Local Government Advisory Committee

The Local Government Advisory Committee advises the Executive Council on how to engage local governments by sharing the views and insights of local elected officials and enhancing the flow of information among local governments.

Upcoming Meetings

‍View Past Meetings View Group Calendar‍

Scope and Purpose

The Chesapeake Bay Local Government Advisory Committee (LGAC) was created by the Chesapeake Bay Executive Council through the 1987 Chesapeake Bay Agreement. The purpose of the LGAC is to advise the Executive Council on how to effectively implement projects and engage the support of local governments to achieve the goals of the Bay Agreement.

LGAC's mission is to share the views and insights of local elected officials with state and federal decision-makers and to enhance the flow of information among local governments about the health and restoration of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed.

Subscribe to the Watershed Currents Newsletter: Resources for Local Governments

This bi-monthly newsletter features curated inspirational and informative resources and content for local governments within the Chesapeake Bay watershed region.

Sign up for Watershed Currents‍

Projects and Resources

LGAC Annual Reports to the Chesapeake Executive Council

LGAC Local Government Forums

The Local Government Forum is a yearly problem solving meeting hosted by LGAC in collaboration with the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. Through facilitated group discussion, participants identify issues that hinder or help advance local implementation of watershed protection and restoration initiatives. Findings and recommendations, developed during the forum, are documented and next steps are identified.

Protect Local Waterways Website

The Protect Local Waterways Website is an online resource hub created to support decision-making by local officials. Local leaders make decisions that set the course for their community and local government actions determine the health and vitality of their jurisdiction, as well as that of local waterways and the Chesapeake Bay. Local officials can achieve mutually beneficial outcomes by prioritizing local economic development, infrastructure resiliency, public health, and education, while also protecting your environment.

The Protect Local Waterways website's extensive learning library, titled "A Local Government Guide to the Chesapeake Bay," contains 11 highly visual and succinct educational modules with companion fact sheets, infographics, and short videos.

Visit Protectlocalwaterways.org to learn more!

Watershed Currents Newsletter: Resources for Local Governments

Watershed Currents is a bi-monthly curated newsletter that highlights local case studies and provides inspirational and informative resources for local governments and interested parties within the Chesapeake Bay watershed region. Each newsletter will be themed-focused and organized by local priorities impacting local government communities today. Please see below for past editions of the Newsletter:

March 2024: Green Infrastructure Maintenance

January 2024: Prioritizing Green Growth

November 2023: Latest Chesapeake Bay Program Happenings

September 2023: Launching ProtectLocalWaterways.org

July 2023: Roads & Stormwater Runoff

May 2023: Technical Assistance

March 2023: Solar

January 2023: Environmental Health

November 2022: Behaviour Change

September 2022: Hazard Mitigation

July 2022: Stream Restoration/Health

Pennsylvania Local Government Roundtables

The Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay, in cooperation with the Pennsylvania Delegation of LGAC, hosted Local Government Watershed Roundtables in Pennsylvania’s Chesapeake Bay Watershed between June 2014 and December 2018. The primary goal of the Local Government Watershed Roundtables were to increase the number of elected officials who serve as leaders in watershed protection and more specifically in the Chesapeake Bay watershed restoration effort. This has been accomplished by holding roundtable discussions, exposing elected officials to existing leaders and facilitating peer-to-peer conversations. The roundtables were funded by Pennsylvania's Department of Environmental Protection (DEP).

View All‍

Members
Daniel Chao (Chair), Local Government Advisory Committee
Address:
Ward 3
Washington, District of Columbia 20008

Email:  dschao@gmail.com
Phone:  (202) 689-9745
Laura Cattell Noll (Coordinator), Local Government Advisory Committee Coordinator, Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay
Address:
841 Flory Mill Rd
Lancaster, Pennsylvania 17601

Email:  lnoll@allianceforthebay.org
Phone:  (443) 949-0575
Kayli Ottomanelli (Staffer), Local Government Projects Associate, Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay
Address:
729 8th Street SE Suite 200
Washington, D.C. 20003

Email:  kottomanelli@allianceforthebay.org
Phone:  571-357-8124
James Barnhart, Berkeley County (WV)
Address:
400 West Stephen Street, Suite 201
Martinsburg, West Virginia 25401

Email:  jbarnhart@berkeleywv.org
Phone:  (304) 264-1923
Markus Batchelor, District of Columbia
Address:
441 4th Street NW Suite 530S
Washington, District of Columbia 20001

Email:  markus.batchelor@dc.gov
Phone:  (202) 741-0879
Richard Baugh, City of Harrisonburg (VA)
Address:
Coucilman, City of Harrisonburg
342 South Main Street
Harrisonburg, Virginia 22801

Email:  rbaugh@hooverpenrod.com
Phone:  (540) 433-2444
Daniel Chao, Local Government Advisory Committee
Address:
Ward 3
Washington, District of Columbia 20008

Email:  dschao@gmail.com
Phone:  (202) 689-9745
Frank Dawson, Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection (MD)
Address:
2425 Reedie Drive
Wheaton, Maryland 20902

Email:  Frank.Dawson@montgomerycountymd.gov
Phone:  240-777-7732
Mark Dobbins, North East Maryland Planning Commission (MD)
Address:
151 Northeast Isle Drive
North East, Maryland 21901

Email:  marktdobbins@comcast.net
Phone:  (443) 674-8312
Amy Dubois, Mathews County (VA)
Address:
P.O. Box 839
Mathews, Virginia 23109

Email:  adubois@mathewscountyva.gov
Phone:  (804) 384-2079
Cindy Dyballa, City of Takoma Park (MD)
Address:
7500 Maple Avenue
Takoma Park, Maryland 20912

Email:  cindyd@takomaparkmd.gov
Phone:  240-320-6494
Sheila Finlayson, City of Annapolis (MD)
Address:
131 Brightwater Drive
Annapolis, Maryland 21401

Email:  msfin@aol.com
Phone:  (410) 626-0071
Jasmine Gore, City of Hopewell (VA)
Address:
300 North Main Street
Hopewell, Virginia 23860

Email:  goreje@alumni.vcu.edu
Phone:  (804) 931-9476
Penny Gross, Fairfax County (VA)
Address:
6507 Columbia Pike
Annandale, Virginia 22003

Email:  grosspenny@gmail.com
Josh Hastings, Wicomico County (MD)
Address:
407 Monticello Avenue
Salisbury, Maryland 21801

Email:  Jhastings@wicomicocounty.org
Phone:  (410) 974-2611
Michael Helfrich, City of York (PA)
Address:
101 South George Street
York, Pennsylvania 17401

Email:  MHelfrich@yorkcity.org
Phone:  (717) 849-2221
Donna Iannone, Sullivan County (PA)
Address:
PO Box 157
245 Muncy Street
Laporte, Pennsylvania 18626

Email:  diannone@sullivancounty-pa.us
Phone:  (570) 946-5201
Leo Lutz, Borough of Columbia (PA)
Address:
308 Locust Street
Columbia, Pennsylvania 17512

Email:  llutz@columbiapa.net
Phone:  (717) 684-2467
Andria McClellan, City of Norfolk (VA)
Address:
810 Union Street, Suite 1006
Norfolk, Virginia 23510

Email:  andria.mcclellan@norfolk.gov
Phone:  (757) 664-4268
Brianne Nadeau, District of Columbia
Address:
1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, Suite 102, NW
Washington, District of Columbia 20004

Email:  bnadeau@dccouncil.us
Phone:  (202) 724-8181
Sheila Noll, York County (VA)
Address:
133 Tradewinds Drive
Yorktown, Virginia 23692

Email:  noll@yorkcounty.gov
Phone:  (757) 877-7790
Don Phillips, Town of Laurel (DE)
Address:
205 Turtle Cove
#110
Laurel, Delaware 19956

Email:  hdonpj47@gmail.com
Phone:  (443) 359-1009
Kelly Porter, City of Seat Pleasant (MD)
Address:
6301 Addison Rd.
Seat Pleasant, Maryland 20743

Email:  keportinc@yahoo.com
Phone:  (301) 655-1725
Marty Qually, Adams County (PA)
Address:
117 Baltimore Street
Room 201
Gettysburg, Pennsylvania 17325

Email:  mqually@adamscountypa.gov
Phone:  (717) 337-9820
Lisa Schaefer, County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania
Address:
2789 Old Post Road
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania 17110-3669

Email:  lschaefer@pacounties.org
Phone:  (717) 526-1010
John V. Thomas, Hampden Township (PA)
Address:
407 Pawnee Drive
Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania 17050

Email:  jjthomas407@comcast.net
Phone:  (717) 761-1576
James Wheeler, Pennsylvania State Association of Township Supervisors (PA)
Address:
4855 Woodland Dr.
Enola, Pennsylvania 17025

Email:  jwheeler@psats.org
Phone:  (717) 763-0930