Wild Virginia’s Water Quality Program Director David Sligh is the 2026 recipient of the Virginia Conservation Network’s Lifetime Achievement Award.

For more than four decades, Dave has been fighting for Virginia’s waters, spending his career turning environmental science, law, and a whole lot of determination into action. He has worked with the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality, American Rivers, Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility, and as the Upper James Riverkeeper. He even went to law school after leaving DEQ, a decision he often calls his “nutty idea.” As it turns out, it was a pretty great idea!

For more than ten years at Wild Virginia, Dave has led our water-quality work, taking on major threats to Virginia’s rivers and streams, including the Atlantic Coast Pipeline, Mountain Valley Pipeline, and forever chemicals (PFAS).

He has helped strengthen regulations, advance water protections through the General Assembly, hold polluters accountable, and train dozens of Clean Water Advocates. And he brings the same energy and determination to every fight.

Dave calls his approach “advocacy with an attitude.” We think that says it all.

The Lifetime Achievement Award recognizes a lifetime of achievement, but we like to think of it as a lifetime of commitment. Dave is the person who keeps showing up—asking tough questions, holding decision-makers accountable, and fighting for Virginia’s waters. And somehow, he manages to do it with an incredible amount of enthusiasm and positivity along the way.