Connect Rappahannock To Launch Regional Initiative
March 2, 2006
Connect Rappahannock, a free network for people interested in building stronger communities through information sharing, will sponsor a program March 16 in Tappahannock to launch its regional initiative.
The session begins with registration and networking at 2 p.m. at St. Margaret’s School. The program begins at 3 p.m. It is open to the public, but seating is limited. Anyone interested in attending should contact Leslie Franklin, Connect Rappahannock coordinator, at (804) 333-6789 by March 10. Refreshments will be served.
Ann Jennings, Virginia executive director of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, will be the keynote speaker. Other remarks will be given by Elizabeth H. Crowther, president of Rappahannock Community College, Nancy B. Stutts, director of the Connect Network at University of Richmond and the Rev. Dr. Edward King Jr., senior program officer, Jessie Ball duPont Fund.
Jennings will speak on “Saving the Bay with Passion and Professionalism.” As executive director, Jennings oversees the Bay Foundation’s environmental and legislative advocacy, resource protection, land conservation and grassroots programs in Virginia. Formerly, she was assistant director and senior scientist of the Virginia CBF office. A certified wetland scientist, Jennings served on the Board for Professional Soil Scientists and Professional Wetland Delineators. She also served as chair of the South Atlantic chapter of the Society of Wetland -more- Connect Rappahannock Launch, 2/27/06, 2. Scientists, presented testimony before Congress and published articles in national wetlands publications.
She holds degrees from Virginia Tech and Texas A&M University and is a graduate of Virginia Natural Resources Leadership Institution.
Through Connect Rappahannock, citizens, particularly those who work in the nonprofit and government sectors, can access research, data and each other through a Web site and an email list. Resources also will include a searchable nonprofit and government services database, a database of volunteer opportunities, and a regional calendar designed for event planners. It is a part of the Connect Network, managed by the Jepson School of Leadership Studies at University of Richmond under a grant from the Jessie Ball duPont Fund. The regional project is housed at Rappahannock Community College in Warsaw.