About our Board

Kevin C. Craun
Elected 1998
Chair and Rockingham County representative
Committees: Chesapeake Bay, Dam Maintenance

At Hillview Farm, Inc., Kevin Craun and his brother Steve Craun farm 900 acres in a dairy-beef operation that supports nearly 200 cows and 100 cow/calf pairs and dairy steers. Craun, his wife Tammy Craun, and their three children live near the farm in the Bridgewater area of Rockingham County.

In addition to serving on the District Board, Craun is vice chairperson of the Farm Credit of the Virginias Board of Directors and serves on its AgFirst Farm Credit District Advisory Committee. He is a member of the Rockingham County Agriculture Stewardship Committee and the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services State Milk Commission.

Charles Newton
Elected 2008
Vice Chair and Page County representative
Committees: Dam Maintenance (Chair), Chesapeake Bay, Finance

As a member of the Board Dam and Finance committees, Charles Newton often participates in staff dam inspection tours and regional programming for District Directors. He is Chair of the Virginia Soil and Water Conservation Board, which oversees the work of the Districts and is in his second term as Area 1 representative on the Board. He represents the Shenandoah Valley Soil and Water Conservation District on the Shenandoah Valley Pure Water Forum Board of Directors.

Newton grew up on his grandfather’s dairy farm and spent his career as an engineer with the National Park Service, mostly at Shenandoah National Park. A Page County resident since 1987, he has served on the Page County Planning Commission. He is Chairman of the Page County Water Quality Advisory Committee to the Board of Supervisors.

Jimmy Burke
Appointed 2021, elected 2024
Page County representative
Committees: Chesapeake Bay (Chair), Education & Awards (Chair)

Jimmy Burke joined the Board of Directors in 2021 after a career at Page County High School teaching math and physics and coaching football and baseball. He served for 20 years as a Virginia High School League (VHSL) basketball official and was a member of the VHSL Coaches Association for 37 years. He serves as vice-chairman of the St. Mark Evangelical Lutheran Church Council.

A member of the Page County Farmers’ Association, Burke runs a cow/calf operation, Triple R Luray Farm, LLC, with his wife Carla Burke and children Dr. Nathaniel Burke and wife Dr. Sarah Krall and Dr. Casey Austin and husband Tyler Austin.  The Burkes have four grandchildren.

Jeff Heie
Elected 2024
Harrisonburg representative
Committees: Dam Maintenance, Urban

Jeff Heie has worked as a mediator, community organizer, environmental advocate, carpenter, and solar energy installer.  In 2018, he founded GiveSolar, a non-profit social impact organization that assists other non-profits and homeowners with low-income in gaining access to solar energy.  GiveSolar has partnered with Habitat for Humanity Virginia to develop a statewide solar project benefitting Habitat families.

Heie has served since 2018 on the City of Harrisonburg’s Environmental Performance Standards Advisory Committee, where he helped create the City’s first Environmental Action Plan.  Heie lives in Harrisonburg with his wife, Tammy, son, and two dogs.

Daniel M. Downey
Serving since 1992
Committees: Dam Maintenance, Education & Awards

Dan Downey is retired as a professor in the James Madison University Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry.  His research interests include environmental issues such as acid rain, phytocannabinoids, and non-point source pollution.  Working closely with the U.S. Forest Service, Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources, and students, he has received grant support resulting in many published articles and presentations.

Downey brings his scientific expertise to bear, especially on his areas of interest, such as the environmental effects of dams on streams, including changes in water chemistry, thermal characteristics, and discharge.  Downey owns two farms, in Shenandoah and Frederick counties, with his brother, Martin Downey.

Lisa Koerner Perry
Serving since 2017
Committees: Urban (Chair), Dam Maintenance

Lisa Koerner Perry is a project manager at Monteverde Engineering and Design Studio, where she leads efforts for strategy and design of stormwater management and erosion control practices for civil site plans. She holds certifications in stormwater management and erosion and sediment control from the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality and is a certified floodplain manager through the Association of State Floodplain Managers. She previously worked for Rockingham County Community Development and as a wildlife researcher. She serves on the Virginia Society of Ornithology Board of Directors.

Perry was raised on the Koerner family beef cattle farm in West Virginia, a designated Century Farm, now owned and operated by her brother.

Keith Ryan Thomas
Serving since 2021
Committees: Dam Maintenance, Urban

Keith Thomas is the Sustainability and Environmental Manager for the City of Harrisonburg, where he administers the City’s Phase II MS4 Permit and related stormwater projects and programs. He also manages the development and execution of sustainability initiatives in the city.

Thomas first worked with the Shenandoah Valley Soil and Water Conservation District in 2015 as a volunteer before transitioning to a staff role, in which he assisted with the VACS and VCAP cost-share programs and managed operations for the District’s eight dams.  With degrees in environmental science and public administration, Keith is passionate about conservation in our community. Outside of his professional pursuits, he finds joy in spending time outdoors, gardening, and volunteering as a certified Virginia Save Our Streams Monitor.

Matt Dale
Serving since 2023
Committees: Finance

Matt Dale is President of Dale Enterprises LLC, a consulting firm that advises startups and small businesses on executive leadership, business management, and business development processes and strategies to win and successfully perform on federal, state, and local government contracts. He also is an adjunct professor of business management at James Madison University, represents Magisterial District 3 on the Rockingham County Planning Commission, and holds a Certified Federal Contract Manager designation from the National Contract Management Association.

Previously, he served as staff of the local Boy Scout Council and as Staff Advisor to the volunteer committee working to expand educational opportunities for youths on the Wallenborn Conservation Reserve in Augusta County. Dale holds degrees from Virginia Military Institute and Eastern Mennonite University and a certificate in nonprofit management from JMU. He lives in Rockingham County with his wife Kristin and son Brady.