Mauzy Conservation Leaders Honored as ‘Valley Treasures’; Juanita Burtner Named 2025 ‘North Star’

NEW MARKET, VA — In a heartfelt celebration of conservation, community, and heritage, the Alliance for the Shenandoah Valley has named Mauzy residents Dee Dee Sellers and Tim Murray as recipients of the 2025 Valley Treasure Award. The Alliance will also honor the late Juanita Burtner of Keezletown posthumously with the 2025 North Star recognition.

2025 North Star – Juanita Burtner

The awards shine a light on residents whose work—often quiet, steady, and behind the scenes—has helped protect the Shenandoah Valley’s farmland, forests, water, and rural identity for generations to come.

Sellers and Murray are being recognized for their tireless work in protecting over 1,800 acres of farmland in northern Rockingham County and leading community opposition to a proposed truck stop near the I-81 interchange in Mauzy. In 2022, the Mauzy community successfully petitioned to stop the rezoning, citing threats to water quality in nearby wells and Smith Creek, an ecologically vulnerable stream in the area.

Their efforts didn’t stop there. In 2024, they helped establish a new Ag-Forestal District—a designation used to protect agricultural and forest land from development—covering more than 1,800 acres of privately owned land. It was the first new district of its kind created in Rockingham County in 25 years.

“Recognition of Dee Dee and Tim is well-deserved,” said neighbor Barbara Melby. “They have led the charge in our community for decades, protecting the natural resources and cultural heritage of the Historic Mauzy region. We are honored to celebrate their amazing contributions.”

2025 Valley Treasure Dee Dee Sellers & Tim Murray on right with Mauzy Neighbors

This year’s North Star recognition goes to the late Juanita Burtner, a lifelong advocate for farmland preservation and community well-being. Burtner broke barriers as the first woman to serve on the Rockingham County Farm Bureau Board of Directors and was a founding member of the Community Alliance for Preservation, one of the Alliance’s legacy organizations. She also donated historically significant land to the Shenandoah Valley Battlefields Foundation.

While her conservation work left a lasting imprint, Burtner was just as known for her warmth and generosity. For years, she sold flowers at the Harrisonburg Farmer’s Market and became known as the “flower lady” for the joy she spread through homegrown bouquets, which she regularly gifted to residents at a nearby retirement home.

“The Alliance recognizes a dedicated conservationist, advocate, and community member,” said Alliance board member Bob Threewitts. “Her daily acts reflected her kindness to others as well as her love for her community. She worked and gave generously, knowing our efforts to preserve our resources of land and water would benefit future generations.”

The Valley Treasure and North Star ceremony will be held on Saturday, November 8, from 2–5 p.m. at the Tenth Legion Mt. Valley Ruritan Club. The event will feature a brief ceremony with remarks from the Alliance, community members, and special guests. Karen Stultz Whetzel, a local historian and neighbor, will share stories from the area’s past, including the history of the Inn at Mauzy.

After the ceremony, attendees are invited to a community celebration with live bluegrass music by Elkton’s Blue Range Bluegrass Band, hors d’oeuvres from local caterers, and Mauzy-inspired mocktails created in partnership with hospitality students from James Madison University.

“We’re excited to host Valley neighbors near and far to celebrate Dee Dee, Tim, and Juanita,” said Kim Woodwell, Deputy Director of the Alliance. “It is going to be a beautiful afternoon.”

The Valley Treasure award was launched in 2021 to recognize those who have made outstanding contributions to protecting the Valley’s natural and cultural resources. It is supported by a generous anonymous donor. Past recipients include Charles “Professor Zig” Ziegenfus, Lynn Cameron, Walter Brown, and the Friendly City Food Co-op.

Nominations for the Valley Treasure Award are open to anyone in the Shenandoah Valley, including landowners, farmers, educators, community leaders, and others committed to protecting the region’s legacy.

For more information about the awards or to register for the November 8 event, visit shenandoahalliance.org