Staff & Board of Directors

Staff

Dru Schmidt-Perkins
Executive Director
dru AT friendsofmd.org

Dru Schmidt-Perkins became 1000 Friends of Maryland’s first Executive Director in 1998 after serving on the founding steering committee for two years.  Prior to joining 1000 Friends she was the Maryland State and Chesapeake Regional Director of Clean Water Action for over nine years. Dru has over 28 years of experience on a broad range of energy, growth and environmental issues gained while working on the state and federal level.

Jennifer Bevan-Dangel
Deputy Director
jennifer AT friendsofmd.org

Jennifer manages the organization’s policy and advocacy campaigns and helps with organizational development. She previously served as Executive Director for the Patuxent Riverkeeper, and before that as Staff Attorney for Environment Maryland, where she ran their land use and clean water campaigns. Jennifer is a graduate of Johns Hopkins University and the University of Maryland School of Law.

Kelly Carneal
Director of Rural Lands
kelly AT friendsofmd.org

Kelly believes that land preservation is an important tool in balancing development with natural resource protection, which is critical to ensuring that Maryland’s agricultural lands remain viable, healthy, and prosperous for future generations. Before joining 1000 Friends of Maryland. Kelly spent a few years in the Midwest, working for the Ohio Department of Agriculture’s Office of Farmland Preservation. Although she has lived all over the United States, she started her career working for the Baltimore County Agricultural Preservation Office, and is proud to be back in her home State, working on these important issues. Kelly also serves as the director for Partners for Open Space, a statewide coalition of over 155 groups seeking to secure, save, and protect Maryland's land conservation programs.

Sally Otto                                                                        Administrator                                                                                 sally AT friendsofmd.org

Sally has over twenty years of project administration and management experience in the public, private and non-profit sectors.  She is a graduate of the College of Notre Dame of Maryland and the University of Maryland at Baltimore with extensive experience in construction management, historic preservation and human resources. 

Board of Directors

• Dale Sams, Chair

• Karen Lewand, Vice Chair - American Institute of Architects, Baltimore

• Alex Montague, 2nd Vice Chair - Shoppers Food & Pharmacy / Super Valu

• Rick Struse, Treasurer -- Vanguard Realty Group

• Marsha Ramsay, Secretary

• Jim Abernathy
• Karla Aghajanian, AICP -- Ayers Saint Gross
• Alfred W. Barry, III - AB Associates
• Jacqueline Carrera -- Parks and People Foundation
• Carl Elefante
  
• Robert C. Embry, Jr. - Abell Foundation
• Janet Kemmet
  
• Phyllis Kilby - Kilby Cream

• Jim Lyons

• Klaus Philipsen, AIA - ArchPlan, Inc. Philipsen Architects
• Tim Pula - National Aquarium in Baltimore, Inc.
• Edwin Remsberg
  
• Meredith Sweet
  
• Susan Van Buren, ASLA -- TerraLogos Green Home Services
• Ginger Woolridge