Ashley Bowers. Baltimore City. Current Board member; Received her MLA from the University of Michigan School of Natural Resources and the Environment, and a B.S. in Environmental Science from DePaul University in Chicago. Ashley manages the Baltimore City Forestry Natural Areas Unit, overseeing conservation efforts for the 2,300 acres of natural areas on public parkland. She co-leads the Baltimore City Weed Warriors program, is a member of the Maryland Invasive Species Council, and represents Baltimore in the national Forests in Cities network.
Allen Browne. Montgomery County. Current Board member; retired Informaticist, National Library of Medicine, NIH; MS & PhD-ABD in sociolinguistics; certificate in Natural History Field Studies, Grad School USA/ANS.
Secretary, Pru Foster, Ph. D. Montgomery County. Pru is a keen native plant gardener. She has a degree in horticulture from the Royal Horticulture Society and one in garden design from the Garden Design School in the UK, in addition to her PhD in astrophysics. She was an academic researcher for 30 plus years and worked on problems ranging from the formation of the universe to the role of terrestrial ecosystems in the global carbon cycle. She was one of the first to do research on the impacts of climate change impacts on biodiversity. Pru is author of the book A Drop of Grace: Finding and Protecting Our Common Ground and writes a newsletter on sustainability called The Prudent Lifestyle. https://prufoster.substack.com/.
Vice President, Judy Fulton. Baltimore County. Judy specializes in native plants, invasive plants and ecology, as the founder and principal of EcoPlant Consulting. Her expertise includes selection of appropriate native plants for specific ecoregions and growing conditions, and management of invasive plants. She provides recommendations for transforming degraded properties from landscapes dominated by invasives to healthy ecosystems with native plants. She consults for both individuals and groups, and teaches workshops for organizations such as the University of Maryland Extension, the Maryland Master Gardeners, the Natural History Society of Maryland, and the Irvine Nature Center. Although her principal loves are native species and healthy ecosystems, she is also actively engaged in the invasive species arena. As chair of the Committee on Invasives Lists for the Maryland Invasive Species Council (MISC), she is implementing the Mid-Atlantic Invaders Tool and has coordinated a major update of MISC’s invasive species lists of plants, insects, other animals and pathogens. Additionally, she acts as an invasive plant expert on various legal cases. Judy serves on the Board of the Mid-Atlantic Invasive Plant Council. In a previous life, she earned a Harvard MBA and spent over twenty-five years in the business world, including as CEO of a start-up medical device company. The Daily Record selected Judy as one of Maryland’s Top 100 Women in 1998, 2001 and 2004, and inducted her into its Circle of Excellence.
President, Lauren Hubbard, Ph. D. Montgomery County. Current Board Member; Owner of Native By Design, LLC. With a particular interest in the preservation of genetic diversity in native plant populations, Lauren has served on the founding board of the Long Island Native Plant Initiative and has launched a project called Butterfly Bandwagon to promote the use of native plants in home landscaping. Lauren is a certified Chesapeake Bay Landscape Professional, Weed Warrior, and Master Gardener. She has worked with Howard Ecoworks, Muddy Branch Alliance and Urban Ecosystem Restorations providing program support, community outreach, and grant writing and management services that support ecological restoration and stewardship.
Liz McDowell. Garrett County. Liz earned an MS in Wildlife Management at the Appalachian Laboratory at FSU in 1983. Her varied career included: park naturalist and resource biologist at DNR, environmental specialist at MDE, science teacher at Northern Garrett High School, and owner-operator of a native plant nursery. As a volunteer with Friends of New Germany State Park, she serves as secretary, works in the native plant garden, removes invasive species, and maintains trails. As coordinator of the Western Mountains Chapter of the MNPS, she manages the annual MT MD Native Plant Festival, leads field trips, gives presentations, and teaches wildflower ID.
Karyn Molines. Charles County. Membership Chair; Past President, Vice President, Secretary, Fall Conference Chair; Southern Maryland Chapter. Division Chief, Calvert County Natural Resources Division. Received her BS in Zoology from University of Maryland, College Park, MS in Environmental Science & Policy from Johns Hopkins University and Certificate in Natural History, Grad School USA/ANS.
Rod Simmons. Northern Virginia. Rod is a plant ecologist who has worked extensively in the fields of conservation biology, natural resource management, and ecological restoration for nearly 30 years. He is a Research Associate with the National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution; a member of the Virginia Botanical Associates; former contract botanist for NatureServe, National Park Service, and others; and works closely with the Virginia and Maryland natural heritage programs. He is the author of numerous technical reports, papers, and articles, and has published in scientific journals. He is a member and a past president of the Botanical Society of Washington, a past president of the Maryland Native Plant Society, serves on the board of the Virginia Native Plant Society, and is a regular field trip leader for all of these organizations. He is a frequent lecturer on native plants, natural communities, ecological restoration, and other related topics. He is the Natural Resource Manager and Plant Ecologist for the City of Alexandria, Virginia.
Bradley Simpson. Montgomery County. Bradley is the Habitat Manager for Nature Forward. Currently completing his M.S. in Plant Science at the University of Maryland – College Park, Bradley holds a B.S. in Environmental Science and Policy with a concentration in Wildlife Ecology and Habitat Management from the same institution. Bradley's commitment to environmental conservation is further demonstrated through his volunteer work with Montgomery County Weed Warriors and The Wildlife Society Student Chapter, where he held the position of Vice President. He is certified as an MD Certified Pesticide Applicator, a Montgomery County Weed Warrior Supervisor, and a Chesapeake Bay Landscape Professional.