Rooted in the Shenandoah Valley, Renew Rocktown fosters resilient communities and a healthy planet through collaboration, education, and transformative local action.
We believe that individuals and communities have the power to create a world that enables people and planet to thrive.
We facilitate projects, programs, and campaigns that recognize the interconnectedness of our transportation, housing, food, health, waste, land use, agricultural, and energy needs.
Renew Rocktown has grown and been shaped by a variety of people and organizations throughout our history. We are grateful to have had support and leadership in different forms, at different times, from a variety of caring and committed individuals.
Our Partners
Renew Rocktown partners with a variety of organizations on initiatives, events, and campaigns that improve environmental and social conditions in our community.
We also work with the City of Harrisonburg, local schools and universities, area neighborhoods, and local businesses. Working on a project? Interested in collaborating? Brainstorming an idea? Contact us!
Our Team
Everett Brubaker – Executive Director
Everett facilitates and leads Renew Rocktown’s projects and programs, fundraising, communications, and community engagement. He has been active regionally and state-wide for over a decade, championing efforts around clean energy, community gardens, waste & recycling, housing, energy efficiency, and more. Everett is passionate about bringing people together in ways that strengthen community capacity for real change. Everett holds a B.A. in Sustainability from EMU and an M.A. in Environmental Communication & Advocacy from JMU.
Brittany McFadden – Project Coordinator, Energy Check
Brittany’s passion for advocacy began around 2006. At 18, as a single mother, she encountered many times where she struggled to pay utility bills. She saw how easily families can get stuck in a cycle of hardship, disconnections, and poverty. In 2018, after years of serving locally and dreaming for the future she pitched the idea to create a community resource center serving Central Virginia. What started as an idea and small utility support grew into a suite of services serving families in need. In this work she realized early on that true change requires addressing the root causes of high bills, like education, poor insulation, and home conditions.
Brittany is honored to serve alongside Renew Rocktown, her work coming full circle to focus on long-term solutions that lower utility costs, improve home efficiency, and create lasting impact for individuals and families across the region.
Joo Kim – Bookkeeper
Joo Kim has experience in nonprofit financial management, grant compliance, and community-based program support. She currently assists multiple nonprofits with accounting systems, reporting, and operational workflows, which has given her strong understanding of local sustainability initiatives and community needs.
Joo believes in building resilient, sustainable, local communities and empowering grassroots solutions. She is excited to help strengthen Renew Rocktown’s financial infrastructure so the team can focus on mission-driven work and long-term positive change.
Summer 2026 Intern
Allysen Welty Peachey – Communications and Outreach Intern
Allysen Welty Peachey (she/her) is a first year master’s student at the University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability studying environmental policy, & environmental behavior, education, and communication. She is a recent EMU grad and is excited to be back in the Shenandoah Valley working with Renew Rocktown as a Communications & Outreach Intern. She is passionate about environmental coalition building, community partnerships, and energy advocacy and is eager to bring these skills to Renew Rocktown. In her free time, Allysen enjoys spending time with friends and exploring new places.
Spring 2026 Interns
Zora Hancock
Zora Hancock is a JMU grad and current AmeriCorps VISTA looking to learn more about environmental outreach and education. With Renew Rocktown, Zora is supporting the planning and execution of the annual Earth Day Luncheon in addition to supporting general administrative functions. They have been involved in Harrisonburg non-profit work for the last 4 years. Once Zora is done with Renew Rocktown, they are hoping to either get their Masters or continue working in advocacy non-profits. In their free time, they enjoy listening to local artists and hanging out with their cat, Jimmy.
Andrew MacRae
Andrew MacRae is a Senior ISAT major with an Environmental Studies minor at JMU. He’s lived here in the Harrisonburg and Rockingham area for nearly all of his life, and is excited to give back to the community through his work with Renew Rocktown. Andrew loves writing, cooking, and hiking. He hopes to one day build a career based on improving the environment through conservation work and community sustainability efforts similar to Renew Rocktown’s work.
Audri Bridi
Audri Bridi is a junior student studying at JMU. She is pursuing majors in both biology and art, and has minors in environmental humanities and illustration. She currently assists with lab research on coastal harmful algal blooms. She likes reading, drawing, knitting, and spending time with her dog Lizzie.
Our Steering Committee
Renew Rocktown is led by a Steering Committee that meets monthly and supports RR’s work. For information on joining or connecting with our Committee, please contact Chair Earl Zimmerman at [email protected].
Earl Zimmerman, Chair
Earl Zimmerman is a committed environmental organizer, writer, and an avid gardener. He and his wife Ruth built an aging-in-place, energy efficient home here in the Valley when they retired. He formerly served as a pastor, as a scholar of religion and ethics, and in church service in Asia. His assignments in India, Nepal, and the Philippines especially made him aware of how severely environmental degradation and global warming are impacting vulnerable poor communities.
Doug Hendren, MD, MBA.
Doug Hendren is a retired orthopedic surgeon, and a solar energy advocate. He has been a founding member of Renew Rocktown (2015), EPSAC (2017), and Shenandoah Valley Faith & Climate (2023). Doug also writes “Climate Music” (MusicalScalpel.com), and believes the arts have untapped potential in raising awareness of climate challenges as well as opportunities. “Renew Rocktown’s education and community support are both critical – If you want to change the world, throw a better party!”
Jorden McLean
Jorden McLean is a communications professional specializing in photography and video production. He has immersed himself into the world of clean energy, mobility, and local and regional energy policy, as well as strategies for effective messaging in this space. Jorden is
passionate about improving people’s lives by advancing solutions for resilient community development. He is excited to use these experiences to help build Renew Rocktown’s capacity and make a real-world impact in the Valley.
Joy Loving
Joy Loving has lived in the Central Valley since 1994. She has been active with the Climate Action Alliance of the Valley since 2013 and with Renew Rocktown since 2015. Joy has long been a key voice in state and local energy policy, and she served on Harrisonburg’s Environmental Performance Standards Advisory Committee, with a focus on energy and buildings. A distributed-solar advocate since 2014, she has helped lead several local efforts to expand residential rooftop solar in the Valley. Since 2023, she has also supported RR’s Energy Efficiency Outreach work. Joy believes local environmental progress is strengthened through sustained partnerships — especially with organizations that serve and advocate for residents in disadvantaged communities.
Isaac Witmer, Secretary
Isaac Witmer has worked at a local software company since he moved to Harrisonburg in 2011. He has supported numerous environmental and advocacy-related nonprofits in Harrisonburg on the ‘back end’, creating and managing organizational websites, social media, and other related needs. He is an active member of the local Sierra Club chapter and helps lead Livable Harrisonburg. He serves as an important liaison between multiple organizations committed to creating conditions for people and the environment to thrive in our region. Biking is important to Isaac, along with active political engagement.
Jared Stoltzfus
Dr. Jared Stoltzfus is an environmental educator and researcher at JMU whose work centers on environmental sustainability, with a special interest in renewable energy, and regenerative agriculture. A Harrisonburg native and former Stream Health Coordinator and Blacks Run Greenway advocate, Jared earned his Ph.D. in Sustainability at Arizona State University before returning home to bridge his academic work with community impact. He believes that holistic, community-driven collaboration is key to building an equitable and resilient future for Harrisonburg.
Ashlee VanArsdale
Ashlee VanArsdale serves as the Donor Services Associate at The Community Foundation of Harrisonburg and Rockingham County. Prior to joining The Community Foundation, she worked at the Wildlife Center of Virginia, where she worked at donor development, fundraising, and event planning. Ashlee is passionate about promoting environmental sustainability both at home and within the community, as well as fostering collaboration across the nonprofit sector. She holds a B.S. in Environmental Science from Bridgewater College.
Pete Bsumek, Vice Chair
Dr. Pete Bsumek is professor of communication studies, specializing in rhetoric, environmental and social justice advocacy, and collaborative processes. He is a founding member of Renew Rocktown and is actively involved in the Sierra Club, serving as the chair of Shenandoah Group and as the Wilderness Issues chair for the Virginia Chapter. He also serves on the board of directors of the Virginia Wilderness Committee. Pete has lived in Harrisonburg since 1996 and enjoys hiking, traveling with his partner, and spending time with family and friends. Pete is inspired by the work of too many local activists, organizers, and leaders to name. He is thankful for their commitment and their example.
Andrew Payton, Treasurer
Andrew Payton is a father, community advocate, educator, writer, and former candidate for Virginia’s 34th House District. He has served as the chair of Climate Action Alliance of the Valley and of the City of Harrisonburg’s Environmental Performance Standards Advisory Committee. He supports Renew Rocktown because he recognizes that social, health, and environmental outcomes are intertwined, and that many solutions to the climate crisis lie at the community level. He is interested in projects that expand access to healthy local foods, promote community well-being, reduce carbon emissions and energy bills, and increase civic engagement.
Bill Howe
Jeff Heie