Our Board of Directors

Jeff Feldman, President
A leadership development trainer, team building facilitator and green building consultant, Jeff Feldman has been a teacher of one sort or another for over twenty years. With degrees in Environmental Education and Experiential Learning, Jeff served five years on the faculty at Penn State University. In 1993, Jeff founded Eagle’s View Enterprises, a leadership development and team building firm offering training, facilitation and coaching to leaders and organizations across the public and private sectors. Jeff also runs GreenPath Consulting, a green building consulting firm with a focus on supporting people in living more lightly on the planet.  Jeff lives in a solar, strawbale house with his wife, son, dogs, cats and chickens.

 

Jeff Groff, Vice President
Jeff is Assistant Professor of Physics in Shepherd University’s Institute of Environmental and Physical Sciences. He earned a Ph.D. in applied science with a focus on computational biophysics from the College of William and Mary in 2008 and a bachelor’s degree in physics from McDaniel College in 2001. Jeff teaches a variety of introductory and upper-division physics courses including a course he designed called Physics of Energy for environmental sustainability majors.

 

 

Karen Kinnett, Treasurer
Karen has over twenty years of experience in public accounting. She is a trusted advisor to business owners of closely held companies. She graduated with a Bachelors of Business Administration in Accounting from the University of Iowa. She is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Maryland Association of Certified Public Accountants. She is also a member and past president of the Rotary Club of Shepherdstown. Karen is active in public service to her community and currently serves on the finance committees for Good Shepherd Caregivers and the Shepherdstown Presbyterian Church.

Jeffrey Gustafson, Secretary
Jeffrey has a background in community development and urban planning. Also, through his Masters in Public Administration, he has focused on nonprofit management, human resources, budgeting and financial management. Some of his past experience includes workforce development for Ansted, WV; strategic planning for downtown renewal in Montgomery, WV; and a budget analysis of the State of WV Division of Corrections. Jeffrey serves on two local campaigns: Skinner for WV and The Library Project. He has a passion for promoting walkable communities and affordable housing.

 

 

Amy Mathews Amos, Past President
Amy is an environmental consultant and writer with more than 25 years’ experience working on a wide range of environmental issues for non-profit conservation groups, charitable foundations and the federal government.  In previous positions she has served as Vice-President and Program Director for Marine Conservation Biology Institute (now Marine Conservation Institute), Policy Analyst for Sierra Club Legal Defense Fund (now Earthjustice), and Senior Evaluator for the U.S. General Accounting Office (GAO).  In addition to serving on ACFF’s Board, she is Secretary of SkyTruth, she serves on the Board of Marine Conservation Institute.   She received her undergraduate degree from Cornell University’s Department of Natural Resources, holds graduate degrees in environmental science and public policy from Indiana University’s School of Public and Environmental Affairs, and an MA in nonfiction writing from Johns Hopkins University.          

Dave Kirkwood, Board Member
Dave learned an early appreciation for conservation from his father, an avid fly-fisherman. Earning the rank of Eagle Scout further solidified his commitment to preserving the natural world. Dave developed a passion for film in college, receiving a degree in Visual Communication. Over the years, he has worked on films from both sides of the camera.  Dave had careers in advertising and historic building restoration.  He is now retired, renovating his 200-year-old home which is listed as a Frederick County (MD) Landmark.  Dave manages the 10-acre property, the site of an old mill, through the Maryland Woodland Stewart Program for protection of the Chesapeake Bay watershed.

Lauren Ames, Board Member
Lauren is an experienced interior designer who runs her own business, Lauren Ames Interiors, in Shepherdstown, WV and Chestertown, MD.  In Chestertown, she collaborates with the Massoni Gallery, working with regional and national artists.   Previously she worked for the design firm Essary and Murphy ASID, in Atlanta.  Her work emphasizes the combination of contemporary and historical elements and focusses on the importance of artwork in creative and successful design.  She attended Sarah Lawrence College and earned a bachelor’s degree from Georgia State University and a Master of Arts in English from Agnes Scott College.

 

Vanessa Serrao, Board Member
Vanessa is a filmmaker, digital media producer, and life-long conservationist. Her film work has won national awards, screened at multiple film festivals, been featured in the New York Times and received over 6 million views online. In 2013 she founded the boutique digital media consultancy and production company Sparkfire Media. When she’s not making media, Vanessa spends her time screen-free and outdoors with her husband and two children, and blogs about her family’s adventures in nature at NatureBreak.org. With ACFF, Vanessa helps with communications and the filmmaking workshops.

Michael Hobert, Board Member
Michael was born and raised in Clarke County, Virginia, where he has a law practice on Main Street in Berryville.  He believes films are a critical medium to bring public awareness to conservation issues and is excited to support sharing a wide range of documentaries that inform and inspire.  He served for many years as a Virginia County Supervisor and on many non-profit Boards of Directors in the region.

 

Mike Spensley, Board Member
Mike practiced equine medicine for several years after which he returned to academe, completed a residency in equine reproduction, and served on the faculty at the School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California at Davis. He is a fourth generation family member of the Board of Trustees, Surdna Foundation, New York, New York. and is a trustee of People Animals Love (PAL), Washington, DC. The parents of three adult daughters, Mike and his wife, Nancy, live in Charles Town, West Virginia.

 

Janna Bond, Board Member

 Janna is a new resident of West Virginia with a passion for environmental and cultural conservation. An active volunteer, she has aided with several ecology research projects and many community service efforts. She works for a local bank and earned a bachelor’s degree in wildlife ecology and conservation from the University of Florida in 2014.

 

Our Staff

Jennifer Lee, Development & Communications Director
Jennifer lives in Clarke County, Virginia, where she grew up and fell in love with woods, animals, fields, rivers, and bugs. She has worked in development, event planning, and outreach for national and local non-profits dedicated to environmental or historical preservation for most of the last 20 years.  She has served as a columnist and contributing editor to the local newspaper and holds a Communications degree from George Mason University and a Master Gardener’s certification.

 

Hilary Lo, Festival Operations Manager
Hilary’s professional background includes nonprofit development, community outreach and public education.  Her work has led her to serve young students, adults with a disability and seniors.  A lifelong interest in environmental and cultural conservation began on a small farm in the West Virginia hills.  She later earned a bachelor’s degree in Education at WVU.  Always engaged in community activism and continuing education, Hilary has served on the Shepherdstown Public Library Board, the PTO and volunteers at local schools.

Past ACFF Board Members

Keith Alexander, Alice Barkus, Sue Caperton, Steve Chase, Lawrence Cumbo, Chuck Dunkerly, John Grabowska, Thomas Harding, Don Henry, Chris Hoelzl, Catherine Irwin, Judy Katz-Leavy, Alex Kemnitzer, Edward Leavy, David Lillard, Mark Madison, Farzad Mahootian, Rachel Dorsey McGowen, John McGrath, Stan Mopsik, Wendy Mopsik, Sue Pellish, Anne Sechler, Thomas “Topper” Sherwood, Barbara Spicher, Susan Walter, Ann Watson, Lisa Welch, Susan Womeldorf, Lynn Yellott