Annapolis, MD – Today, Chesapeake Conservancy, a nonprofit based in Annapolis, Maryland, announced that Matthew Earl, Colin Harrington and Beattra Wilson have been elected to the organization’s board of directors.

“On behalf of the board, I am pleased to welcome these three new members, each of whom brings a wealth of experience and a passion for the Chesapeake Bay. Their expertise will strengthen the Chesapeake Conservancy as we inspire new conservationists to restore the health of the Bay and work with partners to conserve 30% of the Chesapeake’s lands by 2030,” said Chesapeake Conservancy Board Chair Randall Larrimore.

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Matthew “Matt” Earl is the owner/operator of three World of Beer restaurants in Maryland.  Prior to becoming a restauranteur, he was an associate professor in the Radiation Oncology Department at the University of Maryland School of Medicine (2000-2013), where he oversaw the technical operations of the Radiation Oncology program at Baltimore Washington Medical Center. During his time there, Matt authored and co-authored numerous journal articles, was the director of the Dosimetry Education Program, and authored two patents.

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Since 2018, Matt has served on the board of directors of the Anne Arundel Arts Council as co-chair of the Grants Committee and member of the Arts in Education Committee.  He has also been a member of the Physics Advisory Council for the Physics and Astronomy Department at the Johns Hopkins University and the board of trustees for Baldwin Memorial United Methodist Church.

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Matt earned a B.A. in physics from Johns Hopkins University in 1994 and a PhD in physics from Boston University in 2000. In his spare time, Matt enjoys exercising, playing golf, cooking and traveling.

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Colin Harrington is the CEO of Zephyr Energy plc, a London-based energy company focused on bringing environmentally responsible development practices to the natural resource sector. Prior to that, he served as CEO of Wellford Capital Markets, an investment banking firm which specialized in providing acceleration capital for clean energy growth companies. Over his 25-year-career in the investment markets, he has worked on projects ranging from carbon capture to compressed air energy storage and has arranged or managed over $2 billion of equity investment in the energy sector.

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Colin is passionate about land and watershed conservation and has been involved with preservation efforts in both Colorado and Maryland. He holds an M.B.A. from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, a B.A. from Colby College, was a Hansard Scholar at the London School of Economics, and is an alumnus of the National Outdoor School of Leadership (NOLS). At present, he also serves on the board of trustees and is chairman of the Investment Committee at The Key School, a non-profit PK-12 independent school in Maryland.

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A native of Annapolis, Maryland, Colin enjoys skiing, sailing, and any watersport that involves paddles or oars. He lives by the South River with his wife and two young children, on land shared with an energetic yellow Lab, a handful of pet chickens and countless oysters suspended from the dock.

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Beattra Wilson is a diversity strategist and urban forester. She is founder and managing director of IDEATION308, a diversity and inclusion consulting firm that provides workforce inclusion solutions and community engagement strategies. Beattra has a 20-year public service career and currently leads urban and community forestry at the U.S. Forest Service—overseeing assistance to more than 7,500 communities annually. She has completed leadership assignments to the White House Council on Environmental Quality and Office of Management and Budget and led departmental outreach and customer experience committees for the Office of the Secretary at USDA.

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Beattra mentors students in urban forestry and agricultural degree programs and serves as a strategic adviser on recruitment and retention programs at historically black colleges and land grant universities. Beattra knows first-hand the importance of representation and engagement when seeking environmental justice and sustaining our natural resources for everyone to enjoy. As a contributing writer for AGDAILY, she focuses on racial justice and equity in agriculture and rural America.

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Beattra has received several awards throughout her career, including the USDA Secretary of Agriculture Award and Society of Municipal Arborists’ President’s Award, and was named to her alma mater’s inaugural Forty Under Forty Cohort. She has a B.S. in urban forestry from Southern University and an M.P.A. from Kennesaw State University. Beattra lives in Upper Marlboro, Maryland, and enjoys biking neighborhood trails with her husband and two children.