The Virginia Outdoors Foundation, holder of more open-space easements than any land trust in the nation, has selected Brett C. Glymph, of Springfield, Va., to be the organization’s new Executive Director starting September 1, 2013.
Since 2006, Glymph has worked as assistant attorney general in the Real Estate and Land Use Section of the Virginia Attorney General’s office. Her duties have included serving as special counsel for VOF, drafting and reviewing many of the policies and legal decisions related to VOF’s portfolio of more than 3,500 open-space easements. She earned her Juris Doctorate from the William and Mary Marshall-Wythe School of Law in Williamsburg, and she also holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Foreign Affairs from the University of Virginia.
“VOF has more than doubled its portfolio of protected land in the last seven years, and Brett has been there every step of the way,” said VOF Board of Trustees Chairman Charles H. Seilheimer, Jr. “Under her leadership, we are confident that VOF will maintain the high level of credibility and integrity it is known for both regionally and nationally.”
Glymph will assume responsibilities from Bob Lee, of Warrenton, who announced his retirement in June.
Lee became VOF’s Executive Director in 2004 following a 30-year career as a county administrator for Fauquier and Clarke counties. Under his leadership, VOF protected more than 400,000 acres of open space across 98 localities, thereby strengthening Virginia’s position as a national leader in voluntary land conservation. Lee modernized and expanded VOF’s stewardship division, secured new funding sources for the organization, and strengthened VOF’s relationship with state agencies, private land trusts, and other key partners. He will be granted the title of Honorary Executive Director Emeritus effective September 1.
VOF was created by the Virginia General Assembly in 1966 as an independent agency whose mission is “to promote the preservation of open-space lands and to encourage private gifts of money, securities, land or other property to preserve the natural, scenic, historic, scientific, open-space and recreational areas of the Commonwealth.” VOF is governed by a Board of Trustees composed of seven trustees appointed by the Governor for four-year terms.
