Staff
Josh Falk
Executive Director
443-714-7747
Jfalk@SRLT.org
Josh Falk is a lifelong Annapolitan with a deep commitment to conservation, education, and social change. With over 20 years of …
Erin Valentine
443-714-7744
Erin@SRLT.org
Erin joined the Scenic Rivers team in 2019. A communications and fundraising professional with over …
Erin Kilbane
Land Programs Manager
443-714-7742
Erinkilbane@SRLT.org
After beginning her career in the Midwest, Erin arrived in the beautiful Chesapeake region to join Scenic Rivers in 2024 …
Luke Lanham
Stewardship and Engagement Coordinator
443-714-7756
Luke@SRLT.org
Luke joined the Scenic Rivers team in the summer of 2024, having graduated from St. Mary’s College of Maryland in …
Board of Directors
Dan Murphy, President
Elizabeth Rosborg, Vice President
John Elstner, Treasurer
Jenny Janis, Secretary
Sara Ramotnik, At Large Member, Executive Committee
Suhani Chitalia
Christopher Laurent
Rich Mason
Amelia Matthews
Lily Openshaw
Joe Ports
Paul Zanecki
Officers
Dan Murphy, President
Current Term: June 2025-June 2027
Dan Murphy recently retired from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Chesapeake Bay Field Office, where he served as Chief of the Division of Habitat Restoration and Conservation. During his 40-year career, Dan worked with colleagues and partners to protect over 20,000 acres of Chesapeake Bay forests, fields, and wetlands. He also led an effort that culminated in the establishment of the Southern Maryland Woodlands National Wildlife Refuge.
In 2024, Dan received the Department of the Interior’s Meritorious Service Award for his accomplishments in fish and wildlife habitat conservation. He lives in Annapolis with his wife Cindy and daughter Erin, and enjoys hiking, cycling, playing guitar, and travelling with his family.
Elizabeth Rosborg, Vice President
Current Term: June 2025-June 2027
Elizabeth resides in Arnold with her husband Rick and their large yellow lab. She enjoys boating, skiing, and hiking,
She returned to her family property on the Severn following her husband’s retirement from the Air Force. The property, known as Winterberry, is an accumulation of land started by her grandfather some 75 years ago.
Elizabeth’s interest in land preservation is evidenced in her volunteering in the past on the Growth Action Network Board of Director’s, Maryland League of Conservation Voters of Anne Arundel County, and Chairman of the Citizen’s Advisory Committee for the Anne Arundel County General Development Plan, Plan 2040. She currently serves on Arnold Preservation Council, President Emeritus.
John Elstner, MBA, Treasurer
Current Term: June 2026-June 2028
John is an entrepreneurial leader and small business value advisor who has contributed strategic and operational leadership to many growth-oriented businesses and non-profit organizations including Chesapeake Regional Tech Council, Chesapeake Innovation Center, Eastern Shore Entrepreneurship Center, and the National Association of Environmental Professionals.
A trained hydrogeologist, John has fifteen years of experience in the environmental consulting industry developing environmental compliance and site remediation solutions for government and corporate clients. A Pittsburgh native, John migrated to the
Chesapeake Bay in 1988 as a young environmental scientist and is grateful for the opportunity to have lived in nine different waterfront properties on both sides of the Mid-Chesapeake estuary.
Jenny Janis, Secretary
Current Term: June 2025-June 2027
Jenny is a registered landscape architect and dedicated community leader with more than a decade of experience in sustainable design, urban planning, and environmental stewardship. Throughout her career, Jenny has led complex planning and design projects that integrate green infrastructure, habitat conservation, and stormwater innovation. In her current role with Messick and Associates, she partners with public and private clients to create landscapes that balance functionality, code requirements, sustainability, and community benefit.
Her professional background includes senior roles with leading design and engineering firms, where she contributed to major campus, park, and community projects—including stormwater reuse strategies, watershed-based planning, and multi-block urban developments. Jenny is also an experienced educator, teaching graduate and undergraduate courses on professional practice, green infrastructure, and urban resilience at the University of Maryland and the University of Texas at Austin.
Jenny holds a Master’s in Landscape Architecture from Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design and a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Health Science from the University of Georgia. She is a SITES Accredited Professional and an active advocate for sustainable development practices.
Sara Ramotnik, At-Large Member, Executive Committee
Current Term: June 2025-June 2027
Sara Ramotnik works at the Choose Clean Water Coalition, where she manages member relations in order to advance the Coalition’s policy priorities. She works with conservation organizations from all over the Chesapeake Bay watershed to bolster their efforts in campaigning for clean water. She believes that through strong collective action and accountability, we can make policy changes that are crucial for protecting the landscape and waters that surround us.
From a young age, Sara knew she wanted to dedicate her career to conserving and restoring the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries. She is deeply committed to safeguarding our natural resources while also working to expand public access opportunities across the watershed. Sara previously worked at Eastern Shore Land Conservancy, where she led their policy work. Sara earned her bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science and Policy with a specialty in economics from the University of Maryland. She currently lives in Annapolis, MD where she enjoys exploring the Chesapeake with her dog Hobie.
Board Members
Suhani Chitalia
Current Term: June 2025-June 2027
Suhani is a policy advocate with the Environmental Defense Fund in Washington, D.C., where she focuses on advancing federal legislation related to energy transition, chemical regulation, and public health. She works closely with scientists, economists, policy experts, and grassroots organizations to shape thoughtful, evidence-based solutions that address climate change and promote a healthier environment.
Suhani brings a decade of experience in environmental law and policy, having previously worked with an electronics manufacturing trade association, a state-level lobbying firm, and as a staff attorney with the University of Maryland School of Law’s Environmental Law Clinic. She has a deep interest in the intersection of zoning, environmental equity, and justice, and is a strong advocate for every community’s right to a healthy, sustainable environment.
A lifelong Marylander, Suhani has now lived in Baltimore City for nearly a decade and is incredibly proud to call it her home. Her connection to Maryland’s natural resources began in high school during a formative field trip to the Chesapeake Bay Foundation’s Karen E. Noonan Center, where she witnessed firsthand the ecological and community value of preserving the Bay. That experience helped shape her enduring commitment to conservation and land use.
Suhani holds a B.S. in Environmental Science and Policy and a J.D. from the University of Maryland School of Law. In her free time, she enjoys kayaking in the harbor, exploring Baltimore’s neighborhoods, discovering new coffee shops, and spending time with her fiancé, two dogs, and close family.
Christopher Laurent
Current Term: June 2026-June 2028
Christopher is a development finance leader who has worked the last 20 years in the international ESG space and, in particular, in the microfinance and impact investing sectors in emerging markets. He has broad-based financial management and capital markets experience developed in leading global organizations and in grassroots nonprofits, from London to Phnom Penh, from Silicon Valley to Cochabamba.
Christopher has 34 years of financial and operational experience across multiple industries, contexts and cultures, and a demonstrated commitment to social justice and breaking the cycle of poverty. He has been the CFO for three international finance and development businesses over the last 15 years. He is currently the CFO for FINCA Impact Finance, a global microfinance holding company headquartered in Washington D.C.. Previously he was the CFO for VisionFund International, the global microfinance holding company of World Vision International, based in London, and the Managing Director and CFO for MicroVest Capital Management, a global impact investing company. Christopher began his career working as an auditor for Arthur Andersen, as a corporate banker for Bank of America, and as the head of finance and administration for a SaaS company in Silicon Valley.
Christopher graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a BS in Business and Master of Accounting. He lives in Annapolis with his wife Cameron and their three daughters, Claire, Addie and Josephine. They are active in their church, volunteer where possible, and enjoy spending their free time on the water and in nature around Anne Arundel County.
Rich Mason
Current Term: June 2026-June 2028
Rich is a retired wildlife biologist who spent the final 35 years of his conservation career with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Chesapeake Bay Field Office in Annapolis, Maryland. Most recently, he led a team of restoration scientists responsible for restoring thousands of acres of wetlands, forests, grasslands, and other habitats throughout Maryland. Earlier in his career, Rich worked on water quality studies in Maryland and Virginia and developed the Schoolyard Habitat Program, partnering with students and teachers to create and restore wildlife habitat on school grounds. He also coordinated the office’s internship program through the Chesapeake Conservation Corps, mentoring numerous college graduates who have gone on to successful careers in conservation.
Rich began his career with the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, leading field trips for high school students and adults at two remote field stations in the lower Chesapeake Bay.
In 2005, after friends reported finding dead frogs in their swimming pool each day, Rich invented the FrogLog®, a simple escape ramp that allows frogs and other small animals to safely exit swimming pools. Since its introduction, the FrogLog has helped save millions of animals.
Rich lives in Crownsville, Maryland, with his wife, Barb; and has two adult children, Joe and Lilia. In retirement, he enjoys hiking, kayaking, fishing, playing guitar, birding, golfing, and attending live music performances throughout the Annapolis area.
Amelia Matthews
Current Term: June 2026-June 2028
Amelia is a Transactions Specialist with The Conservation Fund. She joined The Conservation Fund in 2007 and assists in acquiring lands across the United States for open space, farmland protection, working forests, wildlife protection, recreation areas, and cultural conservation.
Amelia graduated from Appalachian State University with a Bachelor of Science in Anthropology and earned her Juris Doctorate from the University of Baltimore School of Law. Amelia is a member of the Maryland Bar, a sustainer with the Junior League of Annapolis, and a Board Member of the Greater Annapolis Ballet. She lives in Annapolis with her husband Steven and their 4-year-old daughter Hendley Rose.
Lily Openshaw, PE, MS, PMP
Current Term: June 2025-June 2027
Lily is a registered professional civil engineer with a BSCE (high honors) from the Georgia Institute of Technology, and a master’s degree in Environmental Science and Engineering from Johns Hopkins University. She served 3 tours as a Naval Officer in the elite Civil Engineer Corps, receiving numerous awards including two Navy Commendation Medals and the Navy Achievement Medal. During her tour as Public Works Director, Naval Air Facility Washington D. C., the Department was awarded “Best of Type” by the Naval Reserve Inspector General. She also was appointed Acting Director of the first hazardous waste investigation and remediation unit in the Navy, NACIP, at the ground-breaking Naval Energy and Environmental Support Activity (NEESA). After her military service, she worked for several engineering consulting firms, and, for a time, worked part-time for the City of Annapolis as an engineering project manager while her children were young. Projects of note for the City included Restoration of the Southgate Memorial Fountain, Restoration of Historic Hanover Street, and construction of Little Gott’s Court, the City’s first green infrastructure parking facility. These projects received several heritage awards from Four Rivers Heritage Society and honorable citations from the State Legislature. In 2015, her Little Gott’s Court project won the Best Urban Stormwater Management project in an Ultra Urban environment from the Chesapeake Water Environment Association.
Since 2012, she has been President of Chesapeake Blue and Green, an engineering services firm with a concentration in civil and environmental infrastructure projects. She recently completed the Annapolis Design/Build project for the new $30 million Water Treatment Plant, the largest construction project ever undertaken by the City of Annapolis. The Water Treatment Plant recently won a 2019 Leadership Award from the state US Green Building Council and received an international LEED Silver certification, one of the first municipal projects in Maryland to receive that award.
Lily serves on the boards of the national Public Works Experience, the Bay Ridge Civic Association and the Four Rivers Heritage Association. Previously she served as Chairman of the Board of Leadership Anne Arundel, President of the St. Mary’s Pastoral Council, Chairman of the Board of Maryland Hall for the Creative Arts, and President of the Founding Board of the Chesapeake Children’s Museum. For her community volunteer work, she was chosen as one of the Capital Women of the Year in 2012, a YWCA TWIN Awardee in ’07, and was selected for Leadership Anne Arundel Flagship in ’05 and the LAA Executive Leadership in ‘13.
Lily and her husband have four children, and in her free time, she enjoys her book club (of 28 yrs.) and is an avid USTA league tennis player.
Joe Ports
Current Term: June 2026-June 2028
Joe has been an Environmental Project Manager at a municipal department of public work's restoration division since 2016. Prior to that, he worked on restoration projects, water quality monitoring, and expanding public water access with the West/Rhode Riverkeeper, now part of the Arundel Rivers Federation, for approximately four years. Through his work, he sees the damage that is left from historic land use decisions and the need to preserve the natural resources that remain. Joe is an avid hunter, angler, sailor and general outdoor adventurer who enjoys being outdoors all year round. He holds a bachelor's degree in Biology from Towson University, and currently lives in Crownsville with his wife near the Little Round Bay area of the Severn River.
Paul Zanecki
Current Term: June 2026-June 2028
Mr. Zanecki is a Maryland attorney, counselor, and advisor, with some 40 plus years of experience, to both environmental and development firms, having significant experience in land use law, growth management controls, environmental law, community planning, property acquisition, land entitlements, property rights, public takings rights and litigation, and related areas. He currently manages land acquisition programs for stream and wetland mitigation rights and easements. He assists in developing strategies for ecological asset development (full delivery project acquisition and development) stemming from EPA Clean Water mandates, and compensatory 404 mitigation, including stream restoration, wetland mitigation, and state and county MS-4 and Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) compliance rules.
He has had significant experience with the NEPA Act, Chesapeake Bay Critical Area Act, federal and state wetlands laws, and similar state and federal programs, as well as an extensive background in negotiating agreements with the Interior Department, National Park Service, Corps of Engineers, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the National Capital Planning Commission, and Congressional Committees. His service to the community also includes serving as speaker and moderator for various Washington symposiums focused on charting the course for future growth and development in the area, as well as a guest lecturer, panelist, and faculty member at numerous forums on the environment, renewable energy and growth management (Smart Growth), land use and planning. In addition to his various speaking engagements, Mr. Zanecki is the author of “Planning and Zoning” in the published book titled Real Estate Practice in the District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia, and an author of the Smart Growth section of MICPEL’s publication on “State and Local Government” Law, amongst other publications.