WPC Board of Directors

Thomas Hoffman

Thomas Hoffman is Senior Vice President, External Affairs (retired) for CONSOL Energy. In 2009, he established Carbon Communications Consultants, and was Senior Communications Advisor, Walter Energy (2014-15). Prior to joining CONSOL in 1974, he was Assistant Professor-Earth Science at Minot State University (ND), and holds a B.S., Geology from Dickinson College, M.S., Geology from the University of Wisconsin (Madison) and attended the Darden School Executive Program at the University of Virginia.

He has been involved in numerous organizations including: the Washington County Community Foundation Board of Trustees (Vice Chair); Board of Visitors-University of Wisconsin Geoscience Department; Trustee -Waynesburg University (PA); President’s Leadership Council-Fairmont State (WV) University; the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra; Upper St. Clair Chamber of Commerce; the National Ruffed Grouse Society; and the Recycling Task Force of Upper St. Clair.

Professionally, he served as President-North Dakota Lignite Council, Board-Montana Coal Council, and committees of the Pennsylvania Coal Association and the National Mining Association. He held a gubernatorial commission to the Pennsylvania Mine Families First Advisory Council, serving as Chair, and served as Spokesman for the Bituminous Coal Operators Association during the 1987 and 1993 national coal labor negotiations. Memberships included PRSA, the Geological Society of America, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, National Investor Relations Institute. Tom joined the Conservancy’s Leadership Circle in 2018 and attended the 2023 Members’ Day. He and his wife, Karen, support PSO, the Humane Society, Salvation Army, and Vision Services. They live in Upper St. Clair and Hidden Valley.

 

Sanjeeb Manandhar

Sanjeeb Manadhar is the Environmental/Sustainability Manager for the Pittsburgh Public Schools. He earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Environmental Science from Slippery Rock University. As the Environmental/Sustainability Manager, he coordinates management of environmental health and safety and sustainability issues in the operation of the district’s facilities. He has worked with the WPC in the School Grounds Greening program. He is passionate about bringing outdoor learning and play spaces to children and has worked with the WPC to install such spaces in 10 schools to benefit early childhood students. Sanjeeb has been a member of the WPC Community Greening Advisory Committee since 2018 and the City of Pittsburgh Clean Pittsburgh Commission since 2023.

Sanjeeb and his wife live in the Mt. Washington neighborhood of Pittsburgh. They have a young son, who loves to play outdoors and are proud that one of the first words their son learned to speak was the word ‘outside.' Sanjeeb is an outdoor enthusiast. He has trekked Langtang Valley and Annapurna base camp circuit in Nepal, and loves immersing himself in nature while hiking or mountain biking. He loves to travel, listen to music, explore new cities, live music, national parks, or mountaintop vistas.

David Barensfeld

David Barensfeld is chair of Ellwood Group, Inc., a privately-held manufacturer of specialty metal ingots, forgings and castings for large capital equipment. His education includes M.S.I.A., Graduate School of Industrial Administration, Carnegie Mellon University, J.D., Harvard Law School, and M.A., B.A., University of Pennsylvania, PA.

David serves on the boards of the Allegheny Institute, Commonwealth Partners, Heinz History Center Wild Waterways Conservancy, in addition to the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy.

David and his wife Wendy, live on a farm in Marion Township in Beaver County. They have three adult daughters, four grandchildren and a Labrador retriever. David joined the board of the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy in 2000 and serves on the Executive and Fallingwater Advisory committees.

 

Beverlynn Elliott

Beverlynn Elliott is a native of Houston, Texas. She moved to Pittsburgh in late 1987. Her education includes a Bachelor of Business Administration from Texas Tech/University of Houston. She worked for Arthur Andersen & Co and Northern Trust Bank in years before moving to Pittsburgh.

Beverlynn has focused on volunteer work in the Pittsburgh community as well as being a caregiver for her Mom for many years. She currently serves on the following boards: Heinz History Center, Pittsburgh Botanic Garden, Pittsburgh Zoo and Aquarium, Phipps Conservatory and Humane Animal Rescue Advisory Board. Served as Board Chair for the Botanic Garden, the Pittsburgh Zoo and Humane Animal Rescue.

She is very interested in conservation and gardening and is an active member of the Garden Club of Allegheny County. She enjoys hiking and visiting National and local parks. She especially enjoys history and travel to explore new places. Beverlynn joined the board of the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy in 2015 and serves on the Community Greenspace and Finance committees.

 

Donna Fisher

Donna Fisher is the District Manager at Blair County Conservation District. Her role includes extensive work on agricultural conservation, erosion control and permitting, stormwater management and green infrastructure. Most recently she has guided the District’s efforts in the design and construction of NatureWorksPark, a 15-acre property in Hollidaysburg Borough transformed from a fill site into a conservation education and recreation area.

Donna also coordinates the Blair County Agricultural Land Preservation Program, one of the most successful farmland preservation programs in Central Pennsylvania, with over 8,000 acres preserved to date. Donna is actively engaged in the operation of her family’s crop and beef farm in Williamsburg, Blair County. She is a member of Western Pennsylvania Conservancy’s Hollidaysburg Regional Advisory committee. Donna joined the WPC board in 2021.

 

Felix Fukui

Felix Fukui holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Philosophy from the University of California at San Diego and a Master’s degree in Architecture from Carnegie Mellon.

Felix has owned and managed Fukui Architects since 1991. His design work has been accessioned in the permanent collection of the Heinz Architectural Center at the Carnegie Museum of Art and his firm has won numerous design awards. He previously worked at local and national Architectural firms as well as Golden State Helicopters and Scripps Institute of Oceanography.

Felix’s professional and community affiliations include the American Institute of Architects Pennsylvania State Board of Architects; the American Institute of Architects Pittsburgh Board of Architects; Jury Chairman for AIA Potomac Valley 2005 Awards; Chairman of the University of Pittsburgh Japanese Nationality Room Scholarship Committee; Japan-America Development Committee; National Association of Industrial and Office Properties; Board Member and Co-Chair of the House Committee for Fox Chapel Golf Club; US Green Building Council; and Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership.

Felix resides in Pittsburgh, were he and his wife Dominika recently built a house next to the historic Mexican War Streets neighborhood on Pittsburgh’s Northside. He has two children, Alex and Olivia. Alex, a budding writer residing in Tampa Bay Florida and Olivia, a Physician in training at Wake Forest University residing in Winston Salem North Carolina. Felix joined the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy board in 2012 and serves on the Community Greening and Fallingwater Advisory committees.

 

Carolyn Hendricks

Carolyn Hendricks is a breast cancer medical oncologist in a group practice in Bethesda, MD. She trained at Johns Hopkins and maintains close ties to the Suburban Cancer Program/Johns Hopkins Medicine, including serving on the Suburban Hospital board for 9 years. She is also an active volunteer for and a member of the board of directors of the American Society of Clinical Oncology.

Carolyn is deeply interested in conservation. She developed a love of hawks and owls after attending a raptor workshop in Missoula, Montana in 2005. She is a member of the boards of NatureServe, Amazon Conservation and Vice President-elect of the Pennsylvania Society for Ornithology. She is active in the birding community including doing Winter Raptor Surveys and Grassland Bird Surveys for the Pennsylvania Game Commission. She is the Bedford Coordinator for the 3rd Pennsylvania Bird Atlas.

She and her husband purchased their property in Bedford County, PA from the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy in 2012 and built a sustainable home on the property. The property is protected by a conservation easement. Carolyn blogs about their green home. Carolyn joined the WPC board in 2015 and serves on the Diversity and Inclusion committee.

 

Sam Smith

Former Speaker Sam Smith served 28 years in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives having been first elected in 1986. He was elected Majority Whip in 2000 and subsequently served as both Majority Leader and Minority Leader before being elected Speaker in 2011. Sam represented all of Jefferson and Northern Indiana Counties along with parts of Armstrong and Clearfield counties during his tenure in the House.

As a legislator, Sam was a leader in promoting the clean-up of acid mine drainage (AMD) and mine reclamation. He was the prime sponsor of the original Growing Greener Program which provided major funding for reclaiming abandoned mine lands, treating AMD and improving local water and sewage treatment services with a new focus on the water quality of the entire watershed. He also served on the Mining and Reclamation Advisory Board for 20 years.

Sam is currently Chairman of the Council of Trustees at Indiana University of Pennsylvania, serves on the board of Temple University and is the Vice Chairman of the Jefferson County Development Council. He also serves as Chairman of the Redbank Creek Watershed Trust Advisory Board and other local boards in his hometown of Punxsutawney where he resides with his wife Donna. They have two adult children who reside in the Pittsburgh area. Sam has served on the board of the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy since 2000 and serves on its Audit committee.