Sophie joined the Conservancy in 2023 as the Executive Director and brings over twenty years of experience to the position in her prior work as an urban planner and program director for nonprofit organizations. Most recently, Sophie served in a senior leadership role for the Urban Land Institute, a nonprofit organization focused on creating livable communities where she was responsible for the programming, operations and strategy for UrbanPlan, an education program which enables high school and university students, community members, and elected officials to redevelop a fictional site and engage in the complex tradeoffs that happen in the land use process every day in cities across the country. Before joining ULI in 2014, Sophie directed the LEED for Neighborhood Development program at the U.S. Green Building Council for six years where she worked with experts and staff to create a rating system for evaluating sustainable neighborhood projects.
Prior to that, Sophie worked at several historic preservation and planning consulting firms and the U.S. EPA, where she did research on the impacts of development on natural habitats. Sophie grew up in England and Canada, but has lived in the U.S. since moving there to attend university. She has a BA from Smith College, an MS in Historic Preservation from Columbia University, and a Master’s in Urban Planning from Virginia Tech. Sophie serves on the board of Project GROWS, a nonprofit organization with a mission to improve the health of children and youth through garden-based education and access to healthy food in the Shenandoah Valley. In her spare time, Sophie enjoys gardening, hiking, experimenting in the kitchen, running whether it be a marathon or along a local trail as well as spending time with her two children often cheering on their favorite soccer teams.
Originally from Alabama and New Hampshire, Kyle moved to Northern Virginia in 2000 and graduated from Paul VI High School in 2009. He began studies in Mechanical Engineering at Old Dominion University but transitioned to full-time work, embarking on a career in healthcare. Starting as a Medical Records Clerk, Kyle worked his way up to the role of Chief Operating Officer, developing a diverse skill set in operations and leadership.
He is excited to explore a new field and contribute to a mission he believes in. Outside of work, most of his hobbies are sports. Kyle grew up playing many sports and currently plays Pickleball and Ice Hockey. He is also very interested in aviation and astronomy and will talk about either topic for hours to anyone willing to listen. Outside of work you will most likely find him spending time with his family and watching Washington Capitals and Commanders games.
Kasey holds a Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Studies with a minor in Public Relations and brings 10 years of management and leadership experience, along with a background in environmental education, communications, and community engagement. She also currently leads outreach and communications for the Virginia Association for Environmental Education and previously worked in communications and environmental education focused on water quality.
Water quality and environmental education are central to Kasey’s work. She has taught hands-on conservation and environmental science lessons in LCPS elementary classrooms and is a certified stream monitor through Virginia Save Our Streams and a certified Outdoor Educator. She is passionate about helping people connect with nature and discover how engaging and meaningful science can be.
A lifelong science enthusiast and former Girl Scout, Kasey enjoys caring for her composting worms, who are always accepting name suggestions.
Originally from Texas, Sabrina Mann joined the team in July 2026. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Services and Development and is currently pursuing a master’s degree in Natural Resource Management at Texas A&M University.
Prior to this role, she worked as a Park Ranger with Texas Parks and Wildlife, where she supported prescribed burns, seed collection, wildlife population surveys, and habitat restoration projects, while also playing a key role in developing and delivering public programs and outreach initiatives. Her work focused on creating engaging, hands-on educational experiences that connected visitors of all ages with natural resource management and conservation.
Sabrina is passionate about creating opportunities for people to connect with farms, nature, and the outdoors through engaging educational programs and community events. She believes that the best way to protect the land is to share its beauty and importance, inspiring others to become lifelong stewards of the natural world.
Outside of work, she enjoys hiking, camping, exploring farmers markets, traveling, and spending time with her dogs.
Andrew has always had a strong connection to the outdoors, shaped by his childhood in Letchworth, a small town just north of London in the UK. He recalls warm summer days listening to music in the park, splashing in paddling pools, and walking through the commons on the way to school. As a teenager, Andrew spent his time playing football in green spaces and exploring the surrounding countryside, farmland, and woods. These preserved landscapes helped the town maintain its identity, reflecting an early understanding of the value of land and community.
Now serving as the Field Operations Manager for Willowsford Conservancy, Andrew aims to help others connect with the land through recreation, conservation, education, and shared appreciation of the outdoors. As a project manager, he has collaborated with local zoning, permitting, and civic groups to ensure projects align with community needs. He also brings experience in youth leadership, trail construction, and maintenance through his involvement with the Appalachian Trail Conservancy and as a BSA Scoutmaster.
Kayla is an environmental management professional with more than 10 years of experience in invasive plant management, native plant identification, ecological restoration, and habitat management throughout the Mid-Atlantic. She most recently served as Regional Manager for Invasive Plant Control, where she led ecological restoration and invasive vegetation management projects, recruited and trained field crews, developed project plans, and managed relationships with public-sector and nonprofit clients. Her work has included projects at the U.S. National Arboretum, Valley Forge National Historical Park, Fairfax County parks, and other significant natural areas throughout the region.
Kayla holds a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Management and Science from the University of Rhode Island. She is passionate about protecting natural spaces and helping others better understand and appreciate the plants and ecosystems around them. Outside of work, Kayla loves cooking new recipes and preparing big, home-cooked meals for her extended family. She also enjoys traveling and spending time outdoors with her family. Some of their favorite adventures include hiking, camping, road trips to the beach, and the occasional trip to New England to visit family.
Sam joined the Conservancy team in February 2022. Sam attended West Virginia University and studied Forest Resource Management and Urban Forestry. Growing up in Northern Virginia, most of his weekends were spent fishing, golfing with his grandfather, and hiking landscapes with friends.
Sam enjoys attending music shows, rock climbing, fishing, hunting, and rooting on his Green Bay Packers when he’s not working. He’s excited to bring his positive attitude and passion for connecting people with the natural world to Willowsford!
Karsten inherited a love for the outdoors from a young age. Raised in Virginia, his youth saw him outside often and watching birds and building bird houses with his grandpa. This would eventually lead him to majoring in Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences and minoring in Forest Ecosystem Management at Penn State. Even now, he enjoys being out in the woods, hiking, birdwatching or in the streams looking for cool snakes and salamanders, his favorite groups to focus on. Having participated in multiple surveys, he finds stream surveys the most fun as there are often more species found than one might think.
In his free time, Karsten likes to play games with friends, read, or hike outdoors looking for species he has yet to see. He started at Willowsford as a Seasonal Ranger in 2025. Now, as a full-time Ranger specializing in Wildlife, he is excited to help the program branch out to help more of our native wildlife.
Blake’s lifelong love of nature began in childhood with barefoot wanderings in the woods and rescuing injured animals and evolved into a passion for restoring natural communities and deepening our connection to them. She holds a Bachelor’s in Environmental Studies with a concentration in Ecology from Sterling College, Vermont. While at Sterling, Blake also served as a Livestock Farm Lead on the college’s 20-acre agroecological farm, training and leading a team of 40 student employees.
Her field experience includes streambank remediation and invasive species management with the Craftsbury Conservation Commission; trail building and maintenance with the Green Mountain Club on the Appalachian Trail; a Black River watershed bioassessment presented to the Memphremagog Watershed Association; and coral reef conservation research with Sea Education Association, including oceanographic data collection, marine debris research, and snorkel-based population surveys of 152 reef species in the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Blake gravitates toward water wherever she is, but especially loves thunderstorms, waterfalls, and the ocean. When she’s not outside, she bounces between arguably too many hobbies, from needlework to boardgames to woodworking, but books are a constant love and she’s always reading at least one (mostly fantasy). She loves her people most of all though and spends most of her free time hanging out with friends and family.
Elizabeth is a Manassas native with a Biology degree from George Mason. She has always enjoyed being in nature growing up but developed her deep awe for plants and wildlife during college by getting out into the woods and foraging. Elizabeth has field experience treating invasive plants in the natural spaces of Northern Virginia. While relatively new to the environmental field, she is excited to bring her strong work ethic to maintaining trails and learning everything she can about land management.
Outside of work she has many hobbies and activities she gets up to. Her hobbies include knitting, crochet, friendship bracelets, attending concerts, dancing, and more. She also sings in a local choir and performs at open mic nights. And while she may have plenty of hobbies, she is always happy to learn a new skill, technique, or medium to expand her knowledge.
Emma grew up in Loudoun County and has lived here for 19 years. She received her bachelor’s degree in Sports and Recreation Management, with a minor in Business, from James Madison University in 2024. Recently, Emma completed her master’s degree in Supply Chain Management at Towson University.
During her time at Towson, Emma worked as a Graduate Assistant for Competitive Sports at the campus recreation center. In this role, she supported sport clubs and intramural programs while supervising a team of approximately 20 student employees. She also taught indoor cycle classes and is looking to teach in the Northern Virginia area. Emma is excited to learn more about the Farm’s operations and to connect with members of the community and the CSA membership. Outside of work, she enjoys spending time with friends and family, as well as with her two cats, Stone and Storm.
Charlotte’s interest in agriculture and sustainable food systems started while studying environmental science at Shepherd University, where she earned her Bachelor’s Degree. From there, Charlotte furthered her experience in the field working on small-scale sustainable farms, at farmers markets, and with the Appalachian Fruit Research Station.
Those experiences really shaped how she thinks about growing food, caring for the land and building more resilient food systems. Charlotte is excited to enhance and diversify her skills while working with the team and community.
Alyssa joined the Willowsford Farm team part time in June 2026. She grew up in Reston, Virginia, and recently relocated from the Tri-Cities region of Tennessee and Virginia, where she worked in retail leadership and completed an AmeriCorps VISTA service year with Appalachian Sustainable Development, an agricultural nonprofit serving Southwest Virginia. In her role, she supported the workforce development program serving individuals with barriers to employment, working on outreach, programming, content creation, fundraising, and grant-writing, while also serving as Chair of the Values Committee, which earned her the Segal Education Award. After, she transitioned to a more hands-on approach with the organization’s workforce development team, where she harvested and processed fresh produce for the local food pantry and arranged CSA bouquets for the cut-flower social enterprise.
Alyssa holds a Bachelor of Science degree from James Madison University, where she studied Geographic Science with a custom concentration in GIS and Socio-Environmental Change, along with a minor in Environmental Humanities, and served as President and Social Chair of the Environmental Management Club.
In her free time, Alyssa enjoys discovering new hiking trails, gardening, journaling, and playing fetch with her black cat, Leo. She is excited to be part of the Willowsford team and looks forward to the seasons ahead!
Brett joined the Farm part-time in April as our Delivery Driver, so you will see him on Thursdays or Fridays for deliveries of Farm orders and CSA shares, or driving our white van around the streets of Willowsford. Brett lives in Haymarket and enjoys the outdoors. Before joining the farm team, Brett worked for 10 years as an electrician. He actually wired many of the homes in Willowsford!
