Emily develops, manages, and tracks VOF’s grant programs, including the Forest CORE Fund and the Appomattox River Fund. She also conducts community outreach, providing links to grant opportunities and collaborative possibilities for community stakeholders and conservation organizations alike. Emily has a bachelor’s in environmental science from the University of Virginia and spent a year as a traveling environmental educator for the Wildlife Center of Virginia, with an assortment of non-releasable opossums, hawks, owls, and snakes in tow.  She also spent 13 years at the Thomas Jefferson Soil & Water Conservation District, where she managed agricultural programs aimed at installing conservation practices on farms in central Virginia. She lives on a farm with her husband, dogs, and two Jersey milk cows and enjoys gardening, cooking, and reading.