2010 Keynote Speaker: Judy Bonds, Co-Director of Coal River Mountain Watch

Julia "Judy" Bonds is the co-director for Coal River Mountain Watch and the daughter and granddaughter of coal miners. The nation’s leading activist in the mountain-top removal movement, Judy is an Appalachian American, and her family have lived in the Coal River Valley in West Virginia for 10 generations.

Julia has been fighting for social and environmental justice for Appalachian coalfields since 1998. In 2003, she won the coveted Goldman Environmental Prize. In accepting the prestigious award, Julia is quick to say that this award speaks volumes about the stereotype of "ignorant hillbilly".

Since winning the award, Julia and others at Coal River Mountain Watch have embarked on a road show to educate America about the Clean Water Act, and to educate and motivate Americans about where their electricity comes from and who pays the true price. 
Julia has worked on safety issues on overweight coal trucks and is on the Governor's Safety Committee for commercial trucks. She was named the "Earthmover Award" in GEO Magazine and on Organic Style Magazine's Environmental Power list.  She was recently featured in the Marsh issue of National Geographic, the first "green" issue of May's Vanity Fair, and in the July issue of O, The Oprah Magazine. The O Magazine issue focused on tough West Virginian women.