Photo: Virginia State Capitol Building, Wikimedia user Skip Plitt via CC BY-SA 3.0
The Honorable Kenneth (“Ken”) Plum, Member Virginia House of Delegates, District 36. Photo: Trinity Mills
ASNV’s Advocacy Committee co-hosted an Advocacy Forum with the Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy and the Faith Alliance for Climate Solutions on October 21, an event that attracted close to 50 people. Delegate Ken Plum was the keynote speaker and urged all to help influence conservation policies at all levels of government. Other presenters included:
Mary Cortina, Fairfax County Planning Commissioner, and Kate Feingold, City of Fairfax Councilmember, on how a governing board makes policy;
Chris Miller, Piedmont Environmental Council, and Trinity Mills, Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy, on how to be an effective advocate;
Scott Peterson, Faith Alliance for Climate Solutions, Katy Johnson, Fairfax City Environmental Forum, and Michael Myers, Loudoun Wildlife Conservancy, on what we can learn from successful and unsuccessful advocacy efforts; and
Mary Rafferty, Executive Director of Virginia Conservation Network, on what’s ahead in the Virginia General Assembly.
Mary Rafferty, Executive Director, Virginia Conservation Network. Photo: Trinity Mills
Representatives of all of the sponsoring organizations were encouraged by the number of attendees who signed up to work on advocacy with their organizations. All left the sessions with a new appreciation for the importance of grass roots advocacy.