This month’s Member Spotlight highlights the great work of Amy Margolies of Tucker United. You might remember her name from the article she co-authored in our April newsletter, “We Are Not Alone: Building Civic Momentum With Tucker United.”
Enjoy getting to know her a little better!
I am a public health specialist with over 15 years of experience working at the intersection of nutrition, food systems, and social protection. I’ve focused on translating research into policy and practice to improve diets, food environments, and resilience. Alongside global research, I engage locally as the Executive Director of Tucker United, a grassroots coalition in West Virginia working to promote sustainable economic development.
I’m passionate about making science accessible and actionable—whether through evidence-based policy guidance for governments or through local advocacy in rural Appalachia.
My research has been mentioned in The Atlantic, The New York Times, The Economist, Slate, World Economic Forum, and the World Bank Blog.
How did you get into environmental work & what work are you most proud of?
For the past 15 years, I’ve worked on improving health and nutrition in countries around the world (mostly Africa, Asia, Latin America). I lived for four years in Brazil working in community development and with the National School Meals Program on linking rural family farmers to supply the program to improve child nutrition. I did a PhD in Public Health and my dissertation focused on a program supporting community-run childcare centers in rural villages in Southern Africa (Malawi) with agricultural and educational resources.
Since moving to West Virginia ten years ago, I’ve been involved with local groups supporting sustainable family farming. Last year, when we learned about the proposed methane gas power plant and hyperscale data center complex, I joined my neighbors and friends to ask questions about what this would mean for our community. Since then, it seems like every waking moment has been spent trying to get more information and pressuring local and state officials to better address our concerns.
I’m most proud of how our community has stepped up to organize and show we won’t be ignored! So many folks have contributed in their own way to this effort, whether by writing FOIA requests, giving an interview to the press, writing comments on air quality permits or talking to their neighbors about the issues. Every effort has helped our collective voice be heard. When it comes down to it, local control is about freedom of choice. Freedom to define our community’s future. Every community in West Virginia deserves that same freedom. The unfortunate reality right now is if we want it, we have to fight for it! Luckily, Tucker County is up for the challenge.
What part of West Virginia’s ecosystem/environment is most special to you?
Great question! And hard to answer. The wetlands and bogs around where we live are so special. I love taking my kids to pick cranberries in the fall on Loop Road. I love all the beloved hidden swimming holes. I love that my son can identify more mushroom and salamander species than I can, and will correct me if I get them wrong (“it’s a blue staining bolete, mom, duh!!”). I love getting lost skiing back off of Natty Nord at Whitegrass because the trails look so different in various types of weather. Love that morning fog sitting in Canaan Valley. Ooh, and rime ice on the Sods, groppel and thunderhail and temperature inversions. I’m gonna stop before this gets out of line…
When you aren’t working on things for Tucker United, what do you do for fun?
Hiking, biking and camping, stubbornly gardening despite our hilariously short growing season. Playing with my kids. Reading.
