2022 Board of Directors

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 Nora moved to the north-eastern part of the NWB in 2021. In the short amount of time she's lived here, she has already seen the tremendous impact of stormwater erosion, trash, and non-native invasives on the tributaries in the neighborhood. She has a varied background that includes science, education, and entrepreneurship. She is continuing to learn about composting, native plants, and wildlife habitats. Nora hopes to empower neighbors to improve our waterway from their own backyards 

Matt has lived in the Northwest Branch watershed since 2007, and is excited to join NNWB and help steward the waterways, woodlands, and other natural surroundings that make our region so special.  He is a non-profit fundraiser, manager, and educator, and has worked in environmental and adventure education, community beautification, habitat restoration, conservation, and has taught on educational boats on the Anacostia and Potomac Rivers.  He and his wife (an environmental science teacher) love to take their daughters hiking and exploring across the watershed..

 Kem has lived on the middle section of the Northwest Branch for 30 years. Her two children spent a lot of time in the woods and near the river and one became an ecologist/botanist. She has often hauled trash up from the riverbanks and would like to raise people’s awareness as to how much trash and lawn fertilizer ends up in the river. She recently joined the Anacostia Riverkeepers volunteer program to help monitor water quality. She joined the NNWB Board in 2020 and serves as Secretary. She enjoys hiking, swimming, travel, and being in and learning about nature.  

Anne has lived in the Middle Section of the Northwest Branch watershed since 1970. She served as President, Vice President, and Advocacy Chair of NNWB  off and on from 2008 to the present.  She enjoys hiking and advocating for clean water and clean energy. She has been participating in the Anacostia Riverkeeper water monitoring program. She looks forward to a new wave of residents interested in stewardship of this precious stream valley.   Anne steps down as president but continues to maintain the website.

 Kristin lives along the section of the Northwest Branch just south of the Beltway; she is relatively new to the area, having moved there from New York in 2014. In 2017, she joined the Neighbors of the Northwest Branch to help promote the everyday actions citizens can take to preserve the watershed, such as cleaning up portions of the river and cataloging the wildlife they encounter.    She is a current board member.

Michael is a relatively new inhabitant of the Northwest Branch watershed, having moved to the area from Missouri a few years ago. He is working on his Ph.D. in nineteenth-century American literature. His particular focus is on the way American literature of that time portrayed the natural world, including how it grappled with growing ecological awareness and what that awareness meant for humankind’s understanding of its own place in the world. He hopes to help the Neighbors of the Northwest Branch expand its clean-up efforts and increase its educational outreach to those living in the watershed.  He is a current board member.

James lives in the Middle Section of the Northwest Branch watershed. He has led cleanups on the Northwest Branch since 2007, at both Burnt Mills and in W. Hyattsville, bringing the power of Boy Scouts to bear on the problem of trash and introducing them to the importance of keeping our waterways clean. He was elected to the NNWB Board in 2009 and served several years as president. James brings experience and outreach ideas from his work at Amnesty International and would like to see NNWB greatly expand its outreach efforts. James currently serves as Vice President.

 Rebecca has lived in Woodmoor since 2014, choosing the neighborhood  because of its proximity to the dynamic natural beauty of the NW Branch.  She, her husband, their two nature-loving boys and dog walk almost  daily on the trails, appreciating the belted kingfishers, spicebushes,  sycamores, and moss-covered boulders immensely. Rebecca is a Maryland  Master Naturalist and currently works part-time helping to run the  bookshop at Audubon Naturalist Society and as an independent climate risk researcher.   Rebecca is leading the effort to create the Springsong Museum at Burnt Mills. She is a current board member.

 Julie grew up in the Anacostia watershed. She has fallen in love with  the beautiful plants and animals native to the region and hopes to  protect them for others to enjoy for years to come. Julie was trained as  an environmental engineer and currently works in clean energy  development. She's excited to take more local action to preserve our  precious planet. She is a current board member.

Melissa lives in the lower Northwest Branch and is grateful to be near such a beautiful, peaceful place. She has enjoyed running and biking along the NWB, its tributaries and the Anacostia since moving to the area in 2015. Melissa aims to increase community involvement in protecting and restoring the watershed and has led and participated in cleanups, in addition to collecting litter on a regular basis, and advocating for surrounding parks and trails. She works in international development..

 Ben has enjoyed biking, hiking, spotting wildlife and coordinating  cleanups along the Northwest Branch since moving to the area in 2013.  When he's not in the woods or near the water, he works as an IT Analyst  for Peace Corps. He hopes to help grow environmental stewardship in the  lower NWB, especially in and around Hyattsville, where he serves on the  City Council. He loves how the beautiful river and its adjoining trails  and parks bring people from all walks of life together to enjoy the  outdoors.  He is current board member.