Ernie Reed — Resume
Ernie grew up as an integral part of a family retail clothing business and as the grandson of a banker. He has a Bachelor of Science in Commerce/Economics Degree from the University of Santa Clara and did post graduate work at the University of California at Santa Barbara in Economics. Born and raised in Stockton, California he developed an early interest in the outdoors, natural resource preservation, forestry, education, and the food and beverage industry. In Los Gatos, California he taught at an alternative private school, co-founded a small private community school and was floor manager of a popular and successful local restaurant. He has been a teacher for 55 years and has taught Special Education in Charlottesville City Schools and subjects as varied as Statistics, Elementary and Advanced Mathematics, Earth Science, Physics, Conservation Biology, Political Environmental History, Government, Nutrition and Vegetarian Cooking.
As part of the Nelson County community for 45 years, Ernie has
Provided leadership in preventing the Atlantic Coast Natural Gas Pipeline from bisecting the county.(2014-2019)
Led the community in stopping the Ground Wave Emergency Network from building 300’ nuclear war communication tower in Woods Mill (1990-91)
Helped establish The Priest and Three Ridges as Federally protected Wilderness Areas (2000).
Monitored water quality of the Rockfish River (1987-94)
Chaired the Values and Ethics Subcommittee on the Sustainability Council of the Thomas Jefferson Planning District and served on the Community Interfaith Roundtable on Sustainability (1994-1999)
Participated as member of the Working Group for the Land and Resource Management Plan for the George Washington National Forest, 1991-93.
More recently as Central District Supervisor, Ernie
Helped establish and continues serving on the Advisory Committee of Nelson County Drug Recovery Court
Has aided in the establishment of Agricultural and Forestal Districts in Glass Hollow and Montebello and now serves on the Agricultural and Forestal Citizen Advisory Committee
Has served on the Board of Directors of the Nelson County Department of Social Services (2018-2023) and as the county Emergency Services Coordinator (2020, 2025)
Serves on Board of Directors of
Jefferson Area Board of the Aging (JABA, 2018-2025)
Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission (2018-2025)
Nelson County Service Authority (2018-2025)
Ernie was a
15 years employee at Wintergreen Resort, in the Food and Beverage Department
Science Curriculum Director and authored creative home-schooling hjgh school curricula for Oak Meadow School (Putney, VT, 1988-91)
Founded and served as Principal and high school teacher at the Living Education Center for Ecology and the Arts (1992-2005)
Worked as short and long term teaching substitute teacher in Charlottesville City Schools (2006-9)
Ernie’s resume includes
Board Chair of Friends of Nelson (2016-2018)
Coordinator, Virginians for a Healthy Environment. (1990-91)
Membership as a Virginia Master Naturalist (2023-2025)
President of Virginians for Wilderness (1989-2000)
President of Wild Virginia (2012-2017)
Board Chair of Heartwood (2005-2017)
Board Chair of Living Education Center for Ecology and the Arts (1992-2007)
Leadership in Blue Ridge Sierra Club
Conservation Chair, Blue Ridge Group, 1988-94
Forestry Chair, Blue Ridge Group, 1988-94
Wilderness Chair, Blue Ridge Group, 1988-94
Executive Committee, Blue Ridge Group, 1988-94
Environmental Education Chair, Virginia Chapter, 1993-94
Public Lands Chair, Virginia Chapter, 1993-94
At Large Delegate, Executive Committee, Virginia Chapter, 1994
Board of Directors of Live Arts (Charlottesville, 1999-2006)
Conference Organizing
Central Appalachian/Preserve Appalachian Wilderness Conference, James Madison University, September, 1991.6th
Annual Forest Reform Network Conference, Harrisonburg, VA, June, 1992.
“Awakening Education in Virginia: A Community Forum,” Charlottesville, VA, Fall, 1998.
Workshop Leader
“The Atlantic Coast Pipeline and the Pipeline Compliance Surveillance Initiative,” Southern Public Interest Environmental Law Conference, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, 2000.
“Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration Projects in the Southern and Central Appalachians,” Public Interest Environmental Law Conference, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, 2014.
“Public Lands and Ecological Forestry,” Student Law Forum, College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, VA, January, 1991.
“Forest Service Planning, Public Participation and Appeals,” Forests Forever: Save America’s Forests Regional Conference, Swarthmore College, Easton, PA, March, 1991.
Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management Administrative Action,” Forest Reform Network Conference, Angelfire, NM, May, 1991.
“Environmental Science Curriculum Development,” Virginia Association of Environmental Education Conference, Williamsburg, VA, June, 1993.
“Environmental and Community Education,” Heartwood Forest Council, Paoli, Indiana, May, 2000.
Publications
“Appalachian Econnection,” Ernest Reed, Editor, Quarterly, 1989-93.
“George Washington National Forest Fragmentation Plan,” Wild Earth, Vol. 2, #1, Cenozoic Society, Spring, 1992.
“Personal Choices and Environmental Impacts,” with Richard Wellbeloved-Stone, The Environment: Global Problems, Local Solutions, Hickey and Longmire, eds., Greenwood Press, Westport, CN, 1994.
“High School, the University and Community Education,” The Greening of the Campus, Ball State University, 1996.
“How to Shift to Community Based Ecology and Arts Learning,” and “An Example of Community Education: The Living Education Center for Ecology and the Arts,” Raise the Stakes: The Planet Drum Review, #26, Planet Drum Foundation, Fall, 1996.
“Park! Can Greenspace Survive in an Asphalt Culture,” Orion Afield, Vol. 5, #2, The Orion Society, Spring 2001.
Awards
Virginia Environmental Innovation Award, 2001, Environment Virginia, Commonwealth of Virginia.
Hellbender Award, Heartwood, 2006.
Commonwealth Environmental Leadership Award, Green Educator, 2007, Charlottesville Waldorf Foundation.