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March 2021

Mar 24
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Women’s History Month at the Chesapeake Bay Trust

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Women’s History Month at the Chesapeake Bay Trust: Jana Davis

Let our female leaders tell you their stories!

 

When the Chesapeake Bay Trust was created in 1985, our goal was to help improve the watersheds of the Chesapeake Bay, the Maryland Coastal Bays and the Youghiogheny River. Part of this mission involves fostering the inclusion of individuals and groups from diverse backgrounds, including women. This year for Women’s History Month, we would like you to take a look at three women at the Trust who are leading in environmental work. Today, we will focus on Jana Davis, Executive Director at the Trust.

Dr. Jana Davis, Executive Director at the Chesapeake Bay Trust

1) Can you tell me a little about yourself and what your role is at the Trust?

Jana: I am the director at the Trust, and I love it because it’s the perfect combination of two elements of my background: science and policy/management.  My role at the Trust is really to support all the work that our amazing team members do; figure out a way to do it more easily, more efficiently, and better when possible; and determine whether there is some other direction we can/should go.  The Trust has an incredible mission and such a unique and wonderful role in the community.  We are a non-advocacy, independent, trusted entity that provides resources to groups to get amazing work done, which I love – the idea of helping other people get their goals accomplished – and that steps in to solve some key conundrums that others can’t. 

2) What inspired you to become involved in Environmental work?

Jana: What inspired me was my love of natural resources like the ocean and bays and marshes and my love of being outdoors, and seeing what happens to certain parts of our outdoors.  I don’t admit this too often, because I’m a proud Marylander now, but I did grow up on the Jersey shore during the era the Jersey shore because somewhat infamous for medical waste washing up on beaches.  I think I just saw a late-night TV joke on this topic, so while the situation has much improved, it’s still on people’s minds.  It crushed my heart to go out to beautiful spots like the back trails in the Sandy Hook Gateways National Recreation area – these secret spots that when I was a kid I thought were “mine” – and see trash there.  Later, I became a scientist (oceanography), and it seemed only natural to combine my love of the outdoors with my love of science – which to me is more about question asking and problem-solving than memorizing, say, part of a cell – to become part of the environmental management community.

 3) What advice would you give a woman who wanted to pursue a career similar to yours?

Jana: Work hard, be smart, and never be afraid of anything! 

 4) What barriers have you faced as a female leader?

Jana: I know that many women have faced significant barriers to accomplish their goals, and obviously barriers still exist when we look at things like CEO demographics and the fact that we still haven’t had a female President of the United States.  However, I have been very lucky in that I have been very supported along the way by people of all genders, or else worked so hard or was so blind to the barrier that I got my way anyway.  I am the first female Executive Director of the Trust, and at the time, people made a few comments, but by the time I realized that fact, I had already gotten the job!   Interestingly, at the time, the Trust had its first-ever female Chair of the Board of Trustees also.

5) What do you think are the qualities of a great leader?

Jana: Hard work, great vision, ability to get back up when knocked down, empathy.

6) Who is a woman that inspires you now or in the past? How have you used their lessons in your growth?

Jana: I’m going to name two women:  One who for me represents all the women over the centuries who have played a historically downplayed role in so many great human discoveries, and one who directly helped me in my career.   The first is Katherine Johnson (and her colleagues), made famous in the book and movie Hidden Figures, though of course she and her colleagues were famous in certain circles long before that.  Katherine Johnson of course was one of the “computers” who worked at NASA in the 1950s and 60s and who were responsible for so many missions and calculations behind them, most notably the one that put a human on the moon and the backbone of our current GPS system.  To me, she represents all the women on whose shoulders so many great discovers stand, but who in the past have not gotten their due in the history books, such as Marie Curie, Catharine Littlefield Greene, Barbara McClintock, Grace Murray Hopper, Marie Maynard Daly, Maria Mitchell, Flossie Wong-Staal, etc.  My graduate school advisor, Dr. Lisa Levin, was personally a huge inspiration.  She works so hard, excels in her field, and never complains.  She was a huge inspiration to me when I was a graduate student.

Thank you for celebrating Women’s History Month with the Trust! We encourage you to look at women in your life who have influenced you and thank them for their inspiration.

Mar 17
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Women’s History Month at the Chesapeake Bay Trust

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Women’s History Month at the Chesapeake Bay Trust: Kacey Wetzel

Let our female leaders tell you their stories!

 

When the Chesapeake Bay Trust was created in 1985, our goal was to help improve the watersheds of the Chesapeake Bay, the Maryland Coastal Bays and the Youghiogheny River. Part of this mission involves fostering the inclusion of individuals and groups from diverse backgrounds, including women. This year for Women’s History Month, we would like you to take a look at three women at the Trust who are leading in environmental work. Today, we will focus on Kacey Wetzel, Director of Programs for Outreach & Education.

Kacey Wetzel, Director of Programs for Outreach & Education

1) Can you tell me a little about yourself and what your role is at the Trust?

Kacey: I was born and raised in Maryland and have a longstanding love for the Chesapeake Bay and water generally. While I have lived in a few places, I came back to the Chesapeake region in 2006 and joined the Trust staff in 2007. I am the Director of Outreach and Education here at the Trust and I work with an amazing team of folks who care deeply about environmental and community well-being.

2) What inspired you to become involved in Environmental work?

Kacey: I had a wonderful teacher named Mrs. Ginger in middle school who organized an essay contest to select students to participate in an immersive multi-day environmental education experience. While I didn’t know it at the time, I was participating in a Meaningful Watershed Education Experience (or what we affectionately refer to as a MWEE). At some point over the course of several days, while listening to geese overhead, smelling the brackish water, and walking through sandy beaches and black needle rush, I fell in love. That experience and the incredible passion of my teacher Mrs. Ginger set the course for my academic pursuits and my career.

3) What advice would you give a woman who wanted to pursue a career similar to yours?

Kacey: There are so many on-ramps to environmental careers now, so I don’t think you need to have an academic background in environmental science to find your niche in the environmental movement. If you feel passionate about something, however small it may be, that is likely your calling and is likely your best entry point into an environmentally oriented career. I know so many amazing women that have found their way into environmental careers by starting with simple questions: How can I reduce my waste? How can I improve my health? How can I help my community? Why is that incinerator being built here? How come the water is brown? So I think the best advice I can give a woman who wants to pursue an environmental career is to stay curious and listen to your inner voice. It may sound like a whisper but it will likely guide you in the right direction.

4) What barriers have you faced as a female leader?

Kacey: While I have personally encountered and still continue to encounter ageism and misogyny within the environmental movement, I know that I am privileged because I identify as a cis-gender white woman. As a cis-gender white woman, I recognize that I only have a white, heterosexual female frame of reference and that my experience is not the experience of my colleagues who may identify as transgender, black, indigenous, or people of color. I also recognize that as a cis-gender white woman it is important for me to listen to those who identify as transgender and/or people of color, hear their perspectives and seek to understand how I can help to break down barriers faced by my colleagues.

5) What do you think are the qualities of a great leader?

Kacey: I think the ability to hold space for others’ viewpoints and to avoid binary thinking is critical. This is going to sound very Brene Brown, but I think great leaders maintain clear values and are emotionally courageous (willing to be vulnerable). I respect leaders that genuinely care about others, stay curious, and operate from self-awareness, not self-protection.

6) Who is a woman that inspires you now or in the past? How have you used their lessons in your growth?

Kacey: I am so lucky to have so many wonderful women that inspire me every day. If I have to pick just one though, I will always pick my mom. My mom experienced a lot of trauma in her life, but she was always clear about her values. She valued integrity, kindness, and compassion, and her values were her guiding light. Despite a lot of hardship and darkness, she made sure to instill those values in us (my brother and I). She always said you should ‘fight for the underdog’. I miss my mom a lot but she is still a guiding light for me every day.

Thank you for celebrating Women’s History Month with the Trust! We encourage you to look at women in your life who have influenced you and thank them for their inspiration.

Mar 10
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Women’s History Month at the Chesapeake Bay Trust

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Women’s History Month at the Chesapeake Bay Trust: Sadie Drescher

Let our female leaders tell you their stories!

 

When the Chesapeake Bay Trust was created in 1985, our goal was to help improve the watersheds of the Chesapeake Bay, the Maryland Coastal Bays and the Youghiogheny River. Part of this mission involves fostering the inclusion of individuals and groups from diverse backgrounds, including women. This year for Women’s History Month, we would like you to take a look at three women at the Trust who are leading in environmental work. Today, we will focus on Sadie Drescher, Director of Programs for Restoration.

Sadie Drescher, Director of Programs for Restoration

1) Can you tell me a little about yourself and what your role is at the Trust?

Sadie: I have worked in the environmental field for over twenty years from my beginnings in the laboratory and field to “behind the desk” to manage the Trust’s restoration programs. I love my job. My favorite thing to do is to connect people, ideas, and resources and that is a big part of working at the Trust.

2) What inspired you to become involved in Environmental work?

Sadie: Growing up in rural eastern Tennessee on well water and using a septic system made me very aware of the importance of clean drinking water and water conservation. I also loved going on hikes with my family. These hikes are where I started to love and appreciate nature. These early experiences shaped my appreciation for the environmental field. I have always been interested in water. In fact, my middle name is “Rain.”

3) What advice would you give a woman who wanted to pursue a career similar to yours?

Sadie: Go for it! There is nothing holding you back. Always look for mentors to give you feedback. Ask questions and learn from the many mistakes/obstacles you will encounter.

4) What barriers have you faced as a female leader?

Sadie: I would not label myself as a “leader” but that is a kind sentiment. I am always learning so sometimes I am leading but most often I am learning from others. As far as barriers I have encountered – there have been too many to count and with hard work, I believe that any barrier can be overcome.

5) What do you think are the qualities of a great leader?

Sadie: This is a great question. Leaders hold others up and help them grow. Leaders hold us accountable for the quality of our work, our actions, and our words. Leaders have empathy and curiosity.

6) Who is a woman that inspires you now or in the past? How have you used their lessons in your growth?

Sadie: My aunt Sandy has always inspired me for her strength, compassion, honesty, and humor. Sandy is a Mennonite preacher in Pennsylvania with a background in social work who pushes the envelope as a woman in this position (people left her congregation when she became pastor just because she was a woman) and she supports progressive social positions that are not always popular in her circles. In summary, she is her own person and charges her own path which I greatly admire.

Thank you for celebrating Women’s History Month with the Trust! We encourage you to look at women in your life who have influenced you and thank them for their inspiration.

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