Owen Bailey

Towns Project Manager

Owen joined ESLC July 2015, after having worked at the Rose O’Neill Literary House at Washington College for almost seven years. As the Towns Projects Manager, Owen oversees the numerous town and community projects aimed at building vibrant and resilient Eastern Shore Towns. He once served on the Chestertown Historic District Commission, and currently serves on the Chestertown Planning Commission and the board for the Friends of the Kent County Public Library. 

Born and raised on the Eastern Shore, Owen Bailey earned a B.A. in American Studies and an M.A. in English from Washington College. He lives in Chestertown with his wife, daughter, and dog Daphie. 

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Carol Bean

Agricultural Specialist

Carol joined ESLC after more than a decade working in the local food movement. She is passionate about how food creates community and believes that supporting working landscapes is one of the best – and most delicious – ways to preserve rural areas. As our agricultural specialist, she works to advance economic opportunities in food and farming related industries.

Carol attended Sarah Lawrence College in New York and graduated from Occidental College with a degree in Public Policy. She moved to the Chesapeake Bay upon return from an extended stay in South East Asia doing development work. She and her waterman husband own Know Good Farm in Witman, MD where they marry two iconic Chesapeake industries, farming and fishing.

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Michael Dunmyer

Stewardship Specialist

Michael joined ESLC in May of 2020, working with landowners and volunteers to ensure our preserved properties are protected and well-maintained. Born and raised in a sprawl development in Queen Anne’s County, he recognizes the strong development pressures placed on the region’s prime agricultural lands and natural features.

Michael earned his BA in Environmental Studies and Political Science from University of Lynchburg, interning with ESLC for two summers, and earned his MPP in Environmental Policy from University of Maryland with focuses on development and climate change. Michael lives in Easton with his girlfriend, and enjoys songwriting, spending time with his family, and playing Dungeons and Dragons with friends. Michael also volunteers as an adult leader with Boy Scout Troop 464 in Ruthsburg.

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Rob Etgen

President

Robert J. Etgen has been the Executive Director of ESLC since October 1990. He started his career as a Forest Ecologist for the U.S. Forest Service and also worked at times for the Maryland Department of Agriculture, the Attorney General’s Office in the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, two private law firms in Baltimore, and with the Maryland Environmental Trust where he assisted in the formation of eighteen private land trusts. In land conservation Rob has published extensively, received numerous awards including the Chesapeake Bay “Conservationist of the Year” in 2007, and has led Eastern Shore Land Conservancy to become one of the most successful and innovative land trusts in the Country. In community service Rob has served on the founding boards of several organizations, is currently serving as Vice President of the Chesapeake Multicultural Resource Center, and has been a “Big Brother” since 1994. Rob received his Juris Doctorate from the University of Maryland and a Bachelor of Science in Forestry from West Virginia University. Rob spends his spare with his wife Suzanne and two daughters Caroline and Rose, going on adventures around the Eastern Shore.

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Lauren Halterman

Director of Advancement

Lauren joined ESLC in spring of 2018. She grew up on the Western Shore of MD, but came to Washington College as a freshman and never wanted to leave the Shore. Lauren received her BA in Business Administration from Washington College in 1987.

She has more than 20 years of fundraising experience with Washington College and Chesapeake College. She has also used those skills as a volunteer with Easton Little League, her sorority (Zeta Tau Alpha), and at her children’s schools. Additionally, Lauren has worked as a Special Assistant to Maryland Comptroller Peter Franchot – a perk of that job was traveling with the Comptroller and getting to see the beauty of our wonderful state.

She lives in Easton, has three grown children, and enjoys reading, needlework, walking and spending time with her family. Fun Fact: She hosted a Muscular Dystrophy carnival in her backyard when she was about 10 years old, raising $80. She started her career as a fundraiser early!

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Alex Kazer

Conservation Specialist

Alex joined ESLC in June 2020 as a Conservation Specialist. He works with landowners to protect the fields, forests, and shorelines that make the Eastern Shore a special place. Prior to ESLC, Alex served with AmeriCorps in North Carolina, farmed in Washington State, and briefly pursued a career in humanitarian assistance in the Middle East. He holds a Master’s in Agroecology from the University of Wisconsin – Madison and a Bachelor’s in International Affairs and Arabic from the University of Georgia. Outside of the office, Alex enjoys exploring the Eastern Shore, practicing green wood carving, and attempting to hunt and fish (with limited success). 

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Cheryl Lee

Office and HR Manager

Cheryl joined ESLC in January of 2020 in a temporary position, taking over the responsibilities of the Facilities and Office Manager. In July of 2020, she become a full-time member of the staff. Before coming to ESLC, she spent fifteen years working as Office Manager of the Town Creek Foundation, until their sunset in December 2019. Cheryl came to the Eastern Shore of Maryland in 2001 from Palm Bay, Florida, where she worked in the corporate world as a Purchasing Agent for Rockwell International.

When not at work, Cheryl is foremost a bookworm and will read anything with words printed on it. If her nose is not in a book, she enjoys the challenge of attracting birds to her yard, hiking interesting-looking trails, traveling, and spending time with her family. She lives in Preston with her husband and an ever-changing menagerie.

clee@eslc.org  •  410-690-4603

Larisa Prezioso

Restoration Specialist

Larisa joined ESLC as a Conservation Assistant in January of 2020. Growing up in rural Hunterdon County, NJ she attended Washington College, where she obtained degrees in Environmental Science and Biology. She grew her connection to the waters of the Chesapeake by deckhanding the college’s research vessel, Callinectes, and appreciating the Shore’s small town of Chestertown. Having also gone to the Amazon Rainforest in Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands for summer studies, Larisa grew an appreciation and understanding of restoration, ecosystem dynamics, and sustainability. At ESLC, Larisa helps landowners get connected to restoration and management opportunities for their land to help see it thrive and support our environment. She also is one of the office’s GIS analysts. Outside of the office, Larisa enjoys birding, collecting shells along the beach, tending to her plentiful houseplant collection, and taking care of her fish and cat from Talbot Humane. 

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Sara Ramotnik

Policy Manager

Sara joined ESLC in the spring of 2021. In her position as Policy Manager, she advocates for policy that serves the landscape and communities of the Eastern Shore of Maryland. Prior to her time with ESLC, she worked to support a largescale landscape collaborative at the Chesapeake Conservation Partnership through the Chesapeake Conservation Corps program. Sara graduated from the University of Maryland with a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science and Policy with a concentration in economics. When she’s not at the office, Sara enjoys spending time sailing, kayaking and otherwise exploring the Chesapeake Bay watershed with her dog Hobie.

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David Satterfield

Land Program Manager

David joined ESLC in January 2018 after a stint as ESLC’s Stewardship Intern in 2016 and Stewardship Contractor in the Fall 2017. An Eastern Shore native, David grew up on a farm in southern Caroline County. As a child he developed a love and respect for wildlife through hunting and fishing with his family. In 2011, David turned his respect for wildlife into a Bachelor’s degree in Biology from Towson University. When not working he enjoys spending time with his dog, Duke, gaming with friends, cooking, reading books, and birding.

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Bethany Straus

Communications Coordinator

Bethany joined ESLC in August of 2021, managing the organization’s strategic communications and publicity. She grew up on a backroad in Frederick County, Maryland, just outside of the booming urban sprawl of the area. Bethany received her Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communication (with minors in International Studies and Photography) from Georgia College & State University; in addition to her degree work, Bethany worked with University Advancement through her job as a Phonathon caller and was a founding member of the GCSU chapter of Delta Gamma.
Prior to ESLC, Bethany spent two years volunteering through the Episcopal Service Corps, first providing direct care at a homeless shelter for teens and young adults in Denver, Colorado, before working as a legal assistant at the Public Justice Center in Baltimore, Maryland. In her free time, Bethany enjoys baking, photography, making puns and dad jokes, and spending time with her dog, Winston.

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Julia Babbitt Williams

Manager of Outreach and Advancement

A native of Virginia, Julia has spent the majority of the past 30 years living in Maryland since receiving her B.S. in Psychology from Virginia Tech. In addition to her work at the Shore Update community paper, she has worked as an environmental educator and operations manager at the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, was the executive director of MACMA, and a program coordinator at The Gunston School. She joined ESLC in the fall of 2017 as the outreach and engagement manager to help promote the mission, understanding, and relevance of ESLC’s vision by engaging with the people and organizations most affected by a rural landscape and vibrant towns. She currently holds the position of Manager of Advancement, a role that allows her to interact with the generous donors who make ESLC’s mission come to life. Julia currently lives in Centreville with her husband, son and two dogs. She also has two grown daughters. She enjoys singing, hiking, being on, in, and around the water, and keeping up with the constant chaos of her family.

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