Board of Trustees
Mark D. Perreault, Chairman
Mark is a resident of Norfolk and a retired in-house counsel with Norfolk Southern Corporation. He attended the United States Naval Academy where he received his B.S. degree in 1972. He later earned his law degree at Washington and Lee University. He has been active in many capacities in historic preservation and land conservation in the Commonwealth. He was formerly president of the Norfolk Preservation Alliance, served on the City of Norfolk’s Historical and Architectural Preservation Commission, and as a founder and president of Citizens for a Fort Monroe National Park was instrumental in the establishment of Fort Monroe National Monument in 2011. He serves on the board of Petersburg Battlefields Foundation and the Mid-Atlantic Regional Council of the National Parks Conservation Association and he and his wife Karen have been long-time supporters of the Civil War Trust. Karen and Mark are currently engaged in restoration of a period house on the Second Deep Bottom Battlefield in Henrico County in partnership with the Richmond Battlefields Association.
Craig R. Stevens, Vice Chairman
Craig is a retired CPA who has been involved with battlefield preservation for over 20 years and as a donor, Board Member or employee of Foundation since 2012. A lifelong student of the Civil War and fan of the Shenandoah Valley, Craig lives in Warrenton, Virginia. He earned his Bachelor's of Business Administration Degree from Virginia Tech in 1983. Craig served as Lead Partner at Aronson LLC. where he led the Firm's Association Industry Services Group. He joined Aronson LLC in 1986 and spent over 20 years in the industry. He specialized in accounting, auditing, taxation, internal controls systems, fundraising, and strategic planning.
As an expert in the field, he has made various presentations to the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE), the Virginia Society of Certified Public Accountants and the Maryland Association of Nonprofit Organizations on topics that include investment management, accounting and reporting issues.
Craig has provided over 30 articles on various issues impacting nonprofit organizations and authored The Nonprofit Controller's Manual, published by Warren, Gorham & Lamont and was a co-author, with other members of the firm, of the Financial Management Handbook for Associations and Nonprofits published by ASAE. He is an active member of AICPA, ASAE, and Finance Management Roundtable.
James E. Pearman, Jr, Treasurer
Jim co-founded Partners in Financial Planning, LLC in 2009. He has authored the book entitled “Financial Planning for the Older Client” as well as quoted on financial planning topics in a variety of local and national publications. He is active with National Association of Personal Financial Advisors (NAPFA) and NAPFA Consumer Education Foundation (NCEF). Jim has served as an industry expert for the North American Securities Administrators Association (NASAA) Exams Advisory Project Group that develops and reviews questions for the Series 63, 65 and 66 securities exams. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Virginia Tech and has served in the financial services industry for 50+ years. Jim enjoys being involved with his community. He chairs the boards of Feeding America Southwest Virginia, Alta Mons Inc., and serves as Treasurer of the Roanoke District of the United Methodist Church to name a few. Jim and his wife Brenda live in Salem with their cats and enjoys going to Virginia Tech sporting events, especially Hokie basketball and football.
Thomas C. Mack, Secretary
Prior to obtaining his Masters Degree in Education in 1995, at James Madison University, VA, Tom experienced numerous travel and work opportunities in 23 years. Tom, born in Pennsylvania, worked as a Pennsylvania state office clerk before moving to and living in Hawaii. In Hawaii, Tom’s jobs included farming, landscaping, janitor services and school bus driver. In 1979, Tom joined the US Army living in Kentucky, Germany, California, and North Carolina; while having such jobs as a mechanic and an Arabic interrogator/ translator. By 1988, after 15 years of marriage, both Tom and Lesley had their degrees in education; found elementary school teaching positions in Luray, Virginia, in the same school where they taught for 22 years. They both retired in 2010. Tom’s great love for history became the basis for the 20+member, all-volunteer, non-profit group – The Shenandoah Valley Civil War Era Dancers. Since 2012, the dancers have raised and donated over $56,000 to land preservation as they teach others the early American dances their ancestors once danced. Since 2016 Tom and Lesley have opened up their 3 acre landscaped garden to tours as part of the Page County Artisan Trail. Admission fees to Birdsong Pleasure Garden are donated to the SVBF.
Dr. William “Reyn” Archer, III
Reyn grew up in Texas and graduated from the University of Texas in 1976 with a degree in Botany/Plant Biology and later from the University of Texas Medical Branch with an M.D. in 1980. He was appointed as the Commissioner of the Texas Department of Health in 1997 by George W. Bush, a position he held until 2000. In 2005, he became the Chief Medical Officer for Burson-Martseller. Reyn became Chief of Staff for Congressman Jeff Fortenberry in 2016 and held the position until Congressman Fortenberry’s resignation in 2022. Reyn spent four years in the federal Public Health Service, collaborating with the World Health Organization (WHO) and USAID on international health initiatives. Currently, he serves as a counselor to the United States Secretary of Health and Human Services.
Alphonso P. Boxley, III
Al was born in Beckley, West Virginia and grew up in Mount Lebanon, Pennsylvania, a suburb of Pittsburgh. He attended Virginia Tech, earning a degree in business management. After graduating, Al began working for American Safety Razor, a division of Phillip Morris. While working there, he attended James Madison University and earned an MBA. In 1969, he joined the Army Reserves as a drill sergeant. He opened his first McDonald’s restaurant in Luray in 1977, and later moved to western Maryland where he opened 12 restaurants. In 1997 he sold those restaurants to return to the Shenandoah Valley, where he owned 11 restaurants until his retirement in 2020.
Al has served on several boards including Frostburg State University Foundation, the Ronald McDonald House, Boy Scouts of America, American Trust Bank (M&T Bank), WVPT Public TV, Blue Ridge Community College, and the Augusta County Economic Authority.
Childs F. Burden
Childs is a is a historian and prominent advocate for historic preservation in Virginia. He attended the University of Virginia and is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA). He is best known for his leadership in preserving the heritage of the northern Piedmont region, particularly through his long-term involvement with The Mosby Heritage Area Association which was formed in 1995. He was instrumental in creating educational tools for the Mosby Heritage Area, including maps and driving tour tapes designed to promote local history. He currently serves as Chairman Emeritus of the Virginia Piedmont Heritage Area after having served as Chair and President for many years and as was previously the Chairman of the Land Trust of Virginia. He has also served on the board of Access National Corporation and Access National Bank and previously with Middleburg Financial Corporation before the merger with that company. Childs is a graduate of The University of Virginia and is a Chartered Financial Analyst. He has served on the boards of Oatlands as Trustee and Chair, on The American Battlefield Trust, The Virginia Outdoors Foundation, The Loudoun County Historical Society as President and The Loudoun County Heritage Commission. In 2008, he received the Loudoun Laurels Stewardship Award for his extensive volunteer service and leadership in the community
Dr. William C. “Jack” Davis
William C. “Jack” Davis is a native of Independence, Missouri, and the author or editor of more than sixty books on Civil War and Southern history. A former senior consultant and on-camera commentator for 52 episodes of the Arts & Entertainment Network/History Channel series “Civil War Journal,” he has also served as a historical consultant for numerous television and film productions, including “The Blue and the Gray,” “George Washington,” “The Perfect Tribute,” and the 2015 film “Field of Lost Shoes,” based in part on his book “The Battle of New Market.”
Davis retired in 2013 after thirteen years as Professor of History and Executive Director of the Virginia Center for Civil War Studies at Virginia Tech. A four-time recipient of the Jefferson Davis Award, he is also the recipient of the Richard Nelson Current Award and the John Y. Simon Award while also being a two time nominee for the Pulitzer Prize. His most recent book, “The Whartons’ War: The Civil War Correspondence of General Gabriel C. Wharton and Anne Radford Wharton, 1863–1865,” was published by the University of North Carolina Press.
Senator Christopher T. Head
Senator Head is a father of three wonderful children, Victoria (Tori), Abigail (Abby), and Michael. Chris and his wife, Betsy, live in Botetourt and own Home Instead Senior Care in Roanoke and Lynchburg, a company that provides services to seniors so they don’t have to leave their homes. They were awarded Small Business of the Year in 2009. He graduated from the University of Georgia in 1985 with a Bachelor of Music (B.Mus.) degree. Head is a deacon and choir member at Bonsack Baptist Church and has served on boards for the Roanoke Regional Chamber of Commerce and the Roanoke Symphony. He served in the Virginia House of Delegates from 2012 to 2023 before being elected to serve as Senator for the 3rd District in the Virginia Senate in 2024. Chris grew up in Commerce, Georgia and graduated with a Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Georgia in 1985.
William B. Holtzman
Bill is the Founder and President of Holtzman Oil Corp. and Co-owner of Liberty Gas. He graduated from Massanutten Military Academy and attended Virginia Tech (when it was still a cadet school) where he earned his undergraduate degree. Bill went on to attend Cornell University where he received his master’s degree before going to work for the Byrd Orchards in Mt. Jackson. In July 1972, Holtzman purchased Nelson Oil Co., a small Gulf oil distributorship. Over five decades, he grew the business into the Holtzman Corporation. Today, it employs over 300 people and includes divisions in propane, heating oil, construction, ice distribution, and food services. In 2012, he was recognized as the Outstanding Virginian of the Year. On July 9, 2024, the town of Mount Jackson officially celebrated the first "Bill Holtzman Day" to honor his decades of service. In 2025, he was named a "Living Legend" by Virginia Business for his long-term impact on the Commonwealth's economy.
Patrick M. Kenney
Patrick is the superintendent of Shenandoah National Park and Cedar Creek and Belle Grove National Historical Park. Kenney has served as the deputy superintendent of Yellowstone National Park since January 2017. He managed the operations of 2.2 million acres, a staff of approximately 800 and an annual base budget of $35 million. Prior to Yellowstone, he was named superintendent of Cape Lookout National Seashore in 2011. There he improved access to the park through the awarding of a ferry service contract, establishing two gateways and the opening of the Beaufort Visitor Information Center.
Prior to managing Cape Lookout, Kenney served as the Planning Branch Chief at the NPS Denver Service Center. He began his NPS career in 1990 at Big Cypress National Preserve as a natural resource manager. He was effective at obtaining funding and successfully completing numerous natural resource restoration projects, as well as being involved in an array of planning issues within the preserve.
Kenney has a Bachelor of Science in Zoology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He is a graduate of the Federal Executive Institute – Leadership for Democratic Society and is a Project Management Institute certified Project Manager.
Allen L. Louderback
Allen is a past board member of the Foundation and served as Chairman from 2014-2016. A 1966 valedictorian of Luray High School, he earned a B.S. in Business Administration from Virginia Tech in 1970. Allen has been President of Louderback Enterprises since 1976. He has also worked as a Management Analyst in the U.S. Government Accountability Office. He is a former president of both the Luray Rotary Club and the Luray Kiwanis Club. He was appointed to the Commonwealth Transportation Board in 2008 and the Virginia Cave Board in 2023. He served in the Virginia House of Delegates where he represented the 15th District for three terms from 2000 to 2006. During his tenure, he was named Legislator of the Year by both The Family Foundation (2002) and the Commissioners of Revenue Association of Virginia (2003) and was on the Page County Board of Supervisors from 1992-2000 and again from 2020 to present.
J. Roderick O. Graves
Rod is Vice President of Luray Caverns. As Vice President, he oversees operations for one of the most visited caverns in the United States. He also serves as the Curator for both the Car and Carriage Caravan Museum and the Toy Town Junction museum located on the property. He is Vice President of the Page County Heritage Association, serves on the Shenandoah Valley Folklife Society and Virginia’s Preservation Board, and is past Chairman of the Page County Sesquicentennial Committee.
Colvin Gregg Ryan
Colvin is a native of upstate New York and resides in Middleburg where he serves as the President of Lee & Mason Financial Services Inc., a company specializing in lender-placed insurance and related financial services. He attended prep school in Concord, Massachusetts, and later graduated from St. Lawrence University in Canton, New York. Ryan began riding horses at age four. Over a career spanning several decades, he secured 147 victories, a record for amateur jump jockeys at the time of his initial milestone. He officially retired from racing in April 2010 at the age of 50, after winning a race at the Old Dominion Hounds Point-to-Point in Rappahannock County. Ryan is a member of the Board of Trustees for the Americans in Wartime Experience.
Keven Walker, Chief Executive Officer
Keven is the Chief Executive Officer of the Shenandoah Valley Battlefields Foundation and came to the Foundation from Antietam National Battlefield, where he served for 11 years as a Ranger, a Cultural Resources Specialist, and the Acting Cultural Resource Program Manager.
During that time, Walker served as a member of the National Park Service’s national advisory team on cultural resources and historic preservation and graduated from the GOAL Academy, the National Park Service’s highly competitive leadership program.
Walker was formerly the Executive Director of The Walker Foundation for Historic Preservation in Charles Town, West Virginia and operated a tour company in Gettysburg. He has appeared on several Maryland Public Television documentaries focusing on the Antietam Battlefield as well as historic homes in Washington County, Maryland. He is the author of “Antietam: A Guide to the Landscape and Farmsteads.” Published in 2010.
Walker came to the Foundation in June of 2014 and was elected to the Board of Trustees in 2025.
Linda C. Wheeler
Linda is a retired journalist and photographer who currently lives in Strasburg. She spent a significant portion of her career as a metro reporter and photographer for the Washington Post. She remains active in the community as a writer, historian, and volunteer. She was a regular contributor to The Mountain Courier where she had a recurring column focused on Civil War history and her historical research and reviews have been featured in the Shenandoah County Historical Society newsletter.
James R. “Richie” Wilkins, III
Richie resides in Winchester and currently serves as an Independent Director for First Bank (Strasburg, Virginia) and its parent company, First National Corp., a position he has held since 2001. He is the President of Silver Lake Properties, Inc. and serves as the General Partner for Wilkins Investments, L.P. and Wilkins Enterprises, L.P.. Currently, he serves as a trustee for the James R. Wilkins Charitable Trust and as Chairman of the Board of Trustees for Shenandoah University.