Board of Trustees

​​​Members of the Board of Trustees are engaged stakeholders who serve the Shenandoah National Park Trust in a variety of ways throughout their terms. From participating in fundraising events and making community connections on behalf of the Trust to identifying park priorities and assisting with projects, Trustees provide leadership in furthering the Trust’s mission to provide strategic investments in programs and initiatives that help protect, enhance, and preserve the resources of Shenandoah National Park for all to enjoy – for this and future generations.

Current Trustees

Board Chair – Patti McGill Peterson

Sperryville, VA

Patti McGill Peterson has followed the maxim that education is a critical investment for a society to make in its citizenry and its future. Her professional life has mirrored that belief through a long career in higher education. She is president emerita of Wells College and St. Lawrence University. Additionally, she has served as president of the Association of Colleges and Universities of the State of New York and chair of the National Women’s College Coalition, the US-Canada Commission for Educational Exchange and the Public Leadership Education Network. She has contributed to national policy discussions about higher education through senior fellow positions at Cornell University and the Institute for Higher Education Policy.

Most recently, she headed global initiatives at the American Council on Education. Prior to that position, she was a senior officer at the Institute of International Education where she led the agency responsible for the Fulbright Scholar Program on behalf of the US Department of State. Her other contributions to international higher education cooperation have included service on the boards of the UNCF International Development Partnerships, the Alliance for International Exchange and the Ford Foundation’s International Fellowship Program.

Now living in Rappahannock County, Virginia and back to her roots in the foothills of the Appalachian mountains, she is active in her local community. She serves as a trustee of the county library, a member of the grants committee of the Path Foundation and is on the equity committee of the Rappahannock County Public Schools. As a trustee of the Shenandoah National Park Trust, she currently serves as chair of the board. Her long-term interest in environmental conservation aligns well with the National Parks’ mission to preserve and protect wild places. She treasures the Shenandoah National Park as a neighbor and an important exemplar of that mission.

Vice Chair – Alison DeTuncq

Charlottesville, VA

Alison DeTuncq is President/CEO of University of Virginia Community Credit Union in Charlottesville. She also serves as president and is on the board of managers of Member Options, LLC, the mortgage lending subsidiary of the credit union. In addition, Ms. DeTuncq currently serves as Chairman of the Board for Vizo Financial Corporate Credit Union, a $5 billion dollar organization which serves over 1,200 credit unions in 46 states and Canada.

As an active volunteer, Ms. DeTuncq has served as a member of the board of directors, executive committee, and Program Review and Funding Committee for the United Way – Thomas Jefferson Area, as well as chair of the Annual Campaign. She served on the board of directors for the Albemarle Housing Improvement Program, as chairman of the finance committee. Currently, Ms. DeTuncq serves on the Piedmont Virginia Community College Foundation and serves as Chairman of the Membership Committee for the Charlottesville Regional Chamber of Commerce.

In 2013, Ms. DeTuncq was appointed by Virginia’s Governor McDonnell to serve as the Culpeper District member of the Commonwealth Transportation Board. She was reappointed to an additional term by Governor McAuliffe.

Ms. DeTuncq holds a Master’s of Public Administration and a Bachelor of Arts from James Madison University, Harrisonburg, Virginia. She and her husband are avid hikers and frequent visitors to Shenandoah National Park.

Treasurer – Brett Greenfield

Virginia Beach, VA

Brett is a partner of Investment Research Partners and has over 20 years of experience in the financial services industry.  He holds a bachelor’s degree from James Madison University in Accounting.  Additionally, he became a CFP® professional in 2012, a Chartered SRI Counselor™ in 2019, and graduated from the Pennsylvania Bankers Association Trust School.

Prior to joining Investment Research Partners, Brett served as a Portfolio Manager focusing on environmental, social, governance (ESG) and sustainable investing at AssetMark, Inc. In this role, he built and delivered sustainable and ESG-integrated solutions for a platform that serves financial advisors and clients nationwide. The role included due diligence, portfolio construction, portfolio management, marketing, and sales responsibilities. In addition, Brett frequently spoke at financial advisor events and conferences on a variety of subjects related to sustainable investing.

He resides in Virginia Beach, VA with his wife and two children.

Secretary – Walter Heeb III

Elkton, VA

Walter Heeb has recently retired after 32 years at the MolsonCoors Shenandoah brewery. During his years at the brewery, he held successively broader leadership roles, including Plant Quality, Brewing Operations, Waste Water Treatment and Utilities. Walter’s education and experience both play directly into his continued interest in and focus on maintaining and promoting responsible water stewardship for industry and agriculture.

Walter holds a BS and MS in Biology from James Madison University and an MSc in Brewing and Distilling from Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh, Scotland. He has been active in both local and national level brewing industry organizations for over 30 years.  In late 2020, Heeb begin work with the Institute of Brewing and Distilling, London England as an examination tutor and content author.

He is a lifelong resident of the Shenandoah Valley and began enjoying the outdoors at a young age.  His Boy Scout outings to Shenandoah National Park, coupled with a strong family influence, facilitated an appreciation and lasting desire to preserve and safeguard open spaces.  Heeb volunteers his time with local non-profit agriculture and conservation organizations with particular interest in water quality.  He resides on a small farm in Augusta county, where he enjoys many outdoor hobbies.

Teal Baker

Washington, D.C.

A longtime donor and volunteer, Teal Baker lends over 20 years of results-driven leadership experience to her role on the Shenandoah National Park Trust Board of Trustees.

Teal was instrumental in supporting Invariant’s rapid business expansion, increasing annual revenue over 470% to surpass $45 million and headcount 10x from 9 to more than 100. As chief operating officer, she oversaw all aspects of operations, from managing people and processes to optimizing office space and technological infrastructure. Teal also directed internal and external communications, maintaining Invariant’s strong brand image.

Prior to Invariant, Teal held key operational roles on both of President Barack Obama’s campaigns in 2008 and 2012. Throughout her career, Teal has leveraged her operational expertise and leadership capabilities to drive organizational growth, implement effective systems, and spearhead change management. Her sharp focus on strategic alignment, brand management, and team development makes Teal a results-driven leader able to optimize operations and position organizations for scalability.

Teal is also the board chair for Girls on the Run – DC and a lifetime member of Leadership Greater Washington.

Cathy Dalrymple

Mineral, VA

Cathy is delighted to join the Shenandoah National Park Trust as new trustee!

Hailing from the picturesque Finger Lakes region of Upstate New York, she has a lifelong appreciation for the outdoors and the importance of safeguarding our natural treasures. She has been exploring Shenandoah National Park since her family relocated to this region in 1994.

In the past, Cathy has been a board member of the Free Clinic of Culpeper and board chair of the Culpeper Wellness Foundation, and she is a current board member of the Northern Piedmont Community Foundation.

Outside of her philanthropic endeavors, she enjoys a fulfilling family life with her husband, whom she has worked with for over 45 years, four accomplished children, and the joy of seven grandchildren. Traveling, hiking, and reading are among her cherished hobbies, providing firsthand experiences of the wonders of our world.

Residing at tranquil Lake Anna and overseeing a successful construction and quarry business in Culpeper, VA, Cathy is well-acquainted with the delicate balance between sustainable development and environmental stewardship.

Her previous roles at various non-profit organizations have shown her the transformative power of community engagement. Cathy looks forward to supporting the park in its conservation efforts, educational programs, and community engagement initiatives by contributing her skills, passion, and energy to the mission of the SNPT and being part of a community dedicated to the enduring protection and celebration of Shenandoah National Park.

Rod Graves

Luray, VA

Rod is the Senior Vice President and an owner of Luray Caverns Corporation, working in the footsteps of his great grandfather T. C. Northcott who purchased the Caverns in 1905. He manages Luray Caverns with his brother and two ancillary historic museum collections. These are the Car and Carriage Caravan Museum, an extensive collection of antique cars and carriages and the Shenandoah Heritage Village, a campus of regional historic buildings with an expanding collection of the Shenandoah Valley’s material culture spanning from Early America to the 1920s.

His career and education reflect the importance of Nature, History and Art in his life. Rod is a painter, an avid fly fisherman and hiker keen on enjoying, understanding and preserving our water, land and historic resources. Among his many contributions on these matters, he is particularly proud of having been instrumental in preserving simultaneously land and historic sites through his work with the Shenandoah Valley Battlefields Foundation. Rod has a BFA of Fine Arts with a minor in History from Shepherd University and a lifetime of interest in these subjects. He has decades of experience in the Tourism Industry focusing on tourism of natural and historic attractions which has led to his regular participation in related national and international associations, seminars and congresses.

He lives in a historic house on the Shenandoah River near Luray with his wife Isabel.

Norm Laudermilch

Stanley, VA

Norm is a seasoned technology executive with over 30 years of cybersecurity and IT services experience.

He has held senior executive roles at Verizon, Terremark, VeriSign, Sophos, and Symantec, as well as founding and building several successful startup companies. He is an expert in software design and development, cyber security, and massive online infrastructures such as cloud computing and software as a service. He has bought and sold several companies, resulting in significant merger and acquisition experience. His education is in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, and he has held our nations highest level of security clearance while working for various intelligence agencies. He has also been published in over 100 newspapers and magazines, appeared on over a dozen television news programs, been interviewed on local and national radio, and has delivered presentations at numerous international conferences. He has also taught classes on a diverse set of topics, and published research papers and blog articles related to his areas of expertise.

He is currently the Chief Technology Officer at LookingGlass and is responsible for their artificial intelligence research and projects.

Jenny Leech

Sperryville, VA

Jenny serves as Senior Legal Counsel for ESG, Regulatory, & Risk at the Boston Consulting Group’s Washington, D.C. office.

After graduating from Duke University with a B.S. in Biology, Jenny went on to serve as a pilot and officer in the U.S. Army. Her military experience includes a tour of duty in the first Persian Gulf War (1991) in Iraq and Saudi Arabia, and flying UH-1 Huey and CH-47 Chinook helicopters as part of the 101st Airborne Division. Following her military service, Jenny returned to the classroom and graduated with a J.D. from Vermont Law School.

Before settling in Sperryville with her husband, Andrew, Jenny and her family lived in Washington, D.C. Along with their two children, Jenny and Andrew have spent many happy days hiking the trails of Shenandoah National Park. Jenny grew up in Maine, skiing, hiking, sailing, and kayaking and loves the great outdoors.

Ray Mishler

Charlottesville, VA

Ray Mishler is a nearly 50-year resident of Charlottesville and retired in 2020 from his position as the Vice President of the Martha Jefferson Hospital Foundation, where he had served for 31 years. He was responsible in that capacity for community relations and philanthropy, and he assisted the Hospital with the management of its volunteer program, community health partnerships and outreach services, and governmental relations.  He was a Certified Fund-Raising Executive with the Association for Healthcare Philanthropy and Association for Fundraising Professionals. 

Before joining the team at Martha Jefferson, Ray served as Director for Development at UVA’s Children’s Medical Center and as Executive Director of the Central Virginia Chapter of the American Red Cross.  He currently serves on the board of the Charlottesville Area Community Foundation and the Piedmont Virginia Community College Educational Foundation and was previously on the Boards of the Charlottesville Free Clinic, the Thomas Jefferson Area United Way, and other community advisory boards and task forces.  He graduated from Windham College in Putney, Vermont.  He is married to Patricia Smith and they have two grown children. 

After retiring in 2020 and a Covid hiatus, Ray was aware of the Trust primarily through Banff and offered some volunteer time to work in the office, getting to know the team and learning from other volunteers about their passion for the park. Ray has traveled to many other national parks but felt he had missed that which was in his own backyard. His relationship with the Trust has become a motivator to explore and develop his own personal connection, and he hopes to bring his professional work and other board experiences to support the Trust’s mission.

Sean Nelson

Louisa, VA

Sean Nelson is currently an Executive at the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) serving as the Culpeper District Engineer responsible for the construction, maintenance and operations, project development and business functions within in the Culpeper District’s nine counties: Albemarle, Culpeper, Fauquier, Fluvanna, Greene, Louisa, Madison, Orange, and Rappahannock. The district stretches from the Blue Ridge Mountains east toward the Commonwealth’s capital city of Richmond and includes about 10,500 lane miles of public roadways.

Sean has more than 18 years of progressive engineering experience working within VDOT.  Prior to becoming a District Engineer, Nelson served as the Richmond District maintenance engineer, responsible for the maintenance program and emergency operations for over 18,000 lane miles. Other roles include Acting Deputy District Engineer of Maintenance and Operations in the Hampton Roads District, and Fredericksburg Resident Engineer in the Fredericksburg District.

Nelson holds a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering technology from Old Dominion University and is a licensed professional engineer in the Commonwealth of Virginia.

A native of Louisa County, Nelson currently resides there with his wife, Laura, and two sons, Cameron and Christian. When they aren’t participating in sporting events with the kids, Nelson’s wife’s job at the Department of Conservation and Recreation affords them the opportunity to spend time at many of Virginia’s State Parks.

Rick Richmond

Charlottesville, VA

Joseph W. (Rick) Richmond, Jr., Of Counsel, has a transactional and relationship legal practice which primarily emphasizes the areas of real estate law, estate planning, trust and estates administration, and business law. Prior to becoming Of Counsel with McCallum & Kudravetz, P.C. in July 2014, Mr. Richmond was a senior partner with the law firm of Richmond & Fishburne, having practiced with the firm since 1971. Mr. Richmond is a graduate of Episcopal High School and Washington and Lee University. He received his law degree from the University of Virginia School of Law, after serving in the U.S. Army where he was awarded the Army Commendation Medal. Mr. Richmond has served in many professional leadership roles. His publications include The Virginia Homebuyer’s Manual (Editor) and Real Estate Transactions In Virginia (Co-Editor). Mr. Richmond also has served in many leadership roles in the community. Mr. Richmond has received numerous recognitions and awards from the community and his peers.

Nan Roberts

Culpeper, VA

Nan Butler Roberts was born and reared in Rappahannock County, VA, in Sperryville, to be exact, just 7 miles from the Thornton Gap entrance to the Shenandoah National Park. Nan’s father and uncle worked the CCCamps in the 1940’s as young men who helped build and develop the SNP. Her father, Howard H. Butler, took the family for frequent Saturday or Sunday afternoon outings to the park by using his ‘park pass for life’ that he displayed joyfully to the park entrance attendant. So, Nan had a “built-in” affection for the SNP at an early age that continues today.

Nan began her career in Washington, D.C. working for a trade association and then two computer data technology companies as a U.S. Navy department contractor. Later, Nan accepted employment in local government in Fairfax County, VA, the largest county government in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Nan retired from Fairfax County government after 26 ½ years of service; her last position was with the County Executive’s Office. Nan has won numerous awards, including from Fairfax County, also civic and religious organizations. Most recently, she was presented one of five “IMAGE” Awards, awarded in 2020 for the first time. Nan is a Speaker/Presenter/Trainer, Writer, Singer and Event Coordinator. She was president of the Interest Group/Charter Member for James Madison University’s chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.; the oldest African American sorority founded at Howard University, Washington, D.C. As a retiree, Nan spends her time working with several religious and civic organizations in the community. She has served as the Program Director for the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Birthday Celebration in Rappahannock County for the past 18 years. The program has been presented each year in her home county to raise scholarship dollars for students in need. Nan currently serves as President, Scrabble School Preservation Foundation, Inc.; the Foundation highlights and promotes the story of this historic Rosenwald school in Rappahannock County.

Nan also serves on the Board of the Wakefield County Day School, Huntly, VA. Nan holds a Bachelor’s degree from James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA in Mass Communications and a Master’s degree from George Washington University, Washington, D.C. in Education and Human Resource Development. Nan’s closest relative, her only sister, Doretha, and family live in Georgia.

John Tschirky

Sperryville, VA

John is a biologist and natural resource specialist with a particular professional and personal interest in the conservation of biodiversity and the use of public and private parks, refuges, and protected areas as tools to achieve this aim. Now retired, John has a diverse professional background combining extensive marine/terrestrial and temperate/tropical experience in biodiversity and natural resource conservation, protected areas design and operation, and capacity building in both domestic and international settings. His work provided ample opportunities for applying project management, research, fundraising, advocacy, and partnership development to establishing and effectively managing landscapes and seascapes for multiple uses.

After attending Oregon State University (B.S.) and the University of Maryland (M.S.), John’s passions directed him to a career and journey of science and “hands­-on” threatened habitat and species conservation work. This employment, largely in the private non-profit sector, included time with the Smithsonian Institution, The Nature Conservancy, The Wildlife Conservation Society, Conservation International, and the American Bird Conservancy with diverse projects spanning from Florida to Tierra del Fuego, Argentina.

John grew up in New York and Arizona. His first trip to Shenandoah National Park was on a road trip with his father in 1975 that included traveling down Skyline Drive on the way to Jefferson’s Monticello. Later, he lived very close to Grand Canyon National Park and eventually he became a river guide for a rafting concessionaire on the Colorado River. John and his wife, Karen, live in Sperryville on a high ridge adjacent to Shenandoah National Park, and he feels both humbled and privileged to be able to work through SNPT to give something good and meaningful back to Shenandoah National Park – the first of many parks he loves.

Douglas Ward

Woodville, VA

Douglas Ward is a retired physician who fell in love with Shenandoah National Park in 2008, although he’s enjoyed hiking and biking in the area since the mid-80s. He is the founder of Dupont Circle Physicians Group, a private practice in Internal Medicine and Infectious Diseases in Washington, D.C., and the largest HIV/AIDS specialty practice in the MidAtlantic. Doug was also an Educational Speaker for multiple pharmaceutical firms.

Doug earned an undergraduate degree from Dartmouth College; graduated from UMDNJ: New Jersey Medical School; completed his residency in Internal Medicine at The New York Hospital/Cornell Medical Center; and crowned his education with a fellowship in Infectious Diseases at the National Institute of Health, NIAID in Bethesda, Maryland.

Along with his many professional accolades and accomplishments, Doug and his husband Earl are the proud managers of Seven Islands Refuge, a 220-acre waterfowl and wildlife refuge in Woodville, Virginia.

Fun facts: Doug and Earl are avid art collectors; Doug ran for the Virginia House of Delegates in 2021; and Doug served in the Peace Corps teaching junior high school in Liberia!

Cheri Woodard

Sperryville, VA

Cheri Woodard is a serial entrepreneur at heart. She followed the call of the ‘Back to the land Movement’ of the 1970s and arrived in Sperryville, Virginia in 1975 ready to make her mark in her new-found home.

After founding and running the Faith Mountain Company, a successful mail-order business for 23 years, Cheri embarked on starting and selling several other businesses in the area. She began a new chapter in 2002 when she started her real estate career. She quickly found her niche becoming a specialist in selling farms, land, and homes in Rappahannock County. In 2012, Cheri and her husband opened Cheri Woodard Realty, their own brokerage, in the town of Sperryville focusing on Rappahannock and the surrounding counties and have continued developing and growing their company to the largest boutique realty firm in the area.

Cheri is deeply ingrained with the community of Rappahannock County. She served as the President of the Friends of the Rappahannock County Library for 10 years. For 13 years, Cheri was involved with the Headwaters Foundation as the Chair of their successful Taste of Rappahannock event. This event is still the gold standard in Rappahannock having been built on the framework she developed. Currently, she is the Co-Secretary on the Board for the Castleton Festival and is Board Secretary for the Rappahannock County Water Sewer Authority (RCWSA). She was very pleased to join the SNPT Board in January of 2020.

TRUSTEES EMERITI

David Aldrich – Huntly, VA
Frederick Andreae – Bentonville, VA
Don Baur* – Alexandria, VA
Maggie Bullard – Madison, VA
Phebe Cambata – Charlottesville, VA
Dorothy Canter – Bethesda, MD
Ethan Carr – Amherst, MA
David L. Dallas, Jr. – Charlottesville, VA
Janet Eden – Charlottesville, VA
Wendy Fewster – Afton, VA
Maureen Finnerty – Haymarket, VA
Hullihen Williams Moore – Richmond, VA
Stephen E. Nauss – Earlysville, VA
Patrice Neese – Earlysville, VA
Katy Powell – Blacksburg, VA
John Reynolds – Crozet, VA
Peter Rice – Madison, VA
William Schrader – Crozet, VA
V.R. Shackelford* – Orange, VA
Susan Dryden Whitson – Washington, VA
Greg Yates – Culpeper, VA

*indicates that emeritus is deceased

For more information about our Board of Trustees, please email board@snptrust.org.