Foothills Forum names its first executive director
Veteran nonprofit leader Andy McLeod joins journalism group
Andy McLeod, who has served in an array of nonpro t and public leadership positions, has been named the executive director of Foothills Forum.
The Rappahannock nonpro t has a longstanding partnership with Rappahannock Media, owner of the Rappahannock News, to collaborate on a variety of community reporting initiatives.
“We’re quite fortunate — tickled — to have an experienced nonprofit leader like Andy McLeod at the helm of our civic news organization,” said Larry “Bud” Meyer, Foothills cofounder and chair. “Andy is familiar with the issues we face in our county and is already getting familiar with its citizens and their interest in local news. They’re going to like Andy.”
“I am thrilled to join Foothills Forum and to advance its important and unique work in Rappahannock County,” stated McLeod. “The combination of a tight-knit, forward-looking community like Rappahannock and the highly innovative journalistic enterprise that is Foothills Forum make this a rare, wonderful opportunity. I am very excited about the future.”
McLeod has held a variety of senior positions with nonpro t groups and public positions. They include director of advocacy for the national Land Trust Alliance, a state government relations director for the Nature Conservancy, director of the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management, and deputy secretary of the California National Resources Agency. A native of Connecticut, McLeod is a former press secretary in the U.S. Senate and U.S. House and also a one-time news aide at The Washington Post. He is a member of the boards of directors of the Northern Virginia Conservation Trust and Arlington Media Independent.
Foothills Forum, an independent nonpartisan nonpro t, raises community support for local news, researching and reporting on the topmost issues of concern to the residents of Rappahannock County. For more on the award-winning reporting and partnership with the weekly Rappahannock News, visit www.foothills-forum.org.