Board Member Interview: Alex Rough

1. Where does your passion for conservation originate from?

“In college I was in international studies, and at the time, climate change was certainly a topic of the day, but, similar to right now, pushed aside a little bit. However, I felt like it was going to be the intersection of everything, the intersection of international relations, geopolitics, energy, the environment, and conservation.”

2. You studied Political Science at Old Dominion University. What motivated you to do that?

“I guess growing up outside Washington, D.C, it was always in my mind. My dad worked for the government, and my mom was an editor for an organization with a lot of politics going on, so I was introduced to it at an early age.”

3. Describe your career journey after school, and what guided that?

“So, out of college, two years after the 2008 crisis. I was interviewing with any and all environmentally oriented nonprofit organizations in DC that I could possibly find. Everything from conservation to renewable energy; the competition was really, really stiff. I eventually got into the Fuel Cell and Hydrogen Energy Association, which introduced me to the whole world of data centers, how they are utilizing fuel cells and renewable energy on-site, battery power, and battery technology.”

Afterward, Alex continued his job search, and, much like today, there were more applicants than jobs available. He eventually landed in property management, which is what led him to environmental advocacy. “I was kind of disparaged in that I was in property management and not in the environmental movement. In property management, I was introduced to LEED certification and Green building incentives, and to how municipalities in this area are addressing sustainable building and green building priorities. To remain relevant in the environmental field, I started taking on volunteer work. I joined the Sierra Club; specifically the Great Falls Group.”

4. Can you describe the environmental advocacy work you have been involved with? Can you describe the environmental advocacy work you have been involved with?

“After some time working within the Great Falls Group, I became the political chair. I also got appointed to the Town of Herndon Sustainability Committee. The Council was interested in exploring sustainable initiatives comparable to those of other municipalities engaged in that type of work. My job was basically researching examples of other municipalities and how they were going about their sustainable plans, urban planning, improving walkability, and public transit.”

This work put Alex at the forefront of green politics in his area. His desire to be a part of more local change continued to grow. “In 2016, when a third of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors were up for reelection, I got involved in advocating for candidates who had the environment in mind. One of my prouder moments was endorsing Deshundra Jefferson for chair of the Prince William County Board, where the election was really centered on data center expansion.”

 So, working in data centers during the day, and then working on data center sustainability, environmental advocacy at night.

5. What is your connection to Northern Virginia?

“I’ve lived all over Northern Virginia. Once I graduated high school, I kind of stuck around for a little bit, then went down to James Madison University, lived in Harrisonburg for a hot second, and then transferred to Old Dominion University in Norfolk where I finished my bachelor's. Then I came right back here and got involved with all the environmental groups; the data center work. I'm pretty rooted here. My family is rooted here, too. My brother, who has down syndrome, is also located here, and he's part of an independent living group called Gabriel Homes, which I'm also heavily involved with.”

6. Do you have a favorite park or natural area to visit?

“Great Falls is my go-to on the Virginia side. Growing up, my friends and I also frequented the Difficult Run; I’ve kayaked it before.”

7. How did you find out about the Northern Virginia Conservation Trust? Why did you decide to get involved at the board level?

“Being associated with all these different groups, from Sierra Club to Greenpeace to Faith Alliance to local municipalities and local officials, I was very well aware of the Trust.  I've always been interested in being more involved with every organization, especially regionally, because from my vantage point, it just seemed like everyone was doing the exact same work, but only in their silos. I felt we needed more regional coherence, and certainly, there are a lot of organizations that do deliver that, like the Sierra Club. The Trust always represented another level that I always wanted to be involved with, especially in terms of conservation and land conservation, which is something that I'm basically new to.

8. NVCT is looking to expand our policy efforts. What are your hopes for our expansion in this area?

"That we show up, and community leaders like government officials know who we are. If people know us, if officials know us, then more people are aware that they can do conservation easements on their land; it gives people more options."