Sperryville’s Patti McGill Peterson joins board of Shenandoah Trust

Patti McGill Peterson of Sperryville has joined the Board of Trustees of the Shenandoah National Park Trust. She was voted onto the board at the organization’s most recent board meeting in Washington, D.C.

Peterson joins the 24-member board who hail from Virginia, Maryland, and Washington, D.C. The Trust was established in 2007.

“One of the great pleasures of living in Rappahannock County is the Shenandoah National Park,” Peterson offers. “Serving on the board of the Trust is a way of expressing my deep appreciation for the park and an opportunity to work with others to secure its future for generations to come."

Peterson brings robust leadership and board experience to the Trust. She is President Emerita at Wells College and St. Lawrence University where, she held presidencies from 1980 to 1996. Her faculty appointments have included the State University of New York, Syracuse University and Wells College.

Additionally, Peterson held senior leadership positions at numerous higher education institutions, including the American Council on Education (ACE), the major coordinating association for higher education institutions in the United States; the Institute for Higher Education Policy, which increases access and success in postsecondary education; and the Council for International Exchange of Scholars, which administers the Fulbright Scholar Program. Peterson’s corporate board memberships have included the John Hancock Mutual Funds, the Niagara Mohawk Power Corporation and Security Mutual Life of NY.

“As the Shenandoah National Park Trust positions itself for the next decade of partnership with Shenandoah National Park, Patti’s experience in governance and board relations are valuable assets to our organization,” says Greg Yates, Shenandoah National Park Trust’s Board Chairman.

The Shenandoah National Park Trust is the official nonprofit philanthropic partner of Shenandoah National Park. This public-private partnership with the National Park Service allows the Trust to raise funds on behalf of the national park. The Trust directs these funds to help protect the park for this and future generations.