09/12/2023
Here's a brief bio that has been used to introduce me at presentations and talks.
Nancy Vehrs is a native of Northern Virginia and a product of Prince William County Schools. She is an alumna of the College of William & Mary where she majored in Economics. In 2012 she retired from a 32-year career in Fairfax County government, with the last 21 years as clerk to its Board of Supervisors.
Nancy joined the Virginia Native Plant Society in 1988 shortly after buying her own home in the Manassas area. She has served as its president since 2012 and also serves as the president of her local chapter, the Prince William Wildflower Society. Growing up in Manassas near the banks of Bull Run, Nancy traces her love of wildflowers to her discovery of masses of Virginia Bluebells in bloom there when she was a young girl. Conservation of native plants and their habitats is central to her mission in retirement.
Nancy is an active volunteer and former board director of the Prince William Conservation Alliance, a board director of the Upper Occoquan Service Authority (a water reclamation public utility), a member and past president of the Prince William Committee of 100, and a member of many conservation organizations. Along with her companion Harry Glasgow, she helps lead regular walks at Huntley Meadows Park in Fairfax County and at Merrimac Farm Wildlife Management Area in Prince William County. She presents native plant programs to garden clubs and environmental organizations around the Commonwealth. She enjoys visiting parks and natural areas where she can immerse herself in nature.
Awards:
Nancy was the recipient of the local Cox Conserves award in 2017, and in 2018, she received the Heart of Gold Award from the Prince William Conservation Alliance. Together with her partner Harry Glasgow, they were named the 2019 Conservationists of the Year by the Prince William chapter of Ducks Unlimited. In 2021 Nancy received the highest award that National Garden Clubs gives to non-members — their National Award of Excellence. She was nationally recognized for her work and dedication in conservation, education, and native plant initiatives.