Districts are divided into six geographic areas and each Area is represented on the VASWCD Board of Directors.
Area Chairs serve as a liaison between the Association and the districts within a respective Area. Maintaining communication with VASWCD staff and fellow board members is critical to the Area Chair position.
An Area Chair shall:
- Represent the districts in the Area at all meetings of the Board of Directors of the VASWCD and the VASWCD Educational Foundation and provide an update on activities as well as any Area concerns
- Schedule, organize and preside over two Area meetings each year. The Area ‘Spring’ meeting is to be hosted by a district within the Area and the Winter Area Meeting will be held during the VASWCD Annual Meeting.
- Assist and support the VASWCD in keeping districts in your respective Area informed of VASWCD and Educational Foundation activities, including new services offered and changes in policies and
procedures. - Represent the VASWCD at a meeting of each district in the Area each year if possible.
- Collect and coordinate legislative items from the Area, per the VASWCD policy book, to be considered by the VASWCD Legislative Committee.
- Serve on a minimum of one VASWCD committee.
- Assist and support the VASWCD and Educational Foundation in other activities when needed.
- If an Area Chair is unable to chair or attend any of these meetings or activities, then it should be arranged that the Area Vice Chair represent the Area.
Reference Material: Area Chair Self Evaluation Form
Policy Adopted 3.28.2012; Revised & Approved 7.17.2014; Revised & Approved 12.7.2024
Area Chair contact information is found in the online directory. The following Area Chairs serve the following districts:
Area 1 – Western Virginia
Area Chair: Paul Burkholder, Lord Fairfax SWCD
Area Vice Chair: Reid Hoak, Lord Fairfax SWCD
- Headwaters
- Lord Fairfax
- Mountain
- Mountain Castles
- Natural Bridge
- Shenandoah Valley
Area 2 – Northern Piedmont
Area Chair: Peter Holden, Loudoun SWCD
Area Vice Chair: Carolyn Daughters, Thomas Jefferson SWCD
- Culpeper
- John Marshall
- Loudoun
- Northern Virginia
- Prince William
- Thomas Jefferson
Area 3 – Central VA -Tidewater
Area Chair: Claiborne Yarbrough, Henricopolis SWCD
Area Vice Chair: Lewis Walker, Northern Neck SWCD
- Colonial
- Hanover-Caroline
- Henricopolis
- Monacan
- Northern Neck
- Three Rivers
- Tidewater
- Tri-County
Area 4 – Southwest Virginia
Area Chair: Sarah Gillespie, Tazewell SWCD
Area Vice Chair: Wally Smith, Lonesome Pine SWCD
- Big Walker
- Big Sandy
- Clinch Valley
- Daniel Boone
- Evergreen
- Holston River
- Lonesome Pine
- Scott County
- New River
- Skyline
- Tazewell
Area 5 – Southern Piedmont
Area Chair: Buck Tharpe, Southside SWCD
Area Vice Chair: Chuck Arnason, Piedmont SWCD
- Blue Ridge
- Halifax
- Lake Country
- Patrick
- Peaks of Otter
- Peter Francisco
- Piedmont
- Pittsylvania
- Robert E. Lee
- Southside
Area 6 – Southeast Virginia
Area Chair: Granville Maitland, Appomattox River SWCD
Area Vice Chair: Gary Cross, Chowan Basin SWCD
- Appomattox River
- Eastern Shore
- Chowan Basin
- Peanut
- Virginia Dare
- James River