Recognizing 5 leaders of Virginia’s conservation movement over the past year

The fourth annual Conservation Awards recognizes influential environmental advocacy professionals working in Virginia’s partnership of 170+ organizations

Chesterfield, VA, Sept 21– As Virginia’s conservation movement grows after decades of coalition-building, our environmental nonprofits are simultaneously seeing the departure of leadership and the rise of energetic and motivated young professionals dedicated to environmental protection. As a facilitator of strategic action for over 170 environmental nonprofit organizations, Virginia Conservation Network’s Conservation Awards recognized six environmental professionals at their Annual Meeting & Partner Retreat at Pocahontas State Park on Tuesday, September 21st. Delegate Charlie Schmidt and Chief Resilience Officer, Greg Steele, kicked off the Conservation Awards ceremony with an inspiring message. 

The Conservation Awards recognize and celebrate the achievements of individuals who have provided leadership and advanced the Virginia Conservation Network’s collective voice for water quality, land & wildlife conservation, land use & transportation, clean energy, climate change, and environmental justice issues. Awards were presented to professionals working within the Virginia Conservation Network across three categories:

  • The Rising Star Award recognizes individuals in the early stages of their careers who are making significant contributions to Virginia’s conservation community.
  • The Lifetime Achievement Award recognizes those who have dedicated their career to Virginia’s conservation and environmental protection.
  • The flagship Conservation Champion of the Year Award recognizes one key individual who has made significant accomplishments to protect Virginia’s environment and communities in the last year. 

Meet the 2026 Conservation Award Recipients

See what colleagues said in their nominations of the following awardees:

Dylan Mason received the Rising Star Award from Karen Forget, both at Lynnhaven River NOW

Dylan Mason, Lynnhaven River NOW – Rising Star

Dylan Mason received VCN’s Rising Star Award for his quick leadership in critical and varying policy issues, from offshore wind to wetlands protections.

He has far exceeded what I imagined anyone could take on in his first couple of years with us and he has done it all with care, professionalism, and enthusiasm.  He has a superb grasp of policy details and skill in explaining them.  And maybe, most importantly, he is always respectful no matter who he is talking with.  He knows how to disagree respectfully and keep the person engaged.
Dylan has a deep commitment to Virginia’s natural resources and has already demonstrated impressive leadership, intellectual curiosity, and dedication to environmental stewardship.  He is smart and talented and understands both policy and public service. He is already leading on offshore wind energy, seabed mining, plastics reduction, and many other issues.
Dylan’s connection to Virginia’s coastal environment is personal too.  He grew up on Chincoteague Island, where his grandparents worked on the water as oyster farmers and crabbers.  From an early age, he developed an appreciation for the relationship between healthy natural systems and the communities and economies that depend upon them. -Karen Forget

David Sligh received the Lifetime Achievement Award from Calandra Waters Lake.

David Sligh, Wild Virginia – Lifetime Achievement

It is a privilege to present this Lifetime Achievement Award to Dave, someone who has spent more than four decades protecting Virginia’s waters through careers with DEQ, American Rivers, the Riverkeepers, and more.

Dave has led the water quality program at Wild Virginia for over ten years, and in that time he’s fought the Atlantic Coast Pipeline, the Mountain Valley Pipeline, and forever chemicals like PFAS.
His, quote, “nutty idea” to go to law school combined his science background with a legal and regulatory understanding that few can rival.
He fights for Virginia’s waters with every breath, and his passion for the Clean Water Act is contagious.
Dave’s approach to his work is “advocacy with an attitude,” and he has left an impact across Virginia, whether through the many water policies he has helped pass in the General Assembly, the regulations he has strengthened, the bad actors he has sued, or the many Clean Water Advocates he has taught.
I know this is a Lifetime Achievement Award, but I like to think of it as a Lifetime of Commitment Award, because Dave is the person you know will be there, showing up to hold our leaders accountable, making some squirm when he walks in the room, and fighting for a better future with a level of enthusiasm and positivity that we all should aspire to. – Calandra Waters Lake, Wild Virginia

Sheri Shannon, Southside ReLeaf, presented the award for Ann Jurcyzk, who was on a well-deserved vacation.

Ann Jurcyzk, Chesapeake Bay Foundation – Lifetime Achievement

Sheri Shannon gave a powerful speech on the decades of work Ann Jurcyzk gave to protecting Virginia’s tree canopy, which we transcribed and trimmed below:

For those of us who know Ann, we know her as our Lorax—and it’s a well-deserved nickname for someone who has made an incredible impact on communities across Virginia, especially here in the City of Richmond.

What I respect most about Ann is that she listens. She listens deeply, and she makes space for honest conversations. We challenge each other and keep each other accountable. She is intentional about her work and unafraid to say what needs to be said.

Her commitment to people and the environment is reflected in the way she invests in others. She invites younger professionals to join her at meetings at the General Assembly. She creates opportunities for workforce development. She shares her knowledge of proper tree care. And she continues to show up, year after year, for the communities and causes she believes in.

She engages honestly in conversations about racism and power, and she has helped Southside ReLeaf become recognized as a serious voice in Virginia’s environmental justice and urban forestry policy conversations.

Even as she prepared for retirement, Ann remained committed to ensuring that the high standards and quality of work needed to move Virginia forward would continue.

Ann is an incredible champion—not only for urban community forestry, but for communities across Virginia. Her leadership, mentorship, honesty, and commitment have made an immeasurable difference in our work and in the people who have had the privilege of working alongside her.

– Sheri Shannon, Southside ReLeaf

Nate Benforado receives the Lifetime Achievement Award from Sarah Francisco.

Nate Benforado, Southern Environmental Law Center – Lifetime Achievement

“When Nate joined SELC ten years ago, I was leading SELC’s Forest Program and I was watching Deborah Murray and others on the Chesapeake coal ash trial team prepare for trial in the E.D. Va. – known as the “Rocket Docket” for its incredibly fast pre-trial and discovery schedule. Nate joined SELC to work on that
case as an associate attorney and quickly made himself an indispensable member of that team. SELC and our client the Sierra Club went on to win that trial.

Unfortunately, the verdict was overturned by the Fourth Circuit, but the facts we proved a trial were undisputed and laid the groundwork for passage of Virginia’s landmark coal ash cleanup legislation in 2019 – the first law in the country requiring excavation and removal of coal ash lagoons at power plants. Nate led SELC‘s work to encourage and support that legislation, working closely with many of you.

By that time I was the Director of the Virginia Office and had the opportunity to see firsthand how deftly Nate, a talented litigator, also navigated the strategic landscape, collaborated with our great partner network, and lobbied legislators and the administration to help bring that bill across the finish line.

This coal ash work overlapped with Nate’s increasing work to limit carbon pollution from power plants. Gov. McAuliffe and then Gov. Northam and their administrations were moving forward with regulations for VA to participate in a carbon cap and trade program. You all will remember this was before Virginia could fully join RGGI, so we needed strong regulations that stayed within the boundaries. SELC needed an attorney who could really focus on this and get up every day and think “how can we help Virginia adopt the strongest possible legally defensible program, and how can we move towards legislation requiring Virginia to fully join RGGI?” Nate got that assignment.

When we asked Nate to do that, I don’t think he imagined he’d still be thinking about that today – literally today.

Sometimes there’s a challenge that comes along and the right person is there at the right time to pick up the torch. We can find ourselves on the thread of history without planning to be there or maybe even seeing that’s what’s happening until we are following that thread toward great change and great opportunity. Getting Virginia into RGGI and keeping the Commonwealth there has been a major push by so many in the environmental community, by so many organizations of all sizes across the state and by so many individual leaders and activists. This is a shared success by everyone.

Nate has had a special role in this effort as the lead lawyer in the litigation that challenged Governor Youngkin’s actions to pull Virginia out of RGGI and as a leader within our environmental community, collaborating with so many of you to chart the best path forward for all the public engagement and surrounding advocacy strategies that have gotten us to where we are today – with Virginia back in the program.

Nate has been a cornerstone of this historic effort.

It feels unusual to present a lifetime achievement award to someone who has so many professional achievements still in front of them. It also feels very special to present an award like this to someone who has been a trusted colleague, mentor, and friend to me and to so many people in this room. It has been my great privilege to work with Nate, who not only accomplishes great things in the professional sphere, but makes the people around him better and is a wonderful, kind, and generous human.” – Sarah Francisco, Virginia Office Director

Kim Sudderth received praise and remarks from Fatima Kamara, Dr. Rev. Faith Harris, and Jessica Sims.

Kim Sudderth, Virginia Interfaith Power & Light – Conservation Champion of the Year

Fatima Kamara recognized Kim’s contribution to our Virginia Conservation Network:

“Kim, you are an incredible champion of communities, a fantastic collaborator, a deft strategist, and a colleague and friend to so many in the environmental world. You have shown incredible leadership this year, helping grow the Environmental Justice Coalition, giving such thoughtfulness to making that convening space, and the relationships in it– genuine and productive. You work in the General Assembly, navigating the dynamics of legislators, partners, advocates and minute-by-minute changes. You help organize and host the annual Environmental Justice Retreat with Virginia Interfaith Power & Light, spotlighting and celebrating the phenomenal community-led work across the state  — and in all of this, you always root your work in communities and the human impact. 

Kim, you are a trusted Partner in the environmental community who supports others and always makes everyone feel welcome, included and heard. You are grounded, professional, strategic, and deeply, deeply thoughtful. From cumulative impacts, to amplifying what Virginians are experiencing, to helping make each workspace more thoughtful and genuine in its intent and impact, thank you. 

Kim, you are a joy to work with and exemplify the very best of the work that helps Virginians. We are so excited you are the 2026 VCN Conservation Champion of the Year! ” – Fatima Kamara, Virginia Conservation Network

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Virginia Conservation Network is a partnership of over 170 environmental organizations working together to create a powerful, diverse, highly-coordinated conservation movement in Virginia.