Meet The Board of Directors
Meet the Board of Directors
The dedicated volunteers who guide A.E.R.O.’s mission to rescue, rehabilitate, and release Virginia’s native wildlife.
President and Founder
Olivia LoBalbo
In 2013, Olivia founded the nonprofit Animal Education and Rescue Organization (A.E.R.O.) to help rescue, rehabilitate, and release native wildlife who are sick, injured, or orphaned. Her efforts were driven by a lifetime love of wildlife and a dream of creating her own wildlife rescue group. After years of working in vet clinics to learn the medical side; volunteering for other organizations to learn the non-profit side; working for her dad’s business and as an inventory manager at a vet clinic to learn the business side; she realized it was time to move forward and start A.E.R.O.
Olivia is licensed with the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources as a Category IIB organization and as such, is considered a wildlife facility and can sponsor up to 20 apprentices. That designation has allowed A.E.R.O. to grow exponentially. Today, A.E.R.O. is a recognized leader in the Northern Virginia wildlife community.
Vice President
Jennifer Kurtz
Jennifer Kurtz is an educator living in Houston, Texas. From a young age, she enjoyed being around animals, learning about them, and helping whenever possible. She is originally from Manassas, Virginia but moved to Houston in 2003. She still has many friends and family members in the Northern Virginia area and comes to visit whenever she can. Jennifer is looking forward to working more with the community and continuing to spread the A.E.R.O. mission.
Board Administrator
Henry C. Alphin Jr.
Henry C. Alphin Jr. is a strategic consultant, nonprofit leader, and dedicated wildlife advocate based in Northern Virginia. As founder of HCA Strategies, he guides mission-driven organizations toward resilience and growth. Over the past decade, Henry has advised and volunteered with multiple animal rescues and wildlife organizations. In his role on the Board of Directors at AERO, he leverages his nonprofit acumen, strategic foresight, and deep passion for animal and wildlife rescue to advance AERO’s mission.
Member at Large
Anthony LoBalbo
Anthony LoBalbo was born and raised in upstate NY where he grew up playing in the woods and always had pets in the home. He graduated from University of Albany with a degree in finance and a concentration in business and shortly thereafter moved to D.C. He met and married Olivia LoBalbo, joined her in a love for wildlife, supported her in launching A.E.R.O. and continues to participate in hands-on rehabilitation as a licensed VDWR care provider. Anthony currently works for Charles Schwab and his financial background has helped A.E.R.O grow into a successful non-profit charity.
Secretary
Jill Spohn
Although Jill dreamed of following in Jane Goodall’s footsteps focusing on animal behavior, she detoured into the information technology profession for a few decades. She returned to her passion for the environment when she joined the Fairfax Master Naturalist (FMN) Chapter in 2014. When she “got the memo” during FMN training about the importance of native plants, she converted her yard into a Northern Virginia Bird Alliance Certified Wildlife Sanctuary. In 2016 she became Wildlife Sanctuary Program Ambassador and has been the WSP Program Assistant since 2019. She became a wildlife transporter in 2017 and met Olivia delivering critters. She later started Mosquito Jill in 2025 to provide easy access to budget-friendly, garden-worthy mosquito larvae traps.
Member at Large
Mary Petty
Marylourdes (“Mary”) Petty, JD believes that a single person can make a difference in this world by the contributions they make. Consequently, she is a regular contributor to non-profits that are close to her heart. AERO’s service to wildlife, like all animals both wild and domestic, resonates deeply with her. She holds a Bachelor’s degree and a Doctorate in Law and has worked in various aspects of the legal field for over thirty years.
Board Contributor
Tanya Finch
Tanya is the founder of Tanya’s Turtle Project and an active volunteer. Her knowledge comes from not only being a Category 2 rehabber, but also a Virginia Master Naturalist.
Fundraising Coordinator
Jenny Groom
Jenny comes to A.E.R.O. with fundraising experience and a love for all animals. While she is helping to raise funds, she is also working towards getting her rehab permit.
Member at Large
Cathy Johnson
Cathy Johnson is an artist, educator, and advocate for wildlife with over 30 years of experience with open space issues and land preservation projects, combined with an understanding of the critical need for wildlife care and educational guidance. The A.E.R.O. mission to provide emergency services for wildlife in need is filled with successful years of rescues, captures, treatments, and releases. Cathy hopes to promote financial support, assist in amplifying the rescue mission, and increase the reach and footprint provided by the A.E.R.O. service team to Northern Virginia wildlife and residents.
Member at Large
Bill Crisp
Bill was born and raised in Northern Virginia where he spent most of his time outdoors, hiking, fishing, and camping. He is an avid herpetologist, wildlife conservationist, and licensed wildlife control operator in Virginia, working with wildlife — with a specific focus on snakes and reptiles — for over 30 years, including venomous and large constrictor species. Bill operates and co-owns K2C Snake Consultants, Inc., a 501(c)(3) non-profit focused on helping people and communities co-exist with local wildlife through education. “The world needs more of those who see wildlife as neighbors, not nuisances!”
Member at Large
John F. Roddy
John F. Roddy is currently the CEO of William A. Hazel Inc., a 600+ employee heavy civil and site development firm headquartered in Chantilly, Virginia. Prior to joining Hazel, John served as Chief Operating Officer of Head, Inc., a federal airfield contractor headquartered in Columbus, Ohio, where he helped modernize the company. He took the role at Hazel with the intent of helping the regional construction industry reverse its reputation for not being good stewards of the environment.
Before joining Head, John spent over 32 years at The Lane Construction Corporation, starting as a job engineer in Stockbridge, Massachusetts in 1987. At the time of his departure, he was responsible for operations and profitability across seventeen states in the central US — from the Dakotas through Texas — with annual revenue exceeding $400M.
John is an active or past board member of numerous industry organizations in Northern Virginia, including the Northern Virginia Transportation Alliance (NVTA), Heavy Construction Contractors Association (HCCA), Northern Virginia Chamber of Commerce, Washington Airports Task Force, and the George Mason University Civil Engineering Institute. He was a founding board member of the Washington DC Chapter of the National Underground Contractor’s Association (NUCADC) and the Northern Virginia Construction Careers Coalition (NV3C), and serves on the board of directors of the Rensselaer Society of Engineers at his alma mater, RPI.
John has six adult children and lives in Haymarket with his wife Kathryn, a Virginia State Park Ranger.