Scenic Rivers Names Dan Murphy as Board President

Two New Board Members Elected at June Meeting

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (July 13, 2026) — Dan Murphy has been named President of the Scenic Rivers Land Trust Board of Directors, succeeding Joan Renner following her nine years of service on the Board of Directors, including six years as board president.

Murphy previously served on the Scenic Rivers Board of Directors before rejoining the board in 2025 following his retirement as Chief of the Division of Habitat Restoration and Conservation at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Chesapeake Bay Field Office.

During his distinguished career, Murphy led some of the Mid-Atlantic’s most impactful collaborative conservation initiatives. He coordinated the Chesapeake Bay Nutria Eradication Project, a landmark partnership that successfully eliminated invasive nutria from Maryland and protected more than 250,000 acres of wetlands on the Delmarva Peninsula. He also co-founded the Delmarva Restoration and Conservation Network, bringing together partners to conserve and restore tens of thousands of acres of wildlife habitat, and helped establish the Southern Maryland Woodlands National Wildlife Refuge, which will conserve up to 40,000 acres of critical habitat for future generations. In recognition of his extraordinary leadership and service, Murphy received the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Meritorious Service Award before retiring in January 2025.

“Scenic Rivers has built an extraordinary foundation over the past several years, and I’m honored to help lead the organization into its next chapter,” Murphy said. “I look forward to working alongside our board, staff, volunteers, donors, and partners to increase our capacity, conserve more land, and provide exceptional stewardship of the properties entrusted to our care. I’m excited about what we can accomplish together in the years ahead.”

During Joan Renner’s six years as board president, Scenic Rivers experienced unprecedented organizational growth, doubling its professional staff, expanding its conservation and stewardship programs, strengthening its financial position, and navigating two executive director transitions. Under her leadership, the organization also continued to accelerate its pace of land conservation while increasing community engagement and organizational capacity.

“Dan is an exceptional conservation leader, and I’m thrilled to welcome him as Board President,” said Scenic Rivers Executive Director Josh Falk. “His collaborative leadership, strategic vision, and decades of experience building successful conservation partnerships make him the ideal person to help guide Scenic Rivers through its next chapter of growth. I’m grateful for the opportunity to work alongside him as we continue building the organization’s impact. We’re also deeply thankful to Joan Renner for her years of dedicated leadership and for the strong foundation she helped build.”

At its June board meeting, Scenic Rivers also elected new board members: Rich Mason and Christopher Laurent. The organization extends its sincere appreciation to Joan Renner, John Butler, and Kristen Maneval, who concluded their terms on the Board of Directors in June, for their dedicated service and lasting contributions to land conservation in Anne Arundel County.

Scenic Rivers Land Trust’s Board of Directors for 2026–2027 includes: 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, and Paul Zanecki. Newly elected board members are shown in italics.

About Scenic Rivers Land Trust

A nationally accredited land trust, Scenic Rivers is a private nonprofit dedicated to conserving the special forests, farms, wetlands, and natural areas that sustain Anne Arundel County. To date, Scenic Rivers holds 83 conservation easements across the county, totaling over 4,000 acres. To learn about Scenic Rivers’ conservation and stewardship programs, visit SRLT.org.

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