Keith Ashley (‘75 B.S. in biology and ‘79 M.S. in fisheries and wildlife sciences) was named the 2009 Fishery Biologist of the Year by the Southeastern Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies. Ashley, who has spent 27 years of his career with the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission, was recognized for his management work with catfish, largemouth bass, sunfish, American shad, and striped bass. As a district fisheries biologist, he has been heavily involved in the commission’s effort to address catfish management issues in north Carolina’s coastal rivers. Ashley has also worked extensively with anadromous fishes in coastal rivers and provides technical guidance to municipalities and other lake and pond owners on managing fisheries to provide quality fishing experiences. A member of the American Fisheries Society and a certified fisheries scientist, Ashley resides in Elizabethtown, N.C., with his wife, Renee.

Neil A. Clark (‘94 B.S. in forestry and wildlife, ‘98 M.S. in forestry) received the Appalachian Society of American Foresters (APSAF) 2009 Young Forester Leadership Award, which recognizes outstanding leadership by a young professional in the field of forestry. The APSAF is composed of professional foresters and forest technicians from Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina. In his position as Extension forester for Virginia Cooperative Extension’s southeast district, Clark is responsible for educational outreach to citizens, the forest products industry, and landowners. An active APSAF member, Clark has served as the chair for the Southeast Virginia Chapter, as secretary/trea- surer for the Virginia division, and as co-chair of the APSAF 2009 winter meeting. Neil and his wife, Laura (’94 B.S. in psychology), live in Suffolk, Va., and are enjoying the toddlerhood of their daughter, Evelyn Grace.

Gerald Foltz (‘70 B.S. in forestry) received the Appalachian Society of American Foresters 2009 Volunteer Service Award. In the last 17 years, Foltz, has played a major part in raising nearly $1.5 million for his two favorite organizations: Log a Load for Kids and the Holiday Lake 4-H Educational Center. He helped initiate the Lynchburg chapter of Log a Load for Kids, a nationwide campaign through which loggers and others contribute to local Children’s Miracle network-affiliated hospitals to provide medical care to kids in need, and continues to be a driving force in its efforts. He was a member of the Holiday Lake board of directors for 6 years and serves on its natural resources committee. Foltz, who recently retired from MeadWestvaco after 40 years of service, has been active in both the Society of American Foresters and the Virginia Forestry Association throughout his career, as well as devoting time and effort to other organizations such as the Virginia Reforestation of Timberland Board, the Forest Resources Association, the Appomattox Lions Club, and the Appomattox Presbyterian Church. Foltz and his wife, Dianne, who live in Appomattox, Va., have three children and five grandchildren.

Steven Quagliata (‘08 B.A. in geography) received second place at the 2009 Virginia GIS Conference Professional Poster Competition. His poster, entitled “Utilizing Ancillary Data and Landsat Image Transformations to Identify Likely Wetland and Potential Wetland Loss,” portrayed his strategy of capturing and manipulating satellite images of wetlands in order to monitor the effects and potential effects of wetland field work. “Given the importance of wetlands to the natural environment, determining an efficient way to depict their loss can be a useful method to study them over long periods of time,” Quagliata explained. His strategy uses a particular feature of GIS software that optimizes vegetation data and can measure the vegetation, soil, and interrelationship of soil and canopy moisture. These automated measurements drastically reduce the time it would take to analyze and interpret manual photos, thus reducing total project cost. Quagliata currently serves as a GIS technician at the college’s Conservation Management Institute.

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