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Board of Directors

Photo right: Science Chair Bob Paul      

            Staff

See Committee Assignments Below

 

Board of Directors

 

Joe AndersonJoe Anderson  is the president of the St. Mary’s River Watershed Association. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Cultural Anthropology from Tufts University, and is a prep cook for Ruddy Duck Seafood and Alehouse. Joe came to St. Mary’s County from Connecticut in 1974 as a Vista volunteer, and has devoted much of the last 50 years to community service. He served as a St. Mary’s County Commissioner (1998-2002) and is a past member of the St. Mary’s County Planning Commission. Joe currently serves on the Greenwell Foundation and the Southern Maryland Higher Education boards.

 

John GiustiJohn Giusti  received a Masters in International Studies from American University. Currently retired, he was a certified financial planner and former career transition counselor. John is a frequent cast member at Three Notch Theater where he has portrayed a variety of characters. Excelling in comedy, John's portrayal of Galileo in "Babu's Burgers," (by Keith William) provided the right balance of authenticity and imagination in a geographical and time displaced farce with characters Benjamin Franklin, Hitler, Genghis Khan, and Jesus. When not on stage, John can be found playing tennis or hiking the local trails.

 

Paul KellamCaptain Paul Kellam and his wife Judy have lived in Ridge, Maryland for more than 30 years. Paul is the owner and operator of Kellam Seafood in Ridge, and can be found most mornings out on the Bay fishing for the market. He also runs an oyster aquaculture operation and works closely with other entrepreneurs in the area. One of only a handful of folks with an unlimited captain license, Paul can be seen piloting the Smith Island ferry from time to time.

 

Bob LewisBob Lewis  received a Bachelor of Arts from the State University of New York, and certificates in arts administration, personnel management, Web marketing, and communications technology. He graduated from the Institute for Conservation Leadership, Executive Director Leadership Program (2008). He holds a certificate of completion from Leadership Southern Maryland (class of 2014). He is a founder and graduate of the Chesapeake Institure for Grassroots Organizing (2012-2014). In 2013, Bob founded the Future Bay Leaders, a program to mentor high school and college students through hands-on learning, leadership training, and work skills development. Bob holds numerous awards for conservation leadership. Most notably in summer 2013, Bob was awarded the title Chesapeake Bay Ambassador by Governor Martin O'Malley who subsequently appointed Bob to the Interstate Commission on the Potomac River Basin where he served until 2022. Bob prides himself on his "connection" to our natural world and when he is not working he can be found in his vegetable and berry patch, or pulling on a paddle almost anywhere in North America.

 

David LewisDavid Lewis  and his wife, Marcia Greenberg, live on St. Inigoes Creek where they purchased their home in 2003. Dave has lived on or near the water for nearly all his life. He grew up on the shores of Clear Lake in California, was on the crew as an undergraduate in college, lived in a fishing village as a Peace Corps Volunteer in the Philippines, sailed on Cayuga Lake while working in upstate New York, and is now retired on the water in St. Mary's City. Aside from his personal interest in the stewardship of water resources, Dave brings to the Board two professional types of experience: regional development management and organization development. As a faculty member at Cornell University (35+ years) he specialized in regional planning and the management of development programs. His administrative roles within the university provided "institutional battlefield experience" in organization development and management. Dave earned his B.S. and M.S. degrees in engineering at Stanford, and his PhD in regional planning at Cornell.

 

Barry MuchnickBarry Muchnick  is an Associate Professor of Environmental Studies at St. Mary's College of Maryland (SMCM). He graduated from Emory University in 1996 with a Bachelor's of Arts in Philosophy and Psychology. Then, he received a certificate in Wilderness Management at University of Montana in 1998. Dr. Muchnick holds two Master's degrees and a Ph.D. from Yale University: a Master of Science in Conservation Ecology (2001), a Master of Art in Environmental History (2003), and a Joint Ph.D. in Environmental History and Environmental Studies (2010). During his Ph.D. program, he also worked as a Sustainable Property Management Specialist at 315 Whitney Company in New Haven, Connecticut. After his Ph.D., he was a Foundation Fellow at the Betsy and Jessie Fink Foundation in Norwalk, Connecticut. Once he arrived in southern Maryland to work at SMCM, Dr. Muchnick helped launch and design the curriculum for the Environmental Studies program. He also directs the Environmental Citizenship Series and is the head of the campus farm. His research focuses on environmental problem solving using interdisciplinary approaches. He works on a broad range of topics encompassing natural science, policy, and social science.

 

Larry O'BrienLarry O'Brien  is a lifelong resident of St. Mary's County, growing up on the Patuxent River with family roots in White Point on the Potomac going back to the early 1900s. His love of the environment was engendered early on by his parents, both avid fishermen and protectors of the environment. His father co-founded the Save Our Rivers League in an effort to stop the industrial development of a deep water port for Volkswagen of America on the Patuxent River. After a long career as a realtor, land developer and builder, and mortgage lender, he retired in late 2022 to spend more time with his four children. Mr. O'Brien holds a certificate as a master naturalist and engages with the public through the public school system and other forums, as well as the St. Mary's River Watershed Association. He hopes to use his experience in his professional life to benefit the many environmental needs of the area. Since a student at St. Mary's College of Maryland many years ago, he feels a special bond for the St. Mary's River and its watershed. He resides with his wife Julie on St. George Island.

 

Bob PaulBob Paul  is a Professor Emeritus of Biology and has been at St. Mary’s College of Maryland since 1977. He received a Phd in Zoology at Virginia Polytechnic Institute. His specialty includes aquatic ecology and the application of Geographical Information System (GIS) technology to land use policy and ecological concerns. From 1999 to 2009, Bob co-directed the St. Mary’s River Project, a long-term, federally-funded water quality monitoring study of the St. Mary’s River and its watershed.

 

Elizabeth 'Liz' PriceElizabeth "Liz" Price  earned a Bachelor of Science in Biology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1997, and a Master of Science in Conservation Biology from the University of Minnesota - Twin Cities in 2002. Since moving to Maryland in 2002, she has worked as a Research Associate at the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science - Chesapeake Biological Lab. During her 20 years there, she has worked for two environmental economists focusing on finding cost-effective solutions to issues related to the health of the Chesapeake Bay including environmentally friendly dredged material placement and stormwater BMPs. She loves spending time in nature with her husband and two sons, and especially enjoys hiking, canoeing and birding.

 

Patricia SamfordPatricia "Tricia" Samford  received a PhD in Anthropology from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, majoring in historical archaeology. She is currently the Director of the Maryland Archaeological Conservation Laboratory at Jefferson Patterson Park and Museum in St. Leonard, Maryland. Her research has dealt with the archaeology of free and enslaved African Americans in the American South and in cultural resource management. She enjoys gardening, kayaking on the St. Mary’s River and reading.

 

John SpinicchiaJohn Spinicchia  received a Bachelor of Science degree from St. Mary's College of Maryland and a Masters at American Military University. He spent several years teaching Natural Resources Management classes at the James A. Forrest Career and Technology Center for St. Mary's County Public Schools. Now, he serves as the Director of Instructional Support at St. Mary's College of Maryland. When John is not teaching or with his family, Jeannie and the twins Rebecca and Nico, he is probably communing with nature in some way —possibly counting toads and frogs, surveying stands of trees, or just watching the beauty of nature.

 

Elaine SzymkowiakElaine Szymkowiak  received a Bachelor of Science in Biology from St. Mary's College of Maryland. Since 1981, she has served as Biology Laboratory Coordinator and instructor in scanning electron microscopy at the College. She is the advisor to the student club, Student Environmental Action Coalition (SEAC). Elaine has an avid interest in conservation issues and a life long love of nature. She enjoys spending free time on outdoor activities including hiking, nature study, sailing, skiing and gardening.

 

Staff

 

Emma Green  is the Executive Director of the St. Mary's River Watershed Association (SMRWA). She graduated from St. Mary's College of Maryland (SMCM) in 2018 with majors in Environmental Studies and Biology. At SMCM, she worked as an intern on the oyster sanctuary where she developed and piloted an oyster monitoring program with a fellow student. Her St. Mary's Project traced sources of nitrate to the St. Mary's River from around the watershed. After graduation, she worked a variety of jobs including positions at the Conservation Job Corps, at Horn Point Laboratory in Cambridge, and as a sustainability consultant at Baltimore hospitals. In 2020, she returned to southern Maryland and began a Master's program at Chesapeake Biological Laboratory. Her Master's thesis focused on benthic macroinvertebrate food web dynamics in the Pacific Arctic. She graduated in December 2022 and began full time work at SMRWA. In October 2023, she was promoted to Executive Director. In her free time, Emma enjoys jigsaw puzzles, hiking, swimming, and reading.

 

Morgan Watkins  is a recent graduate of the Great Mills STEM Academy (2023) and interned with the Watershed Association in the summer of 2022. She returned to SMRWA in 2023 as a field technician. She will be attending Penn State University in the fall with the intent to major in Biology. Morgan is passionate about protecting and improving the watershed she grew up in. She loves being able to work hands-on in the environment. In her free time, she enjoys traveling, spending time on the water, playing with her dogs, and exploring nature.

 

Nathaniel Richardson    is a SMRWA field technician (Summer 2023) and a rising senior at St. Mary's College of Maryland. He is currently majoring in marine science and plans to continue with conservation science after he graduates. In his free time, he plays video games and the electric guitar.

 

Isabella "Bella" Ramirez   is a SMRWA field technician this summer and a rising sophomore at St. Mary's College of Maryland. She is a double major in Environmental Studies and Spanish with a minor in Biology. Bella is on the St. Mary's College Swim Team. She is thrilled about gaining hands-on experience this summer while working with passionate and like-minded people. In her free time, she enjoys swimming, hiking, cooking, traveling, and spending time with her cats.

 

Anna Redman  is a student in the STEM academy and a SMRWA Stem intern (Summer 2023). She plans on attending the University of Maine with a 5 year NJROTC scholarship, and is still deciding on her major. Anna is driven by her childhood passion of all things water inspired by her late grandfather's love for water based recreation. She enjoys meditation, especially on a water front.

 

Wes Boyers  is a rising senior at Great Mills High School and is completing his STEM Academy internship with SMRWA this summer. Wes hopes to study environmental engineering in the future. He loves spending his time outdoors and on the water. Fishing, hunting, and baseball are some of his favorite hobbies.

Committees

  • Membership:  Emma Green, Bob Lewis, Joe Anderson—ex-officio
  • Development:  Emma Green, Elaine Szymkowiak, Tricia Samford, Joe Anderson, John Giusti, Larry O'Brien
  • Public Policy:  Joe Anderson, Bob Lewis, Bob Paul, Dave Lewis
  • Science/Technical:  Bob Paul, John Spinicchia, Elaine Szymkowiak, Joe Anderson—ex-officio
  • Education:  Elaine Szymkowiak, John Spinicchia, Will Gates, Joe Anderson—ex-officio
  • Budget & Finance:  Emma Green, Bob Lewis, John Giusti, Joe Anderson—ex-officio
  • Strategic Planning:  Dave Lewis, Joe Anderson, Tricia Samford, John Giusti, Larry O'Brien
  • Public Relations: Emma Green, Bob Lewis, Joe Anderson

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