Steve Kline

President

Steve joined the Eastern Shore Land Conservancy as President in December 2021 after spending two decades as a lobbyist in Washington. For the last ten years of Steve’s time on Capitol Hill, he led the government relations work of the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership (TRCP), a national hunting and fishing conservation organization. During his tenure in the nation’s capital, Steve was the principal architect of a variety of successful legislative campaigns, and worked extensively on public policy issues related to public lands conservation, recreational fishing, wetlands protection, wildlife health, access, infrastructure, forest management, and private lands conservation.

Steve is also an elected member of the Centreville Town Council and currently serves as Council President and as the council liaison to the Centreville Planning Commission. He was a delegate to the 2008 Republican National Convention and has advised national, state, and local political candidates on issues related to natural resources. He has a bachelor’s degree in political science from St. Mary’s College of Maryland and a master’s degree in government from Johns Hopkins University.

Steve is an Eagle Scout, a seventh generation Marylander, and is proudest of all to be a husband and dad. He is an avid bird hunter, angler, little league coach, and an obsessive reader of non-fiction.

SKline@eslc.org  •  (410) 690-4603

David Satterfield

Director of Land Conservation

David initially joined ESLC in 2016 as a stewardship intern and again in 2017 as a stewardship contractor, before finally joining as a full-time staff member in January of 2018. David currently leads the Land Conservation team handling the acquisition, stewardship and restoration of conservation properties throughout the region. A native of the Eastern Shore who grew up on a farm outside of Preston, David has a great respect for agricultural and natural resources which drives his passion for the conservation of this landscape.

David has a Bachelors of Science in Biology from Towson University and a Masters of Science in Biology from the University of Nebraska – Kearney, both with a focus in wildlife biology. This focus on wildlife stems from a lifetime passion for animals, stoked through literature, excursions through the woods, and hunting and fishing with his family. When not at work, David enjoys relaxing at home in Centreville with his wife, Heather, and their two dogs, Duke and Kyrie, as well as gaming with friends, watching movies, reading books and birding.

DSatterfield@eslc.org  •  (410) 690-4603 • (410) 422-1996 (m)

Larisa Prezioso

Conservation Specialist

Larisa joined ESLC in January of 2020 as a Conservation Assistant, and is now ESLC’s Conservation Specialist. Originally from rural New Jersey, she attended Washington College in Chestertown, Maryland where she received her BS in Environmental Science and Ecology and minored in Chemistry. During her time at Washington College, she nurtured her passion for conservation and ecology by studying the various ecosystems of Ecuador, including the Andean Cloud Forest, Amazon Rainforest, and Galapagos Islands. Through these experiences, both locally on the Shore and abroad, Larisa fostered a deeper understanding of restoration, ecosystem dynamics, and sustainability, especially in working landscapes.

Larisa moved to the Shore permanently after graduating, and currently lives in the town of Easton with her partner and two cats from Talbot Humane. At ESLC, Larisa manages conservation projects, including conservation easements, living shoreline restoration, and habitat implementation. Additionally, Larisa acts as ESLC’s GIS analyst. Outside of the office, Larisa enjoys birding, shell combing on Jersey beaches, and volunteering with Talbot Humane Society.

LPrezioso@eslc.org  •  (410) 690-4603 • (908) 246-3419 (m)

Michael Ports

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 wife, 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.

MPorts@eslc.org  •  (443) 262-5577 (m)

Owen Bailey

Director of Land Use and Policy

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. 

OBailey@eslc.org  •  (410) 690-4603 • (410) 810-4864 (m)

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.

CBean@eslc.org  •  (410) 690-4603 • (410) 829-1829 (m)

Lauren Halterman

Director of Advancement and Operations

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!

LHalterman@eslc.org  •  (410) 690-4603

Sabrina Hearn

Office and HR Manager

Sabrina grew up in a farming family and continues to be part of the farming community in Laurel, Delaware. She holds a diploma in nursing and worked in healthcare for 16 years in a variety of positions. As her children got older, Sabrina decided she wanted a more normal “life schedule,” prompting her to change careers. She was drawn to work with ESLC through her desire to help preserve the beauty and nature of the area, especially agricultural preservation. Her time is consumed with being a mom to a farm boy and a chauffeur for her daughter, who plays travel softball.

SHearn@eslc.org  •  (410) 690-4603 x164 • (302) 381-3123 (m)

Julia Babbitt Williams

Manager of Grants and Capacity

A native of Virginia, Julia has spent the majority of the past 35 years living in Maryland since receiving her B.S. in Psychology from Virginia Tech. Julia started her career in the non-profit world as an environmental educator at the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, and later served as their education department’s operations manager. In between her CBF gigs, she moved to the Eastern Shore, raised three children with her husband, Greg Williams, the executive director of MACMA and a program coordinator at The Gunston School.

Julia joined ESLC in the fall of 2017 as the manager of outreach and engagement and currently holds the position of Manager of Grants and Capacity – a role that allows her to interact with funders whose mission is intertwined with that of ESLC. Julia secures and manages funding that helps to bring ESLC’s mission to life, and she loves working with “this most amazing team of dedicated conservationists who strive to conserve the unique character of the Eastern Shore.”

Currently living in Wilmington, NC, with her husband and two dogs, Julia’s grown children are now off finding their own adventures. In her free time, she enjoys singing, hiking, being on, in, and around the water, traveling, and keeping up with her children in St. Thomas USVI, Asheville, and New York. Though spread far and wide, her family’s deep connection to the Eastern Shore remains.

JBabbitt@eslc.org  •  (410) 690-4603 • (410) 353-9353 (m)

Sam Pugh

Advancement Assistant

Sam joined ESLC in October of 2021, filling the role of Advancement Assistant. He is no stranger to non-profit work in the area, coming from his previous position as Membership Director at the Easton Family YMCA. Born and raised on the Eastern Shore, Sam has deep roots and ties to this community. His call to advancement work stems from a passion for relationship-building. Whether between groups of individuals, nature, or wildlife, Sam believes that true success is found when the relationships between all parties are flourishing. Outside of his work with ESLC, Sam enjoys playing guitar, singing, spending time with loved ones, and getting beaten at chess.

SPugh@eslc.org  •  (410) 690-4603 • (410) 227-8182 (m)

Caitlin Fisher

Communications Manager

Caitlin Fisher grew up in Salisbury, Maryland and joined ESLC as a Communications Manager in spring of 2023. Cait began writing for National Geographic in 2009, graduated from Emory University in 2010, and spent the next 12 years farming at Greenbranch Farm in Salisbury, Ambrose Family Farm on Wadmalaw Island, the Greenheart Project in Charleston, and Amy’s Organic Garden near Richmond. After receiving an MFA in poetry and creative nonfiction from VCU in 2019, she helped start Oak Spring Garden Foundation’s Biocultural Conservation Farm in Virginia. In 2022, Cait and her husband moved home to the Choptank River where they enjoy kayaking, growing veggies, and spending time with family.

At ESLC, Cait practices her passions for writing, photography, and farming as she spreads the word about our land stewardship and various conservation projects. Cait still writes for National Geographic, as well as Growing for Market, the Essentialist, and Gourd Magazine. She also teaches workshops on native flowers, poetry, and natural dyeing at Adkins Arboretum.

CFisher@eslc.org  •  (410) 690-4603 • (443) 880-4742 (m)