West and Rhode Riverkeeper

We work with our community to enforce environmental law, to
promote restoration, and to advocate for better environmental policy.
Contact us: 410-867-7171  ♦  4800 Atwell Rd, #6, Shady Side, MD 20764

Board

Bob Gallagher, Chairman

Bob Gallagher founded the West/Rhode Riverkeeper organization in March 2005 after 35 years of practicing law in Washington, D.C. He served as Riverkeeper until July 2007 and then as Executive Director through 2009. As Executive Director, he is responsible for the overall direction of the organization and participates directly in policy development and advocacy. He serves as a trustee of the Chesapeake Environmental Protection Association and sits on the board of directors of the Scenic Rivers Land Trust. He was appointed by the County Executive to the Maritime Industry Advisory Board and by the County Council to the Impact Fee Advisory Committee. He enjoys sailboat racing on the Chesapeake and lives with his wife, Cate, in Shady Side.

Tony Syme, Treasurer

Tony was a co-founder and President of NLX Corporation, a local technology-oriented systems integration company, specializing in the development and support of simulation and training systems for the military and commercial industries. Prior to joining NLX, Tony held management positions at Quintron Corporation, where he was responsible for the overall operational performance and technical direction of flight training systems on several USAF programs. When he’s not enjoying his waterfront view of the West River, he now spends his time as a technology business consultant. Tony lives in Shady Side.

Virginia Clagett

Virginia served on the Anne Arundel County Council from 1974 to 1994, representing the South County area. She also represented District 30 in the House of Delegates from 1995 to 2011. She has served on the Severn River Commission, the Maryland Greenways Commission and the Board of the Chesapeake Bay Trust. She was appointed to the Critical Area Commission in 2011. Virginia lives on the Rhode River, and has been an active champion for the environment during her entire political career.

Dr. George L. Donohue

Dr. Donohue was granted the status of Professor Emeritus in December 2010 and has been a Professor of Systems Engineering and Operations Research in the Volgenau School of Engineering at George Mason University since 2000. He has an MS and Ph.D. in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering from Oklahoma State University and a BSME from the University of Houston. He has also served as the Associate Administrator for Research and Acquisitions at the FAA, a Vice President of the RAND Corporation, a Director of the Aerospace and Strategic Technology Office of DARPA, a Vice President of Dynamics Technology, Head of the Advanced Technology Division and Head of the Fluid Mechanics Branch at the U.S. Naval Ocean System Center in San Diego California. He was Commodore of the Chesapeake Yacht Club in 2009 and is still an active sailor of his 12 meter sloop the S/V Ana G. George is currently conducting research on increasing the water quality of the West and Rhode rivers and lives in Churchton.

Nancy Petersen

Nancy Petersen is president of Mitchell Petersen, a marketing and organizational consultancy specializing in small businesses and nonprofits. Her firm did extensive public education work with local governments and industries about curbside recycling and waste reduction. An avid gardener and admittedly fair-weather boater, Nancy is a former trustee of The Nature Conservancy, Virginia Chapter, and a graduate of Boston University. She lives in Shady Side.

Donna Schlegel

Donna is owner and manager of Chalk Point Marine and with her husband, Alex, operate Hartge Yacht Yard. Her boating background began in the Pacific Northwest and Alaska commercial fishing industry. In her twenty-five years of experience in marina and boatyard management, she has been an active supporter in the advancement of marine industry standards and safe boating practices. As a skilled seaman who has sailed upon most U.S. coastal and inland waters, she has also skippered and navigated numerous offshore passages and made landfall in several foreign countries. The Schlegels take great pleasure in living on the shores of West River.

Jennifer Steele

Jennifer is an Audit Director with Legg Mason, a leading global asset management firm based in Baltimore. Prior to joining Legg Mason in 2004, she worked as a manager in the internal audit consulting practice at Protiviti, and as an external auditor at Arthur Andersen and Ernst & Young serving clients in a wide range of industries including non-profits. Jennifer is currently a Board Member for the Ponder Cove Beach Club in Mayo, Md. She grew up boating with her family and now enjoys exploring the Bay with her husband and two children. They reside in Edgewater along the Rhode River.

John Van Alstine

John is a waterman who makes his living on the West and Rhode Rivers. He works alone on his 40-foot wooden boat, the Patricia Anne. John is the Director of Anne Arundel County Working Watermen. He fishes from the Potomac River to the Susquehanna Flats in the upper Chesapeake Bay. He lives on Church Creek in Galesville, where he sells oysters and crabs.

Tim Zimmermann

Tim is a Washington-DC based writer who also owns a home on the Rhode River. He is a Correspondent for Outside magazine, a former Senior Editor and Diplomatic Correspondent for US News & World Report, and author of The Race (Houghton Mifflin, 2002). Tim is an avid sailor, and enjoys writing about history, politics, and adventure.