The Nature Conservancy

Deborah is the Director of Ecological Management at the Maryland/DC Chapter of The Nature Conservancy, where she has worked since 2001. Her work focuses on restoration at more than 30 Conservancy preserves across Maryland/DC and reaching into West Virginia. She works with staff and partners to restore natural communities across the state, ensuring they are healthy and resilient in light of an uncertain climate future. Restoration activities include native plantings, prescribed burns, invasive species control, sustainable timber harvests, and monitoring how plants, animals, and natural communities respond to these conservation actions. As a firefighter, Deborah serves as Engine Boss and Firing Boss. Deborah is the project lead for the Potomac Headwaters Fire Learning Network, and she serves as adjunct faculty at Frostburg State University and Salisbury University. Before coming to The Nature Conservancy, Deborah worked on the MesoAmerican Biological Corridor for the World Bank, focusing on Belize, Nicaragua and Honduras.

Degrees held:

• PhD, Entomology and Plant Biology, Louisiana State University
  
• MS, Entomology and Plant Pathology, University of Tennessee
  
• BS, International Environmental Studies, International Food and Agriculture, Rutgers University, Cook College