Members, volunteers and sponsors are the lifeblood of the Rivanna Conservation Society. RCS members can serve on the Board of Directors, serve as Committee Chairs, participate in Committees and volunteer at our fun events. Ask us about the river steward network.
Executive Director
Roberta (Robbi) Savage
(Executive Director) Robbi Savage joined RCS as its Executive Director in November of 2006. Robbi has a rich background in nonprofit management, with more than 28 years as the Executive Director of the national association representing the 50 state government water quality and environmental officials. In this capacity she was the Voice of the States on Clean Water Act working with federal government leaders at US Environmental Protection Agency, US Dept of Interior, US Department of Agriculture, US Geological Survey, US Department of Commerce, the Office of Management and Budget and the White House.
In addition to her work with the state and federal environmental leaders, Robbi is the founder and for 15 years was the President of America's Clean Water Foundation. In this position Robbi was invited to serve as the US Earth Day Ambassador to Germany in 2004, was the US Water Ambassador to Taiwan in 2005 and 2006, with a US Delegate to the Bonn Charter on International Water Supply in 2004, was a US Delegate to the World Water Forum in Kyoto, Japan and one of the key sponsor of the Global Assembly for Women and the Environment.
In 2003 Robbi created World Water Monitoring Day and in 1992 and 2002 Robbi created and facilitated the Years of Clean Water that included the World Water Summit hosted for Robbi by Senator Edmund Muskie, Senator Howard Baker and President Jimmy Carter at the Carter Center in Atlanta. Robbi also created and hosted the Youth Watershed Summit, bringing 5 students and 2 educators from all 50 states to the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center on the Chesapeake Bay. In addition, Robbi was the facilitator of the National Environmental Dialogue on Pork Production and was the States’ representative to the National Poultry Dialogue. Together these two efforts brought about significant improvements in how farmers manage their animal feeding operations.
Robbi's work has been extensively published and she has received numerous national and international awards. Robbi has appeared before the US Congress more than 100 times and guided the States; development of the legislative proposals including the Stormwater and State Revolving Loan Fund amendments that were incorporated in the Clean Water Act.