grew up on Maryland’s Lower Eastern Shore along the Pocomoke River in Snow Hill. Days spent canoeing on the Pocomoke River, Nassawango Creek and Maryland’s coastal bays permeated his childhood. The eldest son of Worcester County’s first environmental advocates helped shape and refine his view and understanding of the natural world and our place in it. Early in his career Joe ran a research vessel,
operating from NASA’s Wallops Island offshore for a consortium of colleges and universities engaged in oceanography, fisheries research and marine biology. The majority of his profession, however, was spent in the field of historic restoration and custom woodworking. He owned and managed a successful business for 24 years, working across the Eastern Shore of MD and VA and with clients in Baltimore, Annapolis and the DC area. In 2006, he transitioned to working full time for The Nature Conservancy (TNC). Previously he worked contractually for the organization, assisting with botanical surveys and other research. Much of his work with The Conservancy focuses on land management, climate change, sea level rise, community outreach and renewable energy policy. Joe was recently presented the USCG’s Distinguished Public Service Award (their highest civilian honor)for leading a workgroup that developed the first “geographically specific” response guide for oil and hazardous material spill response on the Eastern Shore of Virginia. With years spent wandering across the Lower Shore of Maryland and Virginia, Joe’s deep-felt appreciation of the region’s culture and natural and environmental history has instilled a profound sense of place and endearing respect for the people and environment.
