This one in a series of occasional articles highlighting the people whose decisions, activities and work directly impacts the way in which we enjoy, use, celebrate and protect our wonderful Blue Ridge Mountains.
Dr. Kelly Foltman (DVM) – Rural Economic Development Council; Parks and Recreation Outdoor Space Board
Few, if any, private citizens have had a bigger role in shaping Loudoun County policy regarding western Loudoun over the past five- or six years than Dr. Kelly Foltman (DVM).
Dr. Foltman has been the Chair of the Rural Economic Development Council (REDC), Vice Chair of the Parks and Recreation Outdoor Space Board, President of the Loudoun County Equine Alliance and member of the Virginia Horse Industry Board, and incidentally runs a farm, a small bed and breakfast and a robust veterinary practice specializing in small animal and equine wellness.
Perhaps her involvement in County policy is surprising given that she is not native to the area. She, her husband and her veterinary practice moved to Loudoun from New York’s Finger Lake district in the early 2010’s. On the other hand, as Dr. Foltman points out, because she comes to western Loudoun with fresh eyes, she fully appreciates exactly how beautifully unique this area is. Its beauty and uniqueness stir her passion to protect it.
The Loudoun County Rural Economic Development Council (REDC) works with the Department of Economic Development to offer policy and program recommendations to the Board of Supervisors that promote sustainable growth of rural businesses. It is also a forum for rural business leaders to exchange ideas with each other. Currently, Dr. Foltman is the is the Outdoor Recreation Representative on the REDC. She is also the immediate past chair. While Chair, Dr. Foltman skillfully led REDC deliberations on several complicated policies with significant long-term impacts on development in Western Loudoun County including the 2024 adoption of the new County zoning ordinance.
While guiding REDC through these important zoning issues, Dr. Foltman was simultaneously addressing another important set of issues as the Vice Chair of the Loudoun Parks, Recreation and Open Space (PROS) Board. Like REDC, the PROS board advises the Board of Supervisors through its association with Loudoun Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Services. The PROS portfolio includes a wide range of County recreation and service programs beyond park management. For example, Adaptive Recreation which helps individuals with physical limitations participate in recreational programs to enhance quality of life while fostering respect, acceptance and inclusion; Adults 55+ programs to foster independence and healthy aging, and improve the quality of life for older adults and their caregivers; after-school programs where licensed professionals provide a safe, healthy learning environment for elementary and middle
One of Dr. Foltman’s responsibilities on the PROS Board was co-Chair of the Linear Parks and Trails subcommittee.
Loudoun’s Linear Parks and Trails System – now rebranded as Loudoun Trails and Waterways — is an interconnected network of trails designed for recreation and alternative transportation that links existing routes like the Washington & Old Dominion Trail. The system is designed for hikers, cyclists, equestrians, and paddlers. A signature trail envisions a 40-mile connected trail loop through the heart of Loudoun County which will provide easy access points for 150,000 residents. The network includes an 11.5-mile northern trail loop that is in the county’s Capital Improvement Program and a new 22-mile southern trail loop, which creates access to and from the Metro Stations. Long term, the goal is for interconnected natural surface trails throughout Loudoun County as well as non-motorized boat launches along stream corridors.
Dr. Foltman is a veterinarian with an MS in Equine Nutrition from Cornell University and a DVM from The University of Illinois. In addition, she is a Certified acupuncturist through Chi Institute and a Certified chiropractic through AVCA/Options for Animals. She owns and operates Dunthorpe Farm Veterinary Services focusing on chiropractic and acupuncture for horses and small animals, and dentistry for horses.
She is also the President of the Loudoun County Equine Alliance.
Many people, particularly in the eastern part of the County, are surprised at the size and importance of the equine industry in Loudoun. There are more than 15,000 horses in Loudoun, more than any other locality in Virginia. It has $180M annual economic impact in the County, and directly supports many rural businesses such as farm, feed and tack stores, hay and grain producers, farriers, veterinarians, and builders (structures, fencing, water systems etc.) employing approximately 3,000 people and generating nearly $2.9 million in annual tax revenue for the county. The Virginia Tech Marion DuPont Scott Equine Medical Center, a leading facility for horse research, teaching, and treatment, is located in Loudoun near Leesburg.
Under Dr. Foltman’s leadership, the Equine Alliance was actively engaged in drafting the 2019 County Comprehensive Plan, which explicitly recognized the importance of the equine industry to the financial health of and the quality of life in Loudoun County as well as the new (2024) zoning ordinance implementing the Comprehensive Plan.
Currently the Alliance is focused on the Western Loudoun Zoning Ordinance Amendment (ZOAM 2024 – 0002). Dr. Foltman, representing the Equine Alliance, participated in the County Board’s Transportation and Land Use Committee’s (TLUC) November 2024 hearing on the ZOAM. The Alliance, of course, concerns itself with the impact of the zoning ordinance on the specific requirements of horse businesses. It also comments on the impact of the broader development patterns on the presence of horses in Loudoun.
