Board & Staff

Glenn has spent the last 35 years working in the technology world but his true love is the Cacapon River and the communities that surround it. Ever since his grandfather bought a farm along the Cacapon in the early 50’s, Glenn has fished, swam, canoed, tubed and kayaked in the river! He loves to fly fish, mountain bike, run, ski, and explore throughout West Virginia. Today he helps manage his grandfather’s and grandmother’s farm for all their grandchildren and, with his wife Jenny, live on their own farm along the banks of the Cacapon near Yellow Spring.

After earning B.A. (Biology, University of Missouri-St. Louis, 1969) and Ph.D. (Zoology, Arizona State University, 1976) degrees, George worked as an ecologist. His main interests were in fishes, streams, and watersheds, and in organizations that steward these resources. Basic research studies addressed the life history patterns of livebearing fishes, parental care behaviors of darters, and an inventory of the freshwater fishes of Corcovado National Park, Costa Rica. Applied environmental projects included quantifying the effects of a nuclear electric plant on the Savannah River’s fish community, assembling the ecological baselines of two Appalachian rivers, and preparing and implementing a strategic plan for managing West Virginia’s watersheds. George also invested two decades helping grassroots watershed associations build scientific and organizational capacities. Since retiring from formal employment in 2008 George has focused on writing. He creates reader-friendly natural history stories based on basic research findings in the field of evolutionary ecology. He is currently writing a book about Appalachian birds. His wife, Nancy Ailes, and George have lived in the Cacapon River watershed for 40 years. Their daughter, Leah, grew up swimming and paddling the Cacapon River, graduated from Hampshire High School, and lives, with her husband, Ivan, in Somerville, Massachusetts. George plays drums in Rain Crow, a local band within the genre of vintage rock-and roll.

Jeff spent the past 22 years working in the Public Works field mainly for the City of Alexandria where he most recently served as the Deputy Director of Public Works. He brings to the organization years of experience in stormwater management and wastewater treatment, as well as extensive coordination with developers. In his spare time he loves paddling, floating, and fly fishing the lower end of the Cacapon River. Jeff recently left the public sector and relocated to the Berkeley Springs area where he and his wife are opening a retreat overlooking the Potomac River.

Jim Ott, a native of Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley, joined the Board of the Friends of the Cacapon River in 2025 after an academic career as a Population Biologist/Ecologist. With a strong interest in natural history, a lifetime of outdoor experiences in Virginia and West Virginia and a deep-rooted network of family and friends throughout the region, he is intimately familiar with the flora and fauna of, and the multifaceted challenges facing, the Cacapon Watershed. Contributing to preserving, protecting and promoting the land, water and human resources of the watershed is welcome work.

Tim lives along the banks of the Cacapon River on his family farm in Capon Bridge. As a boy, he remembers many adventures in the West Virginia woods and happily returned in 2007 after a career in construction and real estate. Tim is active in community affairs and has renovated several dilapidated buildings in town. He loves to fish, paddle and spend time with his 5 grandchildren who live a short walk away.

The Cacapon River is a special place for me—it’s one of my favorite spots to escape to in West Virginia, where the water stays crystal-clear and the mountains rise straight up from the banks. Every summer I spend long, lazy days floating down it in inner tubes with friends, cold drinks in hand, letting the gentle current carry us past limestone cliffs and shady sycamores while turtles sun themselves on the rocks. I’m just as happy grabbing a trash bag and wading the shallows to pick up any litter that’s drifted in, because keeping this beautiful river pristine feels like the least I can do for a place that gives me so much joy.

Colin and his wife Anne LaFond have had a property on Kilgore Rd, Largent for 20 years. Based in Alexandria, Virginia they both work in international development but get to the Cacapon as often as possible to enjoy its many opportunities for recreation, or simply watch its wonders. Colin works globally in environmental and social risk management but values the critical importance of local action like Friends of the Cacapon as the bedrock for effective safeguards. Colin and Anne have two children in their twenties who have grown up with the Cacapon, and to whom they want to leave a cleaner, sustainable watershed.

Peter retired in 2021 to Hampshire County after 30 years with U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). A native of Maryland, his first trip to West Virginia when he was 16 camping with family friends invoked his love for the mountains, lakes and rivers of West Virginia. He attended Potomac State College and West Virginia University graduating with degrees in Forestry and Entomology. He purchased land in 2002 in The Crossings, a 1,200-acre community in a horseshoe of the Cacapon River. He built a cabin in 2004 so he could spend his weekends and vacations exploring the rivers edge and nearby forest with his dogs. Now living full time in his West Virginia home he spends his time gardening, hiking, and volunteering to shine the light on our beautiful West Virginia