On December 11, 2024, the Chesapeake Conservancy Board of Directors honored departing president and CEO Joel Dunn with a Champion of the Chesapeake award. Over the last 14 years, under his leadership, Chesapeake Conservancy helped create a national trail, two national monuments, a national park, a national marine sanctuary, a new national wildlife refuge and significantly advanced a national recreation area for the Chesapeake. Chesapeake Conservancy partnered to conserve thousands of acres of land, expand national wildlife refuges, create local parks, restore Chesapeake tributaries and empower the conservation movement with the latest groundbreaking data and technology.

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U.S. Senator Ben Cardin has been a steadfast advocate for land conservation and the restoration of the Chesapeake Bay, which is the economic, historical and cultural heart of Maryland. As a senior member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, he works to ensure that bedrock environmental laws are protected and emerging threats to clean, safe water and healthy air are addressed. He is a staunch advocate of the Chesapeake Bay Program and works every day to achieve clean water, abundant wildlife, conserved lands, public access and the engagement of diverse communities.

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As a leader of the bipartisan Chesapeake Bay Watershed Task Force, Congressman Sarbanes has fought to provide adequate resources for federal agencies that have a hand in Bay restoration efforts and prioritizes protecting and enhancing public access to the public waters of the Bay and its tributaries. His leadership has led to record funding levels for Chesapeake Bay programs that facilitate conservation, restoration and recreation throughout the Bay watershed, from the Environmental Protection Agency’s Chesapeake Bay Program, to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Chesapeake Watershed Investments for Landscape Defense (WILD) Program, to the National Park Service (NPS) Gateways & Watertrails Program. He also authored the Chesapeake National Recreation Act, which would establish a new NPS unit to celebrate the Chesapeake and support sites in its watershed.

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Abel Olivo was recognized as a 2024 Champion of the Chesapeake for his work leading Defensores de la Cuenca and fostering the next generation of Chesapeake Bay advocates and conservation leaders. People of Hispanic or Latin descent represent roughly 8% of the more than 18 million residents of the Chesapeake watershed. Core to our mission, Chesapeake Conservancy applauds Defensores de la Cuenca’s efforts to ensure the outdoors are welcoming places for everyone to restore their mind, body and soul. As the only Latine-led organization to be a direct recipient of Inflation Reduction Act Forest Service Funds east of the Mississippi, Defensores de la Cuenca has emerged as a leader of conservation in the Chesapeake Bay watershed. Abel is also an environmental justice champion and a valued member of the Stakeholder Advisory Committee for Chesapeake Bay Program’s Chesapeake Executive Council.

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A small group of Girl Scouts, led by 14-year-old Nethra Purushothaman, challenged the Girl Scouts National Capital Council on their plans to sell hundreds of acres of forested habitat in Prince George’s County, Maryland, for development. Nethra and her friends stood up for East Marlton Forest. With some mentoring from Chesapeake Conservancy and Sierra Club of Maryland, it appears these big little heroes were victorious, and most of the land will become part of the Charles Branch Stream Valley Park.

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James and Sylvia Earl are long-time supporters of Chesapeake Conservancy. Their decision to leave a lasting legacy by providing a workspace for local conservation nonprofits will profoundly affect Chesapeake Conservation for generations to come. As Chesapeake Conservancy knows, one of the most difficult challenges nonprofits face is fundraising for overhead costs, such as rent. By enabling the Conservancy to acquire its own building, the Earl family gift will relieve several local nonprofits of that burden, as well as provide space for collaboration and sharing resources. Chesapeake Conservancy is forever grateful for their support of our important work.

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Photo by Joel Dunn

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Vince Leggett is recognized for his efforts to preserve Black history and culture on the Chesapeake Bay. For 15 years, Leggett worked tirelessly to preserve Elktonia beach, a five- acre waterfront parcel on the Chesapeake Bay that is the last remnant of the original 180-acre property purchased by Fred Carr in 1902. Carr’s and Sparrow’s Beaches were privately owned and operated by Fred Carr’s daughters, Elizabeth Carr Smith and Florence Carr Sparrow. “The Beaches” (1930s-1970s), as they were called, represented the heart of entertainment throughout the mid-Atlantic region and welcomed Blacks during a time of segregation.

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Chief Anne Richardson has been instrumental in the return to the Rappahannock Tribe of a 465-acre sacred site at Fones Cliffs on the eastern side of the Rappahannock River. The site, known as Pissacoack, will be permanently protected by a conservation easement and used for recreation and education. Fones Cliffs is also home to bald eagle nests and has been designated by the National Audubon Society as an Important Bird Area with global significance.

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Photo by Zhivko Illeieff/The Conservation Fund

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Upon his retirement after 41 years with the National Park Service (NPS), Chesapeake Bay Office Assistant Superintendent Jonathan Doherty was named a Champion of the Chesapeake in honor of his devotion, commitment and passion for the Chesapeake Bay watershed. Doherty served as the first director of the NPS Chesapeake Bay Office after Congress passed the Chesapeake Bay Initiative Act in 1998. The legislation created the Chesapeake Bay Gateways and Watertrails Network, a network to identify, interpret, conserve and restore Chesapeake resources and connect people to the Bay. In his 22 years of service with the Chesapeake Bay office, Doherty helped build the Gateways Network and the Chesapeake Conservation Partnership, create hundreds of public access sites and oversaw the Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail.

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From left to right: Chesapeake Conservancy Board Member John Reynolds, Jonathan Doherty, Chesapeake Conservancy President & CEO Joel Dunn and NPS Chesapeake Bay Office Superintendent Wendy O’Sullivan

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Photo by Jody Couser

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In 2021, during the pandemic, Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf bestowed the Champions of the Chesapeake awards on behalf of Chesapeake Conservancy to two Pennsylvania’s Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) employees, Marcus Kohl, regional director, and Jason Fellon, watershed manager, in celebration of DEP’s strong contributions to the community based “30 x 30” stream restoration effort.

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Photographed in 2024 at a celebration in Union County, Pennsylvania, from left to right: Marcus Kohl, Chesapeake Conservancy President & CEO Joel Dunn and Jason Fellon.

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Photo by Jody Couser

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Mariah Davis was voted to be the “Everyday Hero Champion” by supporters of the Chesapeake Conservancy. Not only is she a champion of the Chesapeake, she is a true champion of all communities that make up the Chesapeake Bay watershed. Davis has emerged as a well-known advocate and leader of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice (DEIJ) in watershed conservation and restoration work. Davis is the policy and campaigns manager at the Choose Clean Water Coalition (CCWC). She manages outreach, grassroots advocacy and civic engagement efforts to support the Coalition’s policy priorities. Davis leads the CCWC’s Equity Workgroup, which works to promote DEIJ in the Chesapeake Bay watershed and incorporate these issues into the structures, analysis, policy development, decision-making and advocacy process of the Coalition.

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Dennis Chestnut was voted to be the “Lifetime Champion” by Chesapeake Conservancy supporters. Chestnut is a native Washingtonian and a lifetime resident of the Hillbrook neighborhood of Ward 7. He is the retired founding executive director of Groundwork Anacostia River DC. Among the many programs and projects developed by Groundwork, two stand out, the Green Team youth leadership development program and the Bandalong litter traps. Managing these four litter traps resulted in the removal of tons of trash and floatable debris from the Anacostia River, becoming one of Groundwork’s signature programs.

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Anna Killius was voted to be the “Next Generation Champion” by Chesapeake Conservancy supporters. Killius is a Policy Analyst at the James River Association (JRA). She is an impassioned steward, advocate and rising star among the next generation of Chesapeake champions. Killius has already accumulated an impressive track record. She has helped to secure bipartisan legislation that keeps coal ash out of our rivers and cattle out of our streams. She’s also successfully lobbied for bills that promote the implementation of living shorelines and against bills that would shortsightedly loosen Virginia’s oversight of water use and extraction.

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Owned by April Peterson, River Rock Outfitter in Fredericksburg, VA, was voted to receive the “Small Business” Champion of the Chesapeake Award by supporters of Chesapeake Conservancy. Since opening her shop, April has been committed not only to the community but also to protecting our water resources along the Rappahannock River and, thus, the Chesapeake Bay. Peterson has hosted numerous events to educate and take action to protect our waterways. She has sponsored and participated in many litter clean-ups, educational movie events and developed a now annual music festival event called “Rock the River” in support of the Rappahannock River.

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Senator Gene Yaw was elected to represent the 23rd Senatorial District in November 2008. He chairs the Environmental Resources & Energy Committee and is Vice Chair of the Appropriations Committee. Yaw served as Lycoming County solicitor for 17 years and as general counsel to the Pennsylvania College of Technology for more than 20 years. He now serves on its Board of Directors and is Chair of the Center for Rural Pennsylvania. Yaw is “Of Counsel” with the McCormick Lawn Firm in Williamsport and is a member of the Lycoming Law Association, Pennsylvania Bar Association and Pennsylvania Association for Justice. A U.S. Army veteran, he earned degrees from Lycoming College and the American University School of Law in Washington, D.C.

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From left: Chesapeake Conservancy President and CEO Joel Dunn, Senator Gene Yaw (PA), Delegate David Bulova (VA) and Senator Guy Guzzone (MD) and US Representative Bobby Scott (VA).

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Photo by Dave Harp

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David Bulova has represented the 37th District of the Virginia House of Delegates since 2006. The 37th District includes the City of Fairfax and portions of western Fairfax County. In the House, he serves on the General Laws; Agriculture; Chesapeake and Natural Resources; and Education Committees, as well as the State Water Commission, Housing Commission, Joint Commission on Health Care and the Virginia War Memorial Board. He also serves as the Governor’s appointee to the Legislative Advisory Council to the Southern Region Education Board and the Legislative Advisory Board to the Virginia Water Resources Research Center. Professionally, Delegate Bulova works as a Project Manager and Senior Environmental Planner for Wood, PLC. His primary areas of expertise include MS4 Phase I and Phase II permit planning and implementation, NPDES stormwater industrial permit implementation, watershed planning, stormwater funding feasibility studies and utility implementation.

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Senator Guy Guzzone was elected to the Maryland Senate in 2014, after serving in the Maryland House of Delegates from 2007 to 2015. He currently serves as Senate Majority Leader. He is also a member of the Senate Budget and Taxation Committee, Chair of its Health and Human Resources Subcommittee, and additionally a member of both its Capital Budget and Pensions Subcommittees. Other current committee assignments include Rules, Legislative Policy, Spending Affordability, and Administrative, Executive and Legislative Review. Prior to his legislative service, he spent eight years on the Howard County Council, including serving as its Chair. Senator Guzzone is also the former State Director of the Sierra Club and has served as a trustee of the Chesapeake Bay Trust and as a commissioner of the Maryland Growth, Resource Protection and Planning Commission.

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Ann Swanson has served as a leader in the Bay restoration for 36 years, the last 31 as the executive director of the Chesapeake Bay Commission. The Commission’s responsibility is to sponsor legislation at the state level and to work with state legislators, members of the U.S. Congress and the federal and state regulatory agencies to coordinate programs to restore the Chesapeake Bay. Although Swanson operates in a highly political environment, she is trained in the sciences, especially as a wildlife biologist and forest ecologist.

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Chesapeake Conservancy President & CEO (left) Joel Dunn, Ann Swanson (center) and U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD)

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Photo by Dave Harp

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The Department of Defense’s Readiness and Environmental Protection Integration (REPI) program received the 2018 Champions of the Chesapeake Award for its creative approach to conserving habitat and biodiversity across a 385,000-mile corridor in the Chesapeake.

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Kristin Thomasgard (right) accepted the award on behalf of REPI from Chesapeake Conservancy President & CEO Joel Dunn.

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Photo by Peter Turcik

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The Conservation Fund received the Champions of the Chesapeake Award for its signature commitment to conserve naturally and culturally important land across the Chesapeake and along the Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail.

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The Conservation Fund President & CEO Larry Selzer (right) accepts the Champions of the Chesapeake Award from Chesapeake Conservancy President & CEO Joel Dunn.

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Photo by Peter Turcik

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Ecosystem Investment Partners (EIP) received the Champions of the Chesapeake Award for their leadership to create new models of working capacity to finance results-focused restoration and conservation here in the Chesapeake.

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EIP Managing Partner Nick Dilks (right) accepts the Champions of the Chesapeake Award from Chesapeake Conservancy President & CEO Joel Dunn.

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Photo by Peter Turcik

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Maryland Governor Larry Hogan (left) was honored for his commitment and leadership in fighting to protect federal bay funding, fully funding the Chesapeake and Atlantic Coastal Bays Trust Fund, and supporting and signing legislation that will lead to the full funding of Program Open Space next fiscal year. In almost three years, Governor Hogan has invested $3 billion in Chesapeake Bay pollution reduction and related programs.

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Chesapeake Conservancy President & CEO Joel Dunn presents the award to Maryland Governor Larry Hogan (right).

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Photo by Peter Turcik

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Virginia’s First Lady Dorothy McAuliffe accepted the award on behalf of her husband, Governor Terry McAuliffe, for successfully protecting 1,000 natural and historic treasures in Virginia and securing millions in federal funding for land conservation across the watershed during his time in office.

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Photo by Peter Turcik

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The Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association was honored for their leadership in preserving George Washington’s Mount Vernon, a national treasure, and their work to found Piscataway National Park—the first national park founded in the country to protect a historic viewshed. Mount Vernon first partnered with the Chesapeake Conservancy in 2006 to advocate for the creation of the Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail. Years later, the association would work with the Chesapeake Conservancy to further protect the viewshed by enlisting their services to build a geographic information system that allows anyone with a web browser to see how a proposed building might intrude on the view from Mount Vernon.

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Chesapeake Conservancy President and CEO Joel Dunn presents the award to Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association, accepted by Sarah Miller Coulson (right).

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Photo by Peter Turcik

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Microsoft was recognized for providing technology that supports Chesapeake Conservancy’s work in precision conservation, leveraging technology through the Azure cloud to create the data needed to conserve land more efficiently while using fewer resources such as time and money. The goal of the partnership is to enhance conservation through technology for the Chesapeake and beyond.

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Chesapeake Conservancy President and CEO Joel Dunn (left) presents the award to Fred Humphries, Microsoft Corporation.

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Photo by Peter Turcik

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U.S. Senator Paul S. Sarbanes has been a champion for the environment, for conservation and for the Chesapeake Bay since he was first elected to public office in 1966. As a member of the Maryland General Assembly he co-authored the public law creating the real estate transfer tax mechanism for financing Maryland’s Program Open Space—one of the most progressive programs to fund state and local parks and land conservation in the country. He was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1970 and to the United States Senate in 1976, where he helped enact every major piece of legislation to enhance the nation’s environmental quality—including the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, Endangered Species Act and Superfund, to name only a few.

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U.S. Senator Paul Sarbanes accepts the award from Chesapeake Conservancy Board Member Charlie Stek.

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Photo by Peter Turcik

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John Warner was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1978 and served five consecutive terms, establishing a record as the second-longest serving U.S. Senator in Virginia’s history and was instrumental in passing legislation to establish the Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail in 2006. Senator Warner served on the Senate Armed Services Committee. During his tenure, he also served on other committees, including Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, Intelligence (as Vice Chairman for several years), Commerce, Environment and Public Works, and Rules (as Chairman for several years).

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Chesapeake Conservancy Board Member Charlie Stek (left) presents the award to U.S. Senator John Warner.

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Photo by Peter Turcik

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Mt. Cuba Center, a botanical garden in Hockessin, Delaware, hosts a variety of habitats, featuring the diverse and exquisite flora of the Appalachian Piedmont. More than a beautiful garden, the Center’s mission is to achieve conservation through inspiration — to engage its visitors, students and collaborators in a shared project to enhance the ecological value of landscapes. From modest home gardens to large undeveloped parcels of open space, the Center advocates that all landscapes can contribute to a healthy, biodiverse ecosystem through mindful inclusion of native plants and environmentally friendly management practices. Working with partners in the conservation community, Mt. Cuba Center has helped preserve over 15,000 acres of open space in the mid-Atlantic region.

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Ann C. Rose (left), president, Mt. Cuba Center, accepts the award from Chesapeake Conservancy Honorary Board Member Patrick Noonan.

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Photo by Peter Turcik

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Lloyd and Mary Anderson founded Recreational Equipment, Inc. (REI) in Seattle, Washington, in 1938. What began as a group of 23 mountain climbing buddies is now the nation’s largest consumer cooperative with more than three million active members and over 11,000 employees. Each year, REI donates millions of dollars to support conservation efforts nationwide and sends dedicated teams of volunteers—members, customers and REI employees—to build trails, clean up beaches, restore local habitats and more. REI and the Chesapeake Conservancy have created a partnership plan to identify opportunities to support stronger public access to water trails in concert with REI’s DC flagship store opening.

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Nancy Merrill, member of the Chesapeake Conservancy's Chesapeake Council, presents the award to Matt Liddle (right), REI mid-Atlantic manager for outdoor programs and outreach.

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Photo by Peter Turcik

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Kim Hernandez studied Environmental Studies and International Studies at the University of Kansas. She decided to pursue a career in marine conservation. Hernandez graduated in 2010 and sought several opportunities to explore this interest, including caring for sea turtles at Mote Marine Laboratory in Florida. In 2012 she began her graduate degree program at Duke University where she focused on sea turtle conservation, long-term sea level rise planning and geographic information systems (GIS). In August 2014, Hernandez joined the Maryland Department of Natural Resources Chesapeake and Coastal Service as their 2014-2016 Coastal Management Fellow. Within this work she was able to help advance the designation of the Mallows Bay-Potomac River National Marine Sanctuary.

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Kim Hernandez (left) accepts the award from Chesapeake Conservancy Board Member Holly Evans.

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Photo by Peter Turcik

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As the National Park Service prepares to celebrate their 100th anniversary in 2016, we are honored to recognize Director Jarvis as a Champion of the Chesapeake. Director Jarvis has shown a long-standing commitment to landscape-scale conservation and National Park Service engagement in the Chesapeake. He is a strong supporter of the Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail and the Chesapeake Bay Gateways and Watertrails Network, which both highlight the natural and cultural resources of the Chesapeake and its great rivers. Under the leadership of Director Jarvis, NPS has been an advocate for bringing the Chesapeake Bay watershed to the forefront of conservation efforts on the federal level, including the development of the Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail, the first national water trail in the country.

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From left to right: Chesapeake Conservancy President and CEO Joel Dunn, National Park Service Director Jonathan B. Jarvis and Chesapeake Conservancy Board Chair Douglas Wheeler.

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Photo by Peter Turcik

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speaker series, the Mamie Parker Journey: Inspiring Youth to Embrace the Chesapeake. Through the Mamie Parker Journey, Dr. Parker presented to more than 450 students in Baltimore city sharing her own life experience to show students how the outdoors and conservation have helped her overcome numerous obstacles in her life. Many of the students from her 2015 series wrote letters to Dr. Parker, thanking her for her inspiring words and life story.

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From left to right: Chesapeake Conservancy President and CEO Joel Dunn, Dr. Mamie Parker and United States Fish and Wildlife Service Director Dan Ashe.

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Photo by Peter Turcik

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Chesapeake Conservancy is pleased to honor our partner Esri for their innovative GIS software and staff support that helps propel the Conservancy’s work in GIS mapping and precision conservation to the forefront of the conservation movement. In particular, Esri’s support has made the groundbreaking data work of the Conservancy’s Conservation Innovation Center possible. Through its strong nonprofit program, Esri makes its software and staff accessible to the Chesapeake Conservancy and its partners. Chesapeake Conservancy uses Esri ArcGIS technology for innovative conservation and restoration planning through data-driven, web-based applications. Among other things, the Conservancy uses Esri ArcGIS technology for high-resolution land cover mapping and change analysis, multi-resource conservation planning and viewshed protection and impact assessments.

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From left to right: Chesapeake Conservancy President and CEO Joel Dunn, Esri Conservation Account Manager Lori Pelech, Esri Business Development Manager for Imagery Kurt Schwoppe and Chesapeake Conservancy Board Member Stephen Harper.

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Photo by Peter Turcik

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U.S. Senator Barbara A. Mikulski received the 2014 Champion of the Chesapeake Award for her extraordinary public service and leadership to protect our natural and cultural resources. The senior senator from Maryland, Senator Mikulski serves as chairwoman of the Senate Appropriations Committee and has been a staunch advocate for the Chesapeake Bay. She has worked to reduce pollution and restore water quality, habitats and fisheries in the Bay through securing funding for NOAA to restore the oyster populations in the Bay, for soil and land conservation by Maryland farmers via USDA’s Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) and by supporting legislation to reduce storm water pollution in the Bay and to strengthen wastewater infrastructure in Bay communities.

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Linda Prochaska (center) accepts the award on behalf of Senator Mikulski from Chesapeake Conservancy Board Chair Paul Hagen (left) and President and CEO Joel Dunn (right).

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Photo by Peter Turcik

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Keith Campbell received a Champion of the Chesapeake Award for his outstanding generosity and commitment to the Chesapeake Bay and our great rivers.

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From left to right: Keith Campbell, Chesapeake Conservancy Honorary Board Member Patrick Noonan and President and CEO Joel Dunn.

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Photo by Peter Turcik

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Skyline Technology Solutions was recognized as a Champion of the Chesapeake for their charitable partnership to connect the public with wildlife using innovative technology.

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From left to right: Cathy & Peter Hollerbach, Skyline Technology Solutions, Chesapeake Conservancy Board Member Dr. Mamie Parker and President and CEO Joel Dunn.

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Photo by Peter Turcik

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