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The Federation is effective because of the people who live,
work and play on the South, West, and Rhode Rivers.
Our Staff
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Arundel Rivers Federation
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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]
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 worked for an AmeriCorps non-profit in Baltimore, interned with the International Rescue Committee and taught in a rural village in Serbia. After returning home, Jennifer joined the Federation in 2011 as a one year Chesapeake Conservation Corps Member funded by the Chesapeake Bay Trust. The Federation hired her in 2012 and she has worked at a variety of positions, including coordinating volunteers, event planning and acted as the unofficial IT officer. She found her niche in Restoration and worked her way from an assistant to Director of Restoration.
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. After graduation, she worked for ShoreRivers (then Midshore Riverkeeper Conservancy) as a one year Chesapeake Conservation Corps member funded by the Chesapeake Bay Trust.
She then was hired and worked for 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 returned to her home waterways and joined the Arundel Rivers team in fall of 2022 as the South, West, and Rhode Riverkeeper.
Telephone:
Email: [email protected]
Mallory Box
Field Technician
After spending 13 years in the US Navy, Mallory transitioned to civilian life in 2022. She was an intern with Arundel Rivers under the DoD SkillBridge program and eventually hired on as the Field Technician. She assists the Riverkeeper with the water quality monitoring program and the Director of Restoration with the restoration program. She is a graduate student at Johns Hopkins University where she is part of the MS in Environmental Sciences and Policy program and is also earning a certificate in GIS.
Telephone:
Email: [email protected]
Charlotte Graves
Director of Development and Communications
We are delighted to announce Charlotte (Dixon) Graves as our new Development and Communications Director. Charlotte comes to Arundel Rivers from Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission but prior to that, she spent most of her career in the field of college athletics where she worked on fundraising campaigns, event planning and program operations.
Charlotte holds a degree in Public Relations from Pfeiffer University and currently serves as the Chair of the Environmental Committee with the West River Improvement Association (WRIA) in Galesville. Charlotte lives with her husband and two sons in her hometown of Galesville on the West River. On any given day, she can be found on the water with her family, fishing, crabbing, and soaking up the sun.
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]
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]
