Virginia Piedmont Heritage Area Association Elects New Chair

MIDDLEBURG, VA — The Virginia Piedmont Heritage Area Association (VPHA) is pleased to announce that its board of directors has elected Tom deButts as its new chair. DeButts has been a member of the VPHA board of directors for six years and succeeds Jim Little, who has served as chair for the last two years. DeButts is an international trade lawyer who has deep roots in Fauquier and Loudoun counties and is a strong advocate of historic and land preservation. DeButts also serves as president of the Friends of the Hollow, a nonprofit corporation dedicated to the preservation of Chief Justice John Marshall’s boyhood home in Markham. He received his A.B. in economics and history from Duke University and his J.D. from George Mason University School of Law, and resides in Delaplane.

“I am honored to step into the footsteps of the many notable predecessor chairpersons of VPHA to continue our focus on preservation through education,” said deButts. “We are fortunate to have a superlative staff and active board that will continue to provide student and adult historic education, as well as preservation initiatives in the 1,800-square-mile living museum we call the Virginia Piedmont Heritage Area.”

VPHA Executive Director Ian MacDougall stated, “It is an honor to have Tom as our new board chair. He brings an incredible wealth of years of experience, visionary leadership, and a deep passion for our mission. As we enter this next chapter of growth, I am excited to partner closely with Tom to expand our impact and serve our community even more effectively.”

Replacing deButts as vice chair of VPHA is Catherine Johns Berg of Purcellville, who joined the board in 2022.

For more information about VPHA and its mission, visit piedmontheritage.org.

Featured photo: Jim Little and Tom deButts during a program at the historic Selma Mansion in Leesburg. Photo courtesy of the Virginia Piedmont Heritage Area Association.

Posted on: July 1, 2026