Arianna Sherman

Foundations Manager

Arianna supports the advancement and coordination of SELC’s relationships with philanthropic foundations. Collaborating with colleagues across the organization, she serves as project manager to produce and submit materials that communicate SELC’s work to foundations and individual donors.  

The position blends Arianna’s background in environmental engineering with her experience in foundation relations and grants administration. She is passionate about supporting the work that creates and shapes environmental change so that everyday people, communities, and ecosystems are protected. “I find particular motivation in communicating SELC’s efforts in tackling environmental issues through compelling storytelling, making our good work accessible to a wider audience,” she said. 

Arianna brings a depth of experience in environmental engineering to SELC and is inspired by the work of SELC’s Water Program to tackle PFAS “forever chemical” contamination across our region. The work ties back to her field research during her Ph.D., which took her to the Neuse River watershed in North Carolina, where she studied the impacts of agricultural run-off in the wake of Hurricane Florence.  

Arianna grew up in Charlottesville, enjoying hiking and horseback riding through the forests and rivers of Virginia’s Blue Ridge and Piedmont regions. “The rolling hills of Albemarle County will always hold a special place in my heart,” she said.  

• University of Virginia Corporate and Foundation Relations, proposal development strategist 
• Ph.D., Princeton University 
• B.S., University of Virginia