Staff
Learn more about our new team members!
Janet Brooking
Janet Brooking has served as the Executive Director of DRIVE SMART Virginia since May of 2005. Prior to her involvement with DRIVE SMART Virginia, Janet spent ten years as State Campaign Director for the Commonwealth of Virginia Campaign, through which she raised more than $28,000,000 for charity.
Janet received her Bachelor of Science from Mary Baldwin College and her Certificate in Philanthropy from the University of Richmond. She is also a graduate of the Virginia Collaborative Leaders Program through the Institute for Educational Leadership. She’s won several awards including a Medallion Award from the Public Relations Society of America for a video and the award from her peers at the Department of Human Resource Management for being most "Results Driven" in the agency. Janet's non-profit work has included being a docent at the Maymont Nature Center and serving on the boards of Big Brothers Big Sisters and the Read Center.
Contact Janet at janet.brooking@drivesmartva.org.
Gail Merridew
Gail Merridew joined Drive Smart Virginia as Grants and Operations Coordinator in May 2011. After a 22-year career in banking and financial services, she entered public service in 1997. Since that time she has obtained her Master of Public Administration, specializing in Non-profit Management. In 2003, Gail started a management consulting firm which helped small to medium-sized non-profits with various capacity-building initiatives. It is her technical, financial and administrative skills that Gail believes will be most useful in her role at DSV. Gail lives in Henrico County with her husband. They have one son.
Contact Gail at gail.merridew@drivesmartva.org.
Rob Richardson
Rob Richardson joined Drive Smart Virginia as Public Relations and Outreach Manager in June2011. Rob has more than 15 years of experience in Broadcast Journalism working in Nebraska and Lynchburg and Richmond, Virginia. Most recently Rob covered Henrico and Hanover county and the Virginia General Assembly for NBC-12. Rob holds a Journalism degree from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He lives in Chesterfield County, Virginia with his wife and son.
Contact Rob at rob.richardson@drivesmartva.org
Kristin Smolenski
Kristin joined Drive Smart Virginia in April 2009 and is the Project Manager for trucking programs. Kristin worked as a Program Coordinator for Rutgers Cooperative Extension for several years, helping to provide New Jersey's farmers with the tools to ensure their future. She graduated from Rutgers University with a Bachelor of Science degree.
Contact Kristin at kristin.smolenski@drivesmartva.org.