Note from the Moderator

Melissa Fagan, CRC’s Environmental Management Career Development Program Coordinator

This month is full of milestones, one of them being that April’s CRC Roundtable webinar was the 20th we’ve hosted! In the context of celebrating milestones – this year we are celebrating CRC’s 50th anniversary AND the webinar was held in the midst of Earth Day festivities – we took a moment to highlight CRC’s long history of developing environmental leaders and the CRC program that is dedicated to developing this talented group of Bay professionals.

The Environmental Management Career Development Program (EMCDP) is designed to give early-career, environmental scientists, managers, educators, and communicators an entry point into the Bay’s professional community. It not only provides critical working experience, but it also allows each person in the program time to focus on their individual professional growth and development. CRC Environmental Management Staffers, as they are called now (they used to be called interns as well as fellows through the program’s history), support the work of the Chesapeake Bay Program which is a partnership of government agencies, academic institutions, and other organizations from all over the region who are working together to advance the management of the Chesapeake Bay, its watershed, and its resources for the enjoyment and sustainment of its residents for generations to come. The Chesapeake Bay Program was established in the 1980s, and so was CRC’s career development program – we have been a part of their story from the beginning! Since the program’s creation, we have shepherded over 200 individuals through our program, many of whom are now contributing to the effort as part of the Bay’s professional and leadership community.

All of the Environmental Management Staffers in the program are with us for three-year terms. During that time, they develop expert coordination and communication skills, engage in technical work and management projects, and have the opportunity to focus on their own individual growth and professional development goals. When the time comes for them to leave our program, they do so better prepared for whatever lies ahead of them with a solid foundation upon which they build the rest of their careers.

Our April speakers are alums of CRC’s career development program and represent the diversity of professional positions that our former interns, fellows, and staffers currently hold. Some participants return to graduate school to further develop their expertise, while others choose to move from our program directly into another professional position. We’re excited to share that a lot of them stay within the Bay community!

We are grateful to our April speakers and program alums for sharing their experiences in the program and the impact their time with CRC and the Chesapeake Bay Program had on both their professional and personal lives.