Staff

 

Shelly Baird- Executive Director 

Born and raised outside of Annapolis, Maryland, Shelly developed a respect and dedication for the environment and the Chesapeake Bay at an early age. She received her BA in Environmental Science from the University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg, Virginia and her MS in Marine Science from the University of North Carolina Wilmington. Shelly worked for 6 years at the Soil & Water Conservation District in Wilmington, NC, providing land conservation, stormwater management, and education efforts. In 2008, she moved to Raleigh, NC to become the statewide coordinator of the NC Community Conservation Assistance Program, which provides landowner assistance for water quality improvements. Shelly and her husband Kevin are looking forward to making the eastern shore their home.

shellybaird@nanticokeriver.org, 410-430-3273

 

Beth Wasden- Volunteer/Outreach Coordinator

A Georgia native, Beth Wasden has resided on the Delmarva Peninsula since 2004. Beth has a B.A. in history and Russian Studies from Syracuse University. She served two years as an AmeriCorps volunteer coordinator at Fort Delaware State Park from 2004 through 2006 and managed the volunteer program at Pickering Creek Audubon Center for three years. Due to her varying volunteer coordinator experiences, Beth has worked with living history interpreters, NCCC teams, maintenance volunteers, restoration volunteers, and dedicated volunteer groups, such as Bank of America, AstraZeneca, Legacy Institute for the Environment, and the Gilbert Byron Society. In addition to her volunteer coordinator experience, Beth writes fiction and has written Web-based non-fiction professionally.

bethwasden@nanticokeriver.org, 443-944-1175

 

Lisa Baird- Communications Specialist

Born and raised in Ellicott City, Maryland, Lisa spent many hours hiking, swimming, and fishing in the Patapsco River Valley and developed a love for the outdoors. She graduated from Salisbury University with a bachelor’s degree in Business Management, specializing in ethical social responsibility. Lisa also took many outdoor education courses, including Canoeing/Kayaking and Outdoor Adventure Skills, mastering the “leave no trace” ethic while hiking the Appalachian Trail (in a blizzard).  Lisa began her career as a Chesapeake Conservation Corps member and served for a year as the Programs Assistant for the Alliance. She participated in a Certified Maryland Master Naturalist program in 2012 and has returned to the Alliance as our full-time Communications Specialist.

lisabaird@nanticokeriver.org, 410-443-8878

 

Tyler Walston- Chesapeake Conservation Corps Volunteer

Tyler joins the NWA as a member of the Chesapeake Bay Trust’s Chesapeake Conservation Corps. Tyler is from Parsonsburg on the Eastern Shore of Maryland.  His interest in outdoor activities led to an appreciation of Delmarva’s natural beauty from a young age. He graduated from Salisbury University in 2010 with a B.A. in history with a minor in geography. Tyler worked for a local farmer for several years throughout high school and college. Additionally, Tyler interned at the Delmarva Discovery Center in Pocomoke, Maryland and recently served as a special education instructional assistant with the Wicomico County Board of Education.

tylerwalston@nanticokeriver.org. 410-873-3045