Our Staff

Matthew "Matt" Johnston

Executive Director

Matt Johnston is the Executive Director of the Arundel Rivers Federation.

He previously served as Anne Arundel County’s first Environmental Policy Director. As Environmental Policy Director, Matt led county and statewide efforts to pass new forest conservation and stormwater management laws, and ushered in a new conservation-first, smart growth focus among County agencies.

Prior to becoming the County’s first Environmental Policy Director, Matt was Senior Policy Analyst with the US EPA’s Chesapeake Bay Program, and faculty member of the Department of Environmental Science and Technology at the University of Maryland.

Matt is originally from the Midwest and holds a Master of Public Affairs degree in Environmental Policy and Natural Resource Management from the Indiana University’s School of Public and Environmental Affairs, as well as undergraduate degrees from the University of Missouri.

He moved to Maryland twelve years ago to begin his environmental policy career with the Chesapeake Research Consortium working alongside the scientists right here at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center.

He now lives with his wife and son across the Rhode River from SERC, and can always be found on a summer day watching St. Louis Cardinals baseball, hiking through Maryland, or kayaking the rivers of Anne Arundel County.

Telephone:

Email: [email protected]

Elle Bassett

South, West, and Rhode Riverkeeper

An Anne Arundel native, Elle graduated from Washington College with a degree in Environmental Studies and a concentration in Chesapeake Regional Studies. She previously worked at ShoreRivers for the following decade in a variety of positions, including education and outreach coordinator and the Miles-Wye Riverkeeper from 2018-2022. She achieved her masters in Environmental Education in 2017 and has experience in environmental restoration, volunteer coordination, water quality monitoring, oyster restoration, county and state policy, and more.

Elle joined Arundel Rivers Federation in the fall of 2022. As our Riverkeeper, Elle is dedicated to the protection and restoration of the South, West, and Rhode Rivers. To learn more about her role as Riverkeeper, click here.

Favorite Native Fauna: American eel- the only catadromous fish species in the Bay (she loves a rebel).

Telephone:

Email: [email protected]

Mallory Box

Watershed Analyst

Mallory spent 13 years in the Navy before switching careers into the environmental field.  After an internship with Arundel Rivers in early 2022, she was hired on as the Field Technician before becoming the Watershed Analyst in 2023.  She is currently getting her master’s degree from Johns Hopkins University in Environmental Sciences and Policy with a certificate in GIS.

Mallory assists with Arundel Rivers’ restoration program and water quality monitoring program, spearheading data management and analysis.  She nerds out about data, GIS, and data collection via drone.

Favorite Native Fauna: Cownose ray

Telephone:

Email: [email protected]

Jennifer Carr

Director of Restoration

Jennifer graduated from Penn State University with a degree in Geography and a minor in Environmental Science. After graduation, she began her career in the non profit sector with an education based non-profit in Baltimore, International Rescue Committee, and taught English abroad.

Jennifer joined Arundel Rivers in 2011 as a one year Chesapeake Conservation Corps Member funded by the Chesapeake Bay Trust. She found her niche in restoration and worked her way up from a volunteer coordinator to Director of Restoration. In her current role, Jennifer manages the restoration grants and project management from project conception through implementation.

Favorite Native Fauna: Copes/Grey tree frog because frog and toad toes are the CUTEST 🙂

Telephone:

Email: [email protected]

Mairin Corasaniti

Outreach Coordinator

Born and raised in Anne Arundel County, Mairin graduated from Washington College with a degree in History and a minor in Asian Studies in 2019. She served in the 2019-2020 cohort of the Chesapeake Conservation Corps, and then was hired at ShoreRivers first as an Education and Outreach Coordinator and then as an Education Program Manager. In her time on the shore, she led programming on diverse subjects such as native plants and conservation landscaping for the home, environmental literacy, teacher professional development, and the beloved Atlantic sturgeon. She joined Arundel Rivers Federation in March 2023 as Outreach Coordinator.

In her spare time, she loves taking leisurely nature walks with her loved ones, baking, pestering her dogs, and reading.

Telephone:

Email: [email protected]

Charlotte Graves

Director of Development and Communications

Charlotte is a native of the West River watershed, born and raised in Galesville. She holds a degree in Public Relations from Pfeiffer University and worked in college athletics for years before switching careers to work in the environmental field.

Charlotte joined Arundel Rivers in the spring of 2023. In her role as Director of Development and Communications, she works to support the Riverkeeper, Outreach, and Restoration Programs.

Favorite Native Fauna: Wood Duck (because they’re beautiful!)

Telephone:

Email: [email protected]

Lily Hariton

Community Outreach Assistant

Lily is a fellow Anne Arundel County native that has enjoyed a brief stint living on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. Lily graduated from Salisbury University with a degree in Environmental Studies, accompanied by minors in Communications and Sociology in 2022. While on the Shore, she developed a passion for community involvement through an internship position at Lower Shore Land Trust in Snow Hill, MD.  Lily joins Arundel Rivers after a year of work at Arlington Echo Outdoor Education Center (AACPS) as an Environmental Literacy Assistant. Through this dynamic role, Lily fostered a passion for environmental educations and conservation.
As the Community Outreach Assistant, Lilly will work to connect all communities in our watershed to their land and waters. In her spare time, Lily can be found crocheting, baking, taking her pup for a walk, or engaging in any sort of craft.

Telephone:

Email: [email protected]

Riley Kuehn

Chesapeake Conservation and Climate Corps Member

Riley joins Arundel Rivers as the 2023-2024 Chesapeake Conservation and Climate Corps Member. She recently graduated with Honors from Dickinson College with a major in Environmental Science and a minor in Spanish. Riley discovered her passion for nonprofit conservation work through an internship with ShoreRivers on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. During her time in college, Riley pursued her environmental interests by engaging in research. She also helped build a green roof to support native wildlife and designed her own research study to address community concerns about a local hypolimnetic dam. Riley moved home to Maryland to begin her career with Arundel Rivers and is excited to work closely with their Riverkeeper, Restoration, and Outreach programs. In her free time, she enjoys reading, being outdoors, and spending time with family and friends!

Telephone:

Email: [email protected]

Get Involved

The Federation is effective because of the people who live,
work and play on the South, West, and Rhode Rivers.

VOLUNTEER