The Ron Bowen Environmental Legacy Award

Honoring a public servant who has gone above and beyond to foster environmental stewardship.

This award honors the legacy of WSA co-founder, Ron Bowen by recognizing an individual who has made a unique contribution to environmental stewardship in Anne Arundel County by connecting government or institutional resources with private sector investments to generate significant environmental actions.

2025 Honoree: Sally Albright

outreach Coordinator for anne arundel county department of public works bureau of watershed protection & restoration

Sally Albright has worked in the Anne Arundel County Department of Public Works Bureau of Watershed Protection & Restoration since 2019, first as Grants Manager and now as Outreach Coordinator. Sally was born and raised in Anne Arundel County and grew up swimming and boating on the Bay. She holds two Bachelor's Degrees from Oregon State University (go beavers!), one in Environmental Science and the other in Oceanography.

In her work at the Bureau, Sally helps turn environmental problems into community based solutions by working with Watershed Stewards and others to develop effective projects. Her work involves the application of a range of outreach mechanisms, including social media, community presentations, tabling events, and site visits with residents. She works closely with both internal and external partners alike to identify relevant resources, make professional connections, and develop paths forward for stormwater issues around the County. From visiting sites to identifying the right solutions to connecting communities with other funders and restoration professionals, Sally helps to ensure communities have the right resources to solve problems. In addition to working on projects, Sally helped develop the Stop Poo-llution pet waste campaign and has provided leadership to address the role of beavers in the restoration ecosystem. As a resident of the City of Annapolis, Sally was also recently appointed to the Annapolis Conservancy Board.

When asked for examples of how Sally has gone above and beyond her job description to promote environmental action, Steward Sam Russel says, “There are so MANY (seriously, ask around)... she does a lot… and she does it happily and without hesitation.”

“Sally has always been there when I ask, whether at a community gathering or… with classes. She is always there and always willing to help. My first contact with Sally was getting us involved in a grant where she was able to provide her expertise and knowledge to help us with getting it done. (Sally is) very knowledgeable and has more skills than most people I have been involved with.”
- Gary Gakenheimer, Watershed Steward

“I had the good fortune of knowing Ron Bowen when I went through the first class of WSA. And since then, I've had the honor of getting to know Sally Albright. Sally is so deserving of this award because she truly embodies the spirit, care, and energy that Ron brought to Anne Arundel County and WSA. Whether she's engaging county residents on social media, arranging tours of projects to reach more residents, or assisting on a grant application to leverage more resources to the county, Sally always goes above and beyond to foster environmental stewardship of her beloved local waterways. Kudos, Sally!!”
- Kate Fritz, Watershed Steward (Class 1)

“I have been fortunate enough to team up with Sally on at least three WSA Residential Site Assessments. She freely gave her time to accompany me to sites where generally Best Management Practices (BMPs) were not the entire stormwater solution. When owners are in dire need of engineering work and will incur a large expense to fix, they often ask about the Stormwater Management Property Tax Credit Program or the WPRF Credit Program. Sally has been instrumental in providing examples on site of stormwater remediation projects that may qualify and explain the details and procedures necessary for applying for these credits.

Sally’s enthusiasm for and extensive knowledge about the Anne Arundel County Bureau of Watershed Protection and Restoration program has really enhanced our site assessments. It is always a joy to team up with her because of her positive attitude. She is passionate about her work and that is shown by her compassion for the residents in identifying possible solutions on their properties to resolve stormwater issues. In keeping with the Ron Bowen Legacy, she makes those connections between government, NGO’s and the private sector for the good of our environment.”
- Jan Atwood, Watershed Steward (Class 9) and WSA Board Member

“Sally Albright is a remarkable individual with a true passion for making a difference in the environment! It's so inspiring when someone’s enthusiasm is able to ignite positive change and motivate others. Her energy must be contagious, and it’s amazing how her joy and smile shine through in everything she does. It's wonderful to see people like her creating such a meaningful impact! Thank you, Sally Albright.”
- Dawn Hagerty, Watershed Steward (Class 15)

About Ron Bowen

Ron Bowen served as the Director of the Anne Arundel County Department of Public Works, DPW. Ron was recognized for his outstanding leadership in establishing county wide environmental assessment data and state of the art restoration solutions. Ron retired from his director position in 2013 and unfortunately, he passed away in May of 2018.

One of Ron’s proudest roles was as a co-founder of the Anne Arundel County Watershed Stewards Academy, WSA. Ron recognized that we could maximize our environmental action by combining the resources of Department of Public Works with an engaged population of trained environmental leaders. Ron’s organizational and technical skills were crucial in developing WSA’s mission and structure.

Ron served as an integral advisor to WSA, assisting in training and developing a unique relationship with concerned community leaders. Ron strongly believed that government alone could not solve our environmental problems. If we combined government resources with the enthusiasm of trained community leaders, we could create an army of empowered citizens. Ron was tireless in this effort, devoting countless hours that went far beyond his job description. He never said, “This is not my job.” He rolled up his sleeves and got directly involved in countless community projects. He truly became an environmental hero who was loved and respected by his professional colleagues and the residents of Anne Arundel County.

WSA initiated the Ron Bowen Environmental Legacy Award in 2018 as part of its 10th Anniversary Celebration. The intent is to honor the legacy of Ron’s contributions, which have lived on as a model of government leadership, and continues to be a critical foundation for the success of WSA. The Award will recognize and honor the efforts of an individual who comes from a local, state, or federal government agency or a non-profit organization. The purpose of the Award is to honor Ron and the awardee, and to encourage the continuation of Ron Bowen’s vision of agency and citizen partnership to make Anne Arundel County a cleaner and healthier place to live.

Read more about Ron’s impact here.

Past Recipients

2024 Honoree: Ginger Ellis

Environmental Planning Administrator for Anne Arundel County’s  Bureau of Watershed Protection and Restoration 

WSA is thrilled to honor WSA Co-founder and long time environmental leader, Ginger Klingelhoefer Ellis as this year’s Ron Bowen Environmental Legacy Award Honoree.  With over 30 years of experience in  natural resource management in the Chesapeake Bay region, Ginger has been the backbone of many initiatives to restore our local environment.  From co-chairing the Patuxent River Commission and leading Tributary Strategy Teams earlier in her career, to advising the County’s Stop POOlution pet waste campaign in recent months, Ginger’s  wise advice and strategic vision helps focus restoration efforts.  Her deft and steady leadership of numerous programs,  spanning decades,  has ensured that good ideas become reality.   While we think co-founding WSA is one of the best things she has done in her career, her contributions to environmental action extend far beyond WSA.     

“Ginger's environmental ethic, both personally and professionally, drives her to seek opportunities to heal, rehabilitate, and protect our natural resources. In her professional position, Ginger looks for opportunities where government can lead by example while empowering residents, NGOs, stewards, and other organizations to follow and expand on her lead,” said Janis Markusic, Program Manager for the Bureau of Watershed Protection and Restoration. “On the surface, Ginger's position as a County Planning Administrator may seem primarily administrative (as the name implies); however, she continually goes above and beyond in her leadership role and sets the environmental example for her staff by promoting environmental action from within, as well as via cooperation with County residents and our NGOs.” 

Thank you,  Ginger,  for decades of paving the way for environmental action that matters.  Your  tenacious work,often behind the scenes, is what has  made WSA  and so many other collaborations  between community and government efforts, successful.  You truly do embody Ron Bowen’s legacy of environmental action through resident and government partnership. 

2023 Honoree: KEN PENSYL

former Program manager for sediment, stormwater and dam safety divisions of Maryland Department of the environment

In over 40 years of service to the environmental field, Ken made incredible contributions to statewide stormwater regulations at the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) and at the local level here in Anne Arundel County. Ken helped usher a paradigm shift from collecting and conveying stormwater to holding and treating it in the landscape.

Ken also shared his expertise with WSA as a key instructor for our Stormwater Success Course and our Watershed Steward Certification Course. His enthusiastic explanations of stormwater ponds and engaging site tours were an important part of learning for hundreds of community leaders across the County.

It is with great pleasure and gratitude that we honor Ken Pensyl, posthumously, with the 2023 Ron Bowen Environmental Legacy Award.

Read more about Ken’s impact here.

2021:  Earl “Bud” Reaves

Anne Arundel County Forester

Thought of by so many as Anne Arundel County’s own Lorax, Bud  Reaves speaks for the trees and has spent the last decade plus helping Stewards speak for the trees in their own communities. Bud shares his passion for planting and protecting trees with Stewards and communities, empowering them to plant native species. With his knowledge of invasive plants and critical areas, Bud offers his expertise on a variety of Steward projects and trains community members to remove invasive species through the Anne Arundel Weed Resistance.

2020: Claudia Donegan

Director of the Center for Habitat Restoration and Conservation in DNR’s Chesapeake and Coastal Service

“Claudia’s reach and dedication to ecosystem restoration is felt far beyond the confines of DNR and WSA. She lives and breathes restoration and is tireless. Her environmental scientist expertise is conveyed in an enthusiastic way that connects with people of any age or environmental skill set. She embodies the Ron Bowen legacy of engaging citizens,” said Betsy Love, former Chair of the St. Luke's Environmental Committee and Master Watershed Steward.

2020: Kevin Smith

Executive Director of Maryland Coastal Bays Program.

“Kevin’s coach-style support was present throughout the entire [Berrywood] project such as permitting and construction including difficult gates to go thru with unfamiliar agencies such as Army Corp of Engineers. This unwavering support was key to our success,” said Bob Royer, member of the Berrywood Watershed Committee.

2019: Erik Michelsen

Administrator of the Watershed Protection and Restoration Program

"Not only does Erik help build infrastructure around the restoration movement in Anne Arundel County, but he helps connect the pieces to make the movement work on a large-scale. Erik has helped create many dedicated places where Stewards are able to find resources, funding, and are able to execute projects in their communities," said Kate Fritz, Executive Director of the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay and Master Watershed Steward. "Erik, much like Ron, continues to collaborate and coordinate work across the restoration movement in Anne Arundel County. Erik leaves a legacy of dedicated funding available at different scales of implementation, across Anne Arundel County, enabling a predictable future of action and implementation for cleaner water."