2024

Annual Report

Protecting the Land and Water that Matter to You

We are committed to diversity, equity, inclusion and justice

Protecting and restoring the Chesapeake Bay requires diversity in perspective and practice.

Our Vision

Our Vision

Our Vision

Our Mission

Our Mission

Our Mission

Our DEIJ Statement

DEIJ Statement

Our DEIJ Statement

What we do

Chesapeake Conservancy is the only watershed-wide organizationfocused on both land conservation and stream restoration to achieve ahealthier Chesapeake Bay. We’re using and sharing the latestgroundbreaking data and technology, including artificialintelligence, to determine where to focus conservation efforts tohave the most impact using the least resources.

Connect

Connect

Connect people to the natural, cultural and recreational opportunities of the Chesapeake watershed – including its rivers, tributaries, landscapes and historic places.

Conserve

Conserve Land

Conserving 30% of the Chesapeake’s lands and waters by 2030 iscritical for climate resilience, biodiversity and water quality. Wealso strive to make these conserved lands publicly accessible.

Restore

Restore Streams

Restoring the Bay’s 100,000 small tributaries is key to restoringthe Chesapeake watershed. Our data driven and partnership approachcreates a healthier environment upstream, for a healthier ChesapeakeBay downstream.

Diversify

Diversify

Infuse diversity-based policies and practices in our culture that are essential for the success of Chesapeake Conservancy’s mission.

Excel

Empower with Data

Using cutting-edge technology, our Conservation Innovation Centerempowers the Chesapeake restoration movement to practice data-drivenprecision conservation—getting the right practices in the rightplaces at the r

Dear Supporters,

As I reflect on Fiscal Year 2024, I am filled with gratitude and admiration for all that Chesapeake Conservancy has accomplished in our mission to protect and restore the Chesapeake Bay watershed. Thanks to your unwavering support, we continue to ensure that the lands, waters and wildlife of this national treasure thrive for generations to come.

Together, we celebrate major milestones across the watershed in our three core focus areas: conserving land, restoring streams and empowering with data. Here are just a few standout achievements—but I invite you to explore our full annual report to see even more of the impact we’ve made together.

Conserve Land

In partnership with the Southern Maryland Conservation Alliance (SMCA), Chesapeake Conservancy played a key role in the establishment of the Southern Maryland Woodlands National Wildlife Refuge—the first new national wildlife refuge in the Chesapeake Bay watershed in over 25years.

Restore Streams

Through collaboration with local conservation organizations and elected officials, we celebrated the removal of five impaired stream segments from Pennsylvania’s impaired waters list—a crucial step toward improving water quality throughout the Chesapeake Bay watershed and an example of what can be achieved together.

Empower with Data

Our Conservation Innovation Center (CIC) partnered with the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to update the state’s habitat connectivity map, a critical tool that tracks changes in natural landscapes and guides conservation efforts for wildlife health and ecosystem resilience.

These achievements would not have been possible without our dedicated supporters, partners, and staff—and most importantly, you. Your belief in our mission fuels this work and makes a real, lasting impact on the Chesapeake Bay.

As we look ahead, Chesapeake Conservancy proudly celebrates its 15th anniversary and remains committed to bold action in the face of environmental challenges. We will continue to foster partnerships, drive innovation and champion conservation efforts to safeguard this extraordinary place.

On behalf of the Board of Directors, thank you for your passion, generosity and commitment to conservation. Together, we are ensuring a brighter, more resilient future for the Chesapeake Bay.

With gratitude,

Stephanie Meeks
Board Chair, Chesapeake Conservancy

2024

Board of Directors

Ed
Hatcher
Secretary
Stephanie
Meeks
Chair
Matthew
Earl
Vice Chair
Jeffrey
Sabot
Treasurer
Charles A.
Stek
Emeritus Director
Patrick F.
Noonan
Emeritus Director
Randall W.
Larrimore
Emeritus Director
Gilbert M.
Grosvenor
Honorary Member
Principal Chief Keith F.
Anderson
Daniel M.
Ashe
Rich
Batiuk
Michael
Brubaker
Astrid
Caldas
Joel E.
Dunn
Adam
Gronski
Colin
Harrington
Michelle Bailey
Hedgepeth
Vibha
Jain Miller
Pamela D.
Marks
Scott
Phillips
John J.
Reynolds
Chief G. Anne
Richardson
Ava
Shivers
Philip
Tabas
Stephanie
Vaughn

2024

Chesapeake Council

David
Blitzer
Keith
Campbell
Charles H. “Chip”
Collins
Dr. Wilton “Wilt”
Corkern
Lavinia
Currier
Dr. Sylvia
Earle
Elinor
Farquhar
Sid
Jamieson
Amanda Savage
Mahoney
Joan
Murray
Truman
Semans, Sr.
Nancy Merrill
Sullivan
Ann
Swanson
John
Turner
H.W. “Skip”
Wieder
Steven
Williams

2024

Chesapeake Conservancy Staff

Joel
Dunn
President and CEO
Ben
Alexandro
Program Director - Chesapeake Conservation Partnership
EJ
Amyot
Chief Operating Officer
Allison
Anderson
Director of Institutional Giving
Michael
Augustin
Communications and Outreach Specialist
Emily
Beach
Director - Conservation Innovation Center
Amy
Bennett
Bilingual Interpretive Outreach Assistant
Susan
Buyaskas
Project Manager
Jamal
Childs
Chesapeake Conservation and Climate Corps Member
Zach
Cline
AmeriCorps Member
Mark
Conway
Executive Vice President of External Affairs
Jody
Couser
Senior Vice President of Communications
Carly
Dean
Director - Chesapeake Tributaries Initiative
J.T.
Dean
Director of Individual and Major Gifts
Chase
Douglas
Program Coordinator - Chesapeake Conservation Partnership
Hilda Zepeda
Esquina
Bilingual Interpretive Outreach Assistant
Michael
Evans, Ph.D.
Deputy Director, Conservation Innovation Center
Kelsey
Everett
Partnership Digital Resources Associate
Zoe
Fried
Development and Annual Fund Coordinator
Rebeca
Garcia
Bilingual Interpretive Outreach Assistant
Ellen
Gardner
Chief Financial Officer / Senior Vice President of Finance
John
Griffin
Senior Policy Advisor
Steven
Guinn
Geospatial Modeler
Ryan
Hill
Project Coordinator / Geospatial Analyst
Adrienne
Hobbins
Program Manager
Louis
Keddell
Operations Manager, Conservation Innovation Center
Sarah
Killian
Special Assistant to the President and CEO
Kaelyn
Kobosko
Chesapeake Conservation and Climate Corps Member
Elliott
Kurtz
Geospatial Data Engineer
Kumar
Mainali, Ph.D.
Senior Data Scientist and Data Science Lead
Patrick
McCabe
Senior Geospatial Analyst
Joseph
McCauley
Chesapeake Fellow
Ndumezulu
Mpofu
Geospatial Analyst
Matthew
Provost
Senior Vice President of Development and Business Strategy
Maggie
Ritchey
AmeriCorps Member
Frank
Rohrer
Restoration Project Advisor
Kathy
Rohrer
Restoration Project Advisor
David
Saavedra
Senior Geospatial Technical Lead
Alicia
Sabatino
GIS Web Developer / Cartographer
Ashley
Seymour
Compliance and Reporting Administrator
Helen
Sieracki
Human Resources Manager
Lisa
Spallitta
Finance and IT Manager
Logan
Stenger
Project Manager
Susan
Stephenson
Director of Federal Business Development
Steven
Storck
Project Manager
Shannon
Thomas
Project Coordinator
Katie
Walker
Chesapeake Geospatial Program Manager
Charlotte
Weinstein
Senior Geospatial Analyst
Moulton Park

From left to right: Mark Moulton, David Moulton, Brucie Moulton, Christopher Huvos, Emma Huvos, Greg Faxon, Barbara Moulton and Tom Helm -- Photo by Virginia Johnston

Organizational Achievements Since Our Founding

Chesapeake Conservancy is prominent among the land conservationpartners who secured appropriations totaling over $45 million fromthe Land and Water Conservation Fund during fiscal years 2015-24.These funds were used to protect over 10,000 acres of lands andwaters on national wildlife refuges, parks, forests and recreationareas across the Chesapeake Bay watershed.

We remain committed to conserving 30% of the Chesapeake by 2030, andwith your continued support, we can make it!

2024

Highlights

October 1, 2022 – September 30, 2023

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Virtual Connections

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Champions of the Chesapeake

Since 2014, Chesapeake Conservancy’s annual Champions of the Chesapeake awards have recognized individuals and organizations from across the region for exemplary leadership and dedication to protecting and restoring the Chesapeake’s natural systems and cultural resources.

In 2024, Chesapeake Conservancy proudly presented the Champions of the Chesapeake awards to U.S. Senator Ben Cardin, U.S. Representative John Sarbanes, Defensores de la Cuenca Co-Founder and Executive Director Abel Olivo and Chesapeake Conservancy President and CEO Joel Dunn who accepted a new position in international conservation after14 years of leadership at Chesapeake Conservancy.

Champions of the Chesapeake
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Financial Report

Chesapeake Conservancy Expenses

For more detailed information on our financials and governance, visit our website.

Sound stewardship of financial resources demonstrated by a clean audit
Awarded 4-star rating from Charity Navigator
Accepted as a nonprofit partner in the 1% for the Planet network

Donors

Our sincere appreciation to the individual, foundation and corporate donors who have made our work possible. We truly appreciate your generosity.

$50,000+
$25,000 - $49,999
$10,000 - $24,999
Guide Club ($1,000 - $9,999)
Great Blue Heron Club
($500-$999)
Eagle Club ($250-$499)
Osprey Club ($100-$249)
Donors $25-$99
Featured Partners
Monthly Sustaining Donor Club
In-Kind Gifts
In Memoriam Honorees
Donation Honorees

Contact us

Chesapeake Conservancy is a nonprofit organization based in Annapolis, Maryland. We are conservation entrepreneurs. We believe that the Chesapeake is a national treasure that should be accessible for everyone and a place where wildlife can thrive. We use technology to enhance the pace and quality of conservation, and we help build parks, trails, and public access sites. Chesapeake Conservancy works in close partnership with the National Park Service, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Bureau of Land Management Eastern States, as well as other federal, state and local agencies, private foundations and corporations to advance conservation.

(443) 321 3610
Chesapeake Conservancy
Earl Conservation Center
1212 West Street
Annapolis, MD 21401
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