Elizabeth Friel

Elizabeth Friel is the Executive Director of the Historic Virgnia Land Conservancy (HVLC) in Williamsburg. Elizabeth heads conservation efforts, community education, and development, for HVLC, an accredited land trust that holds 15, 600 acres in conservation in 22 communities.

Elizabeth had previously served as Executive Director at the Coastal Virgina Conservancy and the Northern Neck Land Conservancy. Early in her conservation career, Elizabeth was an HVLC employee, Board member, and Volunteer of the Year award winner. Prior to her land conservation work, she worked in urban planning both in Virginia and Maryland, serving as Planning Director for the City of Falls Church. Elizabeth began her planning career in James City County. Throughout her career, her focus has been on innovation, environmental planning, historic preservation, and organizational management.

Elizabeth holds undergraduate and master’s degrees in urban planning and historic preservation from East Carolina University. She was recently selected as one of 25 conservation leaders in the US for the Land Trust Alliance’s Wentworth Leadership Institute. She is also a graduate of the local Chamber of Commerce LEAD Program, alongside many other professional accolades.

Elizabeth has been a Board member of the Virginia United Land Trust, as well as Board member and past President of the Virginia American Planning Association. Elizabeth has been an active volunteer with James City County Comprehensive Plan Working Group, Walsingham Academy, Windsor Forest Homeowner’s Association, Susan G. Komen Foundation, Warm Up Williamsburg, and a member of the Kiwanis Club of Williamsburg. In her spare time Elizabeth enjoys travel, hiking, reading, and gardening and spending time with her husband Patrick Friel and their daughter Eliza –Morgan Friel, who is in graduate school in Richmond.