Over the last few months, there have been some additions here on the Alliance team. It is with great excitement that we announce three new staff members! Read on to learn more about each of these passionate new employees and hear how they will help us increase our impact!

Mason Hendrick

Mason grew up in Annapolis and spent his summers in and around the Chesapeake Bay. His love for the water grew as he did, so he began volunteering for restoration projects in high school. Ever since he has kept up with projects around the country, but the Chesapeake region is his passion.

Over the years, Mason has developed a love for angling and hiking, but really anything that can be an excuse to get outside. He enjoys fishing anything from small streams in northern Maryland and Pennsylvania, to the open waters of the Southern Chesapeake. He is usually accompanied by his rescue dog, Moe, and sometimes his wife Becca.

At Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay, Mason’s role as the Development Associate has him excited for future events that will cultivate relationships and align missions.

Aroni Johnson

Out of our Washington D.C office, we welcome Aroni Johnson. Aroni was born in South America, Guyana where he first fell in love with nature. He
moved to Washington, DC as a young child where his love for nature steadily grew, fostering his passion to learn about and protect the natural environment around him. Aroni’s first professional introduction to working in the environmental field happened in 2008 when he worked as a botany intern for the National Park Service. It was this experience that inspired him to make a career of being a steward for the environment.

Over the past 15 years, Aroni has worked with various environmental organizations, serving as an ambassador to the environment. He has managed and coordinated several restoration projects such as restoring natural habitats within the Mid-Atlantic region, installing several different types of best management practices (BMPs) to restore the Anacostia River, and connecting residents and stakeholders to their natural environment.

Aroni currently serves as Green Infrastructure Projects Associate for the DC metro region. Aroni conducts field inspections and works with local contractors to support the Green Stormwater Infrastructure (GSI) Maintenance and RiverSmart Home programs within the District of Columbia.

In his free time, Aroni enjoys working on his farm and using it as an opportunity to educate the public on caring for their natural environment while providing an alternative option for healthy eating.

 

Savanna Lightcap

Also in D.C, Savanna Lightcap is joining us as the Green Infrastructure Projects Assistant. She grew up in Louisiana and spent her summers in the Colorado Rockies and Ozark Mountains. Initially starting school with the hopes of becoming a dentist, Savanna took a plant propagation class and found she had a green thumb. She earned a degree in Horticulture and began working as a floral designer.

Moving to DC in the summer of 2017, Savanna started taking certification classes on the weekends. One involving Stormwater Restoration. This particular class resonated with her and her experiences with hurricanes and flooding; ultimately creating her passion for protecting our streams and waterways.

Savanna works with multiple organizations around the district to help increase stormwater runoff education and beautification projects. She enjoys live music, hiking, kayaking, biking, and working in her garden.

Congratulations to our new employees! We’re happy to have you on the Alliance team!