Cooperative Living March/April 2019 - 18

this role, she oversaw the American Tree
Farm System.
Ring received gubernatorial appointments
as the first female state forester in 2014
and the first female secretary of agriculture
and forestry four years later.
The woman leaving her footprints in
the wet soil of Craig County on this rainy
January morning is forging a prominent
path in the male-dominated fields of
agriculture and forestry for other women
to follow for years to come. Ring feels
fortunate that she can help change the role
women play in two of Virginia's largest
industries. " I feel very privileged to be in
this profession and I don't take being in this
position for granted. I want to make sure
that I provide other opportunities for other
women to come behind me, " she says.
Though women have been appointed
to the position in other U.S. states, the
gender imbalance still very much looms
large. The statistics are similar on a
national level, as there has only been one
female to ever serve as United States
Secretary of Agriculture (Ann Veneman,
2001 to 2005). " In both agriculture and
forestry, it's certainly been a traditionally
male-dominated field. When I started at
Virginia Tech, there were only five females
in my graduating class of 50 students. When
I started my career with the Department
of Forestry, there weren't many female
foresters. Now, we're seeing more women
being hired and moving into management
positions. So it's been very important to
me to mentor other women entering the
profession and promote diversity on all
levels, " she says.
Ring spends much of her time these days
shaking hands and delivering speeches,
but she doesn't
forget that her roots
run deep in a rural
community. Says
Shawn Hildebrand,
CEO of CraigBotetourt
Electric
Cooperative,
" Secretary Ring is
someone who is
familiar with and
understands the
challenges facing
rural areas. She has
been a strong
advocate in such
areas as broadband.
Bettina gets it,
because she has
Shawn Hildebrand,
CEO of Craig-Botetourt
Electric Cooperative,
greets Secretary Ring
at Joe's Tree Farm in
bucolic Craig County.
" Secretary Ring is
someone who is familiar
with and understands
the challenges facing
rural areas. She has been
a strong advocate in such
areas as broadband.
Bettina gets it,
because she has lived
it, " says Hildebrand.
lived it. " Ring is in tune with the needs
of rural communities across Virginia that
are served by electric cooperatives.
" Electric cooperatives are the bedrock
of many rural communities across the
state. I grew up familiar with CraigBotetourt
Electric Cooperative, because
it provided electricity to our homes.
Electric cooperatives do so much for the
communities they're based in; they do
more than just provide utilities. They're
really an integral part of the thread of
our rural communities ― just like
forestry and agriculture, " she says. " And
agriculture and forestry depend on rural
electric cooperatives across the state for
the services they provide. "
As the services provided by electric
cooperatives continue to evolve, Ring notes
the importance of having equal access to
reliable internet service across the state.
" My mother, who lives six miles from the
Roanoke line, has only had internet service
for a short period of time because it wasn't
available. We know that many rural areas
still need to have that broadband access and
we want to do all that we can to support
local electric cooperatives, who are stepping
up ― all across Virginia ― to try and do
more to provide broadband internet
service in the areas they serve, " she says.
Ring explains that these broadband
initiatives will ultimately boost rural
economies and provide more job
opportunities. " Broadband access is a key
issue for Virginia's farmers, to get their
products to market and take advantage of
new production technologies, " she says.
Economic development continues to be
one of Ring's biggest goals in her position.
" In addition, we have an aging
landownership, and so we're also
coming up with ways to support families
in continuing to keep
forestry or agricultural
land in their family, to
L to R: Bettina Ring and Virginia, Maryland and Delaware Association of Electric Cooperatives (VMDAEC) CEO Richard Johnstone pose for a photo
outside the VMDAEC office in Glen Allen. Ring speaks at a Virginia Food and Beverage event. Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer
Services staff members pose with Secretary Ring in one of the many Virginia LOVE displays throughout the state. Area Forester David Stone with Ring.
16 | Cooperative Living | March-April 2019
co-opliving.com
LAURA EMERY PHOTO
PHOTOS COURTESY OF COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA
PHOTO COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA

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Cooperative Living March/April 2019

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