Suzanne Etgen
Executive Director
suzanne@aawsa.org | 443-871-0700
Suzanne Kilby Etgen (she/her) is the founding Executive Director of the Anne Arundel County Watershed Stewards Academy (WSA). Growing up on the shores of the South River, Suzanne has a deep love for local waterways. Now living on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, she spends as much time as she can on or near the water with her daughters, Rose and Caroline, and husband Rob. She is the recipient of the Green Heron Award (Severn River Association, 2009), Sierra Club Environmentalist of the Year (Anne Arundel County Chapter, 2010), Jan Hollmann Environmental Education Award (2011), the 2012 YWCA TWIN (Tribute to Women in Industry) Award, Above and Beyond Award (Maryland Water Monitoring Council 2019) and Spencer Ellis Award (Maryland Chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects 2020).
Suzanne holds a BS in Environmental Science and a MA in Religion and Ecology. Suzanne is also a trained Community Based Social Marketing Technical Assistance Provider, assisting Stewards and organizations in the development of campaigns to change polluting behaviors. In addition to founding and managing the Watershed Stewards Academy, she has participated in water quality monitoring efforts (chemical and macro invertebrate surveys), instructed restoration education programs, directed environmental summer camps, served as Arlington Echo’s apiarist (bee keeper) and instructed the low ropes team building instructor certification course.
Suzanne enjoys cooking, hiking, gardening, paddle boarding and her very large crazy family. In her off time, you can find her organizing family events or dreaming of being in Maine.
Favorite native plant: Serviceberry (Amelanchier canadensis) because of its many “stories”
Fun fact: Suzanne spent her 40th birthday sampling 40 different flavors of ice cream, and hosting an “iron chef” competition where 40 friends gathered to out-chef each other with the secret ingredient: Beets.
Terryl Acker-Carter
Community Engagement Specialist
terryl@aawsa.org | 301-458-6409
As the Community Engagement Specialist, Terryl (he/him) provides support for community outreach at WSA. He supports relations with faith-based and student/youth organizations throughout the county.
Terryl graduated in 2021 from Stevenson University with a BS in Environmental Science and a minor in Biology and was a Doris Duke Conservation Scholar with Yale University. Before joining WSA, he monitored bacteria levels at recreational beaches around the county with the Anne Arundel Health Department. As a Doris Duke scholar, Terryl created a municipality guide on green infrastructure and assisted community groups in Flint and Detroit with various lead testing programs.
In his free time, Terryl enjoys hiking, baking, and plant identification!
Favorite native plant: Flowering Dogwood (Cornus florida)
Fun fact: Terryl is the youngest in a set of triplets!
Sara Ballesteros
Development and COmmunications MANAGER
sara@aawsa.org | 301-541-3185
Sara (she/her) supports the WSA team with all things Development and Communications!
As a lifelong resident of Anne Arundel County, Sara has a passion for connecting people and resources within her community.
Sara graduated from Towson University in 2004 with a bachelor’s Degree in Mass Communications and Communication Studies. She then went on to work for Stevenson University’s President’s Office where she got to rub elbows with many celebrities while managing the Baltimore Speakers Series.
When Sara is not weeding (her therapy) or working on her TowerGarden, she is typically found paddle boarding on the Severn River or wrangling her kids. Sara lives in Millersville with her husband, four children and two cats.
Favorite native plant: It’s a toss-up - who can choose just one?
Little Bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium) & Butterfly Milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa L.)
Fun fact: Sara performed in the 1999 Pro Bowl halftime show with NSYNC in Hawaii.
Noelle Chao
Director of Education and Equity Initiatives
noelle@aawsa.org | 301-244-8804
Noelle (she/her) leads the Certification Course for Master Watershed Stewards, and works on programs strengthening WSA’s partnerships with neighborhoods, congregations, schools, and libraries. She mentors and supports Stewards on community projects, analyzes volunteer impact, and since 2020, has led WSA’s strategic goals for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice (DEIJ) .
A native of Los Angeles, Noelle has a PhD in English from UCLA, and spent more than a decade teaching literature courses at universities in California, New York, and Ohio before arriving in Annapolis with her family in 2013. Prior to joining WSA's team full time, she was an instructor at the United States Naval Academy.
Noelle enjoys hiking in regional parks with her family, and all things related to food. She's happiest when she finds ways to combine those two hobbies.
Favorite native plant: Bee Balm (Monarda didyma)
Fun fact: Noelle met her husband at a conference on British Romanticism in England's Lake District. She is a member of Master Watershed Steward Class 10, and a resident of Pines on the Severn, one of WSA's Clean Water Communities.
Trish Hennessy-Webb
Systems Administrator
trish@aawsa.org | 301-531-5615
As the part-time Systems Administrator for WSA, Trish (she/her) maintains the day to day financial processing, oversees payroll and the WSA eTapestry database for the organization.
Her background includes almost 20 years of Environmental Engineering and Project Management experience, including creating MS4 Watershed Management Plans, Site Plans, and working alongside EPA developing the Stormwater Phase II Rule. Over her professional career, she managed project budgets more than $5 million from various Federal State and Local Agencies. She holds both a BA in International Studies and a BS in Urban Systems Engineering. In 2009, while she was a Steward in Class 2, she stepped in to teach the WSA Certification Course while Suzanne was on maternity leave. Since that time, she has intermittently worked at the organization assisting WSA grow and thrive, and in 2015 Trish permanently joined the staff.
Since moving to Maryland in 2008, Trish is enjoying her semi-retirement by working on home renovations, reading, supporting local organizations, or spending her time with her family on the Chesapeake Bay.
Favorite native plant: Black eyed susan (Rudbeckia hirta)
Fun fact: My entire family enjoys cooking and our favorite thing to make is popovers.
Francesca King
Steward engagement MANAGER
francesca@aawsa.org | 301-259-1120
As WSA's Steward Engagement Manager, Francesca (she/her) gets to do her favorite things: connect with people and work towards a cleaner environment. Francesca evaluates and tracks Master Watershed Stewards' involvement and develops programs to support them, helping Stewards to maximize their impact and develop as leaders.
Prior to joining WSA, Francesca worked with the Chesapeake Bay Program's Diversity Workgroup, where she combined her extensive background in social inequity and her environmental career to advocate for equity and inclusion. She strives to bring this lens to every experience and interaction. Francesca holds a BS in Sociology & Social Inequalities from Appalachian State University in Boone, North Carolina.
Francesca grew up in Annapolis, and spent several years living and working away, including in New Zealand and London, before returning to her roots on the Chesapeake Bay.
Favorite native plant: Eastern Redbud (Cercis canadensis), the prettiest sight of spring!
Fun fact: Francesca is a citizen of three countries!
Jeffrey Popp
Director of Restoration
jeff@aawsa.org | 301-458-6537
As the Director of Restoration, Jeff (he/him) leads WSA’s innovative restoration programs including RePlant Anne Arundel/Annapolis, RePollinate Anne Arundel, and Stormwater Success, to improve the health of the county’s communities, greenspaces, and waterways. He enjoys helping community Stewards navigate and create successful, well-maintained restoration projects that benefit wildlife, water quality, and surrounding communities.
Before coming to the WSA, Jeff led several restoration programs for the Chesapeake Bay Trust focused on forestry, land conservation, and stormwater management throughout the Chesapeake Bay watershed. Prior to the Trust, Jeff was the Manager of Conservation Projects for the Wildlife Habitat Council where he combined his passion for wildlife and restoration to design and managed wildlife habitat restoration projects on corporate-owned lands. Jeff has also served as Co-Director of the Terrapin Institute since 2003, where he continues to apply his passion for wildlife, especially his favorite group of animals- reptiles and amphibians!
In his spare time, Jeff enjoys gardening, fishing, hunting, herping, checking out local breweries, good food, and spending time in the outdoors with friends and family.
Favorite native plant: Winterberry (Ilex verticillata)
Fun fact: Jeff was the editor of an educational children’s book focused on Diamondback Terrapins.
MANDI SORG
MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS COORDINATOR
MANDI@AAWSA.ORG | 301-202-4545
As the Marketing and Communications Coordinator for WSA, Mandi (she/her) develops and executes WSA’s marketing and communications to build WSA and environmental stewardship awareness in the Anne Arundel community.
Mandi graduated from the University of North Florida with a BA in Psychology and a minor in Anthropology. Her career began in business operations and management before transitioning to the world of marketing, and has worked in various industries including agribusiness, HR and payroll, and healthcare IT. Mandi is excited to merge her passion and skills to create meaningful, engaging content and enjoyable brand experiences that support WSA and the stewardship community.
In her free time, Mandi enjoys swimming, hiking, sailing, and freediving - really, anything that gets her moving outside!
Favorite native plant: Loves Swamp Rose Mallow (Hibiscus moscheutos) and Blue Wood Aster (Symphyotrichum cordifolium).
Fun fact: Mandi and her husband have sailed over 5,000nm together in the Atlantic Ocean.
Faith waaramaa
Restoration Coordinator
Faith@aawsa.org | 301-531-4088
Faith Waaramaa (she/her) is a 2023-24 Chesapeake Conservation and Climate Corps member, spending her year of service supporting WSA’s restoration and community engagement efforts. Faith graduated from Washington College in 2022 with a degree in environmental science and has recently worked as an educator at the Pickering Creek Audubon Center and visitor services intern at Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge. Faith will gain experience in outreach, program implementation, habitat restoration, and stormwater best management practices while facilitating WSA’s community-based projects. Faith is interested in combining her passions for community engagement and land conservation through working on projects that support equitable access to resilient outdoor spaces.
When not outside identifying wildlife, Faith enjoys spending her time listening to podcasts, collaging, and needle felting.
Favorite native plant: Tulip poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera)
Fun fact: Faith grew up in Melrose, Massachusetts with two pet frogs, Flipper and Kicker.
Lexi Yetley
Chesapeake Conservation and Climate Coprs
Lexi@aawsa.org | 301-327-4810
Lexi Yetley (she/her) is the 2024-2025 Chesapeake Conservation and Climate Corps member and is a recent graduate from the University of Maryland, College Park with a degree in Human Development. Lexi first gained experience in conservation during her internships supporting the education programs at the National Aquarium and at Assateague Island National Seashore. These experiences led her to spend a semester abroad in Tanzania where she studied wildlife conservation and political ecology. While abroad, she executed a study on the relationship between perceptions of wildlife and conservation engagement. Lexi looks forward to using her background in psychology and conservation to support WSA’s restoration, education, and community outreach efforts.
In her spare time, Lexi enjoys sewing, crafting, cooking, and gaming.
Favorite native plant: Turk's-cap lily (Lilium superbum)
Fun fact: Lexi has proficient language skills in Swahili.