News Release

Park Announces New Slate of Commissioners for Advisory Commission

Date: January 23, 2023
Contact: Karen Beck-Herzog, 540-220-7824

Middletown, VA— Cedar Creek and Belle Grove National Historical Park Superintendent Pat Kenney announced a new slate of commissioners for the park advisory commission. The advisory commission was established as part of the park’s enabling legislation to advise the Secretary of the Interior in the preparation and implementation of the general management plan and to advise the Secretary with respect to the identification of sites of significance outside the park boundary deemed necessary to fulfill the purpose of the Cedar Creek and Belle Grove National Historical Park Act of 2002.

The advisory commission is comprised of 15 members appointed by the Secretary of the Interior and includes:

Mr. Wayne Sulfridge, Belle Grove, Inc.
Ms. Kristen Laise (alternate), Belle Grove, Inc
Ms. Carol Polkinghorne, Cedar Creek Battlefield Foundation
Mr. Roy Downey (alternate), Cedar Creek Battlefield Foundation
Mr. Paul Coussan, American Battlefield Trust
Ms. Catherine Noyes (alternate), American Battlefield Trust
Mr. Wyatt Pearson, Frederick County, VA
Ms. Candice Perkins (alternate), Frederick County, VA
Ms. Karen Beck-Herzog, Ex-Officio, National Park Service
Mr. Ross Bradford, National Trust for Historic Preservation
Mr. Thompson Mayes (alternate), National Trust for Historic Preservation. 
Mr. David Blount, Private Landowner
Ms. Brenda Black, Shenandoah County, VA
Ms. Stephanie Mitchell, Town of Middletown, VA
Mr. Nicholas Picerno, Shenandoah Valley Battlefields Foundation
Dr. Curtis Morgan, Town of Strasburg, VA
Ms. Mary Yonce, Ex-Officio, United States Forest Service
Ms. Stephanie Chapman, Ex-Officio (alternate), United States Forest Service
Ms. Lee Meyer, Warren County, VA

Vacancies remain for a representative from the Commonwealth of Virginia and a private landowner within the park boundary. 

The commission meets quarterly in March, June, September, and December. Meetings are open to the public. For more information on upcoming meetings visit: www.nps.gov/cebe/learn/management/park-advisory-commission.htm. 

The commission will hold a special meeting on February 2, 2023, focused on providing new commissioners training on the Federal Advisory Commissions Act, ethics, and the role of the advisory commission in relation to the park. 

The meeting will be held at 9 am in-person at the Warren County Government Office with a virtual option via the Microsoft Teams platform or by phone. For more information on the upcoming meeting, including the agenda and a link to join virtually, visit: www.nps.gov/cebe/learn/management/park-advisory-commission.htm.

This correction includes the full list of members.