Dennis Chestnut has been a Board Member of the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay since 2015 and championed enacting a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Resolution that was adopted by the Board in January of 2017. He has also steered the Board’s DEI Committee, liaised with staff about staff-led DEI efforts, and traveled across the watershed to represent the Alliance and our DEI efforts.

On September 18th, Dennis was honored by DC Appleseed Center for Law and Justice for his work restoring DC’s waterways. He was the recipient of the 2019 Sustainable Living and Leading Award, presented by the American Beverage Association.

Dennis was the founding executive director of Groundwork Anacostia River DC, co-founder of the Center for Green Urbanism (a green business incubator), and chairman of the Friends of Watts Branch (a sub-watershed organization). A lifelong resident of Ward 7 in the far northeast section of Washington, DC, Dennis became connected as a child to the many green spaces of DC, parks, streams, and the Anacostia River. In addition to the Alliance, Dennis also serves on the boards of Casey Trees Foundation, SEED DC Public Charter School, the Mayor’s Sustainable DC Green Ribbon Committee, the United for a Healthy Anacostia River Coalition, is a graduate of and vice-chair of the National Capitol Region Anacostia Watershed Citizen Advisory Committee, and Steward Representative to the National Capital Region Watershed Steward Academy Advisory Committee.

Dennis has received numerous awards including the 2019 River Hero Award, the Greater Washington Interfaith Partnership Vision Award, and the Lankford/Giles/Vaughn Minority Architect Award for Community Activism. He is also a Senior Fellow of the Chesapeake Region Environmental Leadership Program.

Through his role as a Board Member of the Alliance, Dennis leverages his resources to engage stakeholders and traditionally “hard to reach” residents about the critical needs of restoring the health of the Anacostia River. His efforts are focused on improving the overall quality of life for all while enhancing the environmental health of the Anacostia watershed.

The Alliance is honored to have Dennis working on our behalf to improve the lands and waters of the Chesapeake!