Advisory Council Members

The members of the Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail Advisory Council, which met for a period of ten years between 2008 and 2018, were as follows:

Wayne Adkins is the Assistant Chief of the Chickahominy Tribe of Virginia. Mr. Adkins serves as the tribe's liaison to the Department of Anthropology at the College of William and Mary regarding an on-going study of the historic Chickahominy territory, culture and history, including efforts to reconstruct the Chickahominy Algonquin language. Mr. Adkins is also the President of the Virginia Indian Tribal Alliance for Life (VITAL), a member of the Board of Trustees for Henricus Historical Park and a member of the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation's Museum and Programs Advisory Council.

J. Daryl Anthony is the Assistant Secretary for Land Resources for the State of Maryland. Mr. Anthony has held many leadership roles in the Maryland Park Service and has over 25 years of experience in law enforcement management, natural resource management and state park operations. He holds a degree in Recreation and Park Management and has graduated from the Maryland Ranger School and the Eastern Shore Criminal Justice Academy.

H. Hedrick Belin is the President of the Potomac Conservancy, whose mission is to protect the health, beauty, and enjoyment of the Potomac River and its tributaries. The Conservancy's primary focus is protection of water quality through land protection and sound land use practices. Mr. Belin has over 20 years of nonprofit fundraising and leadership experience. Before leading the Potomac Conservancy Mr. Belin was Vice President of the Metropolitan Group and worked for several conservation groups, including the National Park Foundation, Izaak Walton League of America, the League of Conservation Voters and the Nature Conservancy.

Wade Blackwood is the Executive Director of the American Canoe Association, a national nonprofit organization serving the broader paddling public by providing education and stewardship support to help protect paddling environments. Mr. Blackwood holds an M.B.A from the College of William and Mary and was a volunteer for the United States Peace Corps where he served as an Economic Development Advisor.

Virginia Busby has served as a Governor appointed Commissioner to the Maryland Commission on Indian Affairs since 2007. Ms. Busby has over 30 years of experience as researcher, instructor and manager in the fields of anthropology, archaeology, cultural resource management and American Indian affairs. Ms. Busby was a civilian employee of the U.S. Army Environmental Command serving as the Program Manager for Army Compatible Use Buffer (ACUB) and as the Program Manager for Archaeology and Native American Affairs. She has served as a consultant on Land Conservation, Land use and Heritage Tourism Planning and Historic Preservation and serves as an advisor to the Accokeek Foundation's Piscataway Cultural Landscape Initiative.

Kurt Carr is the Senior Curator of Archeology for The State Museum of Pennsylvania where he supervises the management of the museum’s collections. Mr. Carr has more than 30 years of experience with the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission and is a published author in more than 20 professional journals. He holds a B.A., M.A. and Ph.D. in Anthopolgy.

Dennis Coker is the Principal Chief of the Lenape Indian Tribe of Delaware, an elected position he has held for 17 years. In addition, Mr. Coker is Principal Chief of the Confederation of Sovereign Nanticoke-Lenape Tribes of the Delaware Bay, a member of the Department of the Interior's Bureau of Ocean Energy Management's Delaware Renewable Energy Task Force and chairman of the Planning Commission for the Town of Cheswold located in Kent County, Delaware. Other associations include individual member of the National Congress of the American Indian (NCAI) and founding member of the Alliance of Colonial Era Tribes (ACET).

Clyde Cristman is the Director of the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation. Mr. Cristman has over 30 years of public sector management and oversight in a variety of state and local government positions. He is a graduate of the Virginia Executive Institute and holds a Bachelors of Arts degree from the University of Maryland.

Cindy Dunn is the Deputy Secretary of Conservation and Technical Services for the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. Ms. Dunn has over 20 years experience in the conservation field as advocate, educator and manager. She holds a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Science, both from Shippensburg University. She is the 2008 recipient of the Frances E. Flanigan Environmental Leadership Award.

Joel Dunn is the Executive Director of the Chesapeake Conservancy, whose mission is to strengthen the connection between people and the Chesapeake Bay watershed. Mr. Dunn has a background in ecology and natural history and he has worked for The Conservation Fund, The Nature Conservancy and as an environmental analyst for Mayer Brown. He holds a Master of Environmental Management and a Master of Public Policy, both from Duke University.

Katherine Faull is a Professor with the Comparative Humanities Program at Bucknell University. Ms. Faull is a published author and has conducted funded research for entities such as The Conservation Fund, the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Mellon Foundation. She consults regularly with the National Park Service, the Susquehanna Greenway, Eastern Delaware Nations and the Chesapeake Conservancy. She holds a B.A. and M.A. from Kings College, University of London and a Ph.D. from Princeton University.

Andrew Hofmann is the Refuge Manager at Eastern Virginia Rivers National Wildlife Refuge Complex, a four-refuge complex consisting of Rappahannock River Valley, James River, Presquile and Plum Tree Island Refuges. Mr. Hofmann has been with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for over 15 years during which time he has worked extensively with bottomland restoration, waterfowl management, invasive species, habitat restoration and threatened and endangered species. He holds a B.S. in Wildlife Biology.

Elizabeth Hughes is Deputy State Historic Preservation Officer and Deputy Director of the Maryland Historical Trust. In this capacity, she oversees development of program policy and legislation and oversight of all Trust programs, including the work of the Jefferson Patterson Park and Museum and the Banneker-Douglass Museum. Ms. Hughes represents the Trust on various inter-agency committees and work groups. Ms. Hughes earned her Master's Degree in Architectural History from the University of Virginia and her Bachelor's Degree in American Studies from Georgetown University. Ms. Hughes has served on the National Conference of State Historic Preservation Officers Board since 2004.

Julie Langan is the Director and State Historic Preservation Officer for the Virginia Department of Historic Resources. Ms. Langan has over 30 years of experience in the historic preservation field and has been an adjunct lecturer on the topic at Mary Washington College and Virginia Commonwealth University. Ms. Langan holds a B.A. in Art History from Wheaton College and a M.A. in Architectural History from the University of Virginia. She has also completed the Virginia Executive Institute.

Mary Ann Lisanti is the Executive Director of the Lower Susquehanna Heritage Greenway. During her professional career, she has worked for the Maryland General Assembly and for both the County Executive and the Department of Planning and Zoning in the Harford County (MD) Government. She was City Manager of Havre de Grace, MD from 1997-2002 and served as Vice President in 2000 and President in 2001 of the Maryland Association of City and County Managers. Ms. Lisanti serves on the Harford County Council and is the Council Member for District F which includes: Havre de Grace, Abingdon, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Perryman and Belcamp. She was elected in 2006.

Rita McClenny is President and CEO of the Virginia Tourism Corporation. Prior to becoming CEO, Ms. McClenny served over 10 years as the Director of the Virginia Film Office where she was responsible for recruiting and expanding film production in Virginia. She received the Theresa Pollak Prize for Excellence from Virginia Commonwealth University and was name to Boomer Magazine’s “It List” which recognizes Richmond-area residents whose work in the community is deemed “influential, interesting or inspiring.”

Dan D. (Drew) McMullen is the Founder, President and CEO of Sultana Projects, Inc., a nationally recognized educational nonprofit organization. He has full responsibility for organizational management including coordination with Board of Directors, membership and development, budget and financial reporting, risk management, strategic planning, educational program development and public relations. Sultana Projects award-winning educational programs have reached more than 700,000 students and teachers in Maryland, Virginia and Washington, D.C. since 1997. Additionally he oversaw the highly successful Captain John Smith Four Hundred Project that was critical to the establishment of the Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail.

Susan R. Moerschel is a Program Manager with the Delaware Division of Parks and Recreation, Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control. With over 25 years of experience in the field of park planning and natural resource management, Ms. Moerschel has led inter-disciplinary teams and community partnerships in special resource studies including trail and greenway planning; natural and cultural resource protection; outdoor recreation planning and construction; land use planning and community design; and scenic road designation. Ms. Moerschel has served as Delaware's lead in the designation of the Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail.

Patrick F. Noonan is founder and chairman emeritus of The Conservation Fund; a non-profit organization dedicated to conserving America's natural and historic heritage. Working with public and private partners, the Fund has protected some 6 million acres of America’s outdoor heritage since its founding in 1985. Mr. Noonan is a former president of The Nature Conservancy, and he is a founder and former chairman of the American Farmland Trust. In addition to his conservation activities, Mr. Noonan served on the Boards of International Paper, Ashland, Inc. and the Saul Centers. He is also trustee emeritus of Gettysburg College.

William J. Pencek, Jr. is the Executive Director of the Maryland War of 1812 Bicentennial Commission. Mr. Pencek is the former Director of Cultural and Heritage Tourism for Maryland and serves on several advisory boards including: Friends of Fort McHenry, Star-Spangled Banner Flag House Association, and Baltimore Heritage, Inc. Mr. Pencek holds an MA in Historic Preservation from the University of Virginia.

Mark Platts is the President of the Susquehanna Gateway Heritage Area, whose mission is to enhance quality of life and economic vitality through preservation, conservation and interpretation of the Susquehanna River heritage. Mr. Platts has over 20 years of experience in urban planning. He was the 2010 recipient of the Keystone Society for Tourism, Enterprise Award from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. He holds a Master of Arts in Urban and Regional Planning from the University of Florida.

John J. Reynolds is currently serving as the representative of the Secretary of the Interior to the Presidio Trust, as well as a member of the Board of Directors for the Student Conservation Association, the citizen representative from Virginia to the Chesapeake Bay Commission and the Chair of the Flight 93 National Memorial Advisory Council. Mr. Reynolds is also the current Chair of the Captain John Smith Chesapeake NHT Advisory Council. Mr. Reynolds is a retired National Park Service employee who has served as Deputy Director, Regional Director, Pacific West Region; Regional Director, Mid-Atlantic Region; Director, Denver Service Center; Superintendent, North Cascades National Park and Assistant Superintendent, Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area. He served as a Landscape Architect/Planner at several National Parks.

Mervin Savoy is the former Tribal Chair of the Piscataway Conoy Tribe of Maryland. Mrs. Savoy has over 40 years of experience in sharing her knowledge of the Piscataway Conoy people. She has served on the Maryland Commission on Indian Affairs and was a member of the research team that prepared the Feasibility Study of the Captain John Smith Chesapeake NHT for the National Park Service. Mrs. Savoy was the Project Director for the Title V Indian Education Program for the Charles County (MD) Board of Education prior to her retirement in 2007.

Charles A. Stek is the President of Environmental Stewardship Strategies and serves as the Policy Director for No Child Left Inside Coalition. He also serves as the Chairman of the Board of Directors for the Chesapeake Conservancy. He was formerly the projects director for Senator Benjamin Cardin and Paul S. Sarbanes. He has received the John Smith Explorer Award, the Department of the Army Commander's Award for Public Service, and the Conservationist of the Year Award from the Chesapeake Bay Foundation.

William H. Street is the Executive Director of the James River Association (JRA), based in Richmond, Virginia, since 2005. Mr. Street is responsible for overseeing RA's efforts to promote conservation and responsible stewardship of the James River's unique natural and historic resources, as well as managing JRA's four core programs: River Advocacy, Riverkeeper, Watershed Restoration, and Education and Outreach. Mr. Street has held several positions for the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, including: Director of Watershed Restoration, Staff Scientist and Land Use Planner. Mr. Street has also coordinated and performed environmental impact statements, wetland delineations, threatened and endangered species surveys, wetland evaluations, herpetological surveys and fish surveys as a Project Environmental Scientist, at Malcolm Pirnie, Inc. in Newport News, VA.

Ann Swanson is the Executive Director for the Chesapeake Bay Commission, which is a tri-state legislative authority, composed of legislators, governors and prominent citizens from Maryland, Pennsylvania and Virginia. She has held this position since 1988. Ms. Swanson has received numerous awards for her commitment to conservation, including Conservationist of the Year (1999), Governor's Salute to Excellence (1991 & 1994), and Chesapeake Executive Council Salute to Excellence (1991, 1992 & 1999.) She has also served on the Governor's Commission of Growth in the Chesapeake Bay Region, the Chesapeake Executive Council's Panels on Riparian Forest, the Severn River Commission and the Chester River Association.