Message from the Chair

 

This will be my last opportunity to fill this space.  My term as chairman of the MWMC board of directors draws to a close at the end of this year, and Ron Klauda (the current vice chairman) and I will pass the reins to a new leadership team.  It has been an honor to serve as chairman over the past three years, and it has been inspiring to witness the commitment to Maryland’s water resources demonstrated by those who participate in and support the Council’s activities.  Serving with Ron has been a pleasure.  He is one of the unsung heroes of the Council whose behind-the-scenes work has been instrumental to the success of countless Council endeavors.  Knowing Ron as I do, I am certain his commitment to the Council and its mission will continue unabated, much as it has since the Council was formed more than a decade ago.

 

In January, Keith Van Ness and James Gerhart will assume the roles, respectively, of chairman and vice chairman.  Both of these men have been active participants and enthusiastic supporters of the Council from its inception.  Keith Van Ness previously served two terms on the board of directors and as the Council’s first vice chairman.  He also has been an active participant and leader in numerous MWMC committees, work groups, and workshops.  Keith is well connected to – and respected by – the Maryland Water Monitoring Community through his long standing participation in Council activities and his leadership roles in Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection’s nationally recognized collaborative monitoring programs.

 

In his capacity as the Director of the U.S. Geological Survey’s Maryland-Delaware-DC Water Science Center, Jim Gerhart has vigorously supported the MWMC and its work.  He was instrumental in the formation of the MWMC and served on the original steering committee.  Jim consistently has encouraged and supported participation by Water Science Center personnel in Council activities, and has served on the board of directors since January 2005.  Jim has served on the Governor’s Water Resources Advisory Committee and other state wide efforts.  Under Jim’s leadership the Water Science Center established a partnership with the University of Maryland-Baltimore County and the UMBC Center for Urban Environmental Research and Education (CUERE), and through his leadership the Water Science Center recently moved to a new facility within UMBC’s research park in Catonsville.  The partnership with UMBC and CUERE is a testament to Jim’s vision and commitment to collaboration.

 

Thus, as Ron and I anticipate passing the chairmanship and vice chairmanship to Keith and Jim we know that the Council will be in capable and energetic hands.  With Keith and Jim’s leadership and the continued support of a dedicated board of directors, the Council will accomplish much in the coming years.

 

Paul T. Jacobson

October 30, 2007

 

 

Maryland Water Monitoring Conference

 

The Maryland Water Monitoring Council will hold its 13th Annual Conference at the Maritime Institute, North Linthicum, on Thursday, December 6, 2007. The one day conference, Closing the Knowledge Gap—Connecting Maryland's Streams to the Bay, will focus on monitoring and modeling in tidal and non-tidal waters and will emphasize linkages. A morning plenary session will include a keynote address by Maryland Attorney General Douglas F. Gansler and a plenary talk by Dr. Michael Mallin from the University of South Carolina Wilmington. Two concurrent technical sessions with three talks each will be held in the morning. A buffet luncheon and a poster session with up to 25 posters will occur at noon. The afternoon will consist of four concurrent technical sessions with three talks each. Session topics currently include Tidal/Non-tidal linkages, Watershed Efforts to Address Pollution Reduction, and Volunteer Monitoring. Additional session topics will be finalized following review of submitted abstracts.

 

The registration fee, which includes a booklet of abstracts, giveaways and lunch, is $65.   To save money, the early-bird registration (postmarked before November 15) is $50. Additional conference information, including a registration from and a draft agenda, can be found here: http://mddnr.chesapeakebay.net/MWMC/conf/2007/2007conference.html

 

 

 

About the MWMC Newsletter
The MWMC Newsletter is created through the collaboration of the members of the Maryland Water Monitoring Council. Please send comments, suggestions, or contributions to Angela Morales at 6751 Columbia Gateway Drive, Suite 514, Columbia, MD, 21046, (410) 313-6586, or email amorales@howardcountymd.gov Any person who wishes to subscribe/unsubscribe to the MWMC Newsletter may send an e-mail message to dboward@dnr.state.md.us with the subject line subscribe/unsubscribe and their e-mail address will be added or removed to/from the list.

Newsletter

September /October 2007