A native of Annapolis, Jody Hedeman Couser oversees the Conservancy’s public and media relations.

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Previously, Couser was principal of River Bay Communications, LLC and press secretary for a Maryland gubernatorial candidate. She served on the cabinet for Anne Arundel County Executive Janet S. Owens as director of communications, as public information officer for the American Medical Association (AMA), director of communications and development for the National Association of Police Organizations (NAPO) and as production manager at The Kamber Group.

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She has a bachelor’s degree in political science from Roanoke College and a master’s degree in political management from The George Washington University. She recently served as co-chair of the Maryland Commission for Climate Change Education, Communication and Outreach Work Group.

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Couser lives in Annapolis with her husband and two daughters, Labrador retriever and Caribbean potcake rescue dog. She enjoys traveling, boating on the Chesapeake Bay and has a knack for finding arrowheads. For the past four years, Couser has been on a quest to visit every beach in the Chesapeake Bay watershed. Follow her adventures on her website, Chesapeake Beaches.