Virginia Master Naturalist Executive Committee
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The Executive Committee oversees the operations of the program and helps guide its direction. The committee is made up of representatives of our program's sponsoring state agencies. The current Executive Committee members include:
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Dean Cumbia, Virginia Department of Forestry
Dean P. Cumbia has a long history in forestry, having joined the Virginia Department of Forestry (VDOF) in 1985 and currently serving the agency as Director of Forest Resource Management. In his role, Mr. Cumbia oversees rural forestry and private landowner assistance programs including management planning and reforestation. He directs program managers in forest water quality, urban forestry, forest health and forest inventory. Mr. Cumbia holds a bachelor’s degree in forestry and wildlife from Virginia Tech.
Dean P. Cumbia has a long history in forestry, having joined the Virginia Department of Forestry (VDOF) in 1985 and currently serving the agency as Director of Forest Resource Management. In his role, Mr. Cumbia oversees rural forestry and private landowner assistance programs including management planning and reforestation. He directs program managers in forest water quality, urban forestry, forest health and forest inventory. Mr. Cumbia holds a bachelor’s degree in forestry and wildlife from Virginia Tech.
Harvey Darden, Virginia Department of Forestry
Harvey Darden is the VA Department of Forestry Director of State Lands which includes the department’s 24 state forests where various VMN chapters have conducted volunteer projects. He is a charter member and on the Board of Directors with the VMN Historic Southside Chapter. His career has been dedicated to managing and improving the forest landscape and has included work on the first private landowner USFWS safe harbor agreement in Virginia for the red cockaded woodpecker; preservation of a site containing several national and state champion trees; and the restoration of native longleaf pine in southeast Virginia.
Harvey Darden is the VA Department of Forestry Director of State Lands which includes the department’s 24 state forests where various VMN chapters have conducted volunteer projects. He is a charter member and on the Board of Directors with the VMN Historic Southside Chapter. His career has been dedicated to managing and improving the forest landscape and has included work on the first private landowner USFWS safe harbor agreement in Virginia for the red cockaded woodpecker; preservation of a site containing several national and state champion trees; and the restoration of native longleaf pine in southeast Virginia.
Karen Duhring, VIMS Center for Coastal Resources Management
Karen Duhring has 25 years of experience as a coastal management scientist. She has been with the Virginia Institute of Marine Science - Center for Coastal Resources Management since 1999. Karen presently serves as the Center’s outreach coordinator with programs, publications, and advisory service related to shoreline stabilization and living shorelines, coastal wetlands and riparian buffers, and conservation landscaping with native plants. Karen teaches Virginia Master Naturalist basic training classes covering coastal and estuarine ecology and management. Karen is the caretaker of the VIMS Teaching Marsh with help from Virginia Master Naturalist volunteers. This is a 1-acre demonstration wetland and riparian buffer habitat on campus where visitors and students can learn about coastal plants, habitats, sea level rise, and stormwater runoff. Karen has a B.A. in Environmental Studies from New College in Sarasota, Florida and a M.S. in Coastal Zone Management from Florida Institute of Technology in Melbourne, Florida.
Karen Duhring has 25 years of experience as a coastal management scientist. She has been with the Virginia Institute of Marine Science - Center for Coastal Resources Management since 1999. Karen presently serves as the Center’s outreach coordinator with programs, publications, and advisory service related to shoreline stabilization and living shorelines, coastal wetlands and riparian buffers, and conservation landscaping with native plants. Karen teaches Virginia Master Naturalist basic training classes covering coastal and estuarine ecology and management. Karen is the caretaker of the VIMS Teaching Marsh with help from Virginia Master Naturalist volunteers. This is a 1-acre demonstration wetland and riparian buffer habitat on campus where visitors and students can learn about coastal plants, habitats, sea level rise, and stormwater runoff. Karen has a B.A. in Environmental Studies from New College in Sarasota, Florida and a M.S. in Coastal Zone Management from Florida Institute of Technology in Melbourne, Florida.
Bob Duncan, Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries
Bob Duncan is the Executive Director of DGIF, a position he has held since February, 2008. Bob has been a Wildlife professional for 40 years with 36 years at DGIF. He served as the DGIF Chief of Wildlife for 18 years prior to becoming the agency head. Bob joined DGIF in 1978 as a District Biologist after serving in District and Regional Biologists roles for the state Wildlife Agencies in Kansas and Tennessee. Duncan has undergraduate and graduate degrees in Forestry and Wildlife Management and he is a Certified Wildlife Biologist. He is a member of a number of professional organizations and has held leadership roles in a number of those groups. He has served as Vice-President of the Southeastern Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies and as Southeastern Representative to the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies and Executive Board. Bob served for 27 years on the Southeast Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study Steering Committee and was Chairman of that regional group for 14 years. As you might guess, Bob's work has been recognized by a number of conservation organizations with awards from the Wildlife Society, the Virginia Wildlife Federation, and the State Chapters of the National Wild Turkey Federation in both Tennessee and Virginia. In 2002, he was awarded the Leonard Lee Rue III Natural Resource Stewardship Award presented by the Return to Nature Program for educational outreach. Bob is a native of Radford, Virginia and his early days on the New River and in the out-of-doors in southwest Virginia ensured that he would in fact become an avid lifelong sportsman. He and his wife, Dr. Suzanne Nash Duncan, reside in Henrico County.
Bob Duncan is the Executive Director of DGIF, a position he has held since February, 2008. Bob has been a Wildlife professional for 40 years with 36 years at DGIF. He served as the DGIF Chief of Wildlife for 18 years prior to becoming the agency head. Bob joined DGIF in 1978 as a District Biologist after serving in District and Regional Biologists roles for the state Wildlife Agencies in Kansas and Tennessee. Duncan has undergraduate and graduate degrees in Forestry and Wildlife Management and he is a Certified Wildlife Biologist. He is a member of a number of professional organizations and has held leadership roles in a number of those groups. He has served as Vice-President of the Southeastern Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies and as Southeastern Representative to the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies and Executive Board. Bob served for 27 years on the Southeast Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study Steering Committee and was Chairman of that regional group for 14 years. As you might guess, Bob's work has been recognized by a number of conservation organizations with awards from the Wildlife Society, the Virginia Wildlife Federation, and the State Chapters of the National Wild Turkey Federation in both Tennessee and Virginia. In 2002, he was awarded the Leonard Lee Rue III Natural Resource Stewardship Award presented by the Return to Nature Program for educational outreach. Bob is a native of Radford, Virginia and his early days on the New River and in the out-of-doors in southwest Virginia ensured that he would in fact become an avid lifelong sportsman. He and his wife, Dr. Suzanne Nash Duncan, reside in Henrico County.
Nancy Heltman, Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation
Nancy Heltman has been with Virginia State Parks in the Department of Conservation and Recreation for 18 years. Currently serving as the Visitor Services Director, she manages the Visitor Experience, Community Engagement and Volunteerism, Marketing and Customer Service program areas. Prior to her tenure with Virginia State Parks she worked in the private sector. She has a B.A. in Government and MBA both from the College of William and Mary. She lives with her husband David in Sandston with two dogs and four cats.
Nancy Heltman has been with Virginia State Parks in the Department of Conservation and Recreation for 18 years. Currently serving as the Visitor Services Director, she manages the Visitor Experience, Community Engagement and Volunteerism, Marketing and Customer Service program areas. Prior to her tenure with Virginia State Parks she worked in the private sector. She has a B.A. in Government and MBA both from the College of William and Mary. She lives with her husband David in Sandston with two dogs and four cats.
John Munsell, Virginia Tech and Virginia Cooperative Extension
John Munsell is an Associate Professor and Forest Management Extension Specialist in the Department of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation at Virginia Tech. His role with the Virginia Master Naturalist Program is that of on-campus faculty contact. His teaching responsibilities include the department’s Agroforesty course and Human Dimensions Graduate Seminar. His areas of professional interest include: Private Forest Stewardship, Agroforestry and Whole Farm Planning, Bioenergy and Family Forest Sustainability, Collaborative Conservation and Integrated Natural Resources Problem Solving. He resides in Blacksburg with his family.
John Munsell is an Associate Professor and Forest Management Extension Specialist in the Department of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation at Virginia Tech. His role with the Virginia Master Naturalist Program is that of on-campus faculty contact. His teaching responsibilities include the department’s Agroforesty course and Human Dimensions Graduate Seminar. His areas of professional interest include: Private Forest Stewardship, Agroforestry and Whole Farm Planning, Bioenergy and Family Forest Sustainability, Collaborative Conservation and Integrated Natural Resources Problem Solving. He resides in Blacksburg with his family.
Chris Ludwig, Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation
Chris Ludwig has been with the Division of Natural Heritage within the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation since 1988. For his first 10 years with Natural Heritage, he served as the Staff Botanist, traversing the state in search of rare plants and significant conservation sites. Since 1998, he has served as the Chief Biologist, directing a team of botanists, zoologists, and ecologists in their quest to identify all of the rare species populations and significant natural communities in Virginia. In 2001 he co-founded the Flora of Virginia Foundation, formed to produce the first modern manual to the vascular plants of Virginia. The Flora was published in 2012 and was in its 2nd printing by late 2013. Chris’ wide range of interests in biology is reflected in his other professional experiences. In addition to work with Virginia Natural Heritage, Chris worked as an ornithologist with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, a butterfly surveyor for Maryland Natural Heritage, a data technician in the bird skeleton collection at the Smithsonian Institution, and as an Ecologist for The Nature Conservancy. Chris and his wife Jolie live on ten woodland acres in far western Hanover County, Virginia. They enjoy frequent visits from their college-attending daughters Jane and Rachel and, when time allows, take exotic vacations to foreign countries in search of birds and exciting natural history experiences.
Chris Ludwig has been with the Division of Natural Heritage within the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation since 1988. For his first 10 years with Natural Heritage, he served as the Staff Botanist, traversing the state in search of rare plants and significant conservation sites. Since 1998, he has served as the Chief Biologist, directing a team of botanists, zoologists, and ecologists in their quest to identify all of the rare species populations and significant natural communities in Virginia. In 2001 he co-founded the Flora of Virginia Foundation, formed to produce the first modern manual to the vascular plants of Virginia. The Flora was published in 2012 and was in its 2nd printing by late 2013. Chris’ wide range of interests in biology is reflected in his other professional experiences. In addition to work with Virginia Natural Heritage, Chris worked as an ornithologist with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, a butterfly surveyor for Maryland Natural Heritage, a data technician in the bird skeleton collection at the Smithsonian Institution, and as an Ecologist for The Nature Conservancy. Chris and his wife Jolie live on ten woodland acres in far western Hanover County, Virginia. They enjoy frequent visits from their college-attending daughters Jane and Rachel and, when time allows, take exotic vacations to foreign countries in search of birds and exciting natural history experiences.
Ann Regn, Virginia Department of Environmental Quality
Ann is the Director of Public Information and Outreach with the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality. As former director of the Virginia Office of Environmental Education, she worked with the Virginia Department of Education to strengthen environmental learning and align natural resource education within the Standards of Learning (SOLs). She is a board member of the Flora of Virginia and the founder of the Jefferson Chapter of the Virginia Native Plants Society. In 2003 she was named Environmental Educator of the Year by the Chesapeake Bay Foundation. The Virginia Museum of Natural History honored Regn with its Thomas Jefferson Award for Conservation in 2013.
Ann is the Director of Public Information and Outreach with the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality. As former director of the Virginia Office of Environmental Education, she worked with the Virginia Department of Education to strengthen environmental learning and align natural resource education within the Standards of Learning (SOLs). She is a board member of the Flora of Virginia and the founder of the Jefferson Chapter of the Virginia Native Plants Society. In 2003 she was named Environmental Educator of the Year by the Chesapeake Bay Foundation. The Virginia Museum of Natural History honored Regn with its Thomas Jefferson Award for Conservation in 2013.
Bob Smith, Virginia Tech and Virginia Cooperative Extension
Bob is head of the Department of Sustainable Biomaterials and Associate Dean for Extension in the College of Natural Resources and Environment. Bob holds a Ph.D. from Virginia Tech in Forest Products Marketing, a MBA from the University of Wisconsin at Oshkosh, and a B.S. in Wood and Fiber Utilization from Michigan Tech. Bob has taught undergraduate and graduate courses in the areas of wood science, business management, and forest products marketing. As an extension specialist for 14 years his work focused on assisting companies with business and marketing issues to help increase their competitiveness. His research efforts have focused in industrial marketing and new opportunities for wood in world markets. Prior to completing his Ph.D., he worked for a major U.S. manufacturer of wood products for 14 years as a production manager and sales representative in the Midwest.
Bob is head of the Department of Sustainable Biomaterials and Associate Dean for Extension in the College of Natural Resources and Environment. Bob holds a Ph.D. from Virginia Tech in Forest Products Marketing, a MBA from the University of Wisconsin at Oshkosh, and a B.S. in Wood and Fiber Utilization from Michigan Tech. Bob has taught undergraduate and graduate courses in the areas of wood science, business management, and forest products marketing. As an extension specialist for 14 years his work focused on assisting companies with business and marketing issues to help increase their competitiveness. His research efforts have focused in industrial marketing and new opportunities for wood in world markets. Prior to completing his Ph.D., he worked for a major U.S. manufacturer of wood products for 14 years as a production manager and sales representative in the Midwest.
David K. Whitehurst, Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries
David has 39 years of experience with the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries and 41 years of experience as a fish and wildlife biologist. He is currently Director of the Department's Bureau of Wildlife Resources. He has held a number of positions within the Department including Director of Fisheries, Funding Initiative Coordinator, Deputy Director of Operations, and Director of the Wildlife Diversity Division for the Agency and has been active in legislative initiatives at the state and federal level. He led the legislative component for two major funding initiatives of the Department in 1994 and 1998 that provided significant new sources of funding and was actively involved in the Wallop Breaux expansion and the CARA/State Wildlife Grants funding efforts. He currently serves as Chair of the Appalachian Mountains Joint Venture, as Chair of the Appalachian Landscape Conservation Cooperative, as the Partners-in-Flight representative to the North American Bird Conservation Initiative, as a member of the Southeastern Conservation Adaptation Strategy and the Board of Directors for the Fishing Education Foundation/National Fishing in Schools Program. He has also served as President of the Southern Division of the American Fisheries Society (AFS), the President of the Fisheries Administrators Section of AFS, and President of the Fisheries Management Section of AFS. He has received a number of awards and recognitions at the state, regional, and national levels including the Coastal America Partnership Award from President Bush in 2004, the C.W. Watson Award from the Southeastern Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, the Southeast Section of The Wildlife Society, and the Southern Division of the American Fisheries Society in 2012, and the Seth Gordon Award from the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies in 2013.
David has 39 years of experience with the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries and 41 years of experience as a fish and wildlife biologist. He is currently Director of the Department's Bureau of Wildlife Resources. He has held a number of positions within the Department including Director of Fisheries, Funding Initiative Coordinator, Deputy Director of Operations, and Director of the Wildlife Diversity Division for the Agency and has been active in legislative initiatives at the state and federal level. He led the legislative component for two major funding initiatives of the Department in 1994 and 1998 that provided significant new sources of funding and was actively involved in the Wallop Breaux expansion and the CARA/State Wildlife Grants funding efforts. He currently serves as Chair of the Appalachian Mountains Joint Venture, as Chair of the Appalachian Landscape Conservation Cooperative, as the Partners-in-Flight representative to the North American Bird Conservation Initiative, as a member of the Southeastern Conservation Adaptation Strategy and the Board of Directors for the Fishing Education Foundation/National Fishing in Schools Program. He has also served as President of the Southern Division of the American Fisheries Society (AFS), the President of the Fisheries Administrators Section of AFS, and President of the Fisheries Management Section of AFS. He has received a number of awards and recognitions at the state, regional, and national levels including the Coastal America Partnership Award from President Bush in 2004, the C.W. Watson Award from the Southeastern Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, the Southeast Section of The Wildlife Society, and the Southern Division of the American Fisheries Society in 2012, and the Seth Gordon Award from the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies in 2013.