Annapolis, MD – Chesapeake Conservancy President and CEO Joel Dunn issued this statement regarding the announcement that Wendy O’Sullivan has been named the new superintendent of the National Park Service (NPS) Chesapeake Bay Office.

Chesapeake Conservancy is the principal partner to NPS on the Chesapeake Bay Gateways (Gateways) program and supports NPS with their responsibilities for five of the 2014 Chesapeake Bay Agreement goals, including: land conservation, public access, stewardship, diversity and education.

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Since it was established by Congress in 1998, the Gateways program has enabled the NPS Chesapeake Bay Office to provide approximately $22 million in financial and technical assistance for more than 360 projects in communities across the watershed, improving Bay access and fueling our thriving outdoor recreation economy.

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“The Chesapeake Conservancy is thrilled by the selection of Wendy O’Sullivan, a national NPS leader in partnerships and community engagement with a background in marine policy. We look forward to this next chapter and continuing to strengthen our collaboration with the National Park Service now with Wendy’s leadership. Anyone familiar with conservation work in the Chesapeake knows that the most successful outcomes are those reached through partnership and collaboration.

“We are grateful for Wendy’s expertise and experience leading high profile programs and partnerships including her current role as the associate regional director for Partnerships, Visitor Experience, and Outdoor Recreation for the National Capital Region in Washington, D.C. There, she oversees six regional programs and a $3.8 million budget.

"In fact, Wendy’s DC portfolio includes a huge part of our partnership mission in the Chesapeake – forming strategic partnerships, creating meaningful experiences for visitors to fall in love with the Bay, providing conservation assistance to local communities, engaging youth in stewardship of the Bay and its watershed and supporting the watershed’s economy through outdoor recreation.

“We are confident that we will build upon our current achievements and continue to make great strides together as we work to restore the health of the Chesapeake Bay."

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