CBMM Board of Governors

As the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum’s governing board, the Board of Governors is tasked with supporting CBMM’s mission and advancing its values of relevancy, authenticity, and stewardship.

CBMM Board of Governors, FY2024

Craig Fuller

Craig Fuller arrived in Washington, D.C., from California with the Reagan Administration in 1981. He served eight years in the White House, first as Assistant to President Reagan for Cabinet Affairs before becoming Chief of Staff to Vice President George H.W. Bush during the second term of the administration. He co-chaired the President Bush Transition and then entered the private sector in Washington, leading public affairs consulting firms and associations, and serving as an officer of a major consumer packaged goods company.

He finished his full-time career serving as the president and CEO of the 400,000 member Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, combining a lifetime of flying as a private pilot and his knowledge of Washington. Upon his retirement from AOPA, he returned to The Fuller Company, a strategic consulting group he organized when he initially left government in 1989.

His business interests remain focused on aviation through board service on two private companies and with time spent focusing on a film production company formed in California by his stepson.

An active sailor most of his life, Craig’s sailing activities include time in Northern and Southern California, the Chesapeake Bay and the Caribbean. For a time, he became involved with America’s Cup racing, helping to fund the programs of One Australia and America One. Currently, he is an active power boater with a 2017 Ranger Tug. He is a member of the Chesapeake Bay Yacht Club and the Poplar Island Yacht Club.

In addition to serving on the CBMM board, Fuller is a member of the board of the Academy Art Museum and The Benedictine School. He and his wife, Diane Terpeluk, live in Easton and enjoy boating and photography as well as three dogs at their home on Trippe Creek.

Vice Chair

Anne E. Mickey

Anne Mickey is a maritime attorney who recently retired from Cozen O’Connor’s Washington, D.C. office, where she regularly advised foreign and U.S. companies on ship financing and transactional matters. Her background includes issues concerning cabotage laws, leases, charters, equipment acquisition, vessel construction, and citizenship. She represented clients before the Maritime Administration, U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Department of Defense, and other agencies.

Mickey earned her undergraduate degree from Smith College in 1973, and her law degree from George Washington University Law School in 1976. She was ranked by Chambers & Partners USA nationwide in shipping regulatory and shipping finance. She and her husband, Frank, have enjoyed the Eastern Shore and all that it offers for years and now reside in Royal Oak, Md.

Treasurer

Richard J. Johnson

Rick Johnson is currently the lead independent Director for Morgan Stanley Banks. After 11 years of employment, he retired in 2013 as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of PNC Financial Services Group located in Pittsburgh, Pa. Johnson’s career in banking began in 1984 with JP Morgan Chase. He spent 18 years with J.P. Morgan Chase with stays in New York City, London, and Delaware.

Johnson started his professional employment with a six-year stay at Coopers & Lybrand (currently PWC) in public accounting. He and his wife, Laurie, have a home in St. Michaels.

Secretary

Nancy O. Appleby

Nancy O. Appleby retired as Special Counsel to America Online in 2002, having worked previously as the Vice President & Deputy General Counsel for Systems Center, Inc., and as Associate General Counsel for Booz Allen Hamilton. She is a former president and member of the Board of Directors of the Washington Metropolitan Area Corporate Counsel Association; served for two terms and as secretary on the board of the Academy Art Museum in Easton, Md.; and is a past board member and past president of the Board of Directors of Hillwood Estate, Museum and Gardens in Washington, D.C.

Appleby volunteered in the independent school arena, serving as chair of the Parent Association of The Langley School in McLean, Va., and secretary and member of the Board of Directors of The Parents Council of Washington. She also served as board member and secretary of St. Andrews Episcopal School in Potomac, Md., and on the Parents Advisory Council of Kenyon College in Gambier, Ohio.

Appleby received a Bachelor of Arts with honors from Furman University in Greenville, S.C., and a J.D. with honors from The George Washington University Law School. She is married to CG Appleby, an Emeriti member of CBMM’s Board, and they have one daughter, Christine.

Richard J. Bodorff

Richard J. Bodorff is the immediate past chair of CBMM’s Board of Governors on which he has served for more than 10 years.

He is currently the Vice Chairman of the Maryland Public Broadcasting Commission, which operates the state’s six PBS TV affiliates and related digital platforms, and Chairman of the Board of the MPT Foundation, which supports those operations. Bodorff served previously as the chairman of the boards of the YMCA of the Chesapeake, the Academy Art Museum, and Commonwealth Public Broadcasting Corporation in Richmond, Va. He has served on the boards of the Broadcasters Foundation of America, Denison University, America’s Public Television Stations, and the Pickering Creek Audubon Center.

Bodorff and his wife, Ellen, cruise the Chesapeake on a Sabre 38, following nearly three decades as sailors. He is currently Rear Commodore of the Chesapeake Bay Yacht Club, and a past commodore of the Poplar Island Yacht Club.

Dr. Michael Chiarappa

Dr. Michael Chiarappa is a Research Professor of Chesapeake Regional Studies, and Director of Cultural and Natural Resource Initiatives in the Center for Environmental Studies (CES) at Washington College. He has held previous positions at Quinnipiac University, Western Michigan University, and Laval University.

Dr. Chiarappa’s research, teaching, public programming, and civic engagement focus on the history of America’s built environments and landscapes, American environmental history, American maritime history, and the wider field of material culture studies. He also specializes in public history and has taught courses in historic preservation, maritime preservation, documentation methods, and cultural resource management. Through this work he has conducted numerous field schools and outreach projects, in the Middle Atlantic, New England, Chesapeake and Great Lakes regions, and in Canada and the Pacific Islands. Michael is a graduate of the Munson Institute of American Maritime Studies and a former member of the Board of Directors of the Vernacular Architecture Forum. He currently co-edits Buildings and Landscapes: The Journal of the Vernacular Architecture Forum.

Dr. Chiarappa has worked extensively with a variety of museums, government agencies and environmental organizations, including the Smithsonian Institution and the National Park Service. He serves as Historian-in-Residence at the Bayshore Center in Port Norris, New Jersey and is a member of the New Jersey State Review Board for Historic Sites.

He conceptualized Washington College’s Chesapeake Semester program—later developed by CBMM Board alumnus John Seidel—an interdisciplinary study of the Chesapeake Bay, and one which CBMM is engaged in.

Dr. Chiarappa holds a BA from Ursinus College, and an MA and PhD from the University of Pennsylvania. He and his partner Liz Watson live in Chestertown, Md.

Mike Cottingham

Mike Cottingham is the President of Rommel Chesapeake, Inc. in Fruitland, Md. He is a graduate of Western Maryland College—now McDaniel College—where he earned a BA in Economics and Sociology, and he later earned an MBA from Duke University.

Cottingham first discovered CBMM in 1991, when he and his family moved to Talbot County. He and his wife were searching for a fun place to take their children, and soon discovered that CBMM was also a great location for adults. Thus began his love affair with CBMM.

Cottingham got involved as a way to “pay it forward” to CBMM, which he says has brought him and his family much enrichment and joy over the years. He has fond memories, for example, of attending a Lighthouse Overnight Adventure with his son. Additionally, CBMM’s previous exhibition on ferrying on the Chesapeake Bay has always stayed with Mike for its ability to take guests back to a time before the completion of the Bay Bridge.

As a member of the Board, Cottingham brings his experience as a longtime Talbot County resident and ability to contribute a business perspective to CBMM’s strategic planning. His favorite activity on the Bay is kayaking and biking in the Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge with his family.

Leonard W. (Jay) Dayton Jr.

Leonard W. (Jay) Dayton Jr. was born and raised on the Eastern Shore of Maryland before attending the University of Maryland, College Park. He has spent ten years in the marine industry, building and maintaining yachts and vessels of all sizes and types. He has worked with the James B. Richardson Boatyard, Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum, Crockett Brothers Boatyard, and Dickerson Boatbuilders. He has been in the insurance business for 37 years specializing in commercial marine insurance with ISG International and Avon Dixon, and Alera Group Agency, LLC.

Dayton’s other niches include insuring seafood processors and wholesalers, contractors, and light manufacturing with a business designation of CIC (Certified Insurance Counselor). His primary centers of influence are the Waterfowl Festival, Inc. in Easton, Tred Avon Yacht Club in Oxford, Marine Trades Association of Maryland in Annapolis, U.S. Superyacht Association in Ft. Lauderdale, Shields Class Sailing Association in Marion, Mass., and the Shields Class Foundation in Oxford.

As someone who grew up on the Eastern Shore, Dayton has always enjoyed sailing, hunting, and fishing. He currently resides in Oxford, Md. He has served on the boards of the Waterfowl Festival, Chesapeake Wildlife Heritage, Nature Conservancy, Adkins Arboretum, Ducks Unlimited, Cambridge Yacht Club, Tred Avon Yacht Club, Chesapeake Bay Yacht Club, Tidewater VA Marine Trades Association, Rhode Island Marine Trades Association, US Superyacht Association, and the Shields Class Association.

June Langston DeHart

June Langston DeHart is a partner in the national law firm of Manatt, Phelps and Phillips, LLP’s Washington, D.C., office. DeHart previously served as Managing Partner of the firm’s D.C. office and as Co-Chair of its Federal Government Practice Group. She also served on the firm’s Management, Finance, Intake, Women’s Initiative, and Associate Review committees. DeHart represents a variety of corporate, non-profit, city and local, and foreign clients on a variety of policy issues, with particular expertise in transportation and infrastructure, appropriations, and energy and related tax.

Before joining Manatt, DeHart was Chief Counsel to the Subcommittee on Nuclear Proliferation and Government Processes for the U.S. Senate Governmental Affairs Committee and was Legislative/Legal Counsel to U.S. Senator Thad Cochran of Mississippi, specializing in energy, judiciary, international trade, and other issues.

DeHart serves on several non-profit boards. She is Vice Chair of the Board of the International Foundation of Electoral Systems (IFES), where she also serves on the Budget Committee, and is Vice President and on the Audit and Personnel committees of the Board of the OAS Trust for the Americas. Her past board service includes The Advocacy Group (past president); the International Women’s Forum, DC Chapter (past president); the National Capital Area Council of the Boy Scouts of America; the Center for International Private Enterprise; and the Association of Women in International Trade (past president). In 2017, she was selected for and participated in the Harvard Business School’s Women on Boards, an executive leadership program.

DeHart graduated in 1981 from Mississippi College School of Law, J.D., with distinction; and in 1974 from Millsaps College, B.S., Political Science, with honors. She and her husband, Dan (a member of CBMM’s Shipyard Committee), live in Alexandria, Va., and Oxford, Md.

Andrea Dynes

Andrea Fekkes Dynes is the Staff Vice President, International Trade & Compliance for General Dynamics (GD) Corporation and has worked at GD since 2004. In this role, she navigates complex and fluid regulatory and geopolitical environments and oversees GD’s enterprise risk management relating to international trade. She leads the corporate International Trade & Compliance Department, which oversees GD’s international trade compliance program and supports business worldwide, and is responsible for governance, budget, human capital management and continuous improvement. Prior to this role, for 15 years she served as the Staff Vice President and Associate General Counsel at GD, supporting the company’s international corporate and compliance matters.

She is recognized as a diplomatic change agent and serves as the Chair of the Defense Trade Advisory Group, a federal advisory committee to the U.S. Department of State. She also serves on several non-profit organizations relating to global and community betterment, with a focus on philanthropy, diplomatic relations, education, and material assistance to individuals experiencing poverty or homelessness. Prior to joining GD, she served as a lawyer with Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP (Of Counsel), Graham & James LLP (Associate), and the U.S. Department of Commerce (Attorney-Advisor).

Dynes has a BA in Criminal Justice from Indiana University, and a JD from The American University’s Washington College of Law in Washington, D.C. She has lived in historic Alexandria, Va., since the mid-1980s, is the parent of two adult children, and has been a resident of Talbot County since 2016.

Duane H. Ekedahl

Duane H. Ekedahl worked for many years with Smith Bucklin & Associates, the nation’s leading association management company, before retiring in 2015. With Smith Bucklin, he was executive director of the Pet Food Institute, and president of the Regional Airline Association. For 15 years, Ekedahl was vice chair and head of Smith Bucklin’s Washington office, and later served as chair of the firm for three years.

Ekedahl’s community service includes nine years as chair of the board for the Columbia Lighthouse for the Blind, as a member of the steering committee for the George Washington University School of Business & Public Policy, and as a member of the Library Board of American University. He served in the United States Air Force for two years, and he holds an MBA from Harvard University and a Bachelor of Science in chemistry from Rutgers University.

He and his wife, Sharon, have homes in both Washington, D.C., and Bozman. Sharon Ekedahl previously worked as an executive for an international staffing company and has served on CBMM’s Boating Party Committee.

Douglas M. Fears

Douglas M. Fears served as the eighth Homeland Security and Counterterrorism Advisor to the President, and also as Acting Deputy National Security Advisor for a concurrent four-month period, during which he developed and implemented over two dozen strategies and policies, and led dozens of key decision-making forums to address complex homeland and national security challenges.

During his tenure, Fears oversaw the Federal Response and Recovery efforts to one of the most devastating hurricane, wildfire, tornado, and volcano disaster seasons in U.S. history. Through his 40-year Coast Guard career, he has served as an operator, program manager, policymaker, strategist and national security decision-maker leading efforts to manage risk to the nation at the tactical, operational and strategic levels.

Fears was a ship driver in the U.S. Coast Guard having served in eight Coast Guard and Navy ships, including as Commanding Officer in the cutters Hamilton, Diligence, and Sitkinak. Other assignments included Assistant Commandant for Response Policy, Atlantic Area Chief of Staff, Chief of Law Enforcement, Program Reviewer in the Office of Budget and Programs, Liaison to the U.S. House of Representatives and the Thirteenth District Aide to the Commander and Command Center Controller. He retired from the Coast Guard in 2022 as a Rear Admiral.

Fears is Chief Operating Officer at Artis International, which specializes in integrating artificial intelligence and behavioral science. Additionally, he serves on the Board of Directors for Black Mountain Investment Company and is a Senior Advisor to the Center for Strategic and International Studies, The Chertoff Group, and Disaster Tech. He is a member of The Vandenberg Coalition’s Advisory Board, a Senior Mentor in FEMA’s Vanguard program for executive development and a Life Member of the Council on Foreign Relations and the U.S. Naval Institute. He has an MPA from Harvard, an MA from the U.S. Naval War College, and a BS from the U.S. Coast Guard Academy.

J. Christian (Chris) Fenger

Chris Fenger is the Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Astound Broadband and has been with the company since February 2011. He has been in the cable industry for over 40 years.

Prior to joining Astound Broadband, Fenger was the President of Bright House Networks’ 900,000 customer operation in Central Florida. And before that, he was with Charter Communications for five years, initially as a Regional SVP of Operations for their 800,000 customer north central region, and then as Divisional SVP of Operations for their two million-customer Western Division.

Earlier in his career, Fenger held various general management and senior operations positions at Marcus Cable, Simmons Communications, Warner-Amex Cable, and Rogers Cablesystems. In October 2019, he was inducted into the Cable Pioneers.

Fenger and his wife, Paula, moved to Easton in 1986, which is when they first visited CBMM. In 1989, Chris worked with the Talbot County Council to secure the first Cable TV franchise and then helped oversee construction of the first cable system in the county in 1990.

Dagmar D.P. Gipe

Dagmar Gipe grew up splitting time between Galveston, TX and Miami, FL. Both locations gave her the opportunity to appreciate being out on the water, fishing with her father.

Gipe even won several fishing tournaments while in Florida. Later, after moving to Virginia, she quickly discovered and connected with the Chesapeake Bay. She introduced her children to water life as well, and has had them on a boat since they were six months old. The Chesapeake Bay now holds many memories for Gipe and her family, from time spent boating, hydro sliding, waterskiing, and fishing. She finds great joy in watching her children—and now grandchildren—enjoy the same things she enjoyed as a girl.

It was her children that first connected Gipe with the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum. She used to bring her son and daughter here when they were little, to look at the exhibitions and take out the boats. Taking the family out on the Bay bonded them together—especially over many fishing adventures—and had a profound effect on both children. They now have careers that tie them to the Chesapeake Bay area. Dagmar and her husband, Al, have a home in Royal Oak, and they are thrilled that their home has become a place for their children and grandchildren to gather.

Becoming a Board member in 2000, Gipe has had many great experiences serving and supporting the Museum. After serving six years, she took a break from the Board and is now serving her fourth year of her second term. It’s easy to see when talking to her just how much passion she has for CBMM.

Gipe finds it incredibly significant that we have a maritime museum that offers so many different things to different people. She especially wishes that everyone could see just how great the education programs are, especially the Lighthouse Overnight Adventure program for youth groups. Gipe points out how impressive the Museum’s history is, and wants people to see just how much more we have to offer.

When asked about her favorite part of the Museum, Gipe finds it impossible to identify one single aspect. She sees the exhibitions are among the best in the country. The history and the festivals also jump to mind. What keeps Gipe coming back is “everything that the Museum does.” She has so many fond memories of CBMM, and takes so much pride in it, that it’s easy for her to continue her support, even after so many years.

Myra Gons

Myra Gons currently owns Chestnut Street Designs, a monogramming and custom embroidery shop after previously working with Denise Soisson, a specialty window design shop.

Gons has worked in many volunteer capacities in both Camp Hill, Pa., and locally, including Chair of the Camp Hill Borough Design Review Board, President of Falcon Families of Central Pennsylvania, and Fredrickson Library Board of Trustees where she served on the Furniture and Furnishings Committee, Building Design Committee, and was chair of the Landscape Design Committee. She also served as Church School Superintendent and as a member of the Nominating Committee of the Camp Hill Presbyterian Church, as well as Secretary of the Camp Hill Economic Development Group. Locally, Gons is involved with the Talbot County Garden Club.

Gons currently serves on CBMM’s Curatorial and Boating Party committees, and recently agreed to co-chair the 2023 Boating Party. She and her husband, Steve, have three children and seven grandchildren. They live in Camp Hill, Pa., and spend much of their time on the Eastern Shore.

Brooke Harwood

Harwood is a retired commercial airline executive with extensive international experience. In 1994, as managing director, China, for Federal Express, he led a team establishing scheduled air service to and from mainland China, concurrently inaugurating pick-up and delivery operations and sales in 25 cities. Prior to its purchase by FedEx, he was director, Southeast Asia, for Flying Tigers. Based in Hong Kong, he was responsible for operations, sales, and government relations in five southeast Asian countries and for General Agents in Australia and India.

A Maryland native, Harwood retired in 2006 and moved to Chestertown to renew an involvement with the Chesapeake Bay. That involvement began on the Western Shore, and at his grandmother’s farm on Dividing Creek at Ditchley, Va., where he spent summers working on his waterman uncle’s fishing boats. His participation in CBMM’s Apprentice for a Day Program led to fulfilling a dream of building his own wooden boat, a Delaware Ducker built in CBMM’s shipyard, which won first place at the 2010 Wooden Boat Show at Mystic Seaport.

Harwood also volunteers at the Sultana Education Foundation in Chestertown and at the Kent County Library, takes courses and has taught at the Washington College Academy of Lifelong Learning. Brooke and his wife, Trish, live full time in Chestertown.

Charles E. (Ned) Hennighausen

For more than 40 years, Ned Hennighausen held senior and executive operations management positions in high-speed consumer products manufacturing. His professional life took him to numerous locations across the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. He was employed by Campbell Soup Company, ConAgra Foods, and Lorillard, Inc.

Since moving to the Eastern Shore, Hennighausen has become involved with CBMM’s Rising Tide program as a volunteer. He lives in Oxford with his wife, Joan, and their chocolate Lab, Molly. He and Joan cruised the Chesapeake in a Hinckley T48.

Francis J. Hopkinson Jr.

Frank Hopkinson grew up in Philadelphia but spent time on the Eastern Shore with his family on a regular basis. He grew up sailing and racing and has been sailing on the Chesapeake Bay since he was young. Hopkinson has always enjoyed his time here and has especially fond memories of visiting relatives and spending time with family.

When he began restoring an antique boat in 2008, he quickly realized that his garage was not the ideal workshop. When a friend suggested that he contact the Museum, he quickly reached out. He was able to volunteer in the boatyard and spent three years finishing the restoration.

Hopkinson jokes that he would be at the Museum for eight hours, and only work on his boat for two. “There were so many guests that would come in and ask questions about what I was doing, what the boatyard was doing. It was great to see so many people so interested in Chesapeake boatbuilding.”

Hopkinson is incredibly happy with the Museum’s visibility in the community. The reputation is continuing to grow with good publicity, and it is well situated within the public’s vision. He sees the Museum as central to preserving the history, culture, and environment of the Chesapeake Bay. “It’s a broad operation, and it does a great job.”

Since his first connection to the Museum was through the Shipyard, it is no surprised that this is his favorite part of the Museum. What appeals to him is how open and inviting it is, and how our volunteers and staff encourage people to come in. “They always make time for guests. That’s not a common thing to find, in a day when most places make people stay behind ‘the line.’”

As for the Museum’s biggest strength, Hopkinson is very proud of the Museum for its role as an economic driver in St. Michaels and Talbot County. CBMM fills its role of bringing people to the area, creating increased economic activity year after year. The Museum is a living institution: It has running boats, watermen, and a working boatyard. It personifies the local color and character of an ever-changing region.

Hopkinson and his wife, Jane, support the Museum year after year because they enjoy it so much. He jokes that he is not good at retiring, and CBMM gives him the opportunity to be involved. Hopkinson’s greatest strength is his versatility. He is always happy to fill in whatever roles that he can, and he is readily available whenever needed.

Reza Jafari

Reza Jafari is in his second stint on CBMM’s Board of Governors after serving from FY21-22. He was a member of CBMM’s Government Relations and co-chair of DEIA, Audit, and Executive committees.

Jafari is the Chairman and CEO and Founder of e-Development International. Based in Easton, Md., e-Development International is an executive advisory group that promotes, facilitates and participates in Information and Communication Technology (ICT) initiatives for Transformational Leadership and Turnarounds, Mergers and Acquisitions, Social Entrepreneurships and Change, Strategic Alliances and Eco-systems Development, Social Media, Connected Healthcare, e-Education, Smart Cities and Connected Communities, e-Government, Public Safety and Security, Cyber Security, Customer Relations Management, Big Data and Cloud Computing and Public-Private Partnerships worldwide. He is the Co-Managing Editor of “Connected City Blueprint.”

On the non-profit side, Jafari was appointed by the Governor of Maryland and currently serves as Chair of the Trustee Board of Chesapeake College. Also, he is currently the Chair of Talbot County Chamber of Commerce, a Board member of the Channel Marker Foundation, Co-Chair of Connected City Advisory Board of Wireless Broadband Alliance and Senior Executive Advisor to the Board of WBA, and a Board member of the India, China & America Institute.

Jafari has served as Chair of the Board of Directors of ITU TELECOM (a UN Agency, 2007-2015), Commissioner of the UN Broadband Commission for Digital Development (2010-2015), board member of GSMA Ltd (2008-2013), Commissioner of Maryland Economic Development Commission and Chair of its Innovation and Entrepreneurship Committee (2013-2014), Chair of Annapolis Economic Development Corporation (2010-2014), and a founding board member of the UN Digital Health Initiative.

Jafari has been a leading authority in the transformation of ICT and services into Cloud and Unified Communications for the entire industry as well as health care, financial services, cyber security, education, public health and safety industries through his extensive thought leadership, contributions, and work in the private sector (EDS, HP, NeuStar, Omega Partners and e-Development International) and at ITU, UN Broadband Commission, Wireless Broadband Alliance and GSMA Ltd.

Jafari has spent 35 years in the IT services and broadband, competitive telecoms and mobile, media and entertainment, education, and health-IT industries. His portfolio of business relationships and interests include advising senior executives of established and startup companies and organizations in wireless, e-health and mobile health, public safety and cyber security, broadband, social media, knowledge economy, e-Education, digital innovations, Big Data, Internet of Things (IoT), business transformation, and business process outsourcing services. He has served as an independent Director on the Board of Directors of two public companies: TeleCommunications Systems, Inc. (TSYS); and Cartesian (TMNG).

Jafari served as the Chair and Managing Director of NeuStar International in Sterling, Va., (2005-2008). He also served as the Chair, CEO and Founder of The Omega Partners in Atlanta, Ga., (2002-2005).

From 1990 to 2002, Jafari held various senior executive positions at Electronic Data Systems Corporation (EDS, now an HP Company), including Group President of EDS’ Global Communications, Media and Entertainment Industry Group (which was responsible for $3.1B annual revenue), Managing Director of the Communications and Media Industry Group for Europe Middle East and Africa (which was based in Germany and responsible for $400M annual revenue from 1996-2000); and Managing Principal of Communications Consulting Group. He was involved in several acquisitions in Europe, the USA, Latin America, and Asia.

Jafari’s career also includes seven years as the Founder, President, and CEO of Satellite Conference Network, Bankers-TV Network and CPA-TV Network in New York City, offering professional and continuing education to the banking, public accounting, and healthcare industries. He is the recipient of several prestigious awards for Innovation from the International TeleConferencing Association, and the Council for the Advancement of Science and Technology in Education.

Jafari is a frequent speaker on innovation, Connected/Smart Cities, Business Transformation, Customer Relations Management and Analytics, Citizen Engagement, Cloud Computing and Big Data, Social Media, entrepreneurship, transformational leadership, e-Health and m-Health, cyber security, mobile technology, e-Education, e-Government, and the role of ICT and Broadband for economic development and improving the access to and quality of healthcare, education and customer/citizen engagement.

Jafari received his MBA in International Business and Organizational Development in 1976 and S. Ed Specialist Degree in Education in 1980. He received his ABD (PhD) in Instructional Systems Technology and Innovation in 1981 from Indiana University.

Paula Johnson

Paula Johnson has been a Curator at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History for over three decades.

As a Curator in the Division of Work and Industry, she is responsible for the food history and marine resources collections. She is also the Project Director for the Smithsonian’s multi-faceted American Food History Project and co-curator for the exhibition, FOOD: Transforming the American Table, which opened in 2012 and had a refresh completed in 2019. As one of the curators who collected the home kitchen of Julia Child in 2001, she also co-developed the exhibition Bon Appetit! Julia Child’s Kitchen at the Smithsonian, on view from 2002 to 2012.

Selected past curatorial projects include her direction and co-curation of the exhibition On the Water: Stories from Maritime America, which opened to the public in 2009 at the National Museum of American History. Johnson was also the curator for several maritime-related sections of the permanent exhibition America on the Move, also at the National Museum of American History. She has published books and articles on the fisheries of the Chesapeake Bay, traditional work boats, and maritime communities, and she has lectured widely on these and topics related to food history, field research, oral history recording, and documentation.

Prior to joining the Smithsonian, Johnson was a curator and folklife researcher for 10 years10 years at the Calvert Marine Museum in Solomons, Md.

Johnson has a master’s degree in anthropology and folklore from the University of Texas, Austin. She is skilled in nonprofit organizations of various sizes, public speaking, museum collections and archives, field research, public history, community-based documentation, and American folklore. She has a strong professional background in research, writing, editing, and storytelling within the fields of food and wine history, maritime history, and material culture.

Johnson first served on CBMM’s Board of Governors in the late ’90s and has served on CBMM’s Curatorial Committee since 1998, including being chair of the committee from 1998-2000. She lives in Washington, D.C. and Port Republic, Maryland, with her husband Carl Fleischhauer.

Deborah Lawrence

Deborah (Debbie) Lawrence retired in 2015 as Vice President of Government Affairs from The Williams Companies, a Tulsa-based energy company where she was the first female officer. Her responsibilities included representing Williams before Congress, federal regulatory agencies, and national trade associations. During her 35 years with Williams, she was recognized as a leader for her work on federal energy resource and transportation matters in Washington, D.C. She also had responsibilities for the company’s state government affairs staff. Prior to Williams, she worked for the U.S. Senate Commerce Committee.

Lawrence represented Williams at numerous trade associations, including the American Petroleum Institute and the Interstate Natural Gas Association of America. She was recognized by the National Energy Resources Organization with a Lifetime Energy Industry Achievement Award.

She rejoined the CBMM Board as a Governor for another term this year, after previously serving from 2015–2020, including a stint as Chair of the Governance Committee. Debbie also serves as a Regent for The Fund for American Studies, a non-profit organization based in Washington, D.C., and previously served as a Board member for the national non-profit Rebuilding Together.

Lawrence received a BS degree from the University of Maryland, and a law degree from George Mason University Law School. She is married to Tom Lawrence and has two daughters and six grandchildren. She resides in Easton and Hyattsville, Md.

R. Scott Pastrick

R. Scott Pastrick is President and Chief Executive Officer of Prime Policy Group, a WPP Group company. WPP is the largest publicly traded holding company of advertising, digital media and public relations company worldwide. Scott is recognized as a leading government and public affairs strategist, with more than 35 years of experience in Washington, DC. He specializes in the representation of U.S. and multi-national corporations on international and domestic business policy, foreign policy, trade and financial services and communications strategy.

A native of Indiana, Scott was awarded the Sagamore of the Wabash Award by the Governor for his distinguished service, counsel and leadership he provides to the state. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree from Wabash College in Political Science, and has also completed graduate work in Political Science at the George Washington University and the Indiana University School of Law. Scott resides in Chevy Chase, Maryland, with his wife Courtney Clark Pastrick. They are honored to be the parents of Carter, her husband Bryan, Cameron, her husband Jake, and their son, Clark. Scott and Courtney are also the proud grandparents of Winnie, Nell and Ren.

Scott serves as the Chairman of the Board for Catholic Charities (Washington, D.C.), Gonzaga College High School and the Kennedy Center’s Fortes Trust. He is also a member of the Board of the International Foundation for Election Systems (IFES) and the Board of the Monumental Scholars Foundation, and previously served on the Board of Advisors of the Winston Churchill Library, Oxford England and the University of Maryland School of Public Policy.

John E. Pflieger Jr.

John Ely Pflieger Jr. was first introduced to the Eastern Shore as a young man frequently hunting and fishing with his father on the Chesapeake Bay.

In 1990, Pflieger’s parents, Donna and Jack, built a home in Royal Oak which they owned for nine years. At that time, he was first introduced to CBMM not realizing the effect the area had on him until his parents sold their home in 1999.

In 2001, Pflieger and his wife Melissa bought Holly Cove Farm in Bozman, Md. Over the past 20 years, they have been at the farm as often as possible. As they started spending more time here, he has become more involved in the community and local organizations.

Pflieger currently serves on the Board of The Avalon Foundation. He and Melissa have supported CBMM since 2001 and became life members a few years later. They have been active supporters of CBMM through sailing classes for their daughter and the many events hosted by CBMM, including the Charity Boat Auction on Labor Day weekend. He has been an admirer of what CBMM continues to do to preserve the history and heritage of our Chesapeake Bay.

Since 2012, Pflieger has served as Global Head of External Research Services at T. Rowe Price Associates based in Baltimore. Before that, he was a Managing Director at Merrill Lynch for more than a decade. He is a graduate of The Hill School in Pottstown, Pa., and Denison University in Granville, Ohio.

Joseph C. Robillard

Joe Robillard is partner and portfolio manager at Deepwater Asset Management. He and his wife, Alzbetka, live on Trippe Creek in Talbot County.

Robillard graduated from the University of Minnesota with BA and BS degrees. He received his MBA from the University of Chicago. Robillard is director of Renaissance Youth Center in the Bronx, chairs the board of Educational Passages, and serves on the boards of both RS11 Inc., and the RS11 Foundation.

Robillard is an enthusiastic boat owner and has restored many classic yachts. He and Alzbetka can be found cruising, sailing, or fishing all over the Chesapeake Bay, and from the coast of Maine to the Florida Keys.

Bill Ryan

Bill Ryan is Meteorologist-Research Scientist Emeritus at Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pa. He has been a leader in air quality forecasting in the Mid-Atlantic for many years. He developed the first operational ozone forecast models for the Baltimore-Washington metropolitan areas in 1993, extending to Philadelphia in 1996.

Ryan has been an operational air quality forecaster in the Mid-Atlantic, for both ozone and fine particles, since 1995. He has also provided technical analysis and advice to the state of Maryland on subjects ranging from photochemical modeling to data trend analysis in support of State Implementation Plan (SIP) development. He is a member of the Air Quality Forecasters Focus Group that provides technical feedback to the developers of the NOAA National Air Quality Forecast Capability (NAQFC) and, in 2010, was named the EPA AIRNow “Partner of the Year” at the EPA National Air Quality Conference.

Ryan has a long-standing tradition of community service, including serving as basketball coach for the Centre County YMCA, State College, Pa., 2000-2017; on the Planning Commission for the Borough of State College, Pa., 2004-2008; on the Board of Directors for Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts, State College, Pa., 2008-2012; Head, Green Crew, Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts, State College, Pa., 2005-2019; on the Board of Directors for YMCA of Centre County, State College Branch, State College, Pa, 2008-2010; on the Board of Directors for Building African American Minds (BAMM), Easton, Md., 2013-2015; President of the Board for BAAM from 2016; and on the Board of Directors, Talbot Mentors, Easton, Md., 2019-present.

Bill has a BA from University of Notre Dame, a JD Law from University of Chicago Law School, and a MS in Meteorology from University of Maryland, College Park. He lives in Easton with his wife, Joan Richtsmeier.

Richard (Kent) K. Schwab

Richard (Kent) K. Schwab attended Washington & Jefferson College where he received a BA in Economics. He spent eighteen years in the insurance industry before opening his own agencies and was later inducted into Allstate’s Hall of Fame.

Schwab has served in various capacities on numerous boards, including the Gibson Island Country School, Gibson Island Club, President of the Baltimore Washington Medical Center Foundation Board, and co-chair of their $12M “Delivering the Future Capital Campaign.” He is also on the board of the University of Maryland Medical System.

Schwab and his wife Nicki moved to the Eastern Shore after living in Gibson Island for over thirty years, finding this a beautiful place to retire and knowing he would never retire if they did not. Their son, Alex, lives in Severna Park with his wife and two children, one of whom loves CBMM and sailing.

In 2023, Schwab and Nicki will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary with a three-month cruise. He is very impressed with CBMM’s work and wants to serve on the committees that need the most support.

Dr. Clara Small

Dr. Clara Small, who has served on CBMM’s Curatorial Committee since 2021, is Professor Emerita at Salisbury University, where she spent 36 years teaching history in courses including World Civilizations, Civil Rights in American Society, African American History, and related topics. Prior teaching positions included two years at Saint Paul’s College in Lawrenceville, Va., and four years at Lincoln University in Jefferson City, Mo.

Dr. Small received her BA and first MA in History from North Carolina Central University in Durham, N.C., and her second MA in Liberal Arts from St. John’s College in Santa Fe, N.M. After starting her Doctorate at the University of Missouri, she began working at Salisbury University in 1977 (then Salisbury State University) and completed her Doctorate in History at the University of Delaware.

Dr. Small’s article, “Abolitionists, Free Blacks, and Runaway Slaves” was included in the book, A History of African-Americans on Maryland’s and Delaware’s Eastern Shore. She also authored a book titled, Reality Check: Brief Biographies of African-Americans on Delmarva, which was published by Salisbury [State] University Press and placed in all schools and libraries in the surrounding counties, and co-authored, with Rev. David Briddell, Men of Color, To Arms!: Manumitted Slaves and Free Blacks from the Lower Eastern Shore of Maryland Who Served in the Civil War. Her other publications include Compass Points: Profiles and Biographies of African Americans from the Delmarva Peninsula, Vol. 1; They Wore Blue and Their Hearts Were Loyal: The United States Colored Troops of Dorchester County, Maryland, Slaves and Free Blacks Who Served in the Civil War, co-authored with Teresa M. Neild; Compass Points: Profiles and Biographies of African Americans from the Delmarva Peninsula, Vol. 2; and The Last Black Skipjack Captain: Captain Kermit Travers. Dr. Small’s latest book is Compass Points: Profiles and Biographies of African Americans from the Delmarva Peninsula, Vol. 3.

Dr. Small is presently researching the history of African Americans on the Eastern Shore and was appointed to serve on the Governor’s Commission to Coordinate the Study, Commemoration, and Impact of the History and Legacy of Slavery in Maryland. In 2011, she was appointed to the Maryland Commission on African American History and Culture by then Gov. Martin O’Malley. She has been the recipient of numerous awards, including the University System of Maryland Regents’ Award for Public Service; the Community Foundation of the Eastern Shore’s Frank H. Morris Humanitarian Award; the Faithful Service Award from Pi Gamma Mu, the International Honor Society for the Social Sciences; and the Harriet Tubman Lifetime Achievement Award. Since 2011, she has served as Second Vice-President of Pi Gamma Mu, in addition, she served as interim chairperson of the social sciences department at UMES in 2016-2017.

Richard W. Snowdon

Dick Snowdon is a retired attorney. Prior to retiring, Snowdon was with the law firm Trainum, Snowdon & Deane, specializing in estate planning, personal and corporate income tax, and taxation of exempt organizations. He holds a Bachelor of Science from Syracuse University, College of Business Administration, and a Juris Doctor with honors from the National Law Center, George Washington University. Following two years of active military service with the United States Army (1968–1970), which earned him an Army Commendation Medal and an honorable discharge at the rank of Captain, he returned to the legal profession.

Snowdon is active in the Washington, D.C., community and has served on many nonprofit boards and advisory councils. Some of his current and past positions include National Children’s Museum, Vice Chair; Children’s National Medical Center, Chair; Children’s Hospital Foundation, Chair; Black Student Fund, Treasurer; For Love of Children, Vice Chairman; Protestant Episcopal Foundation of Washington (The National Cathedral), Chair; and Washington Regional Association of Grantmakers, Treasurer. He previously served on CBMM’s Board of Governors from 2014–2019.

Gary B. Townsend

Gary Townsend has spent most of his professional career in banking and investments, including seven years as chief examiner of the Federal Home Loan Bank System. After 15 years in government work, he joined Friedman Billings Ramsey & Company as a securities analyst of both bond and equity investments. In subsequent years, he covered financial institutions such as Wells Fargo & Company, Bank of America, and Wachovia.

In 2007, Townsend co-founded Hill-Townsend Capital, LLC, a long-short hedge fund that focused on financial institution investments. He now manages GBT Capital Management, LLC, which he founded in 2013.

Born in Philadelphia, Pa., Townsend holds an MBA and a BA in history from George Washington University. He and his wife, Holly, live in Easton, where they have a home on the Miles River. Holly is currently on the Board of the Avalon Foundation in Easton. Gary spends much of his spare time on the golf course, traveling, and building boats.

Jeff R. Vogel

Jeff Vogel is a government-focused transportation counsel with nearly two decades of experience advising maritime stakeholders in administrative, national security, maritime, government contracts, intermodal logistics, and trade law before federal agencies and Congress.

Prior to joining Cozen O’Connor in 2017, he was Attorney-Advisor for the U.S. Department of Transportation, Maritime Administration, Washington, D.C.; and then Lead Attorney, Maritime Support Programs, and Acting Chief, Division of Maritime Programs for the U.S. Department of Transportation, Maritime Administration, Washington, D.C.

Vogel has a BA in Government & Politics and Economics from University of Maryland College Park, an MA in Marine Affairs and Policy from University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science, Juris Doctor from University of Miami School of Law, and an MA in National Security and Strategic Studies from the United States Naval War College.

For the last few years Jeff has served on CBMM’s Government Relations Committee and Dove Task Force. Jeff and his wife, Kiara, live in Annapolis with their two young children.

Emeriti

Richard T. Allen
CG Appleby
Howard S. Freedlander
Alan R. Griffith
James P. Harris
Margaret D. Keller
Richard H. Kimberly
Charles L. Lea Jr.
Fred C. Meendsen
John C. North II
Sumner Parker
Joseph E. Peters
Norman H. Plummer
John J. Roberts
Tom D. Seip
Henry H. Spire
Diane Staley
Henry H. Stansbury
Benjamin C. Tilghman Jr.

Honorary Governor

Dr. Frederick Hocker