The Piedmont Group Executive Committee (EXCOM) is composed of volunteer leaders who make decisions for the Piedmont Group of the Sierra Club. These people are elected for two year terms by the general membership of the Piedmont Group. EXCOM members are listed below.
Kirk Bowers
Native of Roanoke County, Virginia. Resident of Albemarle County, VA for over 30 years. Kirk is a retired Civil Engineer. His second career is environmental activism. After serving five years on staff, he retired from the Virginia Chapter, Sierra Club as Lead Pipeline Campaign Organizer. Kirk was also co-founder of the Mountain Valley Watch, an organization of volunteers created to observe and monitor construction of the Mountain Valley Pipeline.
Linda Burchfiel
Linda was active in the Great Falls Group as both Program Chair and Chair, then as Fracking Chair for the Chapter during the period of 2006-2017, before she moved to Santa NM. She is now in C'ville and wants to get back to protecting the environment!
John Cruickshank
John Cruickshank is a retired public school educator who worked as a teacher and principal. He has served as Chair of the Piedmont Group and the Virginia Chapter of the Sierra Club. He is currently the Community Outreach Coordinator of the Piedmont Group and a delegate to the Virginia Chapter Executive Committee.
Cara Fogler
Cara is Deputy Director of Research, Strategy and Analysis at the Sierra Club. She started working at the Club in 2017 and leads research and analysis on gas across campaigns as well as cross-sector strategy and analysis. Prior to the Sierra Club, Cara worked in environmental economics, consulting, primarily focused on analysis for community groups fighting gas infrastructure. She has a Masters of Public Policy from the University of Virginia. Cara is based in Charlottesville and currently serves the Piedmont Group as its Treasurer.
Audrey Dannenberg
A life member of Sierra Club since joining in 1978, Audrey was elected to the Piedmont Group ExCom in 1985, served as a Chair for 16 years and Fundraising Chair for over 15 years. She provides historical knowledge to the Group and a never ending stream of ideas, suggestions & quips on assorted topics. Audrey's passion is outrigger canoeing & kayaking, and she has participated in many National Sierra Club Outings.
Beth Hodsdon
Beth Hodsdon has been a member of the Sierra Club since 1981, and now with retirement from legal practice in higher education and health care law, has time to become more involved in the Club and environmental issues. She is finding that the Piedmont Group’s energetic and experienced ExCom is a great setting for learning and activism. Beth is currently the Secretary for the Piedmont Group.
Alexandra Kwiatkoski
I am very excited to be Vice Chair for the Executive Committee of the Piedmont Group! Activism and volunteerism have always been very important to me, and I have a lot of experience in the nonprofit world, specifically with environmental organizations. So when the opportunity to become an Executive Committee member arose, I felt like it would be a great fit. I'm happy to be able to create some positive change in our community and to be part of such a wonderful group of people!
In addition to being an advocate for the environment and sustainability, I am also an animal rights activist; I'm happy to chat if you are interested in learning more about veganism and/or you want to learn about more ways that you can help animals. In my free time, you'll probably catch me with my husband and our dog putzing around Charlottesville, enjoying thrift stores or drinks (or ideally both).
Wren Olivier
Wren is a retired clinical social worker who continues to volunteer there as well as with the Democratic Party and other environmental groups. She and her husband live and raise sheep on a farm that has been in her family since 1856.
Donna Shaunesey
Donna is the Chair of the Group and when she’s not wrangling this herd of cats she’s hiking, paddling or camping. She has a Master’s in Planning from UVA and spent many years working in local government.
Gail Troy
Gail lives in Nelson County and has years of experience with the Blue Ridge Group as an ExCom member. She came to us when that group got folded into the Piedmont Group, bringing her knowledge of fighting a proposed nuclear power plant and the Atlantic Coast Pipeline.
Scott Zeimer
Scott has been a Sierra Club member since 1983. He is a passionate outdoor adventure enthusiast who has led trips into the wilds of Virginia and beyond; including backpacking, canoeing, caving, rock climbing and sailing. Scott says "my time on the EXCOM has been rewarding and educational. I love being part of a group with such reverence and energy for restoring the Earth to a more balanced and healthy state of being."