Staff and Board of Directors
Sue ErhardtExecutive Director
Sue Erhardt has more than 20 years of senior leadership experience working in the conservation, nature, and place based education movement. Over her career, she has been able to grow programs, expand staff, and develop organizational infrastructure in a sustainable fashion. She has worked for urban forestry organizations in Detroit and Washington DC, and most recently for an agriculture nonprofit based in Augusta and Highland Counties, in Virginia. Her programs included a Food and Farm Fellowship program, as well as designing and implementing a Farm to Hospital project which has become a resource for the community by providing educational programming and vegetables for a Food Farmacy program. Ms. Erhardt holds a Master's Degree in Environmental Studies. She is a Certified Arborist and Certified Interpreter Guide. Her efforts have been recognized by prominent groups with several notable awards, such as the National Park Service Centennial Award and Outstanding Educator Award from the Arbor Day Foundation. Working at the Ivy Creek Foundation combines her passion for history and the national world with her experience running non-profit organizations. Contact Sue at sue@ivycreekfoundation.org.
Rochelle GarwoodDirector of Operations
Rochelle Garwood was a board member of the Ivy Creek Foundation from 2014-2019 and a member since the early 1990s. Her previous work experience includes serving as Senior Environmental Planner for the Thomas Jefferson Planning District Commission. She holds a Master's Degree in Environmental Science. Rochelle is responsible for day-to-day operations such as property maintenance, building booking and administration. Contact Rochelle at rochelle@ivycreekfoundation.org.
Susie FarmerDirector of Education
Susan Farmer has over ten years of experience working in museums and National Parks, where she has led tours, created formal and informal educational programs for both children and adults. These programs ranged from geology, history, wildflowers, and native flowers, native animal species programs, and conservation programs. She has a Master's degree in history and has focused her research on social movements, women's history, and African American history. She is excited to be part of the team at Ivy Creek because it combines her passion for nature and the outdoors with her love of history. Contact Susie at susie@ivycreekfoundation.org.
Mariah Payne
Education Coordinator
Mariah Payne is a December 2022 graduate of Christopher Newport University. She graduated with a major in History and double minors in Museum Studies and Psychology. She is a native of Charlottesville and a descendant of both River View Farm through Texie Mae Hawkins and Monticello through the Gillettes. Mariah enjoyed her internship in 2022 and is excited to return as a staff member. Contact Mariah at mariah@ivycreekfoundation.org.
Olivia Brubaker
Program Coordinator
Olivia Brubaker is a 2024 graduate of Christopher Newport University. She graduated with a major in History and minors in Literature, Leadership, and Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies. While earning her degree, Olivia interned at Ivy Creek, giving tours and researching the Carr-Greer family and the site's history. She is thrilled to be returning as a staff member. Contact Olivia at olivia@ivycreekfoundation.org.
Sergio Camacho Gonzalez
Intern
Sergio Camacho Gonzalez just graduated this Spring 2024 from the University of Virginia where he studied Latin American studies and took African American history and Spanish literature classes. The University was where during his last semester, Sergio took a course dedicated to the history of the Carr-Greer-Hawkins family. He is passionate about ancestry research and the intersections between displaced neighborhoods, immigrant and impoverished communities, and land use. Sergio hails from the great state of Texas and enjoys connecting with others, particularly on local social justice organizing efforts.
Zaniya Trotman
Intern
Zaniya Trotman is a rising third-year Global Sustainability student at UVA hailing from the beautiful city of Chesapeake, VA. She is ecstatic to uncover more stories about this heritage site and the people who have inhabited it throughout history. In addition, she cannot wait to collaborate with this team on the facilitation and enrichment of Ivy Creek's educational programs!
Chloe Fridley
Intern
Chloe is a rising 4th year at the University of Virginia. As a history major, she studies how people navigated the landscapes of the antebellum South and the ways that political ambitions and cultural backgrounds constructed the South we know today. As a Virginian and farmer herself, she is excited for her work at River View Farm to connect the public with some of the previously hidden stories that make up the rich historical fabric of Virginia.
Chelsea Huffman
Intern
Chelsea Huffman is a rising Fourth Year student at the University of Virginia double majoring in Environmental Thought & Practice and Global Development Studies. In the past, she has worked as an Instructor at the Living Earth School, a nature-based education center in central Virginia, where she developed a passion for environmental education and programming. Chelsea is from San Antonio, Texas, but is excited to escape the heat and stay in Charlottesville this summer to join the team at Ivy Creek as a History and Research intern.