The Shadow
COVINGTON, Va. (VR) – Long-time Covington attorney Nolan R. Nicely Jr. has been named to The Alleghany Foundation Board of Directors.
Nicely has been appointed to a three-year term. He succeeds R. Meade Snyder, who leaves the board after serving a maximum of three terms totaling nine years and was not eligible for reappointment.
Nicely’s appointment took effect after the close of the board’s annual meeting on July 11.
“I welcome Nolan Nicely to The Alleghany Foundation Board,” said Kelly Dean Madsen, board president.
“He will bring new perspectives and valuable input. This will help The Alleghany Foundation achieve its mission.”
While welcoming Nicely, Madsen also recognized Snyder’s contributions to The Alleghany Foundation Board of Directors.
“Meade Snyder has been an asset to The Alleghany Foundation while serving on the Board of Directors,” she said. “He has served the organization in multiple roles, such as president and chair of the Investment Committee. He has brought a wealth of knowledge about numerous topics to the board. I wish him well as he rotates off the board and takes on new endeavors.”
A native of Clifton Forge, Nicely is the son of the late Nolan R. Nicely Sr. and Lydia Dobbins Nicely. A 1987 graduate of Alleghany High School, he attended Hampden-Sydney College, graduating summa cum laude in 1991 with degrees in history and managerial economics. Nicely then attended the University of Virginia School of Law, graduating in 1994.
After graduation from U.Va., Nicely returned to Alleghany County and has practiced law in Covington for over 30 years. He is currently a partner with Updike, Nicely & Crawford, PLC. The firm’s practice is primarily focused on representing the injured in personal injury and medical malpractice cases across western Virginia. He is also currently the Commissioner of Accounts for Alleghany County, overseeing the administration of estates and other fiduciary appointees in this jurisdiction.
Nicely is a member of the Virginia Bar and the Virginia Trial Lawyers Association and has been selected to the Virginia Super Lawyers list for multiple years, including 2025.
He has served on a number of local community boards, including the Alleghany Highlands Regional Library and is a long-serving member of the Alleghany Highlands Community Services Board. Nicely is also a member of the board of directors of Highlands Community Bank.
Nicely is passionate about the outdoors, habitat management and conservation and is president of the Appalachian Habitat Association, a charitable organization dedicated to conservation and the improvement of habitat for wildlife in western Virginia. He has served on numerous advisory
committees with the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources and has completed numerous courses and programs focused on wildlife and land management.
He and his wife, Hope Clarke Phillips Nicely, a native of Covington, live on the family farm in the Sharon area of Alleghany County, east of Clifton Forge. Nicely also owns and manages the Grizzled Skipper Conservation Ranch, located in western Alleghany County.
Nicely has two sons, Nolan R. Nicely III and Asher Clay Nicely, both of whom are students at Alleghany High School. Nicely and his family are active members of Victory Baptist Church in Clifton Forge.
“I have always appreciated the work of The Alleghany Foundation in striving to improve the quality of life in our community,” Nicely said. “I am honored to be invited to join the foundation board, and I look forward to contributing as a board member to continue the foundation’s mission and legacy of accomplishments.”
Snyder was appointed to The Alleghany Foundation Board of Directors in 2016 and served as board president from 2018 to 2021. He has been the Investment Committee chair since July 2019.
“It has been an honor to have served on the Board of Directors of The Alleghany Foundation and to have worked with my fellow directors and the foundation’s very capable staff over the past nine years,”
Snyder said. “One of the most rewarding aspects of serving on the foundation board for me has been seeing the tremendous effort and work of the boards, staff and dedicated volunteers of our many grantee organizations toward improving the quality of life in the Alleghany Highlands, and through its grantmaking, the foundation’s significant role of investment in our community to help realize that positive improvement.”
Snyder was named a Director Emeritus during the July 11 meeting.
Other members of The Alleghany Foundation Board of Directors include Janie D. Barnette, Brandon S. Caldwell, David E. Crandall, D.O., Jack A. (Rusty) Hammond II, Teresa B. Johnson, Ray N. Lipes, Nancy M. Moga, Kevin W. Persinger, Susan W. Rollinson, Ph.D., and Rachael G. Thompson.
Directors Emeriti include Michele K. Ballou, M.D., James R. Eller, Harrison L. Fridley, Jack A. Hammond, Charles W. Kahle, Leo T. Mulcahy, Lisa H. Schoppmeyer, George C. Snead Jr., James D. Snyder, Lynda N. Thompson and Anne L. Wright.
About The Alleghany Foundation: The Alleghany Foundation was established in 1995 with $35 million in proceeds from the sale of Alleghany Regional Hospital. The foundation’s vision is to be a resource partner with eligible organizations to make the Alleghany Highlands a civically engaged, prosperous region that builds upon its assets to produce opportunities for its residents.
Total annual awards from The Alleghany Foundation now add up to more than $66 million. For more information, visit alleghanyfoundation.org.
