RLEP's Board of Directors

At RLEP's annual membership meeting in October 2010, the Board of Directors elected Rick Kohler as president of the organization. Board members include:

• Phil Irwin has lived in Rappahannock since 1960 and was the catalyst for the establishment of RLEP formed to oppose a new electric transmission line. He set up the inaugural meeting 15 December 1970 and served as president for 17 years. After 40 years, Phil is currently on the board as emeritus member.
• Gale Johnson has been a Rappahannock landowner since 1971 and has been a full time resident for the past 11 years. He has been on the RLEP Board for two of years and chaired the Power Line Alliance. Gale is interested in building the RLEP membership. He worked public relations and advertising with a major world-wide advertising agency for many years. His clients there included many major US corporations including Dupont AgriculturalChemicals and Pfizer Animal Health. He is also a board member of RCCA (Rappahannock Council Conservation Alliance) and the Old Dominion Hounds, a fox hunting club. He was born and raised on a farm in Northwest Iowa and has a degree in journalism from Iowa State University.
• Marshall Jones first lived in Rappahannock in 1990 and commuted to his job with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in DC for many years. This is his third year on the RLEP board. He is taking the lead on the Green Infrastructure Initiative. Marshall is also interested in building the quality and quantity of the board and encouraging RLEP members to take on specific projects. Marshall works with the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute at Front Royal and has a strong personal and professional interest in biodiversity and conservation, locally and internationally.
• Rick Kohler has served on the RLEP Board for 6 years and was elected president this year. He is interested in biodiversity, preserving open spaces and creating strong links for RLEP with other conservation organizations as well as the entire Rappahannock community. Rick works as a real estate broker in Washington, VA, with Better Homes & Gardens Real Estate III. Other information is available at www.rappahannocklife.com.
• Ron Makela first became interested in conservation issues as a resident in Arizona in 1970s. Later he took this interest to Virginia Beach, where he worked with the fire department and was involved with planning and zoning issues. He is keen to see RLEP find a strong focus and raise its profile.
• Jim Moorman has a strong interest in local, national and global conservation and environmental issues. He has had a long career in environmental law, including service as executive director of the Sierra Club Legal Defense Fund and as Assistant Attorney General of the Land & Natural Resources Division of the U.S. Department of Justice. He served as counsel for the Power-line Landowners Association before the State Corporation Commission in the recent dispute with Dominion Power.
• Jeanette Murry is a new Rappahannock resident (Sept 2009) but has wanted to live here since she first visited in 1994. She fell in love with the natural beauty of the county and is committed to helping retain this. Jeanette has completed the coursework for a Graduate Diploma in Sustainability Sciences and holds a Masters in Management (both from Australian Universities). She has worked with a team to design and develop learning programs in climate change and sustainability in her role as a Senior Learning Specialist at the World Bank. Jeanette is also a LEAD International Associate and has taken training programs in Canada and Mexico on environmental sustainability issues. Before moving to the US in 2001, Jeanette worked as a lecturer in Business Administration at Macquarie University and consulted on technology for government and private organizations. She is still very interested in technology and its uses, particularly for environmental purposes. She just completed the Arlington County CERT Training.
• Sam Quinn is new to Virginia and is the conservation manager at the Farm at Sunnyside. He is qualified in and has a strong interest in landscape ecology and spatial modeling.
• Jeff Smith has been involved in conservation issues for 35 years. He started hiking in Rappahannock and nearby areas 25 years ago and bought property in the County 11 years ago. Jeff was the former secretary of RLEP. Keeping Rappahannock natural is one of his major interests. Retaining the 25 acre zoning and being alert to any legal challenges to the zoning is important for the county.
• Monica Worth joined the RLEP board several years ago and served as its President prior to Rick Kohler. She is a musician and runs a public relations agency. She hopes her work with RLEP will help to promote understanding of a relationship with the natural world as an essential component of health.
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• Emily Cook is serving her third year on the board.

RLEP's Mission, History, and Accomplishments

The Rappahannock League for Environmental Protection is dedicated to preserving the natural resources and rural character of Rappahannock County, Virginia.

Who and What We Are

• A local citizen-based conservation group open to all who share our values and vision.

• A non-profit, tax-exempt 501(c)(3) corporation staffed by volunteers. Donations are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law. The League is non-partisan and does not support political candidates.

• Affiliated with state and regional conservation groups, including the Piedmont Environmental Council and the Virginia Conservation Network.

• Guided by a Board of Directors comprised of county residents, local landowners, and regional enthusiasts.

A Little History. In 1970, eighty-five conservationists in a young environmental group challenged a giant utility’s plans to erect huge towers and 138,000-volt transmission lines through the heart of Rappahannock County. RLEP led a 15-month fight that forced the utility to withdraw its plans. In the years since, the League has confronted other threats to the rural community it serves. Now one of the region's senior conservation groups, RLEP is a strong voice for environmental protection and carefully planned growth—a voice heard well beyond the county's borders.

A Sense of Values. In all its activities, RLEP is guided by a sense of values rooted in the preservation of Rappahannock County's priceless natural resources, farm land, scenic beauty, and rural character. We support policies and actions that protect and enhance these gifts, and oppose those that threaten to destroy or degrade them.

As unchecked growth in surrounding counties continues to threaten our rural landscape, it is more important that ever for Rappahannock citizens to support this agenda of preservation. The League's program emphasizes a comprehensive approach:

• Education. RLEP publishes a newsletter, the RLEP News, maintains this website, and sponsors numerous educational programs to benefit county residents.

• Natural resources. The League works for the preservation of open space and scenic beauty through scenic river and road designations, use-value taxation, protection of wildlife habitat and ecosystems, and conscientious stewardship of public and private lands. Protection of the county's scenic ridgetops and erosion-prone mountain slopes also is critical to maintaining the beauty of the Blue Ridge and the quality of water throughout our watersheds and beyond.
• Farming. RLEP recognizes that farmland generates more property-tax revenues than its occupants receive in county services, while subdivisions generate high-cost needs for schools, sewers, streets, and services in excess of tax revenues received. The League supports lower assessments for farm and forest land that reflect this reality. We also favor the continuing establishment of agricultural and forestal districts and the County's Purchase of Development Rights program for farmers. Preserving farms helps save the county’s scenic vistas, rural lifestyle, and its appeal to tourists.

We need your help in these important endeavors. If you are not already a member, click on this link to JOIN US!