Piedmont.
4. How to Meet the Demand for Native Plants — The Importance of Native Plants in Restoring the Upper Rappahannock
Learn about the ongoing restoration work and the use of native plants to enhance biodiversity.
Agenda
9:30 a.m. | Gates Open
10:00 a.m. | Check-in / Meet & Greet
10:30 a.m. | Welcome & PEC Update by President Chris Miller
11 a.m. – 12 p.m. | Keynote by Thomas Woltz
12:00 p.m. – 12:45 p.m. | Optional Community Lunch
1 – 2 p.m. | Choice of Workshops (attend one of the four options)
2 p.m. | Event Ends. Explore Hill House Nursery, Eldon Farms and Rappahannock County offerings on your own! The Eldon Farm operations team will be on hand to answer questions.
We hope you’ll join us to meet new people, catch up with friends, participate in one of our workshops, and learn more about local efforts to build a stronger, more sustainable region.
Questions? Contact Montana Lanier Ruffner at [email protected].
Workshop Speaker bios
Workshop 1: A Walking Tour of Conservation at Eldon Farms
John Genho
Since 2005, John Genho has managed Eldon Farms, a 7,100 acre property in Woodville, Virginia. In this role, John oversees a staff of twelve running the cattle operation, rentals and hunting, along with the farm’s ecological conservation efforts.
During his time at Eldon, John also founded and led Livestock Genetic Services, a company specializing in genetic analysis for beef cattle. In 2017, he sold the business to Neogen and continued to support the transition for several years following the acquisition.
John holds an MBA from Duke University, an MS in Quantitative Genetics from Cornell University, and a BS from Brigham Young University. He currently lives in Woodville, Virginia, with his wife and children.
Keely Murphy
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.
Keely grew up with a love for the environment. But her time backpacking in Yellowstone National Park and canoeing in the Boundary Waters Wilderness especially ingrained the importance of protecting unique landscapes. Her interest in agriculture was developed during a literature class about food in America and she knew she wanted to tie her love of nature and interest in agriculture into a career.
Keely has a M.S. in Environmental Sciences and Policy from Johns Hopkins University and a B.A. in International Studies from American University.
Teddy Pitsiokos
Teddy comes to PEC with a rich, diversified background in farming, nonprofit work, and food systems education. Growing up in rural New York, Teddy is most comfortable surrounded by fresh foods and clucking chickens.
After graduating from Sewanee with a B.A. in Political Science, Teddy worked on several organic farms in North Carolina and Virginia before settling into educational farming at the John C. Campbell Folk School in Western North Carolina. Most recently, he managed the Highland County Virginia educational campus and farm for the Allegheny Mountain Institute.
Ellie Young
Ellie Young joined Piedmont Environmental Council as an assistant to the Plantings for the Piedmont program in February 2025.
Ellie was born and raised in Rappahannock County, Virginia. After graduating from the University of Virginia and being accepted into law school, she took time off to travel the world. After visiting more than twenty countries with only a backpack in tow and experiencing international food systems and conservation efforts, Ellie realized her true passion went back to her roots and began a career in conservation.
Prior to joining PEC, Ellie spent the past few years working with other organizations in the area, such as Culpeper Soil and Water Conservation District and Friends of the Rappahannock.
Workshop 2: Data Centers & Virginia’s Clean Energy Future
Julie Bolthouse
Julie grew up in Fairfax, Loudoun, and Clarke counties. After graduating from Clarke County High School she attended Virginia Tech receiving a B.S. in Fisheries Science with a minor in Watershed Management. Moving back to Loudoun with her husband, Evan, she went back to school to get her Masters in Urban and Regional Planning and a second Masters degree in Natural Resources.
While studying for her bachelor’s she interned with the Student Conservation Association in Shenandoah National Park, Center for Aquatic Technology Transfer in the Jefferson National Forest, Friends of the Rockfish River in the James River watershed, and then worked full time for the Department of Wildlife Resources in southwest Virginia. After moving to Loudoun she interned with Rappahannock Rapidan Regional Commission for a year and led a Safe Routes to School modeling project with the City of Alexandria’s GIS Division.
Ashish Kapoor
Ashish Kapoor joined PEC in March 2023 as the Senior Energy & Climate Advisor. In his role, he will be working with land use and policy staff to represent the organization on energy matters at the local, regional and state levels.
Ashish grew up in western Pennsylvania and New Jersey. He graduated from Pennsylvania State University’s Schreyer Honors College with a Bachelor’s in Economics and Political Science and subsequently received a J.D. from Rutgers School of Law in Newark, New Jersey.
During and after law school, Ashish worked as a public policy attorney on a variety of issues, including environmental and social justice in the U.S. and abroad. Most recently, he worked as a national solar consultant at Sunrun, the nation’s largest residential solar company.
Workshop 3: Connectivity & the Larger Landscape — from Blue Ridge to the Bay
Mike Kane
Michael Kane has more than 15 years of land conservation experience in the Mid-Atlantic region. In the late 1990s, Mike created the Bucks County (PA) Municipal Open Space Program and the Bucks County Natural Areas Program, two county-wide initiatives that successfully partnered with state and local governments and non-profit land trusts to identify and preserve productive farmland, critical natural habitats, and expand the amount of parkland in the county.
More recently, Mike directed the start-up of the Loudoun County (VA) Purchase of Development Rights (PDR) Program. The PDR Program protected through conservation easements over 2,400 acres of Loudoun’s nationally recognized historic and scenic landscape between 2001 and 2004, including nearly 1,000 acres of natural areas and historic sites in the county that are now open for to the public to see, visit, and experience.
Prior to becoming PEC’s director of conservation, Mike served as a land conservation officer in Loudoun and Fauquier counties, where he worked with landowners, conservation organizations, and public officials to protect–primarily through conservation easements–critical land and resources in the region.
In addition to conservation work, Mike’s background also includes experience as an urban planner, fiscal and economic development consultant, as well as work at a nonprofit community loan fund.
Mike received a Bachelor of Arts degree from St. Johns University, located in Collegeville, Minnesota and a Masters of Planning from the University of Minnesota’s Hubert H. Humphrey School of Public Affairs.
Bryn Sonnett
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.
Workshop 4: How to Meet the Demand for Native Plants — The Importance of Native Plants in Restoring the Upper Rappahannock
Janet Davis
Janet Davis is the primary operator of Hill House Farm & Nursery. She received her Bachelor’s Degree in Horticulture from Virginia Tech and has spent the last 28 years working in various horticultural pursuits—from apple orchards to greenhouses—all the while spending as much time as possible hiking in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains. Her time spent in “the woods” fostered her passion for our native flora and plant communities, and spurred her desire to learn more about native plants.
Janet has operated a landscape design-install-care business for the past 25 years, and focuses on incorporating native plants into garden settings and “managed” areas while employing sustainable garden techniques. After starting a family and desiring to be at home more, Janet started her greenhouse/nursery business, Hill House Farm & Nursery, which grows and sells only native plants, primarily natives and select cultivars that occur naturally in the Mid-Atlantic region.
Janet divides her time between her vocation and her avocation—raising both native plants and her 16-year old daughter—and lives with her husband and daughter in Rappahannock County, VA, just east of Shenandoah National Park.Her husband, Rob, is also an avid gardener, a cabinet-maker and woodworker, and he keeps everything running smoothly and standing tall. Janet refers to him fondly as “Mr. Infrastructure.”
Nick Heflin
Co-owner at Piedmont Nursery, Nick Heflin started early in the world of landscape. Maintaining and improving residential properties as a teenager, to present-day larger-scale installation projects, Nick brings an abundant amount of field experience, a hard work ethic, and industry know-how to the table. Partnering with his colleague, Jennifer Seay, in 2013, Nick expanded his palette to include Virginia Native trees and shrubs. Together, their team assists clients in the region with the design, supply, and installation of native landscape and planting projects. As a passionate outdoorsman, coupled with an abundant love for wildlife, Nick has a core desire for the preservation and conservation of the Virginia Piedmont Landscape.
Nick Lapham
Nick Lapham and his family have owned Sunnyside Farm & Conservancy since 2006. Nick provides overall strategic direction and is also actively involved in on-the-ground management.
Nick is a lifelong conservationist with professional experience in the non-profit, philanthropic and government sectors. Currently, he serves as President of The BAND Foundation, a family philanthropy focused on nature conservation and epilepsy care. Previously, he held senior positions with Conservation International, World Wildlife Fund and the United Nations Foundation and also served in the State Department and White House during the Clinton administration. He is a director of College of the Atlantic in Bar Harbor, Maine.
Nick attended Yale College where he graduated with a B.A. in History. His thesis looking at the legacy of predator control on public lands led him to start his career working on the issue of wolf restoration in Yellowstone National Park. Nick is passionate about nature and has a special love for birds, an interest he picked up at an early age from his father.
John McCarthy
John W. McCarthy joined PEC staff in January 2017. John retired from local government in June of 2016 after 28 years as Rappahannock County Administrator. He has served as member and officer of the Rappahannock-Rapidan Regional Commission the RSW Regional Jail, and the Virginia Municipal League Insurance Programs, as well as on numerous non-profit organization governing boards including as Chairman of the Fauquier Hospital Board, the PATH Foundation and the Northern Piedmont Community Foundation.
He received a Bachelor’s degree from Mary Washington College, where he also served as an adjunct professor for twenty-five years, and a Master of Planning degree from the University of Virginia. A long-time supporter of The Piedmont Environmental Council’s mission, John is excited to be continuing his career with an organization so committed to preserving the quality of life and natural resources of the place he loves.
Lauria McShane
Lauria McShane joined PEC’s staff in October 2023 as an assistant to the Virginia Grassland Bird Initiative. Prior to joining PEC, Lauria graduated from Sweet Briar College in May of 2023 with her B.S. in Biology. Lauria also studied in the Conservation, Biodiversity and Society program at the Smithsonian-Mason School of Conservation in the fall of 2022.
Shortly after graduation, Lauria worked with the James River Association as a riparian buffer steward where she completed site visits and reports to help landowners fund and maintain their CREP sites. Lauria also studied and worked in sustainable agriculture productions at her campus greenhouse, garden and apiary where she discovered a passion for producing food in a way that respects the environment and the community. Lauria also works for Seven Bends Native Plant Nursery as part of their marketing team.
Linnea Sherman
Linnea first joined the PEC team in March 2022 as the Headwater Stream Initiative Planting Coordinator, where she worked to organize and facilitate tree planting projects in riparian areas throughout the Potomac and Rappahannock watersheds. She then supported the Land Conservation Department in increasing the pace and scale of riparian buffer plantings and fulfilling annual monitoring requirements on PEC-held conservation easements and fee-owned properties. Linnea now serves as PEC’s Plantings for the Piedmont Coordinator and is responsible for administering PEC’s riparian and upland tree planting program and supports land management efforts at the Piedmont Memorial Overlook.
Before starting with PEC, Linnea pursued various volunteer and professional opportunities related to her interests in land management and biodiversity conservation. She volunteered and interned at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute in Front Royal, VA. After graduate school, Linnea worked as an Appalachian Conservation Corps Individual Placement for the National Capital Area Invasive Plant Management Team (National Park Service). Linnea then joined the Fairfax County Park Authority as an Ecological Technician in December 2021 where she supported the Park Authority’s Invasive Management Area program. She also currently works part-time as the Regional Trails Coordinator for the Northern Virginia Regional Commission, where she supports numerous projects throughout the Northern Virginia region.
Linnea holds an Associate of Science Degree from Lord Fairfax Community College and a B.S. in Environmental Studies and a Concentration in Peace and Justice from Roanoke College. She also attended the University of Oxford for graduate school, where she earned an M.Sc. in Biodiversity, Conservation, and Management and completed a thesis exploring post-Brexit policy changes affecting biodiversity conservation in agricultural landscapes (https://doi.org/10.1111/csp2.12795).
Sponsors
Thank you to Jean Perin, George Ohrstrom II, Helen DuBois, David Aldrich, Joe Gale and Ryan Crabbe for sponsoring this year’s event!