ABOUT US
Founded in 2024, Historic Batesville VA (HBVA) was formed with the goal of preserving the historic rural crossroads community of Batesville, Virginia, and ensuring its civic vitality, through sustainable planning, investment, community-driven initiatives, public engagement, connection, and partnership. We compliment the existing community organizations and efforts given our ability to apply for grants and accept tax deductible contributions.
Projects
We are currently focused on three projects each touching on preservation, sustainability, and civic vitality:
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Walkable Batesville: Developing a safety initiative which we have identified as "Walkable Batesville" - the goal of which is to ensure the safety and accessibility of Batesville, through the implementation of proven strategies to reduce traffic speeds in Batesville and the surrounding community, and to ensure the safe walking accessibility of key community assets (e.g. the Batesville Market, Pages Field, the Batesville Day field).
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Flood Damage Restoration and Remediation: Taking concrete steps to address the damage done to the community by Hurricane Helene and other storms during the summer and fall of 2024, to ensure the physical safety and sustainability of our village by seeking grants and other donations to support the collaborative community efforts.
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Community Field: Working to ensure the preservation and future maintenance of Pages Field for collective use by the community.
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Batesville History
The local Batesville Historic Society was integrated with Historic Batesville VA in 2025.
Stay tuned for opportunities to participate in area historic activities offered once or twice per year. We also hold an annual meeting. To join our list for updates, please contact us: Contact@historicbatesvilleva.org
Alexander Baird Struminger
December 2, 1961 - July 29, 2025
Be it hereby known to all that the board of Historic Batesville Virginia (HBVA) marks with deep sorrow the passing of our founder Alexander Struminger on July 29, 2025, and offers this statement in lasting recognition of his extraordinary vision and leadership.
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Alex moved to historic “downtown” Batesville, VA in 2015, joining his brother David Struminger and sister-in-law Stacy, who had developed a deep fondness for the community and the Batesville Market. Alex immediately focused his efforts on the strategic preservation and enhancement of our already wonderful village.
Throughout its history, the market has functioned as a hub to the community. The Batesville Market closed and there seemed to be no prospects for a new owner. Absent a communal meeting place and to preserve the history of the market, formerly “Pages Store,” the Struminger siblings purchased the store. The revitalization, rebranding, and sustainability of the Batesville Market became their first focus. Alex was instrumental in fostering the revival of the store and the evolution of the market through his passion for supporting local artisans, bakers, and musicians so it could continue to serve the heart and soul of the community.
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In 2020 Alex, and his wife Pat Dougherty, granted ongoing use by the store and community of Pages Field which sits across from the market, further nourishing the village center as a gathering space. In July of 2025, Alex and Pat generously gifted Pages Field by deed to HBVA for the benefit and enjoyment of the Batesville Community.
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As a visionary and strategic advocate, Alex initiated the founding of Historic Batesville VA, a 501(c)3 organization. He was passionate about preserving our rural crossroads community through engagement, planning, and partnership, complementing efforts of the existing community groups. Alex strategically selected the founding board members, recognizing the strengths each could bring to the effort. Alex deftly facilitated the new board to help shape HBVA’s mission, utilizing his talents as a superb networker and collaborator to navigate the challenges of forming a new non-profit organization.
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Alex is known for his deep intellect, perpetual curiosity, and expansive knowledge. Alex lived life with depth, warmth, and a spirit of adventure, enriching the lives of all who knew him. We were fortunate to have him as part of our lives and our community.
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We honor Alex’s memory with profound gratitude. His vision continues to guide us, and his legacy inspires us to carry forward the work he so passionately began. Our community has lost a beloved and vital leader and friend. Alex’s spirit and impact will be felt far into our future.
Our Board Members
Our Historic Batesville, VA Board Members have diverse professional backgrounds and live throughout the Batesville area, including on the corridors that lead out of the village.
Jason Pollock, President: Jason grew up in Albemarle and Nelson counties before becoming a successful musician with the rock band Seven Mary Three. He returned to Albemarle 25 years ago, bought a farm on the west side of Batesville, and became active in supporting Batesville community projects. While he still performs professionally, Jason devotes much of his time to community-centered engagement.
Joy Peterson Heyrman Ph.D., Vice President: Joy is a career non-profit administrator, with expertise in development and communications, governance, government relations, and strategy. She served most recently as Executive Director of the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts and as Deputy Director for Museum Advancement at the Walters Art Museum in Baltimore. Now retired, Joy and her husband have owned land in Batesville since 1995 and are permanent residents since 2016.
Kristen Rabourdin, Secretary: Kristen is the current owner of the Batesville Market. She is also a retail and entrepreneur strategist, food access consultant and social justice advocate. Kristen was Mid-Atlantic Region Field Marketing Team Leader at Whole Foods. She has lectured at the Darden School at the UVA for the Innovation Lab, as well as teaching and advising with the Community Investment Collaborative, working with the Virginia Federation of Food Banks, Charlottesville Food Justice Network, City Schoolyard Garden, and the Urban Agricultural Collective of Charlottesville.
Devon Callan, Treasurer: Devon has extensive experience in finance, leadership, and project management. During his long finance career, Devon specialized in integrating complex financial systems and treasury management software for commercial and nonprofit organizations, before serving as Chief Operating Officer and CEO in the credit union sector. Devon left his finance role in New Jersey to pursue love in Virginia. Devon has been deeply involved in the Batesville Market and community for the past five years and proudly calls it home.
George Abetti: George has been involved with Bundoran Farm since its inception in 2004 and built the community center there in North Garden, VA, as well as his home. He is the owner of GeoBarns LLC, designing and building the winery and event space at Pippin Hill, as well as hundreds of innovative residential and commercial spaces in the US and Canada.
Leslie Andrus: Leslie has 30 years of experience in Human Resources (HR). She has led and/or supported HR, organizational development, and learning functions at prominent organizations such as LexisNexis, WorldStrides, and the University of Virginia, as well as building HR functions for smaller organizations. Leslie is part of the Page family who ran Page's Store (now the Batesville Market) for 3 generations from 1914 - 1994 with her late husband Charles T Page III. She resides in one of the historic homes in Batesville.
Shreve Ariail: Shreve, his wife Carrington Alvarez, and their three young children live on Plank Road in one of the older farmhouses in the Batesville area. Shreve is a former federal prosecutor at DOJ and senior executive at CIA. He currently is a Partner at Jenner & Block, a law firm nationally recognized for its commitment to the provision legal services *pro bono publico* -- including in support of the incorporation of Historic Batesville VA. Shreve also serves as faculty associate with the National Security Policy Center at the University of Virginia.
Marilou Maglione: Marilou is Director of Anatomic Pathology for the UVA Health System. She is also a farmer and beekeeper (one of Batesville's wonderful bee keepers). Marilou’s field on the east side of the village hosts Batesville Day and Apple Butter Weekend each year. She hopes to create a safe walkable path along Plank Road from the Batesville Market to her field events.
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John Pollock: John is the founder of the Batesville Historic Society (now part of our HBVA organization) and led the establishment of the Batesville Historic District. Now retired, John raised his family in this area and has been an active member of the Batesville community for many years. John is a past president of the Batesville Ruritans. He lives in one of Batesville's historic homes on Plank Road.
Bonnie Riedesel: Bonnie recently retired as the Executive Director of the Central Shenandoah Planning District Commission (CSPDC). Her work with the CSPDC included community development, affordable housing, hazard mitigation, and transportation and greenway planning. Bonnie and her family moved from McClellanville, South Carolina to Batesville, Virginia in 1994. They purchased the Charles T Page, Sr. house (circa 1910) on Schoolhouse Hill just above The Batesville Market and have lived there for over 30 years.
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David Struminger:
When the Batesville Market was between business owners and at risk, his love for the Batesville Community and the market inspired him to lead the effort with siblings to purchase the building and business and to reopen the doors! He and his brother, Alex (HBVA Founder), made sure the store was saved and then passed on to trustworthy hands to continue.
As for his career, David represents the company’s third generation of family leadership. Founded in 1934, Mohenis Services, Inc., is a consulting service/back office, for their affiliated textile rental and commercial laundry service companies which serve the hospitality, restaurant, healthcare and industrial markets. They are a “green” company in that all of their entities are TRSA certified as Clean Green and is a founding member of Laundry ESP, the Federal EPA environmental stewardship program, a voluntary pollution-prevention and resource-conservation program facilitating the textile services industry’s continued commitment to environmental protection.
David has served on each of the industry’s Board of Directors, TRSA and CSC Network, as well boards of our local Petersburg’s Chamber of Commerce, Richmond Weinstein Jewish Community Center, Temple Beth-El, Keys for the Homeless and Ryan Kerrigan’s Blitz for the Better Foundation, which provides opportunities, support and resources to children and families in need in Washington D.C. and central Virginia.
Jeff Woodbury: Jeff has lived in Batesville for over two decades. Jeff and his wife Ryan raised three native Batesvillian children in an ever-evolving farmhouse in the Historic district. Jeff owns and operates a construction company specializing in custom residential building.
