Staff 

Headshot of Ann KildahlAnn Kildahl, director of sustainability

Ann joined VCU in July 2021 after more than two decades in Asia, where she worked in higher education and the nonprofit sector. She served as the first Sustainability Manager at the University of Hong Kong, an urban research and teaching university with approximately 30,000 students. At the Asia Society Hong Kong Center, her work included multi-level program development and a landmark historic preservation and adaptive reuse project, now the Society’s permanent home.

Her ambition for VCU is to see sustainability practices and principles integrated into all aspects of campus life.

Originally from New York, Ann is a lifelong learner with degrees from Smith College (BA), Columbia University (MIA), and the University of Hong Kong (PhD). Outside of work, she loves biking and racket sports, good food and wine, and keeping up with family and friends.

Headshot of Sara BartonSara Barton, senior manager, sustainability programs and policy

Sara's academic and professional backgrounds in public health, food access and organic agriculture lead her to begin a career in sustainability in 2017. Having lived in Washington, D.C. and New York City before moving to Richmond, she is especially interested in sustainability work in urban settings. Sara's professional and academic interests include sustainable urban food systems, conservation landscaping, bike-friendly urban design and community-engaged climate action. In 2022, she completed the Certificate in Sustainability Planning graduate program at VCU's Wilder School and plans to continue to expand her sustainability knowledge and skill set. When she's not at work, Sara is most likely biking, roller skating, hiking, supporting local producers at the farmers market, vibing at a concert or tending to (including singing to) her 50+ houseplants.

Headshot of Lloyd BlakeLloyd Blake, urban gardens and forestry coordinator

Lloyd is a lifetime Richmond resident and arrives at VCU having spent the last ten years pursuing various agricultural and horticultural interests in the state of Virginia. He has a Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology from James Madison University and picked up minors in Environmental Studies and Italian along the way. Lloyd is drawn to the power that agriculture and food have to bring people and communities together and hopes to create that atmosphere in the gardens at VCU.

When not in the garden, Lloyd enjoys cycling, reading fiction and spending time with his family.

No photo availableJane Hagen, sustainability data coordinator

Jane graduated from VCU in 2021 with a Master of Arts in English, focusing on ecological weird fiction. In this position, she plans to track and analyze sustainability data and help put it to use in the ongoing sustainability work at VCU. She is particularly interested in ways to approach complex, interconnected problems that exist far outside the human scale, like the climate crisis, and hopes to use data to help approach those problems in more informed ways. 

Outside of her work here, Jane can be found swimming, cooking or reading.

Parker Long

 

Parker Long, manager, sustainability administration and operations 

Bio coming soon.

Interns

Portrait of Elsa HoppeElsa Hoppe, communications and engagement intern

Elsa is a sophomore studying public relations. As a VCU Sustainability intern, she plans and creates content for VCU Sustainability's communications platforms. In her free time, she works part-time at a thrift store and enjoys binge watching movies and shows.

Isabella Schmidt, communications and engagement intern

Isabella Schmidt is a Junior in the College of Humanities and Sciences at VCU, studying Creative and Strategic Advertising. As a Communications and Engagements Intern, Isabella creates social media and website content, helps plan and execute events, and assists with VCU Sustainability’s campus programs like the Free Store. Isabella has a background in education and has been teaching for the past five years, and she is now looking forward to a new adventure with VCU sustainability. Outside of school and work, Isabella loves create art in her free time, specifically painting and drawing. She also enjoys expressing her creativity in the kitchen, coming up with new recipes and food combinations.

Liv Weatherford, communications and engagement intern

Liv Weatherford is a Junior studying graphic design at VCUarts and minoring in media studies. She has used her designs for environmental preservation efforts at a large scale while working as a Marketing and Communications intern at a renewable energy company. She enjoys all things nature, art, and music and is the Marketing and Design chair for Note of Kindness, a music outreach club at VCU. As a communications and Engagement Intern at VCU Sustainability, she continues to engage in environmental and community-based projects.

Headshot of Callum AmendCallum Amend, free store intern

Callum Amend, a VCU Sustainability intern assisting with the Free Store, is a junior undergraduate student at VCU. He is expected to graduate in fall 2024 will graduate with a bachelor of arts degree in English and a minor in creative writing.

Photo of Jordan RichardsJordan Richards, free store intern

Jordan is a senior at VCU, set to graduate in spring 2024. Originally from Westmoreland County, Virginia, Jordan has always had a passion for computers and technology, which led him to pursue a major in information systems.

As a VCU Sustainability Free Store intern, Jordan’s goal is to assist in creating an efficient way to keep track of incoming donations and manage the store's inventory.

Outside of school and work, you can find him playing video games with friends or researching and building computers. Jordan is excited to embark on a career where he can combine his love for technology with his skills in information systems.

Photo of Isabelle PillowIsabelle Pillow, urban gardens and forestry intern

Isabelle is a senior studying environmental studies with a biology minor and is in the River Studies and Leadership certificate program. She is also a part of the VCU Coastal Plant Ecology Lab. As a VCU Sustainability intern, she helps maintain garden and forestry sites on and around campus and lead volunteer activities. After graduation, she hopes to continue doing ecological restoration research and work in outdoor environmental education.

Outside of school and work, she likes spending time on the river, thrifting and cooking.

Eric King, Zero Waste Intern

No photo availableEric is a graduate student in his final semester of the Master of Urban & Regional Planning program, concentrating in Environmental Planning. From Harrisonburg, VA, Eric holds a bachelor's degree in environmental sustainability and has worked in the fields of urban agriculture, political organizing, and active transportation, and he hopes to use his planning experience to help advance climate resilience in the Richmond region. When he's not at work or in class, Eric enjoys cycling, live music, Kickers games, and trivia!