Board of Directors

Frank Dawson, Chair

Carmera Thomas-Wilhite, Vice Chair

Melanie Parker, Secretary

John Wakeman-Linn, Treasurer

Don Simpson, Development Chair

Khadija Abdur-Rahman is currently an Engineer Manager in General Engineering at the Anne Arundel County Department of Public Works. She is a Class 7 Graduate of Watershed Stewards Academy program, and has spent 5+ years as a Consortium Member. Khadija has 15 years of experience in stormwater management. She has resided in the South River watershed for last 8 years.

Jan Atwood received a BSE degree in Physical Education from SUNY College at Cortland in 1973. Unable to get a teaching position she enlisted in the U.S. Army. She was boarded for an In-Service Direct Commission and was commissioned as a 2LT in 1975. She was a Reserve Officer on Active Duty for approximately 10 years in the field of Military Intelligence. Jan had assignments in South Korea, Ft. Meade, MD and West Germany. In 1984 she requested relief from Active Duty and attended UMCP using her GI Bill. She graduated with an MA in Recreation in 1989. Simultaneously, she attended school, worked full time, and was a drilling reservist. 
At first she built her civilian career based upon her recreation background but later transitioned to using her military intelligence and security background to work for a number of Federal government contractor companies. It was during this time she attended graduate school at The Johns Hopkins University obtaining a Master of Science in Information and Telecommunications Systems.  She retired from the military in 2000 but continued to work as a civilian until 2012. After retiring she had the time to travel and continues to check off locations on her “bucket list” of destinations. In 2016 and 2017 she went back to school for a new avocation. This time it is to become an Anne Arundel County Master Watershed Steward. Jan graduated from that course in November 2017.

Frank Dawson is Division Chief of Watershed Management Capital Projects of the Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection.  He is responsible for the planning, design, permitting and construction program for the County’s watershed management program, working to meet the County’s Municipal Separate Stormwater Sewer System (MS4) permit requirements. This has included the assessment and implementation of program and process improvements, including the piloting and adoption of different business models for the Stormwater Management Capital Improvements Program (CIP).  
Previously, Frank served for more than 30 years as a leader, administrator, and policy advisor with the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, with a focus on efforts to manage and restore the Chesapeake Bay in Maryland and regionally. Frank has a Master of Science in Resource Management and Policy from the State University of New York at Syracuse and a Bachelors in Agricultural Science from the University of Delaware.  Frank lives in Arnold with his wife Effie and a spoiled golden retriever, Chase. He is most importantly the proud father of three adult children who are out making the world a better place.  Franks's passion for the environment comes from playing in Tookany Creek in Philadelphia as a child, fishing on the Outer Banks of North Carolina, and hiking/exploring with his family. 

Sam duPont is a native of Talbot County, Maryland, and grew up exploring and sailing on the Tred Avon and Miles Rivers. His family's business was in the maritime trades, so his interaction with the Bay's economy and ecosystem started at an early age and the preservation and sustainability of our unique Chesapeake continue to motivate his interests and activities today.
Currently, Sam is Principal for Strategic Programs at Baltimore Gas & Electric Co., where he started and still leads the Company's smart cities and connected communities program focused on stakeholder engagement and product development within the Utility of the Future group. Sam joined BGE in 2018 to run its political action committee, and before that held other positions within the utility industry as well as stints as a consultant to early-stage ventures. He began his career on Capitol Hill, where he served as legislative staff for a Member of the U.S. House of Representatives. He holds a B.A. in political science from Davidson College, and a MBA from the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia. Sam lives in Arnold with his wife, Erin, and daughter, Palmer.

Nina Fisher grew up north of Philadelphia and spent large chunks of her childhood exploring the streams and ponds behind her home. She was on a first-name basis with the frogs. She headed off to college in Boston, graduating with a degree in geology and biology from Tufts University and then went to the University of Virginia for a master's in environmental sciences. She became a peripatetic scientist for some years, teaching for the Center for Northern Studies in Newfoundland, Labrador and Alaska, doing coastal research at the Darling Marine Center in Maine, and teaching for the National Wildlife Federation before moving to Annapolis to work at the Chesapeake Bay Program as a science writer and editor.
After several years, she continued the same work on a freelance basis, working for many federal, state and private entities primarily on Bay-related projects along with some parenting magazines. She became a master watershed steward in 2013 and a master naturalist in 2018. She served as President of the Scenic Rivers Land Trust for 5 years and has coordinated and run the GreenScape program in her neighborhood for the past 20 years. Nina is an avid runner and has run races across the U.S., but still laments the passing of her Ultimate Frisbee glory days.

Jess Larkin has always had a deep connection to the water, with some of her fondest childhood memories stemming from adventures on the Magothy and Severn Rivers. Whether sailing, swimming, or exploring the shoreline, these experiences shaped her love for the Chesapeake Bay and its vital ecosystems. 
As a dedicated mother of two, Jess is passionate about protecting the watershed for future generations. She is committed to raising awareness and promoting conservation efforts, ensuring that her children—and all members of the community—can enjoy the beauty and bounty of the Chesapeake for years to come. 
Professionally, Jess has close to 20 years of  experience in B2B tech marketing, including  strategic event planning, executive programs, partner relationships and funding, and content development. Currently she is the Director of Strategic and Financial Services Marketing at Confluent. 
As a member of WSA’s Board of Directors, Jess looks forward to lending her professional experience to her passion for safeguarding the cherished natural resource that is the Chesapeake Bay.

Leila MacCarthy is the VP of Business Development for Trimdata Corp which provides software for Higher Ed Institutions to help students leverage their Financial Aid on College campuses and ensure graduation and success. She travels to conferences to give presentations and to work with campus administrators. She works to add new business partners to help grow the company. In her spare time, Leila is a long-time native plant gardener and beekeeper. She serves on the landscape committee for her community and is the VP of her local HOA. She enjoys being out in nature as much as possible, and loves designing and implementing native gardens. She writes the community newsletter on nature topics. She is also a Master Watershed Steward, a member of class 10, and a member of the Maryland Native Plant Society.

Jim Palumbo was born in Michigan and relocated often throughout his childhood with his father’s military position. He lived in lived in Phoenix, England, Germany and eventually Tallahassee, Florida. There he graduated from Florida State University with a Bachelors in International Affairs and met his wife, Andrea.
Jim joined the Air Force as a Cyberspace Operations officer and served 24 years with assignments in Missouri, Guam, Germany, twice in California, Illinois, Colorado, Alabama and The Pentagon, with deployments to Iraq and Romania. He retired from The Pentagon after serving five years with the Air Force Chief Information Officer staff. While serving, Jim graduated with two Masters degrees in International Affairs and Defense Analysis.
Living in Michigan and Florida provided a foundational appreciation for the importance of our watersheds. His military assignments offered numerous experience and volunteer opportunities for Jim and Andrea, as well. Scuba diving in Guam offered up close examples of the importance of our reef system. While in Monterey, they volunteered at the world renowned Monterey Bay Aquarium as guest interpreters, highlighting how our choices impact our oceans. In Colorado, they volunteered at the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo in the Rocky Mountain Wild and Asian Highlands areas, directly interacting with the animals as well as guest interpreters. They’ve also volunteered at numerous animal shelters.
As Jim pondered life after the military, he and Andrea assessed where they would like to settle down. Having spent many weekends in Annapolis while stationed at the Pentagon, and having a distinct love for the water, they determined Annapolis and Anne Arundel county offered everything they were looking for. Jim’s volunteer spirit and desire to get outside during COVID led him to a cleanup event at St. Luke’s in Eastport; there he found out about WSA, applied, and was accepted to the (in)famous COVID Class 13. Since then, Jim has been active leading efforts such as the Maintenance Team, recovery work on a project at Eastport Annapolis Neck Library, and supporting numerous other projects and efforts by other Stewards.

Melanie Parker is a native of St. Mary’s County, who spent most of her childhood exploring the creeks, farm fields and woods of the western shore of the Bay. This love for the outdoors and desire to improve the environment shaped her career. She currently serves as the Coordinator of Environmental Literacy and Outdoor Education for Anne Arundel County Public Schools developing and implementing environmental literacy curriculum and programming to empower students of all ages through authentic hands-on outdoor experiences with the environmental knowledge, skills, and motivation to make and act upon responsible environmental decisions. She has been with Anne Arundel County for the past 20 years serving as an educator and teacher prior to becoming the Coordinator.
Prior to AACPS she worked with Izaak Walton League of America as their Outdoor Ethics Program Coordinator. Currently pursuing a Doctorate of Education at UMCP, she holds certificates in Administration and teaching. She has an MS in Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management from NCSU, BAs in Geography (Cert in Cartography) and Art-Graphic Design (minor in Computer Art) at UMBC. Melanie lives with her husband and daughter in Baltimore County where they implement and experiment with best environmental practices.

Don Simpson is a Director focused on public health clients at Guidehouse, a leading management consultancy serving the public and commercial markets. Guidehouse is a client-centered, mission-driven organization focused on solving today’s most complex issues facing our clients and our world through collaborative solution design, bold strategy, and innovation that advances conventional thinking. Don earned his bachelor’s degree (Integrated Science and Technology) from James Madison University and holds several professional certifications (PMP, CISA). Don developed his love for the water spending several weeks every summer on an island in Maine. He savors every opportunity to be in/on the water, including scuba diving, fishing, boating, water skiing, canoeing, etc. Don lives in Harwood with his wife and two young children. Don is a burgeoning new gardener and aims to recruit his kids with aspirations they will begin eating their veggies.

Carmera Thomas-Wilhite is the Vice President for Diersity, Equity, Inclusion and Justice at Chesapeake Bay Foundation. She received a B.S. in Biology from North Carolina Wesleyan College. She began her career as a Chesapeake Conservation & Climate Corps member in its inaugural year in 2010, later joining the Chesapeake Bay Foundation full time, where she spent five years focusing on oyster restoration, engaging and educating about solutions for reducing pollution in the Chesapeake Bay watershed. Carmera grew up and currently lives in Anne Arundel County with her husband. She enjoys water recreation on the Bay and spending time with her family.

John Wakeman-Linn is a retired economist, having received a PhD from the University of Wisconsin. For the last 26 years of his career he worked for the International Monetary Fund, leading missions to over a dozen countries, primarily in the former Soviet Union and Africa. He is a member of the WSA Class 11, and is on the Board of the Captain Avery Museum. He also periodically teaches Bridge on Viking Cruise Lines.