Town Talk: A conversation with John Hutchinson, Valley Conservation Council

In this Town Talk, our publisher Mike McCool speaks with John Hutchinson, President of the Valley Conservation Council (VCC) in Staunton, Virginia.

John joined VCC as Executive Director in 2020. John has been engaged in fundraising, development, and policy research related to land conservation and battlefield preservation in Virginia and nationally for more than 36 years. Most recently, John directed the land acquisition and conservation programs at the Shenandoah Valley Battlefields Foundation beginning in 2001. He has protected thousands of acres on Civil War battlefields in the Shenandoah Valley through donation, bargain sale, and fee purchase.

The Valley Conservation Council is a Staunton-based nonprofit that preserves and protects the natural resources of the greater Shenandoah Valley region, recently aimed its conservation expertise and has recently helped bring protection to almost 1,000 acres of mountain land adjacent to the Shenandoah National Park that will eventually become part of its borders. (See story here)

Town Talk is a series on the Royal Examiner where we will introduce you to local entrepreneurs, businesses, non-profit leaders, and political figures who influence Warren County. Topics will be varied but hopefully interesting. If you have an idea, topic, or want to hear from someone in our community, let us know. Send your request to news@RoyalExaminer.com

Valley Conservation Council helps protect land & expand the Shenandoah National Park