About Us
We are a group of Buckingham County citizens united to work with our county leaders to attract economic investment opportunities that benefit all of our residents and contribute to a healthy environment. We are dedicated to celebrating our county’s diverse cultural heritage, our rural lifestyle, and to protecting our natural resources and last, remaining, wild places.
Towards that end, we are committed to protecting our health and environment from any outside interests that seek to exploit our natural resources, such as the Atlantic Coast Pipeline (ACP), industrial-scale solar installations, and the dire threats of gold mining.
We, in collaboration with other communities and organizations across the nation, SUCCEEDED in having the plans for the ACP canceled by Dominion Power on July 5, 2020. That protected Buckingham County residents from having built the largest compressor station in the country. It would have poured toxic chemicals into our air 24 hours a day, with heavy truck traffic and constant loud noise. Immediately preceding this cancellation, we discovered yet another dire threat to our communities: Gold mining statewide threatened to drastically lower water levels and poison waterways. After a four-year campaign, Friends of Buckingham, in collaboration with other statewide groups, effectively stopped gold mining in Virginia. Thanks to our lobbying efforts, in February 2024, a bill was passed in the General Assembly to ban the use of cyanide in mineral mining.
There are many volunteer opportunities as we explore options for creating a positive, economic and environmental future for Buckingham County. Currently, many of us are focusing on stopping the pipeline which we consider to be an environmental hazard to all who live here. But if you have other ideas of how the citizens of Buckingham might grow and prosper don’t be afraid to call and offer suggestions, better still, start your own category and use the website as a place to advertise your club or service.
Interested in helping? We are looking for all sorts of energy, writing articles, research, and many more areas where you might be able to help your friends and neighbors with your experience and expertise. Remember, this is a community, and as such, when we help each other to prosper we help ourselves. Don’t be afraid to stand up and let your light shine!
The Current Council Members & Emeritus
Scott Flood, President
Dr. Scott Flood is President of Friends of Buckingham, joining the group out of a shared vision to protect nature and the well-being of the community. He advocates for the responsible deployment of industrial solar facilities —projects that meet energy needs without destroying vital habitats or compromising local ecosystems.
With a biology degree from Longwood University and a dental degree from the Medical College of Virginia, Dr. Flood brings a scientific, practical perspective to the conversation —one that prioritizes long-term ecological health and community resilience over short-term profit.
Laura Luniewski, Treasurer
Laura's family has deep roots in Buckingham, having lived in the county since the 1960s. After graduating from nursing school in the spring of 2025, Laura plans to return to the area and settle there full-time. She shared that she looks forward to supporting the Friends of Buckingham in their mission to preserve and protect the county's natural environment.
Karen Kreps (a.k.a. Karuna), Secretary
Karen Kreps, a.k.a Karuna
Chad Oba, past president
Chad Oba, past president of FoB
Kristin Reed
Kristin Reed is an educator and organizer who has committed nearly two decades to fighting for justice in civil rights, education, labor, and land use. She also serves as a co-founder and Board member of the Richmond Community Legal Fund, which offers financial support to individuals facing immigration and civil rights charges. Kristin is a resident of central Buckingham County, where she is an avid gardener and printmaker.
Photo by Keshia Eugene.
Marie Flowers
Marie Flowers
Kenda Hanuman
Kenda Hanuan, Council-at-large
Kenda Hanuman co-founded Friends of Buckingham (FoB) in 2014, with the mission to protect the natural environment and cultural heritage of Buckingham County. She worked in numerous facets supporting the Environmental Justice community of Union Hill until the Atlantic Coast Pipeline (ACP) project was canceled on July 5, 2020. Her 31 years living in Buckingham has given her respect and understanding of the people, their history, and the beauty and peace of this rural area. Upon hearing from a neighbor in June 2020 about a Canadian company’s exploratory gold drilling, she began researching the implications of an open-pit mine in Buckingham County. She served on the HB2213 Impacts of Gold Mining in the VA State Agency Committee and currently serves as a FoB Councilor-at-Large addressing the Industrial Scale Solar issue.
Irene Leech
Irene Ellis Leech grew up on Mt. Rush Farm and today is involved in the operation of that family business. She is a graduate of Buckingham County High School and Virginia Tech. Most of her career has been at Virginia Tech, in positions including Consumer Education Extension Specialist and teaching/research faculty in Consumer Studies. Irene's consumer advocacy has been focused on consumer pocketbook issues, especially around utilities and financial services at the state and federal levels. She joined Friends of Buckingham during the ACP fight and became a board member in 2022. Her property in Montgomery County is affected by the Mountain Valley Pipeline, and she continues to fight for safety and landowner rights with involvement in multiple coalitions and organizations, including the Pipeline Safety Trust.
Ella Rose
Ella Rose
Richard Walker
Richard Walker
Kathie Mosley
Want to contribute?
Join Us!
Membership is free. Support us by adding your name and make a contribution, as you wish. United we can be effective. We stopped the Atlantic Coast Pipeline. We supported the ban on cyanide in metalic mining. We can't do it without you!
Our Friends
Virginia Environmental Coalition
The Virginia Environmental Coalition is hyper focused on bringing awareness to the Valley Link Joshua Falls to Yeat 765 kv Transmission Power Line.
Piedmont Environmental Center
Protecting and restoring the lands and waters of the Virginia Piedmont, while building stronger, more sustainable communities.
Southern Environmental Law Center
The Southern Environmental Law Center is a team of more than 120 legal and policy experts working in nine offices across six states and in Washington D.C.