Education Fund Board of Directors
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Carey Whitehead
Treasurer
Carey Whitehead is an attorney in the Office of General Counsel at the U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. She also serves as lead program counsel to the Section 108 Loan Guarantee program and related Brownfields Economic Development Initiative grants, and serves on HUD’s Resilience Counsel. She helped author HUD’s Climate Change Adaptation […]
Carey Whitehead is an attorney in the Office of General Counsel at the U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
She also serves as lead program counsel to the Section 108 Loan Guarantee program and related Brownfields Economic Development Initiative grants, and serves on HUD’s Resilience Counsel. She helped author HUD’s Climate Change Adaptation Plan, and works on other issues in the areas of resilience, economic development, disaster response and recovery, homeland security, administrative and appropriations law, environmental law, and community development.
Carey holds a J.D. from Lewis and Clark Law School, where she graduated cum laude in 2009 with a Certificate in Environmental and Natural Resources Law. She served as an executive board member of Environmental Law (the nation’s oldest law review dedicated solely to environmental issues) and as a member of the Ninth Circuit Review.
Carey previously served as the executive director of the Virginia Conservation Network and worked for the Piedmont Environmental Council. She graduated as a member of the 2003 class of the Virginia Natural Resources Leadership Institute. She has served on the Board of Directors of the Virginia League of Conservation Voters since 2010.
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Dana Wiggins
Chair Emeritus
Dana Wiggins is the Director of Outreach and Financial Advocacy for the Virginia Poverty Law Center, where she is an advocate on low-income financial policy issues. Dana’s background and degree and early career started working on the environmental issues. She has participated in efforts to protect the environment for over 25 years, because she thinks […]
Dana Wiggins is the Director of Outreach and Financial Advocacy for the Virginia Poverty Law Center, where she is an advocate on low-income financial policy issues.
Dana’s background and degree and early career started working on the environmental issues. She has participated in efforts to protect the environment for over 25 years, because she thinks we need to preserve open space, land, clean water and soil, and animals for us and for the next generation. She cares about conservation so that the quality of life for everyone is enriched and enhanced, not degraded or taken away.
Dana enjoys her work with VALCV-EF because she likes staying engaged in environmental issues, and sometimes having the opportunity to merge her passion for low-income advocacy with her passion for the environment and advocacy on environmental issues. Dana loves being a part of an organization that encourages civic engagement as a means to change policies around the environment, and that pushes decision-makers to be strong leaders in conservation efforts, and thinks the mission and action of the organization is important and gives conservation a political and advocacy voice.
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Dawone Robinson
Dawone Robinson leads NRDC’s robust team of state and regional place-based climate and energy advocates across the United States. During his time at NRDC, Robinson has worked successfully with coalition partners, utilities, and lawmakers to secure numerous climate and energy victories at the state level, emphasizing equitable solutions for low-income and minority communities. In his […]
Dawone Robinson leads NRDC’s robust team of state and regional place-based climate and energy advocates across the United States. During his time at NRDC, Robinson has worked successfully with coalition partners, utilities, and lawmakers to secure numerous climate and energy victories at the state level, emphasizing equitable solutions for low-income and minority communities. In his previous role, Robinson led NRDC’s strategic evaluation for the institution’s recent expansion in the southern United States region. Prior to NRDC, Robinson was the Virginia policy director for the Chesapeake Climate Action Network in Richmond, VA. He was appointed to the Virginia Solar Energy Development Authority and the Commonwealth’s first Environmental Justice Advisory Council by Governor Terry McAuliffe. Robinson received his bachelor’s degree from Iowa State University and his JD from Drake University Law School, with certificates in public service and legislative practice. He resides in Washington, D.C.
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Dr. RIchard Groover
Dr. Richard Groover is a Fellow of the Virginia Academy of Science. He teaches graduate seminars at George Mason University. Dr. Groover is the author of The Environmental Almanac of Virginia, 2nd edition and Environmental Cartoons for Teachers, and a co-author of Cicada Olympics. He has a PhD in Environmental Science & Public Policy from […]
Dr. Richard Groover is a Fellow of the Virginia Academy of Science. He teaches graduate seminars at George Mason University. Dr. Groover is the author of The Environmental Almanac of Virginia, 2nd edition and Environmental Cartoons for Teachers, and a co-author of Cicada Olympics. He has a PhD in Environmental Science & Public Policy from George Mason University. His current research is on coyotes of Hanover County, VA and black vultures’ behavior in Central Virginia.
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Kathie Hoekstra
Chair
Kathie Hoekstra is an attorney and the past chair of the City of Alexandria’s Environmental Policy Commission from 2020-24. City Council appoints all EPC members who are to advise them on matters concerning the environment. Under Kathie’s leadership, the EPC became much more active – moving from a social club – to actively advocating for […]
Kathie Hoekstra is an attorney and the past chair of the City of Alexandria’s Environmental Policy Commission from 2020-24. City Council appoints all EPC members who are to advise them on matters concerning the environment. Under Kathie’s leadership, the EPC became much more active – moving from a social club – to actively advocating for very specific programs and projects to fight the climate crisis. These included: 1) creating a new Office of Climate Action, 2) reforming the City’s Green Building Policy to move to net zero energy, and 3) greatly expanding the City’s communications with residents and businesses to learn about how to save money and protect the planet for future generations. Each year as Chair, Kathie summarized a list of “legislative asks” for City Council prior to the GA session. During that process, she learned about VaLCV and its great leadership and team that does such amazing advocacy work. After leaving as chair, Kathie decided to create her own nonprofit this August – SustainALX – to continue her strong advocacy for fighting the climate crisis. Its goal is to fund incentive energy efficiency and education projects that the City lacks the direct legal authority to do.
Until her retirement in 2021, Kathie worked at the Federal Aviation Administration leading software design projects to improve safety for pilots in the cockpit focusing on human factors – the science of making it easy to do things right and difficult to do them wrong. Prior to the FAA, Kathie worked at the FDIC helping to resolve the savings and loan crisis. Following over 30 years of government service, Kathie retired and turned to her primary passion – the environment and the climate crisis.
Kathie studied ecology in college and has always been concerned about the environment – spending most summers hiking in the Cascades or Canadian Rockies since she was five. After college, she earned her JD from John Marshall Law School in Chicago and a Master Degree in Environmental Law (LLM) from George Washington University Law School. In 2017, Kathie attended VP Al Gore’s Climate Reality 3-day training to get the facts and be able to give presentations on the climate crisis. As a direct result, she installed solar panels on her home and now has electric bills of $7 per month under Virginia’s net metering program.
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Kim Sudderth
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Regan Pickett
Regan Pickett is a life-long Virginia resident. She currently lives in Richmond, VA but spent the prior 17 years in Fauquier County, VA where she served as a Board Member of the Goose Creek Association. Regan works for IEEE, the world’s largest technical professional organization dedicated to advancing technology for the benefit of humanity. IEEE […]
Regan Pickett is a life-long Virginia resident. She currently lives in Richmond, VA but spent the prior 17 years in Fauquier County, VA where she served as a Board Member of the Goose Creek Association.
Regan works for IEEE, the world’s largest technical professional organization dedicated to advancing technology for the benefit of humanity. IEEE and its members inspire a global community through its highly cited publications, conferences, technology standards, and professional and educational activities. She received her BA from The College of William and Mary.
Regan also serves as Secretary of the Sherwood Park Civic Association in Richmond, VA. She is glad to be working to help protect Virginia’s environment.