Governor Spanberger names director of Department of Conservation and Recreation

RICHMOND, Va. – Governor Abigail Spanberger has announced that Nikki Rovner will serve as the next director of the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation, the commonwealth’s lead natural resource conservation agency. DCR oversees Virginia’s state parks, natural areas, outdoor recreation, dam safety, flood resilience and programs that protect land, water and habitat.

“Nikki Rovner is one of Virginia’s most trusted and effective conservation leaders, and her appointment as DCR’s director is a tremendous win for the Commonwealth,” said Secretary of Natural and Historic Resources David Bulova. “She brings deep policy expertise, a collaborative spirit, and a lifelong commitment to protecting our natural resources. I have every confidence that under her leadership, DCR will continue to strengthen Virginia’s lands, waters, and outdoor recreation landscape for generations to come.” 

Rovner, a widely respected conservation leader, brings decades of experience in environmental policy, government relations and natural resource stewardship. She joins DCR after serving as the associate state director for The Nature Conservancy in Virginia, where she has built strong partnerships with state and federal agencies, advanced conservation funding and shaped policy on land conservation, mitigation mechanisms and climate resilience.

“I am extremely honored to have been appointed by Governor Spanberger to serve as DCR’s director,” Rovner said. “I have enormous respect for DCR’s mission, programs and people. Having worked in partnership with DCR for nearly my entire career, I am thrilled to have the opportunity to become part of the agency. I cannot wait to start working with agency staff and partners to protect our lands and natural heritage, improve the quality of our waters, increase access to the outdoors and make communities more resilient.”

Rovner’s career also includes prior state service as deputy secretary of Natural Resources under Governor Tim Kaine and staff attorney for the Virginia Division of Legislative Services. She has also taught environmental policy at the University of Richmond and Virginia Commonwealth University. She holds a law degree from the University of Richmond and a bachelor’s degree in wildlife science from Penn State.

A lifelong conservation advocate, Rovner describes her passion for the natural world as both personal and professional. “Conservation is my passion, both because of its importance for the future of our planet and because it’s endlessly fascinating,” she said. “It’s what I’ve wanted to do ever since I started reading Ranger Rick as a child.”

Rovner has served on the boards of Virginia’s United Land Trusts and VIRGINIAforever, a business‑conservation coalition focused on increasing state investment in water quality and land conservation.

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Wayne Creed

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