Dr. Spivey is an historical and economic anthropologist specializing in the archaeology and culture of Powhatan Algonquian communities located in Tidewater Virginia. Dr. Spivey’s academic and professional experience has centered on supporting tribal sovereignty through tribal cultural and natural resource management and tribal historic preservation. She has worked with tribes, universities, museums, and federal and state agencies to support and implement historic preservation as well as cultural and natural resource management programs that incorporate the needs of tribal communities. As a member of the Pamunkey Indian Tribe, Dr. Spivey has a close connection to the Indigenous communities of  Virginia. This has included developing Indigenous led cultural heritage and natural resource management strategies and facilitating administrative capacity building through consultation on program development and implementation.

Martha Shimkin is the Director of the Chesapeake Bay Program Office (CBPO). She brings a diverse and varied background to the CBPO through various roles internationally and at EPA, in the Office of Water, the Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention, the Office of Children’s Health Protection, the Office of International and Tribal Affairs, and the Office of the Chief Financial Officer. Throughout her EPA career, Martha created and managed many programs and policies, led regulatory development, and developed agency plans for implementing new laws. She has led budget formulation and execution, strategic planning, performance reporting, and human resources. Martha successfully negotiated and represented the US government at international meetings and ran a private consulting practice that promoted international environmental health policy. Martha holds an M.A. in Economics from The George Washington University, a B.A. in Business Administration, foreign languages, and was a Peace Corps Volunteer in Costa Rica.

Anna Killius joined the Chesapeake Bay Commission in 2023 as Executive Director. She previously served as Director of Advocacy for the James River Association and legislative counsel for Congressman John Sarbanes of Maryland, where she advanced his leadership as co-chair of the Congressional Chesapeake Bay Watershed Task Force.

Anna has held appointments to the Chesapeake Bay Citizens Advisory Committee and the Virginia Soil and Water Conservation Board. She is a 2021 graduate of the Virginia Natural Resources Leadership Institute. She received a juris doctor degree from William and Mary Law School, where she was a member of the first class of the Virginia Coastal Policy Center, and a bachelor’s degree in history from the University of Dallas with a concentration in Applied Mathematics.

Hilary Harp Falk is the President and CEO of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation. Hilary has spent her career building strong, authentic partnerships, and is a proven expert in large-scale ecosystem restoration and leading organizational change.

Falk’s national conservation leadership includes several executive roles at the National Wildlife Federation (NWF) culminating in Chief Program Officer. During her time at the Federation, she created and directed the Choose Clean Water Coalition, and led programs including wildlife conservation, coastal resiliency, water policy, greenhouse gas reduction, and environmental education.

Throughout her career, Falk has championed women’s leadership and advancing equity in the conservation movement. She was a 2016-2017 fellow with the International Women’s Forum and co-chaired the National Wildlife Federation’s Women in Conservation Leadership Advisory Council. She led the implementation of NWF’s foundational 2018 strategic plan and was a champion for a more equitable and inclusive workplace.

Falk began her career in environmental conservation as an intern with CBF in 1997. She earned her undergraduate degree in Environmental Science from Franklin and Marshall College and her Masters of Science in Natural Resources from the University of Vermont.  She holds an honorary degree as Doctor of Science, honoris causa, from Virginia Wesleyan University. Falk also serves on the External Advisory Board of Virginia Tech’s Center for Advanced Innovation in Agriculture and the Washington College Board of Governors. She lives in Annapolis, Maryland with her husband and two children.