BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Russ grew up in Northwest Arlington and met his wife Lori (a former BRWC Board Member) while at medical school and residency at the University of Virginia. Russ and Lori have lived in the valley since 1990 where they raised their two daughters and in 1997, they moved to Clarke County. It is ever more clear to him that the soil, the flora, and the fauna have all evolved together and must be preserved together. Given this belief, they placed their 100 acre farm in easement, are improving the quality and sustainability of their cattle farming practices, and are re-naturalizing riparian buffers on their property. Russ has served on boards in the local area, including the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute and the Preservation of History Winchester, and has supported the Center’s work in several ways, including housing summer interns for several years.

Coming soon!

Coming soon!

Heather has been a wildlife rehabilitation volunteer with BRWC since 2017 and is also the permit holder for an educational ambassador Turkey Vulture, Vega. Heather is currently a Training and Professional Development Specialist for We Are Sharing Hope SC (the organ procurement organization for South Carolina) and prior to that worked for the Washington Regional Transplant Community for 18 years. Heather also worked for the US Environmental Protection Agency after graduating from Oberlin College. Heather lives in Haymarket VA (Prince William County) with her husband and a menagerie of animals (ducks, chickens, cats, hermit crab, tarantula, bees, and of course, a vulture). Originally from Ohio, she has lived in the DC and VA area for the past 20 yrs. Heather has been passionate about environmental and conservation issues throughout her life, having worked on projects in Costa Rica during college years, and most recently spending 2 months in South Africa volunteering with VulPro – supporting rescue, rehabilitation and captive breeding of endangered Cape Vultures. Heather is currently pursuing a graduate degree in Learning Design and Technology, and when not working, volunteering, or studying, enjoys backpacking along the Appalachian Trail.

Dr. Degrassi is the Assistant Dean of Academic Innovation of the College of Arts and Sciences and an Assistant Professor of Environmental Studies and Biology at Shenandoah University. She earned her PhD from the University of Vermont where she studied the effects of invasive species on wildlife. She has worked in marine, intertidal, desert, and forest habitats. She teaches courses focusing on ecological processes, environmental sustainability, and wildlife conservation. Allyson works to help foster the creation and development of new, exciting, and applicable academic programs and pathways for Shenandoah University learners and looks for ways for ALL learners to gain hands-on experience in these fields. She enjoys spending time in nature with her pack!

Emily Ristau joined Blue Ridge Wildlife Center's Board of Directors in June 2023. As a licensed attorney in California since 1983, Emily brings her wealth of legal expertise to the board. Having relocated to The Plains, VA, from California in 1998, Emily's commitment to conservation extends to her own farm, protected by a Virginia Outdoors Foundation scenic easement. In her free time, she enjoys horseback riding and renovating houses, currently tackling her fourth major restoration project. Emily's active involvement in organizations such as The Orange County Hounds, the Piedmont Environmental Council, and her accolades in the Greater Piedmont Realtors underscore her dedication to our mission and her significant contributions to our board.

Mark Merrill recently retired as President and Chief Executive Officer of Valley Health System (Winchester, VA) after 11 years of successful service. During his tenure, the system expanded dramatically and has been recognized locally, regionally, and nationally for outstanding performance. Mark has also held positions in hospital/health organizations in Dallas, TX and Washington, DC. His experience consists of hospital and health care system leadership, strategy development, operations, managed care contracting, business development, governance, and clinical program development and implementation.
Mark has been involved in numerous charitable and civic organizations, including serving on the boards of the American Heart Association North Texas Chapter, Senior Citizens of Greater Dallas, and American Diabetes Association, Dallas Chapter. He is currently a member of the Board of Our Health, the Winchester Medical Center Foundation, and the Shenandoah University School of Business Advisory Board.
Mark and his wife, Teri, have two adult children. He and his family enjoy outdoor activity, basketball, especially the North Carolina Tarheels, travel and exercise.

Cab Grayson is a distinguished individual who has dedicated his career to both the corporate and conservation worlds. As a retired Senior Managing Director at CBRE Investors, he boasts a wealth of expertise accumulated over 15 years with CBRE Global Investors and an additional 16 years at CB Richard Ellis Investors. A Yale University alumnus, Cab's academic foundation in History has been complemented by a remarkable commitment to civic involvement. He has been actively engaged with The Nature Conservancy of Virginia since 2016 and previously served on the board of the Maryland DC chapter from 2008 to 2016. Additionally, Cab's contributions extend to the Yale Real Estate board, where he has been an esteemed member since 2017. With his recent appointment to Blue Ridge Wildlife Center's Board of Directors, Cab continues to leave an indelible mark on the realms of business and environmental stewardship.

Pat is a retired attorney who has lived at Chapel Springs in Clarke County for the past 11 years. She was Of Counsel at Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz in New York City for 11 years in the firm’s financial institutions practice prior to retiring. Before joining that firm, she was an Assistant General Counsel at the Federal Reserve Board in Washington, D.C., where she worked for 17 years. She previously was an Associate at Sidley & Austin in the firm’s financial institutions practice in Washington and, before attending law school, a secondary education teacher in Texas. Pat received her J.D. degree from Georgetown University Law School and her B.S. degree from Texas Tech University.

Pat has had a lifelong love of animals and a keen interest in preserving rural landscapes. She shares Chapel Springs with three border collies, five cats and numerous wild deer, foxes, raccoons, opossums, groundhogs, turtles and squirrels, as well as Canada geese, herons, owls and many other bird species. Her 18 acres, including a 2.5-acre spring fed pond, are in conservation easement and provide a nurturing habitat for wildlife throughout the year.

Bruce Anderson, Ph.D. retired last year from the Hawaii State Department of Health after serving for more than 40 years, first as the State Environmental Epidemiologist, then as Deputy Director for Environmental Health, and as Director of Health, twice, from 1987-2002 and from 2018-2021 under Governor Cayetano and Governor Ige. As Director of Health, he managed an annual operating budget of over $1 billion and over 3,000 dedicated healthcare professionals.
Bruce was born and raised in Hawai`i. He went to Punahou School, the same school as Barack Obama, and graduated from Colorado College with a degree in Physics. He earned a Master’s in Public Health from Yale University and a Ph.D. in biomedical sciences from the University of Hawai`i in 1981. Shortly after his retirement, Dr. Anderson and his wife, Debbie, moved from Hawaii to Northern Virginia where they have a horse farm. When he is not mucking out horse stalls and taking care of horses, you will find Bruce and Debbie hiking along the Blue Ridge Mountains with their dogs, canoeing down the Shenandoah River, or fishing, somewhere. They hope their five children will be as lucky as they were in finding careers so rewarding and enjoyable.

Dr. Lacher is the owner of Seven Bends Nursery LLC, a native plant nursery focusing on sustainable horticulture and ecosystem based landscaping. An advocate of native plants for nearly twenty years, Dr. Lacher brings knowledge and experience that comes from degrees in Botany, Environmental Science and Management, and Ecology to Seven Bends Nursery and its customers. She is established in conservation and planning circles in this region through her research at the Smithsonian Institute, where she worked to connect her science to policy in order to help achieve sustainability goals.

Matt Sheedy is President and Founder of MJS Properties Inc., a national real estate development and investment firm. Prior to starting MJS Properties, he was a partner with Trammell Crow Company, the largest commercial development firm in the United States. He is a graduate of the Harvard Business School and Swarthmore College.
Matt has been active in wildlife conservation and environmental issues for over three decades; as an officer of GEOS Foundation which has been instrumental in restructuring and managing anti-poaching operations across eight million acres of national park land in four African countries, a Board Member of the International AntiPoaching Foundation, President and Co-Founder of Virginians for Sensible Energy Policies and as a volunteer and financial supporter of wildlife conservation projects in South Africa, Mozambique, Uganda, Zimbabwe, Brazil, Costa Rica, Nepal, India and the United States.
He and Vicki Bendure live on a farm they put in conservation easement near Delaplane and both have been active in creating and protecting wildlife habitat.

Beatrice Busch von Gontard co-founded BRWC and dedicated 22 years to our mission. She has worked on behalf of wildlife and the environment her whole life. In addition to Blue Ridge Wildlife Center, she serves on the boards of the Smithsonian's National Zoo and Shenandoah University, as well as the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute's Virginia Working Landscape Committee which promotes biodiversity through sustainable land and farming practices. She and her husband, Adie, own a farm near Front Royal which produces hay and small grains while, at the same time, provides breeding, nesting, and overwintering habitat to many native species, including bobolinks and short-eared owls.

Heidi Lesinski migrated from the Midwest and enjoyed a long career in hospital based rehabilitation after obtaining an MA in Occupational Therapy at Shenandoah University. That physically demanding journey was interrupted by injury so she adapted and is now as a Realtor. Her flexible work schedule allows for time to enjoy international travel, national park exploration and long walks in the woods around her home with her husband, John, and their 2 dogs. Heidi has been an active board member and/or community liaison with Lift Me Up!, a therapeutic riding program; with Kid Pan Alley, a dynamic organization inspiring creativity and confidence in children through group songwriting; and with several nonprofits focused on aging in place, and women’s safety and empowerment. Heidi and John have fostered several dogs for GRREAT (Golden Retriever Rescue), raised 5 puppies for Canine Companions for Independence and Veterans Moving Forward, and have hosted more than 40 students from Heidi’s home town in Kansas for a weeklong DC educational experience.

Lesley Swisher, DVM is a small animals veterinarian in Winchester, VA. She attended Shepherd University in West Virginia for undergraduate studies and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology. For veterinary school, she attended Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine and graduated in 2016. Since graduation, she has worked in both primary care and emergency and critical care in the Winchester area. This has allowed her to experience an extensive variety of medical and surgical cases. In the realm of veterinary medicine, Dr. Swisher’s interests include ultrasonography, endocrine diseases, infectious disease, emergency medicine, and soft tissue surgery. Dr. Swisher thoroughly enjoys traveling to the coast, good food, reading, family and friends.