Experience

Irvine Nature Center

• United States
• Environmental Services
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Trustee Emerita

  • Jul 2011 - Present

  Note: this is a volunteer Board position.

• Trustee

  • Jul 1997 - Jun 2011

  Past Board President (8 years, 1998-2006); Chair of Strategic Planning Committee, 2006-'08 and 2009-'11. In 2013 received the Bill Winstead Trustee Service Award (awarded to Irvine Nature Center trustees who have made significant and unique contributions). Note: this is a volunteer Board position.During my years as Board President & as a Trustee, Irvine received a gift of 116 acres from the State of Maryland, raised $10.5M to design and build a new "green" nature center on that new Caves Valley property, hired new senior management, re-invigorated its Board, and successfully moved to the new site, where annual attendance numbers for schoolchildren and adult visitors jumped from about 12,000 to over 50,000. Show less



Coalition to Preserve Black Marsh

• Baltimore, Maryland Area

• Board member

  • 1991 - 1999

  The Coalition was a grass-roots environmental group, headed by President Rich Pollock and spear-headed by Polly Walker (then Wirth), MD. The coalition represented numerous local and area community and environmental organizations (and many watermen), and sought to protect environmentally-sensitive wetlands, woods and fields on a 1,310-acre site in the upper Chesapeake Bay from over-development by the State of Maryland. The area was eventually designated a Maryland state park under the state's Department of Natural Resources (DNR), and formally named "North Point State Park and Black Marsh Wildlands". While the Coalition, local neighbors, the State, and DNR were at noisy loggerheads for years over the proposed park development, a local volunteer named Steve Takos quietly cleaned & renovated, on his hands & knees, a large old fountain at the site (a remnant of a bayside amusement park from the early 20th century), setting an example for all. Today the new Takos Visitor Center sits amidst the abundant natural splendor that everyone worked so hard to protect. The Coalition, a non-profit company incorporated in Maryland, closed in the late 1990's, and donated its cash assets to The Irvine Natural Science Center, Inc., then in Stevenson, MD (now d/b/a Irvine Nature Center, in Owings Mills, MD). Show less



The Montessori School

• Lutherville, MD

• Interim Head of School

  • 1998 - 1998

  Briefly headed Montessori School in central Maryland Briefly headed Montessori School in central Maryland



Self-employed

• Cockeysville, MD

• Attorney

  • 1990 - 1995

  As a private attorney, provided business law advice for organizations active in environmental matters in central Maryland, including The Chesapeake Bay Foundation and the Baltimore County Watermen's Association. As a private attorney, provided business law advice for organizations active in environmental matters in central Maryland, including The Chesapeake Bay Foundation and the Baltimore County Watermen's Association.



Coalition to Preserve Oregon Ridge

• Baltimore, Maryland Area

• Volunteer

  • 1989 - 1991

  Responsibilities: handled publicity and media relations for this grass-roots environmental group. The Coalition, headed by Polly Walker (then Wirth), MD, sought to ensure that 188 forested acres slated for residential development would instead be protected and included in the already-existing Oregon Ridge Park in Cockeysville-Hunt Valley, MD 21030. The Coalition succeeded in its "Save the Ridge" campaign; today the enlarged Oregon Ridge Park is one of Baltimore County's most popular parks AND has miles of hiking trails, protected wildflower areas, and the 1,000 acres of woodland habitat necessary for certain forest-interior-dwelling birds. The Coalition raised $3M (2/3 of it was state and county "Open Space" funds), which was used to compensate the developer. Show less



Tribune Company

• Associate Counsel

  • Jun 1984 - Jun 1987

  As Associate Counsel in the Tribune Company's legal department, I represented the parent company and its subsidiaries in legal matters. Responsibilities included editorial and advertising matters, computer contracts, employee benefits, litigation, & litigation monitoring & reviews of outside legal fees. As Associate Counsel in the Tribune Company's legal department, I represented the parent company and its subsidiaries in legal matters. Responsibilities included editorial and advertising matters, computer contracts, employee benefits, litigation, & litigation monitoring & reviews of outside legal fees.



Commodore Business Machines, Inc.

• West Chester, PA

• Associate Corporate Counsel

  • Jul 1983 - Dec 1983

  As an attorney in the company's in-house legal department, I was responsible for a wide range of legal matters for Commodore (a computer company, well-known maker of the Commodore 64) As an attorney in the company's in-house legal department, I was responsible for a wide range of legal matters for Commodore (a computer company, well-known maker of the Commodore 64)



Drinker, Biddle & Reath

• Philadelphia PA

• Associate Attorney

  • 1981 - 1983

  Litigator; handled various legal matters, including commercial tort and contract disputes Litigator; handled various legal matters, including commercial tort and contract disputes



The News Journal Media Group

• United States
• Media Production
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Reporter

  • 1975 - 1979

  Beats: Governor's Office, State Legislature, Investigative Reporting, Health & Social Services; daily city and suburban news. (Assigned beats listed in reverse chronological order). Fellowship, Award: Ford Foundation Fellowship (for journalists) at Yale Law School, 1978-'79; First Place, Keystone Press Award, 1978 for News Series (Division I, Pennsylvania Newspaper Association, for daily & Sunday newspapers of over 150,000 circulation) Beats: Governor's Office, State Legislature, Investigative Reporting, Health & Social Services; daily city and suburban news. (Assigned beats listed in reverse chronological order). Fellowship, Award: Ford Foundation Fellowship (for journalists) at Yale Law School, 1978-'79; First Place, Keystone Press Award, 1978 for News Series (Division I, Pennsylvania Newspaper Association, for daily & Sunday newspapers of over 150,000 circulation)



Philadelphia Bulletin Co.

• Greater Philadelphia Area

• Reporter

  • 1975 - 1976

  Beat: Chester County, PA. Based in Bulletin's West Chester, PA office. Summer 1974: Summer Intern (reporter & photographer) (Note: The Bulletin went out of business in 1981.) Beat: Chester County, PA. Based in Bulletin's West Chester, PA office. Summer 1974: Summer Intern (reporter & photographer) (Note: The Bulletin went out of business in 1981.)