Who We Are How We're Organized Communications Workgroup

Communications Workgroup

The Communications Workgroup works to provide strategic planning and expert advice to the Bay Program Communications Office and to support the communications needs of Bay Program partners, ensuring accurate and timely reporting of Bay health.

Upcoming Meetings

February 3, 2021
1:00 pm - 2:00 pm

Communications Workgroup February 2021 Meeting

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March 3, 2021
1:00 pm - 2:00 pm

Communications Workgroup March 2021 meeting

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April 7, 2021
1:00 pm - 2:00 pm

Communications Workgroup April 2021 Meeting

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View Meeting Calendar >> << View Past Meetings

Scope and Purpose

The Communications Workgroup offers communications advice to the Chesapeake Bay Program's Communications Office in order to help this office meet its goals of:

  1. Supporting the communications needs of Bay Program partners, and
  2. Spurring public action through consistent messaging and media coverage, comprehensive branding and promotion, stakeholder outreach, and coordinated internal and external communications.

The workgroup also advises various subcommittees, committees and workgroups and offers support to Bay Program leadership by providing expert perspective on communications-related issues. Lastly, the workgroup provides a forum to discuss Bay-related communications activities, initiatives and issues that cross jurisdictional boundaries in an effort to better connect Bay Program science and partners with the public.

Projects and Resources

Communications Workgroup Charter

The Communications Workgroup charter states that the purpose of the workgroup is threefold:

  1. To foster cross-jurisdictional communication among Chesapeake Bay Program partners by providing a collaborative forum to discuss communications issues, meet communications needs and conduct public relations with the media, the public and other critical audiences
  2. To provide expert advice and recommendations when asked to address the communications needs of Chesapeake Bay Program groups (including the Chesapeake Executive Council, Principals’ Staff Committee or Management Board; Advisory Committees; Goal Implementation Teams; workgroups, committees and subcommittees; and Chesapeake Bay Program leadership)
  3. To provide professional guidance to the Chesapeake Bay Program’s Communications Office in support of its mission to support and communicate the policy, science and data of the Chesapeake Bay Program through media outreach, web- and print-based products, high-quality multimedia, an established and consistent brand, targeted messaging and collaboration and engagement with stakeholders around the watershed.
  • Communications Workgroup Charter (211.71 KB) Updated: August 2016
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Publications

  • Bay Barometer: Health and Restoration in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed (2018-2019)

    The data in Bay Barometer reflect the Chesapeake Bay’s health over the course of many years and, in some cases, decades. The publication offers a snapshot of the best available information from 2018 and 2019 on ecological...

  • January 25, 2017

    Chesapeake Bay Program Strategic Communications Plan

    This plan guides the communications efforts of the Chesapeake Bay Program partnership.

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Other Links

  • Google Group

    This group is meant to be a place where CBP Communication Workgroup members can keep in contact with each other between meetings, ask questions, solicit input and share resources.

  • Webinar: Intro to Community-Based Social Marketing

    This one-hour webinar provides an overview of the community-based social marketing process. It was produced as part of a GIT-funded project between the Communications and Stewardship Workgroups.

  • Webinar: Behavior Selection

    This webinar provides a closer look at the Behavior Selection step of the CBSM process. It was produced as part of a GIT-funded project between the Communications and Stewardship Workgroups.

  • Webinar: Barrier/Benefit Research

    This webinar provides a closer look at the Barrier/Benefit Research step of the CBSM process. It was produced as part of a GIT-funded project between the Communications and Stewardship Workgroups.

  • Webinar: Strategy Development

    This webinar provides a closer look at the Strategy Development step of the CBSM process. It was produced as part of a GIT-funded project between the Communications and Stewardship Workgroups

  • Webinar: Pilot Testing

    This webinar provides a closer look at the Pilot Testing step of the CBSM process. It was produced as part of a GIT-funded project between the Communications and Stewardship Workgroups

  • Workgroups and Action Teams

    • Watershed Implementation Plan Engagement Action Team

  • Members

    • Gregg Bortz (Chair), Maryland Department of Natural Resources

      Address:
      580 Taylor Ave., D-4
      Annapolis Maryland 21401

      • Email: Gregg.Bortz1@Maryland.gov
      • Phone: (410) 260-8001
      • Download VCard
    • Rachel Felver (Coordinator), Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay


      Director of Communications

      Address:
      410 Severn Ave.
      Suite 112
      Annapolis Maryland 21403

      • Email: rfelver@chesapeakebay.net
      • Phone: (410) 267-5740
      • Download VCard
    • Marisa Baldine (Staffer), Chesapeake Research Consortium


      Communications Staffer

      Address:
      410 Severn Avenue
      Annapolis Maryland 21403

      • Email: baldinem@chesapeake.org
      • Download VCard
    • Greg Barranco, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency


      Government Affairs, Partnerships Team Lead

      Address:
      410 Severn Avenue
      Suite 112
      Annapolis Maryland 21403

      • Email: barranco.greg@epa.gov
      • Phone: (410) 267-5778
      • Download VCard
    • Heidi Bonnaffon, Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments

      Address:
      777 North Capitol Street NE
      Suite 300
      Washington District of Columbia 20002

      • Email: hbonnaffon@mwcog.org
      • Download VCard
    • Michael Bowman, National Park Service (NPS), Chesapeake Conservancy

      Address:
      410 Severn Ave
      Annapolis Maryland 21403

      • Email: mbowman@chesapeakeconservancy.org
      • Download VCard
    • Medessa Burian, Environmental Finance Center - UMD

      Address:
      7480 Preinkert Drive
      College Park Maryland 20742

      • Email: msburian@umd.edu
      • Download VCard
    • Laura Cattell Noll, Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay

      Address:
      501 Sixth Street
      Annapolis Maryland 21403

      • Email: lnoll@allianceforthebay.org
      • Phone: (443) 949-0575
      • Download VCard
    • Jay Clark, Virginia Sea Grant

      Address:
      7539 Spencer Rd.
      Gloucester Point Virginia 23062

      • Email: jtclark@vaseagrant.org
      • Download VCard
    • Jennifer Clarke, Department of Public Utilities, City of Richmond

      Address:
      900 E. Broad Street, Room 11
      Richmond Virginia 23219

      • Email: jennifer.clarke@richmond.gov
      • Phone: (804) 646-8131
      • Download VCard
    • Kim Couranz, NOAA Chesapeake Bay Office

      Address:
      410 Severn Avenue
      Annapolis Maryland 21403

      • Email: kim.couranz@noaa.gov
      • Phone: (410) 267-5673
      • Download VCard
    • Jody Couser, Chesapeake Conservancy

      Address:
      716 Giddings Ave.
      Annapolis Maryland 21403

      • Email: jcouser@chesapeakeconservancy.org
      • Phone: (443) 703-8678
      • Download VCard
    • Tom Damm, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

      Address:
      410 Severn Avenue
      Annapolis Maryland 21403

      • Email: damm.thomas@epa.gov
      • Phone: (215) 814-5560
      • Download VCard
    • Cassandra Davis, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation

      Address:
      625 Broadway
      Albany New York 12233

      • Email: cassandra.davis@dec.ny.gov
      • Download VCard
    • Ola-Imani Davis, Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay, Local Government Advisory Committee


      Local Government Advisory Committee Program Assistant

      Address:
      501 Sixth St
      Annapolis Maryland 21403

      • Email: odavis@allianceforthebay.org
      • Phone: (443) 949-0575
      • Download VCard
    • Heather Dewar, U.S. Geological Survey (USGS)

      Address:
      12201 Sunrise Valley Drive
      Reston Virginia 20192

      • Email: hdewar@usgs.gov
      • Phone: (443) 498-5584
      • Download VCard
    • Melissa Diemand, Potomac Conservancy

      Address:
      8403 Colesville Rd
      #805
      Silver Spring Maryland 20910

      • Email: diemand@potomac.org
      • Download VCard
    • Michelle DiNicola, Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection

      Address:
      400 Market Street
      Harrisburg Pennsylvania 17101

      • Email: mdinicola@pa.gov
      • Download VCard
    • Kelly Donaldson, Pennsylvania Sea Grant

      Address:
      301 Peninsula Drive
      Erie Pennsylvania 16505

      • Email: ksd144@psu.edu
      • Download VCard
    • Caroline Donovan, University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science (UMCES)

      Address:
      UMCES Annapolis Office
      429 4th Street
      Annapolis Maryland 21403

      • Email: cdonovan@umces.edu
      • Phone: (410) 330-3330
      • Download VCard
    • Haley England, Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture

      Address:
      2301 North Cameron Street
      Harrisburg Pennsylvania 17110

      • Email: hengland@pa.gov
      • Download VCard
    • Kelsey Everett, National Park Service (NPS), Chesapeake Conservancy

      Address:
      410 Severn Ave
      Annapolis Maryland 21403

      • Email: keverett@chesapeakeconservancy.org
      • Download VCard
    • Aaron Ferster, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

      Address:
      1200 Pennsylvania Ave, N.W.
      Washington District of Columbia 20460

      • Email: ferster.aaron@epa.gov
      • Download VCard
    • Lucy Heller, Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay

      Address:
      501 Sixth St
      Annapolis Maryland 21403

      • Email: lheller@allianceforthebay.org
      • Download VCard
    • Gina Hunt, Maryland Department of Natural Resources

      Address:
      580 Taylor Ave
      Annapolis Maryland 21401

      • Email: gina.hunt@maryland.gov
      • Download VCard
    • Darius Johnson, Eastern Shore Land Conservancy

      Address:
      114 S. Washington Street, Suite 101
      Easton Maryland 21601

      • Email: djohnson@eslc.org
      • Phone: (410) 690-4603
      • Download VCard
    • Caitlyn Johnstone, Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay


      Communications and Outreach Coordinator

      Address:
      410 Severn Ave.
      Annapolis Maryland 21401

      • Email: cjohnstone@chesapeakebay.net
      • Phone: (410) 267-9874
      • Download VCard
    • Lisa Jones, Maryland Department of the Environment

      Address:
      1800 Washington Blvd
      Baltimore Maryland 21230

      • Email: lisaa.jones@maryland.gov
      • Download VCard
    • Deborah Klenotic, Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection

      Address:
      400 Market Street, 16th floor
      Harrisburg Pennsylvania 17101

      • Email: dklenotic@pa.gov
      • Phone: (717) 783-9954
      • Download VCard
    • Rona Kobell, Maryland Sea Grant

      Address:
      4321 Hartwick Rd.
      Suite 300
      College Park Maryland 20740

      • Email: kobell@mdsg.umd.edu
      • Download VCard
    • Rebecca Long, Chesapeake Bay Foundation

      Address:
      6 Herndon Avenue
      Annapolis Maryland 21403

      • Email: rlong@cbf.org
      • Phone: (410) 268-8816
      • Download VCard
    • Lara Lutz, Bay Journal

      Address:
      P.O. Box 222
      Jacobus Pennsylvania 17407

      • Email: llutz@bayjournal.com
      • Download VCard
    • Tali MacArthur, Pennsylvania Environmental Council

      Address:
      2009 Cato Ave
      State College Pennsylvania 16801

      • Email: tmacarthur@pecpa.org
      • Download VCard
    • Jenna Mackley, Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay

      Address:
      37 East Orange Street
      Suite 302
      Lancaster Pennsylvania 17602

      • Email: jmackley@allianceforthebay.org
      • Download VCard
    • Trevor Manning, U.S. Department of Defense (DOD)

      Address:
      1510 Gilbert St
      Bldg. N26
      Norfolk Virginia 23511

      • Email: trevor.a.manning@navy.mil
      • Download VCard
    • Kaitlyn May, University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science (UMCES)


      Web Content Specialist

      Address:
      410 Severn Ave.
      Annapolis Maryland 21403

      • Email: kmay@umces.edu
      • Phone: (410) 267-5734
      • Download VCard
    • Philip Miller, Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control

      Address:
      89 Kings Highway
      Dover Delaware 19901

      • Email: Philip.Miller@state.de.us
      • Download VCard
    • Nathan Miller, University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science (UMCES)

      Address:
      429 4th Street
      Annapolis Maryland 21403

      • Email: nmiller@umces.edu
      • Download VCard
    • Erin Montgomery, National Park Service (NPS)

      Address:
      410 Severn Avenue
      Annapolis Maryland 21403

      • Email: emontgomery@chesapeakeconservancy.org
      • Download VCard
    • Emmy Nicklin, Chesapeake Bay Foundation

      Address:
      6 Herndon Avenue
      Annapolis Maryland 21403

      • Email: ENicklin@cbf.org
      • Download VCard
    • Christina Novak, Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources

      Address:
      400 Market Street
      Harrisburg Pennsylvania 17105

      • Email: cnovak@pa.gov
      • Download VCard
    • David Oglethorpe, Virginia Conservation Network

      Address:
      103 E Main St
      Richmond Virginia 23219

      • Email: david@vcnva.org
      • Download VCard
    • Will Parson, Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay


      Multimedia Manager

      Address:
      410 Severn Ave
      Suite 112
      Annapolis Maryland 21403

      • Email: wparson@chesapeakebay.net
      • Phone: (410) 267-9848
      • Download VCard
    • Amy Pelsinsky, University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science (UMCES)

      Address:
      P.O. BOX 775
      Cambridge Maryland 21613

      • Email: apelsinsky@umces.edu
      • Phone: (410) 330-1389
      • Download VCard
    • Brent Peterson, District of Columbia Department of Energy & Environment (DOEE)

      Address:
      1200 First St NE
      Washington District of Columbia 20002

      • Email: Brent.Peterson@dc.gov
      • Download VCard
    • Shannon Powers, Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture

      Address:
      2301 North Cameron Street
      Harrisburg Pennsylvania 17110

      • Email: shpowers@pa.gov
      • Phone: (717) 783-2628
      • Download VCard
    • Emily Ramirez, University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science (UMCES)

      Address:
      301 Braddock Rd,
      Frostburg Maryland 21532

      • Email: eramirez@umces.edu
      • Download VCard
    • Ann Regn, Virginia Department of Environmental Quality

      Address:
      629 East Main Street
      Richmond Virginia 23219

      • Email: ann.regn@deq.virginia.gov
      • Phone: (804) 698-4442
      • Download VCard
    • Drew Robinson, Choose Clean Water Coalition

      Address:
      20 Ridgely Avenue, Suite 203
      Annapolis Maryland 21401

      • Email: RobinsonAQ@nwf.org
      • Phone: (443) 927-8049
      • Download VCard
    • Jessica Rodriguez, U.S. Department of Defense (DOD)

      Address:
      1510 Gilbert Street, Building  N26
      Norfolk Virginia 23511

      • Email: Jessica.m.rodriguez@navy.mil
      • Download VCard
    • Molly Rose, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS)

      Address:
      359 East Park Drive
      Harrisburg Pennsylvania 17111

      • Email: molly.hippensteel@usda.gov
      • Download VCard
    • Natalia Sanchez, Environmental Finance Center - UMD

      Address:
      7480 Preinkert Drive
      College Park Maryland 20742

      • Email: nsanchez@umd.edu
      • Download VCard
    • Kristin Saunders, University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science (UMCES)


      Cross Program Coordinator

      Address:
      410 Severn Ave
      Suite 112
      Annapolis Maryland 21403

      • Email: ksaunders@umces.edu
      • Phone: (410) 267-5711
      • Download VCard
    • Melinda Shultz, Pennsylvania Municipal Authorities Association

      Address:
      1000 North Front St
      Wormleysburg Pennsylvania 17043

      • Email: shultz@municipalauthorities.org
      • Download VCard
    • Marissa Spratley, Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay

      Address:
      501 Sixth Street
      Annapolis Maryland 21403

      • Email: mspratley@allianceforthebay.org
      • Phone: (443) 949-0575
      • Download VCard
    • Jennifer Starr, Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay


      Program Manager, Local Government Programs/LGAC

      Address:
      501 6th St
      Annapolis Maryland 21403

      • Email: jstarr@allianceforthebay.org
      • Phone: (443) 949-0575
      • Download VCard
    • Shannon Wehinger, Pennsylvania Association of Conservation Districts

      Address:
      5925 Stevenson Avenue
      Suite A
      Harrisburg Pennsylvania 17112

      • Email: swehinger@pacd.org
      • Download VCard
    • Davin White, West Virginia Conservation Agency

      Address:
      1900 Kanawha Blvd. E
      Charleston West Virginia 25305

      • Email: dwhite@wvcawvca.onmicrosoft.com
      • Download VCard

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About the Chesapeake Bay Program

The Chesapeake Bay Program is a unique regional partnership that has led and directed the restoration of the Chesapeake Bay since 1983.

410 Severn Avenue Suite 112
Annapolis, MD 21403

Tel: (800) YOUR-BAY (968-7229)
Fax: (410) 267-5777

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