YORKTOWN – Grace Episcopal Church Yorktown is offering the community a compelling presentation on the current state of maritime pollution in Virginia waterways, its impact on the Commonwealth’s seafood industry, and the public health of local communities, as well as ethical and equitable solutions, on April 21, the eve of Earth Day.
The speakers, Dr. Robert Hodson, Executive Director of Protect Virginia, and Jacques van Montfrans, Protect Virginia’s Director of Environmental Guardianship, are community leaders and experts in their fields. Protect Virginia says its mission is to defend communities and the environment from water and air pollution produced by large commercial vessels.
The presentation will take place at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, April 21, at Yorktown Library’s Meeting Room.
The meeting is open to the public, and the community is encouraged to attend. Admission is free, and no reservations are required.
Dr. Robert Hodson – Executive Director, Protect Virginia
Dr. Robert Hodson is a founding member and Executive Director of Protect Virginia, a nonprofit dedicated to safeguarding Virginia’s waterways and coastal communities. He is also a NASA Technical Fellow. Dr. Hodson has led multidisciplinary teams in solving some of NASA’s most complex challenges in crewed vehicles and advanced technology. His distinguished career has been recognized with the prestigious NASA Exceptional Service and Exceptional Achievement medals.
Combining his technical expertise with civic advocacy, Dr. Hodson has spent the past three years researching the global shipping industry and advocating for responsible shipping practices.
Dr. Hodson holds a Ph.D. in Computer and Information Science from Florida State University, an M.S.E. in Computer Engineering from the University of Central Florida, and a dual B.S.E. in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science from the University of Connecticut. He resides in Yorktown with his wife, Teri. They are the proud parents of three sons: an Army doctor, a theoretical physicist, and a high school teacher in the Hampton Roads region.
Jacques van Montfrans – Director of Environmental Guardianship, Protect Virginia
Jacques van Montfrans grew up in Aruba, where he developed an early interest in diving and marine ecosystems. He is retired from the Virginia Institute of Marine Science, College of William and Mary, where he was an Instructor and Marine Scientist in the Department of Biological Sciences and the Department of Fisheries Science. His research focused on factors regulating blue crab population size, including recruitment processes, habitat relationships, and predator-prey dynamics. He has authored or co-authored 35 journal publications and served in a scientific advisory capacity to the Commonwealth and the Virginia Marine Resources Commission. He is currently the Director of Environmental Guardianship for Protect Virginia. Jacques has a BS from Florida State University and an MS from Florida Atlantic University. He and his wife, Elizabeth, live in Yorktown and have two children.
More information at protect-virginia.org.
