SUPERPOWER: Persistence
Executive Director, Friends of Blackwater
For 25 years, Judy Rodd has headed Friends of Blackwater (FOB), an initiative that works tirelessly for the preservation and promotion of the Mid-Atlantic Allegheny Highlands, its wildlife, and its heritage. As executive director, Rodd has pushed the group to achieve its environmental goals through grassroots advocacy. Its professional team includes Rodd’s husband, who practiced environmental law before retiring and now directs FOB’s programs on climate education and West Virginia history.
Just last year, the group marked a significant achievement when an agreement was reached on the sale of the Blackwater Canyon acreage next to Blackwater Falls State Park to the Monongahela National Forest, ensuring its full protection. The spark that started FOB a quarter century ago, the sale of that land is a significant achievement—but it’s just one of the goals the organization has worked toward over the years. Converting old train routes into trails for the enjoyment of families, bike clubs, and tourists has been a big success for the group. Signage that FOB installed along the trails piques the interest of people using them and shares information about the now inactive railroads. “How big were the trains, and where did they fill up with water? There are lots of little details like that that people can read as they walk down the rail-trail,” Rodd says.
The work of Rodd and Friends of the Blackwater have been the catalyst for more than the preservation of lands. The entire area has benefited from her efforts, with many of the people who were brought there through work for the organization choosing to stay and make it their home even after the job was complete. “It’s really evolved into an interesting, fun place with lots of outdoor recreation but also little unique restaurants and an art community,” Rodd says, crediting the community members who have sought to enrich the area. “It’s been amazing to watch.”
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