Kentucky Conservation Committee Key Volunteers

Volunteers of the Kentucky Conservation Committee

The Kentucky Conservation Committee (KCC) is fortunate to have dedicated volunteers, many of whom are former board members. Often they provide critical guidance and perspective on a number of complex issues.

Melissa Taylor Dresler
a valued KCC volunteer, has worked on global environmental issues with the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, and the United States Global Change Research Program in Washington, DC; where she was Deputy Executive Director for the National Assessment Office. She was a Principal Lead Author for the IPCC Second Assessment Report for the chapters on Hydrology and Freshwater Ecology and Non-Tidal Wetlands, and participated for many years in the international climate negotiations.

Currently, Melissa chairs the Blackacre Executive Summary Committee, and is the Principal Lead Author of the document, entitled: A Contribution of the Kentucky Conservation Committee to "Conserve Kentucky," based on the forum at KCC's annual meeting in September, 2008.

She is new to Lexington, Kentucky, from the Washington D.C. area, and has a seven year old daughter, Madison, three dogs and two cats.

Judith McCandless
as an early Kentucky Conservation Committee supporter and a Past-President, carries on a tradition of service, organizing KCC's membership database. Judith is a registered architect and certified planner. Her major concentration has been on environmental planning. She has started a new career in accounting and volunteers doing taxes for AARP. Previously Judith served as Chair of the Kentucky State Nature Preserves Commission; and currently, serves as treasurer for both the North American Mycological Association, and the Kentucky Natural Lands Trust, where she is actively involved in the Pine Mountain Legacy Project.

Judith is driven by her enthusiasm for nature, gardening and community. She is an avid birder and lives in the historic Crescent Hill neighborhood of Louisville, with her husband, Grady Clay, who is a retired journalist and author of books on urban design.

Geoff Young
is a former KCC Board member and past- President. Geoff has a particularly valuable background, with a degree in Economics from MIT and advanced degrees in Mechanical Engineering and Agricultural Economics. Geoff worked for the Kentucky Division of Energy (KDOE) and is an expert in energy policy, energy efficiency and utility regulation and rate structures. He is an avid gardener and cyclist.