top of page
  • Instagram
  • Facebook

Meet LTV's Latest Board Members

Land Trust of Virginia is pleased to welcome new and returning members to our Board of Directors, whose collective experience, leadership, and shared commitment to Virginia’s working farms, forests, historic landscapes, and open spaces strengthen our mission across the Commonwealth. Each of these individuals brings a deep appreciation for the land and a wealth of professional expertise that will help guide LTV’s work to permanently protect the places that define Virginia’s rural character. We are grateful for their willingness to serve and look forward to the impact of their leadership in the years ahead. Welcome Childs, Paula, and Nate!



Childs F. Burden


Childs was a partner in The Secor Group, a venture capital partnership, for over 40 years. He is a graduate of the University of Virginia and is a Chartered Financial Analyst. He is a founding member of the Virginia Piedmont Heritage Area Association 


(formerly known as the Mosby Heritage Area Association), formed in 1995. He is now Chairman Emeritus after serving as Chair and President for many years. He has served on the boards of the National Trust property "Oatlands" as Trustee and Chair; the Civil War Trust; the Virginia Outdoors Foundation; the Loudoun County Historical Society as President; and the Loudoun County Heritage Commission. He currently serves on the Boards of the Shenandoah Valley Battlefields Foundation and the Manassas Battlefield Trust and has been serving on the LTV board for 18 years.



Paula Michaels


Ms. Paula Michaels is a Senior Vice President, Portfolio Management Director, and financial advisor, with Morgan Stanley Wealth Management. She has been in the financial services profession since 1975. She focuses on developing and executing investment and tax-related strategies for high net worth individuals, charitable organizations, business owners and people dependent on their investments for income. She works intensively with clients to determine their goals and to devise an appropriate strategy to achieve them.


She began her career at Equitec Financial Group in San Francisco. According to Stanford Research Institute, Equitec was the premier financial planning organization in the U.S. at that time. She served as Technical Production Manager for Financial Services Corporation (Dayton, Ohio) from 1978 to 1979. She supervised the writing of financial plans and consulted with clients, including senior executives of a Fortune 500 company.


Ms. Michaels co-founded Law & Associates Inc., a Bethesda, Maryland, financial planning firm, in 1979. She consulted with clients on all aspects of their financial plans and supervised the para-professional staff. In 1985, Penn Mutual Equity Services recruited her to create and run the retail investment operation for Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia. After successfully developing this network, she returned to her first love: working directly with clients.


Ms. Michaels received a Bachelor of Arts in American Studies from Skidmore College in Saratoga, New York. She continues to study estate planning, investments, insurance and charitable giving. She is a graduate of Wharton's Critical Elements of Consulting, a program that enhanced her skills in money management theory and practice.


Ms. Michaels has served on the boards of the Alumni Association of Skidmore College, the Fairfax Hunt, and Lift Me Up, a therapeutic riding program. She has her colors with the Piedmont Hunt, the Loudoun Fairfax Hunt, and the Snickersville Hounds.


Ms. Michaels and her husband, Clyde Smith, live in Great Falls. They love to travel as well as entertain their friends. She joined the LTV board January 2026.



Nathaniel "Nate" Tipton


Nathaniel “Nate” Tipton is a government affairs and public policy leader. Born in Washington, D.C. and raised in the region, Nate began his career on Capitol Hill working for several members of Congress before joining Stryker, a global medical technology company, where he currently leads U.S. Government Affairs. He holds an A.B. in Government from Franklin & Marshall College, with a minor in Public Policy. 


Nate grew up visiting Virginia’s Piedmont and has long valued the region’s natural beauty and rural character. He and his wife, Christine, a University of Virginia graduate, now live in Orlean with their two young daughters and two dogs on a small hobby farm. As a Fauquier County resident, Nate deeply appreciates the conservation and preservation of open spaces and is inspired by the work of organizations such as the Land Trust of Virginia. 


In their free time, Nate and his family enjoy outdoor activities including hiking, skiing, gardening, and exploring the Virginia countryside. He joined the LTV board in January 2026.


bottom of page