Billy Van Pelt is the Director of External Relations for the Southeast at American Farmland Trust.  Founded in 1980 by Peggy Rockefeller, wife of David Rockefeller, AFT is the only national organization that is focused on farmland protection, keeping farmers on the land and sound farming practices.  AFT has helped to protect over 6.5 million acres and millions more through sound farming practices.

Billy grew up on his grandparents’ farm in Woodford County on U.S. 60 between Versailles and Frankfort.  He is a graduate of Lexington Catholic High School and Transylvania University, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration with an emphasis in Management.  After graduating from Transylvania, he worked for several years in banking and at The Jockey Club Information Systems in Lexington.

Billy also graduated from the University of Kentucky College of Agriculture, where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Landscape Architecture.  During this time, he worked for CMW architects and engineers in Lexington.  After graduation, as a landscape architect, he worked in both the private and public sectors.  In private practice at CMW architects and engineers, he specialized in equine master planning, institutional, health care and criminal justice projects.  Billy is licensed to practice landscape architecture in the Commonwealth of Kentucky, license number 632.

In the public sector, Billy was the Director of Lexington-Fayette County Kentucky’s Purchase of Development Rights farmland preservation program, where he worked from 2003-2013.  During his tenure, he worked to secure $59 million in local, state and federal funding to permanently conserve approximately 28,000 acres of this world renowned, productive, rural landscape.  This acreage also includes donated conservation easements with an appraised fair market value of over $10 million. 

In 2009, he completed his Masters of Business Administration at Midway College while working full-time.

In October 2013, Billy formed his own consulting and government relations firm, Billy Van Pelt Consulting.  He specialized in the equine, agriculture and health care industries; and economic development and land use planning, at the local, state and federal levels of government.  During this time, he also served as the founding Chief Executive Officer of Woodford Forward, a 501(c)(4) land use advocacy organization, and Woodford Forward Foundation, a 501(c)(3) charitable organization, both based in Versailles, Kentucky.

Billy currently serves on the Transylvania University Board of Regents where he was elected to be the Vice Chair.  In addition, he previously served on the Commerce Lexington Central Kentucky Regional Public Policy Group.  This group is a regional voice for state and federal public policy issues that advance economic development, job creation and quality of life in eight counties in Central Kentucky.

His civic involvement also includes serving on the Boards of Directors of Lexington-Frankfort Scenic Corridor Inc., Bluegrass Tomorrow, God’s Pantry Food Bank, Fayette County Farm Bureau, Southern Kentucky Performing Arts Center Foundation and on the Community Trust Bank Advisory Board of Directors.  He also serves on Visit Horse Country’s Membership and Sponsorship Committee.  He previously served on the LexArts Board of Directors, where he was the Chairman of the Development Committee.

In 2016, Bluegrass Tomorrow awarded Billy the Robert N. Clay President’s Award for outstanding service to the Bluegrass Region and Bluegrass Tomorrow.

Billy is an Episcopalian and a member of Christ Episcopal Church in downtown Bowling Green.

Billy maintains residences in Lexington and Bowling Green, Kentucky.  He is a member of the Thoroughbred Club of America and the Harbour Town Yacht Club on Hilton Head Island.  In his spare time, he enjoys running and participating in marathons and half-marathons with his running groups, the Midway Runners Club and the Covington Woods Striders.