Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Justice Action Team
Upcoming Meetings
No upcoming meetings.
Scope and Purpose
The Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Justice (DEIJ) Action Team leads the development of a plan to implement the recommendations of the Chesapeake Bay Program DEIJ Strategy and provides recommendations to further incorporate environmental justice leaders and underrepresented groups into partnership decision-making and implementation activities. The Chesapeake Executive Council signed a directive in August 2020 reaffirming their commitment to DEIJ in all partnership work. A complementary action statement was signed by the Principals’ Staff Committee and the DEIJ Action Team was formed as an initiative to oversee the implementation of the action statement. Members of the DEIJ Action Team were selected from across the partnership to reflect the diversity of the people living within the Chesapeake Bay watershed and include members knowledgeable about environmental justice matters. The DEIJ Action Team seeks input and feedback from underrepresented communities on all aspects of this work and will strive to use this foundation for meaningful and long-term engagement in all Chesapeake Bay Program endeavors.
Publications
DEIJ Backgrounder
Published on December 15, 2021This two-page backgrounder provides context for the CBP's DEIJ efforts and explains the high-level activities of the DEIJ Strategy Implementation Plan.
View detailsCBP DEIJ Strategy Implementation Plan
Published on November 23, 2021This Chesapeake Bay Program Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Justice Strategy Implementation Plan (Implementation Plan) presents a roadmap for advancing the recommendations found in Restoration from the Inside Out: A Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Justice Strategy for the Chesapeake Bay Program (DEIJ Strategy). The Implementation Plan was developed by the CBP DEIJ Action Team with input from partnership entities and the public following the release of the Principals' Staff Committee Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Justice Action Statement.
View detailsRestoration from the Inside Out: A Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice Strategy
Published on April 1, 2020This strategy was developed by an independent consultant (Skeo Solutions) for the Chesapeake Bay Program partnership. It contains recommendations that are grouped into four DEIJ framework focus areas. The consultant developed these recommendations based on interviews with CBP teams and leadership, a DEIJ readiness survey, two focus groups, a review of key partnership policy documents and input from the Diversity Workgroup. The recommendations provide a visionary framework to be used by the partnership as a guide to achieve the following:
- Increase racial and ethnic diversity among partnership staff and leadership.
- Help partners develop as DEIJ leaders who understand, respect and embrace cultural diversity.
- Provide partners with the tools to continually assess progress towards diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice goals.
Members
Meryem Karad (Chair), Virginia Office of Natural Resources
Jeffrey Seltzer (Chair), District of Columbia Department of Energy & Environment (DOEE)
1200 First Street NE
Washington, District of Columbia 20002
Email: jeffrey.seltzer@dc.gov
Phone: (202) 535-1603
Wendy O'Sullivan, National Park Service (NPS)
1750 Forest Drive Suite 130
Annapolis, Maryland 21401
Email: wendy_o'sullivan@nps.gov
Phone: (202) 374-9051
Clare Gooch, Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control
100 W. Water St.
Suite 10B
Dover, Delaware 19904
Email: clare.gooch@delaware.gov
Phone: (302) 672-1156
Kevin Newman, District of Columbia Department of Energy & Environment (DOEE)
Dave Goshorn, Maryland Department of Natural Resources
580 Taylor Avenue
C-4
Annapolis, Maryland 21401
Email: david.goshorn@maryland.gov
Phone: (410) 260-8110
Trystan Sill, Maryland Department of Natural Resources
580 Taylor Avenue
Annapolis, Maryland 21401
Email: trystan.sill@maryland.gov
Phone: (410) 260-8827
Emily Hendrickson, Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (PA DCNR)
Rachel Carson State Office Building
400 Market Street
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania 17105
Email: emhendrick@pa.gov
Phone: (717) 787-9293
Lauren Imgrund, Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (PA DCNR)
400 Market St
7th Floor
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania 17105
Email: limgrund@pa.gov
Phone: (717) 772-9085
Jill Whitcomb, Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection
Ann Jennings, Virginia Office of Natural Resources
Patrick Henry Building
1111 East Broad Street
Richmond, Virginia 23219
Email: Ann.Jennings@governor.virginia.gov
Phone: (804) 786-0044
Bill Jenkins, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency - Region 3
Genevieve LaRouche, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS)
177 Admiral Cochrane Drive
Annapolis, Maryland 21401
Email: Genevieve_LaRouche@fws.gov
Phone: (410) 573-4573
Chris Guy, Habitat Goal Implementation Team Coordinator, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS)
Sean Corson, NOAA Chesapeake Bay Office
Katie Brownson, Watershed Specialist, U.S. Forest Service (USFS)
Trena Ferrell, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
Goddard Space Flight Center
8800 Greenbelt Rd.
Greenbelt, Maryland 20771
Email: trena.m.ferrell@nasa.gov
Julie Lawson, Stakeholders' Advisory Committee
6548 Eastern Avenue NE
District of Columbia, District of Columbia 20012
Email: lawson.julie@gmail.com
Phone: (202) 347-0412
Jessica Blackburn, Stakeholders' Advisory Committee Coordinator, Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay
612 Hull St Suite 101C
Richmond, Virginia 23224
Email: jblackburn@allianceforthebay.org
Phone: (804) 775-0951
Daniel Chao, Local Government Advisory Committee
Liz Feinberg, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation
Annabelle Harvey, Chesapeake Research Consortium
645 Contees Wharf Road
Edgewater, Maryland 21037
Email: harveya@chesapeake.org
Phone: (410) 798-1283
Tom Ihde, Morgan State University Patuxent Environmental & Aquatic Research Laboratory
Carmera Thomas-Wilhite, Chesapeake Bay Foundation
Chantal M., Chesapeake Research Consortium
410 Severn Avenue
Annapolis, Maryland 21403
Email: madray.chantal@epa.gov
Phone: (410) 267-5721
Mark Defley, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS)
Room 4512, 1400 Independence Avenue
Washington, District of Columbia 20250
Email: mark.defley@usda.gov
Phone: (202) 690-1414
Megan Sommers Bascone, Virginia Department of Environmental Quality
1111 East Main Street
Suite 100
Richmond, Virginia 23219
Email: megan.bascone@deq.virginia.gov