The Alliance has had another growth spurt this past year! Please join us in welcoming new team members across the watershed.

Christine Danforth

Christine joined the Forests team in early 2024 as Central Pennsylvania’s Forest Project Coordinator. She works alongside landowners to help improve water quality and promote reforestation.

Christine graduated from the University of California, Davis with a degree in Horticulture and Urban Forestry concentrating on Restoration and Conservation. While working toward her degree she helped to start up a nonprofit native plant nursery outside of Davis, CA. After growing native plants for restoration in riparian and agricultural landscapes, she took a seasonal position with the National Park Service in the four corners region. This position taught her technical plant identification skills, given she worked in diverse ecosystems ranging from desert shrubland to mixed conifer forest.

Christine has now found herself in Centre County, PA, where she enjoys spending time with her dog, Morrison, and cat, Rory. If she’s not outside identifying plants, you’ll find her quilting, crossfitting or cooking new vegan recipes.

Adrian Schneck

Adrian Schneck smiling at the camera while standing in a sunny forest.

Prior to coming to the Alliance, Adrian worked for 10 years as a landscape contractor, designing, installing, and maintaining hardscapes and gardens all over the DC area. During this time he learned how important stormwater management is in the urban environment as well as having the eye opening experience of observing how vital native plants are to pollinators and other wildlife.

After living in and exploring the DC for the last 15 years he moved to the Hyattsville area where he paints, grows vegetables, and is enjoying the parks around the Anacostia and its tributaries.

Rick Mittler

Rick Mittler.

Rick comes to Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay from the City of Richmond, VA. There he helped build the new Urban Park Ranger Program with the Parks, Recreation, and Community Facilities Department. Prior to that, Rick worked at the Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF). At CBF, he served as the Virginia Student Leadership Program Manager, where he educated and engaged students across the watershed to advocate for, spread awareness about, and take action on behalf of clean water, clean air, and healthy communities. Rick also managed two environmental education programs at CBF, was an educator with the Blue Sky Fund, and taught elementary school with the AmeriCorps. He has a passion for hands-on conservation that sparked from his time with the Student Conservation Association in Massachusetts and Indiana. Rick earned a degree in Geography and a Natural Resources Recreation minor from Virginia Tech.

Rick lives in Richmond, VA, and when not at work can be found hiking with his four-legged shadow, Atticus, at a local disc golf course, or woodworking in his shed.

Shardee’ Powell-Brown

Shardee’ grew up in Southern, MD along the Patuxent River in her hometown of Calvert County. She has worked for small non-profits, national non-profits, and Fortune 500 companies creating a safe space in Human Resources for all employees. Shardee’s main focus is to continue maintaining and growing a great relationship with all employees.

She received her Associate in Business Management and Human Resources Certification from Prince George’s Community College. Shardee’ is a member of the Society for Human Resource Management.

Shardee’ joined the Alliance in April 2024 as the HR Administrator.

Marisa Baldine

Marisa Baldine joined the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay in 2024 as an Outreach Specialist with the Chesapeake Bay Program’s Communications Office. She previously served as the Communications Office’s Environmental Management Staffer, during which time she staffed the Strategic Engagement Team, created content for the Chesapeake Bay Program website, and assisted with the creation and implementation of social media content.

Marisa graduated from John Carroll University with a Bachelor of Arts in Communications. She has a background in graphic design, environmental education and event planning.

Sage Levy

Born and raised in North Jersey, Sage’s passion for the environment began from a young age. She grew up hiking, kayaking, and camping throughout the Northeast. This passion stayed with her once she moved to the Chesapeake region to get her degree in broadcast journalism from the University of Maryland, and pursue a career behind the camera.

While in school, she served as president of the UMD National Press Photographers Association chapter and vice president of The Terrapin Trail Club, spending her weekends either covering news events throughout Maryland and D.C., or caving and camping with her friends.

After graduating, Sage began working as a broadcast news producer in Baltimore to learn the ins and outs of local news, but still held a strong desire to combine her skills in communications with her deeply-held passion for the environment. Sage is currently based out of Pasadena, MD, where she lives with her fluffy orange cat, Moose.

Learn more about our Team Members here