Current Board of Directors

of the Friends of Mason Neck State Park

Tom Blackburn has been a member of the Board since 2013.  He writes our monthly newsletter and keeps the website up to date.  Tom also leads kayak trips and shoreline cleanups at the park.  Tom is a Fairfax Master Naturalist and a member of the Board of Directors of the Northern Virginia Bird Alliance. He also volunteers frequently at local county parks. Tom has retired from a long career as an energy lawyer. edits the Friends' monthly newsletter and updates the Friends' website.

  

Bets Byrne has been a member of the board since 2019. She volunteers for many of the activities sponsored by the board and/or the park. She helps maintain the park's pollinator gardens, and has volunteered at the visitor center when needed.  She also monitors bluebirds at the park through the Virginia Bluebird Association. Bets has lived on Mason Neck since 1976 and has used and values the park and the nature preserves in the area for many years. She has been active in her community association. She retired in 2017 after working as a psychotherapist for 34 years.  Bets loves Mason Neck State Park and feels privileged to be part of conserving and enhancing the park and helping people of all ages learn about and use the park's many amenities.

Hillary Clawson is a founding member of the Friends of Mason Neck State Park and is serving her seventh year as President of the organization.  She has lived on Mason Neck for 18 years and has worked to preserve its unique environment and resources. Hillary served as president of the Mason Neck Citizens Association for 6 years and continues to serve as a board member. She is also a member of the Environmental Advisory Committee for the Fairfax County Mount Vernon District. As president of the Friends, Hillary has worked with the Board to:

• Build a strong partnership with Park management and staff
• Advocate for the Park with State Legislators resulting in funding for additional staff, bringing in the public water supply (still in progress), having the State Parks' website updated to include accessibility information, and having the park receive the first all-terrain wheelchair as part of a pilot program 
• Provide Friends-supported educational programs and events
• Provide support to both Park-sponsored and Friends-supported programs and events including those that reach the underserved in our community.

Pam Cressey has been a member of the board since 2015. She acts as Program Chair for educational Zoom and in-person Friends' events, helps maintain the park pollinator gardens, and has been actively involved in assessing the accessibility of the park's trails. She retired after 35 years as Alexandria's City Archaeologist and 40 years as adjunct professor at The George Washington University She now volunteers for the Lorton Community Action Center food pantry and as a tutor for two nonprofit organizations . Her interests include wildlife conservation, historical preservation, literacy, gardening, and kayaking.

Steve Levenson has been a member of the Board since 2021 and has served as Vice President since 2022. He is an active boater on the Occoquan and Potomac Rivers.  He admires the amazing history and diversity of the wildlife of these waters. He’s been on several boards and hopes to contribute to this board to help guide greater public awareness, appreciation and responsible use of one of the natural jewels of the Potomac River.  Professionally, Steve has been a technologist in a legal environment. His career spanned 45 years in municipal, state and federal courts. Steve retired from the Administrative Office of the US Courts after 34 years of service.  He currently heads a committee for the International Standards Organization for an archive version of PDF and participates in other world standards as well as being the chair of the Standards Advisory Board.

Gail Mlinarchik has been on the Board for since 2015. She is currently serving as Secretary.  Gail has been living in the Northern Virginia area since 1977 and all three of her children were raised and educated here. She is a graduate of Monmouth University and received her master's from George Mason University.  Gail retired from teaching in Fairfax County Schools in 2011. She enjoys nature, being outdoors and traveling around the world to learn about other places and cultures. She believes our state parks are a treasure we need to maintain and share with as many people as possible. 

John Rand lives on Mason Neck and joined the Board in 2021. He is a recently retired attorney, and he received a PhD in American History from George Mason University in 2024.  He believes that volunteering to help at state parks is the best way to make certain they continue to offer the public an excellent park experience.   

Randy Streufert is a founding member of the Friends of Mason Neck State Park and is currently serving as Treasurer.  He is a nature photographer, long-time member of Cranford United Methodist Church in Lorton, and volunteers with the US Fish and Wildlife Service’s Potomac River Refuge complex.  He joined the Friends Board in 2012 after retiring from the federal government with 40 years of service.  He been photographing the wildlife on Mason Neck since 1979 when he and his wife moved there.  His photographs have appeared on the cover of Virginia Wildlife magazine, and was the grand prize winner in the 2019 National Wildlife Federation Gardening for Wildlife photography contest.  Several of his photographs are on display at the park’s visitor center.

Rob Warren joined the Board in 2023. He is a former commissioned U.S. Army combat arms officer and business owner. He retired from the federal government in 2022 after more than 37 years of combined military and federal public service. Rob is a Fairfax Master Naturalist. He currently volunteers as a kayak guide and pollinator garden caretaker at Mason Neck State Park, and animal care volunteer at Hidden Oaks Nature Center in Annandale, VA. He is a former bike patrol and Billy Goat Trail Steward volunteer with the National Park Service, C&O Canal, Great Falls, MD. Rob manages the Friends' social media, including Facebook and Instagram.