Chesapeake Conservancy announced that Maite Arce, Michael Brubaker, Jeffrey Sabot, and Nancy B. Walters have been elected to the organization’s Board of Directors. Additionally, four members recently finished their terms—Robert Friend, Heather Gartman, Robert Gensler, and Jeffery More. Robert Gensler will continue service to the board as an Ex Officio member. The current officers of the Board are Chair Anne W. Scott, Vice Chair Randall W. Larrimore, Treasurer Leslie Delagran, and Secretary Molly Joseph Ward.

“The Board is pleased to welcome four new members, each of whom brings valuable and different skill sets to the management of our growing organization. Together we will advance the Chesapeake Conservancy’s mission and contribute tangible results toward conservation and restoration of the Chesapeake Bay,” said Chair Scott. “On behalf of the entire Board, I would like to thank outgoing Treasurer, Robert Gensler, for his excellent leadership. Our sincere gratitude is also extended to our outgoing members Robert Friend, Heather Gartman, and Jeffery More, for sharing their time and energy to help lead Chesapeake Conservancy through so many notable achievements,” Scott continued.

“We are very pleased to welcome our new board members who bring a wealth of expertise in everything from accounting, to diversity and inclusion, government relations, and organizational management and represent various regions of the Chesapeake Bay watershed,” said Chesapeake Conservancy President and CEO Joel Dunn. “Our Board is positioned to lead as the Chesapeake Conservancy enters the next phase of growth and opportunity.”

Welcoming New Members

Maite Arce

Maite Arce is the founder, President and CEO of Hispanic Access Foundation. Arce’s organization and leadership has made key contributions in the designation of six national public lands monuments, the permanent authorization of the Land and Water Conservation Fund; placed more than 300 young people in internships and jobs on public lands and watersheds; and engaged hundreds of partners in recreational, volunteer, stewardship, and roundtable events through signature initiatives including, Latino Conservation Week.

Maite formerly served as Vice President of Operations for the Hispanic Council for Reform and Educational Options (Hispanic CREO). In 2017, she received an honorary doctorate of Humane Letters from Logos College.

She is a native of Ensenada, Baja California Mexico. Maite lives with her husband Ted and parents, Elena and Jose near the confluence of the Potomac and Shenandoah rivers in Loudoun County, Virginia. She and her husband enjoy exploring trails and kayaking the watersheds of the Chesapeake Bay.

"Protecting and restoring land, waters, and special places is in the hearts and minds of the people at the Chesapeake Conservancy. I am honored to serve on the board of an organization with an entrepreneurial, collaborative, and data-driven approach to conservation of the Chesapeake Bay ecosystem and a commitment to making this work relevant for all of its communities,” said Maite Arce.

Michael Brubaker

Michael is the co-founder and managing partner of Principled Strategies, a business advisory firm dedicated to helping businesses grow by identifying barriers and creatively and collaboratively seeking solutions through mergers and acquisitions, new market creation, financing, real estate acquisition, and government relations.

In 2006, Michael was elected to the Pennsylvania State Senate for two consecutive four year terms. While representing the 36th district, he served four-year terms as Chair of the Agricultural & Rural Affairs Committee and Chair of the Senate Finance Committee. Additionally, Michael served as Board Member of the Chesapeake Bay Commission for eight years and served for two years as Chair of the Tri-State Commission.

Michael holds a Bachelor of Science in Agronomy from West Virginia University as well as an Honorary Doctorate from Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology. Mike and his wife of 35 years, Cindy, live in Lancaster, Pennsylvania and enjoy investing time with family, friends, family bike rides in Lancaster County, and boating on the upper Chesapeake Bay.

“As a life-long Chesapeake Bay enthusiast and a 7th generation Pennsylvanian, I take great pride in the progress we have made in Bay conservation and look forward to working as a Chesapeake Conservancy Board Member to creatively and cooperatively work alongside Pennsylvanian leaders to ensure full compliance as we work collaboratively towards a cleaner, more viable Chesapeake Bay for all,” said Michael Brubaker.

Jeffrey Sabot

Jeffrey Sabot is a leader in both audit and consulting services to not-for-profit organizations and trade associations, for-profit companies in the governmental and manufacturing industries, and privately-held companies and their principals.

He has a deeply rooted passion for environmental conservation and stewardship. A significant percentage of his nonprofit clients have been organizations with missions in land conservation or environmental concerns. In over 30 years in public accounting, he has provided audit services to many of the most recognizable conservation nonprofit organizations and executives in the Washington Metro Area.

His specialties and expertise include Financial Statement Audits, OMB Circular A-133 Audits, financial reporting and disclosure, accounting and compliance, business strategy and advisory, not-for-profit organizations, trade associations, government entities, and NGA’s closely-held private companies, and manufacturing industry.

“For my entire professional career I have worked with all kinds of environmental organizations providing audit, tax and consulting services. Both large and small. Now I have an opportunity to be part of the Conservancy and work with all the talented members of the board and staff to make a difference,” said Jeffrey Sabot.

Nancy B. Walters, PhD

Dr. Walters, a retired educator and program manager, has experience that includes teaching, research, analysis of land and water development proposals, and higher education administration. At the start of her career in Minnesota, Dr. Walters worked for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as a program analyst in the Ecological Services Division. She then transitioned to work on federal programs for the Minnesota Office of Higher Education.

Dr. Walters has a Bachelor of Science in Biology from Virginia State College (now Virginia State University), a Master of Arts in Science Education from The Ohio State University, and a Master of Arts in Public Administration and a Doctor of Philosophy in Higher Education Policy and Administration from the University of Minnesota. Now as a retiree living in Virginia, Dr. Walters continues to work as a reviewer for the U.S. Department of Education and as a contributing faculty member for an online graduate education program.

“Growing up in rural Virginia allowed me to develop an appreciation for the diversity of and water resources that support our daily life. I want to be a part of the Conservancy's work that assures that these natural resources will continue to be present in the future,” said Dr. Walters.

Chesapeake Conservancy’s mission is to conserve and restore the natural and cultural resources of the Chesapeake Bay watershed for the enjoyment, education, and inspiration of this and future generations. We empower the conservation community with access to the latest data and technology. As principal partner for the National Park Service on the Chesapeake Bay Gateways Network and the Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail, we helped create 170 new public access sites and permanently protect some of the Bay’s special places like Werowocomoco, Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge, Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad National Historical Park, and Fort Monroe National Monument. www.chesapeakeconservancy.org