Vivian Stockman

Vivian Stockman’s images of mountaintop removal coal mining have been published in dozens of books, magazines, newspapers, on websites, and in documentaries. Notable examples include the Charleston Gazette-Mail, the New York Times, Washington Monthly, Orion Magazine, World Watch Magazine, E Magazine, and French Geo.

Vivian is OVEC’s Executive Director. She began with OVEC as a volunteer in 1995, helping with the Stop the Pulp Mill campaign. We stopped the pulp mill!

She is frequently in the field with writers, photographers and filmmakers. OVEC makes media outreach a priority, from local to international news outlets. We connect journalists with our members in their home communities. When media outlets carry news and photos about our members and our issues, we reach potential new members (building our base of power). We inform a broad audience and stir people to action. Hundreds of stories covering the work of our members, volunteers, staff and board appear in the media each year.

Vivian offers media training for our members, covering skills such as crafting a message, writing letters to the editors and practicing on-camera interviews. If you would like media training in your community, contact Vivian or one of OVEC’s organizers.

Vivian also edits the newsletter, the Winds of Change. Each day, she collects and posts onto the OVEC website news relevant to our work. She also develops content for the website and is responsible for sending out Action Alerts whenever important events are happening.

On May 9, 2017, Vivian Stockman appeared live on C SPAN’s “Washington Journal” for a program on coal.

Several years ago she appeared on a WV TV show, “Decision Makers,” opposite Don Blankenship, then CEO of Massey Energy. See part 1 here part 2 here. She has almost recovered. (Courtesy OVEC)