The FCCD Team
Board of Supervisors
John Wright - Chair (term 2022 - 2026)
John Wright was born and raised on a production farm in south central Kentucky. He earned a Bachelor's degree in agricultural business and has experience working directly with farmers, particularly in agricultural retail. He hopes to help the District expand and improve-upon successful practices.
Barbara "BJ" Bentley - Treasurer (term 2024-2028)
Barbara “BJ” Bentley joins the Board with over 40-years of Kentucky-living, and a breadth of knowledge in varying areas. She has professional experience as an RN and a real estate broker – with focus on architectural preservation and land stewardship-- and spends much of her time now on her Thoroughbred farm. BJ has studied environmental science out of an interest sparked while in nursing school. Recently on her farm BJ established pollinator habitat, mitigated heavy use in pasture areas, and removed invasive honeysuckle, all in collaboration with the Conservation District.
Mark Coyne Ph.D. - Vice Chair (term 2023-2026)
Mark Coyne has recently retired from the University of Kentucky after 30 years of teaching, research, and administration. He was awarded a 2023 Bluegrass Trust Landscaping award for his ecological preservation work at African Cemetery No. 2, and multiple awards for his outstanding contributions to graduate education. His studies and publishing’s address methods for measuring and monitoring soil health. He hopes to contribute his experience in research and education to provide a resource able to explain and justify the underlying theory and practice for soil conservation, in the context of environmental quality and agricultural productivity.
Aaron Clark - Member (term 2023-2026)
I am a cattle producer here in Fayette and surrounding counties and have been here for my whole life. I currently am farming with my father and focus on grass-finished beef as well as a hay baling operation. We are taking our personal calves and some others we receive that have been audited and are GAPS (Global Animal Partnership) certified to Marksbury Farm Market in Lancaster to then have products in whole foods.
Jeremy Faulk - Member (term 2024-2028)
Jeremy is a trial attorney here in Lexington, specializing in the defense of businesses of all kinds in civil litigation. He is a graduate of the University of Kentucky College of Law and also holds an MBA. He makes it a point to engage in pro bono legal work to reinvest in Lexington what Lexington has invested in him, and service to the District is just one more way to pay back the community.
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Ellen Harding - Secretary (term 2024-2028)
A graduate of the university of Kentucky’s behavioral biology program, Ellen is an experienced molecular biologist technician contributing to analysis such as DNA sequencing in several projects including house sparrows, clover, soybean, and the mustard plant, known to have the smallest seed in the world at 1-2mm. Experience in soil science includes geotechnical analysis of liquid and plastic compression limits for construction engineering. Ellen has also worked in clinical and environmental toxicology for example, trace analysis of the chlorine residue in drinking water. The biggest project however, was bringing edamame to the grocery. University of Kentucky’ College of Agriculture organized taste testing for local farmers to choose which type to grow for a new market. Today, soybean edamame is a choice found at your local grocery and hopefully, grown by local farmers.
Perry Scott Gibson - Member (term 2024-2028)
Although born in Floyd County, Perry Scott Gibson moved to Fayette County in 2008. He earned two bachelor’s degrees from the University of Kentucky in 2015 and an MBA from Western Governors University in 2024. Since 2016, he has been full-time staff at the University of Kentucky. A small local landlord, he is also proudly a Lifetime Member of the University of Kentucky Alumni Association, Lifetime Member of The Friends of the Lexington Public Library, and “Dinosaur Donors” Member of the Autistic Self Advocacy Network. Living car-free downtown, he plans to especially advocate for the urban-living population of Fayette County.
Former Board of Supervisors
John James
Christopher Rowe
Brett Barton
Lillie Miller-Johnson
Angie Quigley
District Staff
Heather Silvanik - Director of Operations
Heather Silvanik is an Ohio native who earned a Masters of Fine Arts from Eastern Kentucky University. She currently serves as the director of the Fayette County Soil & Water Conservation District where she leads the development of award-winning programs that support conservation and sustainability for Lexington residents and businesses. With a background in accounting and editing, Heather’s efforts are focused on creating effective community support with transparent operations and statutory compliance.
Sarah Ward - Assistant Director of Operations
Born and raised in Ashland, Kentucky, along the great Ohio River, the seeds of conservation and sustainability were planted within Sarah Ward from the start. A graduate of Ohio University (Athens, Ohio) with a degree in Applied Ecology, this Kentucky girl returned to the bluegrass with high hopes of developing sustainable change. When she is not engaging diverse populations and tasks, you can find her grooming her garden and taking very slow nature walks. If you're curious about a species or need plant advice, don’t hesitate to ask her.
Technical Staff
Heath Mineer - NRCS, Soil Conservationist
Heath was raised on a dairy farm just outside of Flemingsburg, KY. In 2016 his family transitioned to beef cattle and are still working to improve their beef herd and rotational grazing system to this day. Heath is a graduate from Morehead State University with a bachelor’s degree in Agribusiness. He brings a lot of experience to the table from the varying jobs throughout his career. Heath has held positions with the Kentucky Cattleman’s Association, Cargill Animal Nutrition, and most recently, he was the District Conservation Technician with the Fleming County Conservation District before being hired as a NRCS Soil Conservationist in Winchester, KY. Heath and his wife Holly still reside in the small town of Flemingsburg where they enjoy spending time at their farm, taking care of their Golden Retriever, Nash, and traveling whenever possible.
