Meet the VOF Stewardship Staff

Martha Little, Deputy Director of Stewardship, Richmond

Martha Little has deep Virginia roots and received her bachelors and masters degrees from the University of Virginia. Upon graduation, she started working for the City of Portsmouth, Va., as an environmental and historic planner. After a year in Scotland, she returned to Virginia to work for the Hampton Roads Planning District Commission to continue her environmental planning work. After a five-year stint in Georgia as a planner, Martha returned to Virginia in 2000 to work for the Chesapeake Bay Local Assistance Department as Chief of Environmental Planning, and then joined VOF in 2006. Now living in Richmond with her husband and two daughters, she looks forward to the many challenges and prospects that lie ahead.

Melissa Collier, Stewardship Manager, Charlottesville

Melissa Collier joined us from The Nature Conservancy, where she worked in their Charlottesville and Richmond offices for four years. At TNC, she assisted landscape programs with baseline documentation reports, easement monitoring, and other stewardship needs in the Northern Neck, Middle Peninsula, and Southeast areas. Melissa has a master’s degree in biological anthropology and conducted a study on wild chimpanzees in Uganda, East Africa, for her thesis work. Originally from California, she is a huge admirer of the great outdoors and looks forward to helping with the protection of Virginia’s open spaces and farmlands. On the lighter side, she enjoys hiking, being on the water in any way, cooking, volleyball and yoga.

Harry Hibbitts, Stewardship Specialist, Staunton

Harry Hibbitts joined the Staunton VOF office in 2007 as a Stewardship Specialist. He completed his graduate work at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville studying Urban & Environmental Planning and has an undergraduate degree in Geology from James Madison University of Harrisonburg, Virginia. Prior to graduate school, Harry worked for the Virginia Division of Mineral Resources and has interned with the Center for Watershed Protection in Ellicott City, Md. He originates from Charlottesville and is an avid cyclist who also enjoys building bicycles.

Kerry Hutcherson, Stewardship Staff Counsel, Richmond

Kerry Hutcherson spent his childhood and teenage years in Chesterfield County, Va. During this time, he observed Chesterfield’s farms and forests give way to strip malls and sprawling residential development. After obtaining his bachelor's in english and philosophy at Virginia Tech, he traveled to Pace University in New York to study environmental law. Inspired by what he learned at Pace’s Land Use Law Center, Kerry returned to Virginia and embarked on a mission to bring smart growth to the Richmond region. While completing a dual degree in law and urban planning at the University of Richmond and Virginia Commonwealth University, he interned at The Nature Conservancy, VOF, and the Office of the Attorney General. In his time off, Kerry enjoys writing and recording songs, cooking, and traveling by foot, bicycle, or transit.

Abbe Kennedy, Stewardship Assistant, Staunton

Abbe Kennedy holds a bachelor's in landscape architecture from Virginia Tech, and has worked both in private practices in design and engineering and in local government planning at the town and county levels. While not working with VOF, She serves as a planning commissioner in her county of Shenandoah. Abbe lives on a small farm with her husband and three children, who all enjoy the outdoor sports of hiking, fishing, canoeing, and kayaking. She says, “While working with the Virginia Outdoors Foundation, it is such a pleasure to work with landowners who share the values of protecting the rural character and conservation values of this beautiful region.”

Joe Kuhn, Stewardship Specialist, Charlottesville

Joseph Kuhn joined us from an Environmental Engineering firm in Gainesville, Fla., where he worked as a wetland scientist and project manager for three years. At the firm, he specialized in wetland creation and monitoring, wildlife studies, and gopher tortoise relocation. He has a bachelor’s degree in environmental science from the Richard Stockton College of New Jersey and a master’s degree in outdoor recreation management from the University of Florida. For his master’s degree, Joe studied recreational boater conflicts in the Deschutes National Forest in Oregon. He looks forward to assisting in the conservation and protection of open lands in Virginia. He enjoys camping, disc golf, music, and any activities on the water.

John Peters, Stewardship Specialist, Richmond

John Peters was born and raised in Lynchburg, Va. After moving to Christiansburg, he attended Virginia Tech, where he received a bachelor’s degree in environmental policy and planning. After graduation, he interned as a stewardship assistant with Pacific Forest Trust in San Francisco. He currently resides in Richmond, where he enjoys traveling, hiking, and music.

Andrea Reese, Stewardship Specialist, Warrenton

Andrea Reese joined the Warrenton office of VOF in 2007 as a Stewardship Specialist. She previously worked for the Connecticut Farmland Trust, aiding with stewardship of protected farms, writing grant applications, and creating outreach materials. She holds a master’s degrees in public policy and environmental management from Duke University and has additional experience in lobbying and program evaluation. She interned with the Piedmont Environmental Council during graduate school, researching stewardship issues and helping monitor protected land in Fauquier County. Andrea grew up in a small town in Idaho, so after living in Connecticut, the Research Triangle, and southern California, she’s glad to be back in a rural area. She enjoys writing, hiking, and cooking.

Erika Richardson, Stewardship Specialist, Warrenton

Erika Richardson has been a Stewardship Specialist with VOF since 2006. She works in the Warrenton office and stewards Loudoun, Fauquier, Prince William, Fairfax, and Arlington counties. She thoroughly enjoys her time spent visiting easement properties and their owners. Prior to VOF, she worked for several years with the Piedmont Environmental Council as its land conservation coordinator. She has lived in Virginia since 2002 after moving from her hometown of New Orleans. She has a psychology degree from Louisiana State University and a biology degree from the University of New Orleans. Erika enjoys exploring Virginia, hiking, kayaking, backpacking, rockclimbing, traveling, and spending time with her dog and cats.

George Sutton, Stewardship Assistant, Warrenton

George Sutton holds a bachelor's degree from the University of Maryland’s College of Agriculture in conservation and resource development. He retired from the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in 2004. His last position with NRCS was district conservationist in Fauquier County for 12 years, where he worked closely with the John Marshall Soil and Water Conservation District, landowners, and various other local, state, and federal agencies. George enjoys fishing, hiking, skiing, traveling, and working on vehicles. He is married and has a son Timothy, a daughter Laura, and two granddaughters, Hannah and Hope.

Ryan Walker, Stewardship Specialist, Blacksburg

Ryan Walker stewards properties in the Southwest region. He grew up in Fairfax, Va., but his family originally hails from Grayson and Smyth Counties in Southwest Virginia. Ryan did both his bachelor's and master's studies in urban and regional planning at Virginia Tech. He continues to live in Blacksburg and root for the Hokies. He enjoys almost all outdoor activities and is particularly fond of cool fall or winter days in the Mt. Rogers area. He always looks forward to traveling and discovering new places.

Bill Wasserman, Stewardship Assistant, Abingdon

Bill Wasserman has worked as a Conservation Easement Specialist for the Virginia Outdoors Foundation for four years, establishing VOF's easement program in Southwest Virginia before moving over to the stewardship program. Bill is a carpenter, furniture-maker, and forest landowner with 500 acres under conservation easement on Clinch Mountain in Russell County. He is also the founder and current President of the Land Trust for Southwest Virginia.

Erin Wilson, Stewardship Assistant, Charlottesville

Erin Wilson was born and raised in rural Southampton County. She is a graduate of Randolph-Macon Woman’s College in Lynchburg, and holds a bachelor of science degree in biology. Since joining VOF, she has enjoyed meeting landowners from all walks of life while visiting the most beautiful places in the Commonwealth. In her free time, she attends classes in hopes of achieving a master’s degree, and she also enjoys exploring the surrounding countryside on horseback or with her adopted Weimaraner, Luke.