Board of Trustees

The Virginia Outdoors Foundation is governed and administered by a board of seven at large trustees appointed by the Governor for four-year staggered terms. The Governor appoints a chairman from among the seven trustees. The Board of Trustees meets at least four times per year to review easement projects and policy matters.

Trustees may be contacted through the VOF Warrenton Office:
39 Garrett Street, Suite 200
Warrenton, VA 20186
Phone: 540-347-7727
Fax: 540-347-7711

Frank M. Hartz, Chairman

Mr. Hartz received a Bachelors degree in horticulture from VPI & SU and has pursued a successful career in the field for the past 25 years, as the owner of a local garden center/landscape design firm. He serves as a member of the Horticulture Advisory Board at J. Sergeant Reynolds Community College, where he has been a member of the adjunct faculty since 1992. Mr. Hartz served as a member of the Goochland County Planning Commission from 1998 to 2006, and serves on the Goochland County Design Review Committee and the Richmond Regional Planning District Commission.

Mark S. Allen

Mark S. Allen is a resident of Alexandria. A native of Southern Illinois, he holds a journalism degree from the University of Missouri and is a 1980 graduate of Georgetown University Law School. Mr. Allen is the principal in the Law Offices of Mark S. Allen, and has practiced real estate and title insurance law in Old Town Alexandria for more than 20 years. Active in a number of business and civic activities, he is currently Vice Chairman of the Alexandria Board of Zoning Appeals.

Harry Atherton

A self-employed cattle farmer, Mr. Atherton received a J.D. from the Columbus School of Law, Catholic University, and a B.A from Harvard University. He served in the U.S. Army’s 199th Light Infantry Brigade and received a Combat Infantry Badge and Purple Heart for his service in Vietnam. Mr. Atherton is very active in community affairs, and has held positions as Chairman of the Fauquier County Planning Commission, Chairman of the Fauquier County Board of Supervisors, Vice Chair of the Rappahannock River Basin Commission, and Vice Chair of the Potomac River Watershed Roundtable.

Augustus Benton Chafin, Jr.

Benton Chafin resides in Russell County and is the principal in Chafin Law Firm, P.C. He holds a B.A. from East Tennessee State University and a J.D. from the T.C. Williams School of Law, University of Richmond. Aside from the practice of law, Mr. Chafin operates a cattle farming operation and serves as chairman of the Virginia-chartered regional bank, First Bank and Trust Company.

Suzanne M. Lacy

Suzanne M. Lacy was born in Roanoke but spent most of her life in Martinsville, where she lives with her husband and two sons and is the owner of Sandy River Equestrian Center, Inc. She previously served two terms on the Board of Trustees Virginia Museum of Natural History under the appointment of Gov. Gerald L. Baliles, and is currently serving on the VMNH Foundation board. In October 2008, she completed a three-day 60 mile walk for breast cancer. Mrs. Lacy has an associate's degree from The American College of Switzerland and a bachelor's degree from Stratford College.

Charles H. Seilheimer, Jr.

A native of Buffalo, New York, now from Orange County, Mr. Seilheimer is widely regarded as one of the world’s leading experts on marketing historic and luxury residential and farm real estate. After receiving his law degree, Mr. Seilheimer served in a number of business and banking positions and directorships. He then founded and became President of Southeby’s International Realty Corporation. More recently, he founded Virginia Country Properties, Inc., which provides specialized services for the buyers of residential and commercial properties. Mr. Seilheimer volunteers his time to numerous non-profit causes including the preservation of open space and historic preservation, the arts, and education.

Jeffrey K. Walker

Jeffery K. Walker was born in Nassawadox, Virginia. He graduated from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in 1963 with a degree from the School of Agriculture. He served in the U.S. Navy as an active and reserve pilot and retired a Commander. Mr. Walker continued his career as a pilot with the Virginia Marine Resources Commission and Continental Airlines. He was elected to the Northampton County board of Supervisors in 2004. Mr. Walker is a Board and founding member of the Virginia Eastern Shore Land Trust and was appointed to the Virginia Outdoors Foundation’s Board of Trustees in August of 2004.