Friends of Nelson’s mission is to protect property rights, property values,
rural heritage and the environment for all the citizens of Nelson County, Virginia.
Friends of Nelson is now incorporated and under a Joint Plan of Work with
Virginia Organizing. Virginia Organizing is a 501(c)(3) non-profit so all contributions are tax-deductible in accordance with the law.
2025 Board Members
Meet our Board Members
Meet the Team
President
Mary Eiserman
Mary has a formal education in conservation biology and professional experience working for wind energy development companies, agricultural research organizations, and as an events manager. Most recently, Mary is proud to work with local government and agricultural communities supporting the implementation of Best Management Practices. Mary and her young family settled in Nelson County in 2014 despite the planned ACP because of the vibrant community and abundant natural resources. She hopes to help grow and support these aspects of the County through working with the Friends of Nelson.
Vice-President
Jill Averitt
Jill and her family moved to Nelson County in 2005 along with her two sisters and in-laws and built houses all on one big piece of land. She is a graphic designer, painter, and sculptor. She was deeply committed to stopping the pipeline and preserving the land and homesteads along the route. She continues to be active in the fight against the Mountain Valley Pipeline in Virginia and to changing the systems that allow for unjust projects like these to get permitted.
Alllison Steele
Allison grew up in the Shenandoah Valley and Central Virginia, and she is excited to return to her roots in the Blue Ridge Mountains following time out of the state and country. Fluent in Spanish and Portuguese, Allison has nearly 15 years of experience supporting Indigenous Peoples’ and local communities’ rights and leadership in conservation and environmental management, working in both the nonprofit and public sectors. Allison has a formal education in natural resources and sustainable development, and she is honored to serve with Friends of Nelson in support of the vibrant human and natural communities that make Nelson County a wonderful place to live.
Secretary
Susan McSwain
As the daughter of an Air Force sergeant, Susan attended seven schools in three countries before graduating high school in Puerto Rico. She was exposed to nature on family tent camping and fishing trips and became a self-described birder at a young age. After earning a BA in Latin American Studies at USF in Tampa, she married a Foreign Service officer and volunteered with nature organizations in six countries. Her paid jobs have included swimming instructor, lifeguard, camp counselor, horse trainer, riding club manager and instructor, folk music club manager, singer in a band, and solid waste and recycling coordinator. In 2000 she moved to Nelson County and became active with local and regional environmental organizations, including VA Master Naturalists.
Tech Lead
Woody Greenberg
Woody has lived in Nelson County since 1972. He was editor of the Nelson County Times and investigative reporter for the Daily Progress before becoming a professor of journalism and School Dean at Lynchburg College, retiring in 2010. He served one term on the Nelson County Board of Supervisors and was on the founding boards of the Blue Ridge Medical Center and the Community Development Foundation. He currently serves on the boards of three other non-profit county organizations.