Group of people gathered around a table discussing a large sheet of paper with handwritten notes on ecosystem and nature topics. Some individuals are standing, and others are seated, attentively engaged in the discussion.

Our Board

Our board is comprised of people diverse backgrounds and disciplines with a uniting love for the Red River Gorge.

Jonathan HIcks

President

A middle-aged man with short dark hair and some gray, smiling slightly, wearing a dark Patagonia fleece jacket, seated in front of a light wooden wall.

In 2010, Jonathan moved to the Red River Gorge with his family. He was able to provide for his family by working in the hospitality industry. As he lived and came to love the area, he became increasingly concerned with the potential long-term negative effects of unbridled tourism in the region. His work with Red River Gorge United is an effort to be proactive about a positive future for the area.

nancy Hamann

Vice President

A smiling woman with short curly hair wearing sunglasses, a blue and white patterned shirt, and beige shorts standing on a rocky ledge with a lush green forest in the background and a small bridge across the trees.

Nancy Hamman is a local resident and business owner with a love of the outdoors and a huge supporter of small businesses. She moved to the Red River Gorge 16 years ago for the natural beauty, small town atmosphere, and to develop her own small business. Nancy is concerned about unregulated overdevelopment with no plans for sustainability, land use, infrastructure and gentrification.

Virginia Lee Harrod

“Jennie”

Legal Counsel

A woman in a royal blue blazer with a pink, purple, and fiery orange scarf standing in front of a bookshelf filled with old law books.

Virginia Lee “Jennie” Harrod is an attorney and farmer living on the Kentucky River in Henry County, Kentucky. She spent her childhood visiting the Red River Gorge with her family and has fond memories of her father’s work to save the Red River Gorge from the proposed dam in the 1970s. In her free time, Jennie enjoys hiking and collecting/selling art to help support local artists.

Kenny Rice

treasurer

Close-up selfie of a middle-aged man with glasses, gray hair, and a beard in an indoor setting with artwork, shelves, and holiday decorations in the background.

Kenny Rice is a lifelong resident of the Red River Gorge and a retired educator. He’s passionate about pursuing planned, protected, and sustainable growth for the area so that the Red River Gorge doesn’t fall victim to nefarious overdevelopment and rural gentrification.

Interested in Joining our Board? FIll out the interest form Below: