Sassafras River Association

Rain Barrel Workshop
August 14th 9am-12pm Betterton Beach, MD

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Who We Are

Vision and Mission | Meet the Board | Meet the Staff | Contact | Donors | Partners

Vision and Mission

The Sassafras River Association is a private, non-profit watershed protection and advocacy organization. We are dedicated to the preservation and sensitive use of the Sassafras River watershed.

Vision

A Sassafras River watershed with healthy water quality, a healthy natural shoreline, a balance among recreation, wildlife, and economic activity, and an educated public eager to restore and maintain the health of the watershed.

Mission

We will be an advocate for the Sassafras River watershed, educating stakeholders; identifying, prioritizing, and addressing issues and problems in the River and watershed; and partnering with other groups that share our vision.

Goal

Remove the Sassafras from the State's list of impaired rivers.

Meet the Board

John Burke John Burke, President

John is a real estate agent for Gunther McClary and has lived on the River since 1993. John holds a BA in Industrial Relations and Organization Behavior, from Temple University and has previously served on several non profit boards, including the Kent School in Chestertown. My mission is to be a good neighbor to the River and its stakeholders, making the River cleaner today than it was yesterday.

Charlotte Staelin Charlotte Staelin, Vice President

Charlotte's family has lived in the Watershed since 1812 and Colchester Farms has been in the family since 1875. Charlotte is the Founder/President of Colchester Farm Community Supported Agriculture and currently serves as Executive Director to Community Mediation Upper Shore in Chestertown. Charlotte holds a PhD in History from the University of Michigan and for many years lectured at universities in Delaware, Maryland and Pennsylvania.

Ted Carski Ted Carski, Treasurer

Ted holds a Ph.D. in soil & environmental chemistry and has been with DuPont Crop Protection for 23+ years. I live, boat, and fish on the Sassafras and want to contribute to restoring and maintaining the health of this wonderful watershed. I have been involved with the SRA since the first meetings, initiating Sassafras Samplers, co-chairing the Science Committee and as a River Steward. Having been a farmer, and now working in chemical crop protection, I am a strong advocate for agriculture and appreciate the positive impact best management practices have already had and will continue to have on restoring the River.

Joan Zellers Joan Zellers, Secretary

Joan is a registered respiratory therapist working at Chester River Hospital Center. I first came to Betterton when I was five with my family for vacation and spent the summers of my teen years here. I learned to love fishing, crabbing, swimming and boating on the beautiful Sassafras River and I would like to see the River once again healthy enough for aquatic and other wildlife to thrive. I believe we all have a responsibility to restore and protect our natural resources for future generations. Joan resides in Betterton with her husband, Ed.

Robert Bryan Robert Bryan, Board

Robert Bryan lives on and manages Marsh Point Farm on the Sassafras which has been in his family since 1678. Robert holds a degree in Business Administration and for 31 years worked in real estate in Chapel Hill, NC, where he also served as president and director of various non profit and professional organizations. He currently serves as President of the Historical Society of Kent County, on the board of Chesapeake Fields Institute and chair of the finance committee for Shrewsbury Parish Church. I feel a family responsibility to protect the Sassafras which I see every time I glance up from my desk. The river has changed since my youth. How can we mitigate the effects of development, agriculture and boating?

Richard Cookerly, Board

Richard is a life-long resident of Kent County who spent his boyhood on the Chester River and its tributaries pursuing fish, crabs, furbearers and waterfowl. He holds a BA in History from Washington College and a law degree from University of Baltimore School of Law. Richard was admitted to the Maryland Bar in 1988 and currently practices in Chestertown in the firm of Cookerly & Barroll, LLC. Richard is the newest member of the Board, elected December 2009. I am motivated to preserve the ecosystems of the Eastern Shore because I am fascinated by the interactions of nature within the Chesapeake region’s waters, marshes and woodlands. I believe that these invaluable resources must be allowed to sustain through conscious effort by the community.

Marion Pepper Marion Pepper, Board

Marion resides on a farm on the Sassafras. Marion had a long career as a federal court interpreter, Director of Communications for two law firms in Philadelphia and Spanish teacher for Middle and Upper School students at The Baldwin School. Marion holds degrees from Lake Erie College and Bryn Mawr. When we bought our farm in 1979, our young children could swim in the River. Now, there are many times when their children cannot swim because of the algae blooms. I want our grandchildren to swim in the River again, without worry.

Jackie Reese Jackie Reese, Board

Jackie resides in Earleville with her husband Joseph Costello. Jackie is a Vice President at PNC Bank in the Middletown, Delaware office. Prior to joining the Middletown office Jackie was with PNC Wealth Management in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh for twelve years and was responsible for strategic marketing initiatives throughout the PNC footprint. Jackie has served on the Board of Directors of the Sassafras River Association since its inception and has also served as Treasurer. Jackie is a graduate of Rutgers University.

Jay Falstad Jay Falstad, Board

SRA is a rising star in the environmental community and I’m looking forward to being a part of the organization, and doing what I can to assist SRA’s efforts to improve the Sassafras River watershed. Jay serves as communications director/lobbyist for Queen Anne’s Conservation Association, where he is responsible for the organization’s regional, State and Federal lobbying efforts. A devoted conservationist, Jay also serves on the boards of the Chester River Association and the Maryland League of Conservation Voters. Jay holds a BA in English from University of Delaware. Jay joined the SRA Board July 2009.

Wayne Gilchrest Wayne Gilchrest, Special Advisor

My interest in SRA is to establish a plan that can sustain an on-going community effort to restore and improve water quality in the Tidal Basin and its tributaries. We must learn from each other as to how to make our activities -- whether boating, driving, building, recreating, working, farming or fishing -- compatible with nature's design while economically viable. My goal is to clean up the Sassafras and prepare the next generation, through our example, to write a positive chapter in the on-going biography of the Chesapeake Bay. Wayne is a former U.S. Congressman currently serving on many Boards. Wayne retired from the SRA Board August 2009, having served since 2005 and is now a Special Advisor.

Meet the Staff

Kim Kohl
Executive Director
kkohl@sassafrasriver.org 410-275-1400

A Maryland native, Kim holds a BA from Washington College and a Master's in Public Administration from Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs. Kim has 20 plus years' management experience in the not for profit sector, most recently as Senior Director for Strategic and Financial Operations for the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative in New York City. As a child Kim spent summers on the Chesapeake Bay and now lives in Betterton. An outdoor enthusiast, longtime backpacker and thru-hiker (Pacific Crest Trail, 2007) Kim is committed to advocating for and protecting our watershed.


Jamie Brunkow
Sassafras RIVERKEEPER®
riverkeeper@sassafrasriver.org 410-708-3303

Jamie joins SRA with significant experience working within the Chesapeake Bay on water quality issues. He holds a B.S. in Biological Sciences from Virginia Tech, and has studied conservation biology in South Africa, and New Zealand – notably as a riparian restoration volunteer. Serving as the Stewardship Coordinator at Friends of the Rappahannock, near his hometown of Stafford Virginia, Jamie developed credentials working with governments, waterkeepers, and stakeholders for the health of the Rappahannock River and the Bay. He’s also worked as an environmental science teacher for youth, and described his experiences saying, “Children need exposure to nature – I think it’s truly important to engage and inspire the next generation of environmental stewards.” As the Sassafras RIVERKEEPER, Jamie is the voice of the Sassafras, and works within the mission of SRA to advocate for the River, to educate stakeholders, and to address environmental threats. Look for Jamie on the River, and check out the RIVERKEEPER® Cove for details on current activities.


Ethan Frost
GIS/Data Manager
efrost@sassafrasriver.org

Originally from New England, but currently residing in Newark, DE, Ethan holds a B.A. from Clark University and a M.S. from the University of Delaware, both in Geography. He is finishing his Ph.D. in Climatology from UD where his research has focused on climate-vegetation interactions and the impacts of environmental change in forests. In his spare time he enjoys cycling, running, and cooking.


Josh Thompson
Agricultural Outreach Coordinator
jthompson@sassafrasriver.org 410-708-7667

Growing up on a fourth generation family farm in Kent County, DE, Josh has long been part of the Delmarva agricultural community. An avid hunter, Josh spent his youth roaming the fields for waterfowl and deer, developing a sense of stewardship for the land, the water that runs through it, and the wildlife that inhabits it. Josh received his BS in Animal Science from the University of Delaware College of Agriculture. Josh brings significant experience to his role at SRA, having served as Watershed and Restoration Coordinator for the Harpeth River Watershed Association in Tennessee and Agricultural Liaison for the Delaware Center for the Inland Bays. Josh is also licensed as a Nutrient Management Consultant in the state of Delaware.

Contact

Email

Office: mail@sassafrasriver.org
To report pollution issues: riverkeeper@sassafrasriver.org

Telephone

Office: 410-275-1400
To report pollution issues: 410-708-3303

U.S. Mail

Sassafras River Association
P.O. Box 333
Georgetown, MD 21930

Visit Us

7479 Augustine Herman Highway
Georgetown, MD 21930


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Donors

Funders — We would be unable to carry out our work without the significant support of our institutional funders:

2009 River Stewards (Annual giving of $1000 or more)


Jim and Frances Bayard
Robert Bryan*
Andy Campbell
Ted Carski and Janet Ruhl*
Ben and Judy Kohl
Serge and Marion Pepper
Ken and Sue Shumaker
Charlotte Staelin*
John and Ellyn Vail
Watson and Sue Warriner
Tom and Melissa Weisenfels
* denotes current Board member

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