Lauren Taneyhill
President & Founder
Lauren comes from strong ties to the Chesapeake Bay in Maryland. Severn River saltwater runs through her veins, cracking open a blue crab is instinctual, and sand is her preferred footwear. On top of her connection to the Chesapeake, Lauren's particular story has led to a sense of urgency in empowering and supporting other women. The combination of environmentalism and gender equity as core values led her to create HerChesapeake.
Lauren leads the HerChesapeake team by providing guidance on organization direction and future vision, designing engaging programs and content, facilitating project management, assisting officers in respective work, and ensuring HerChesapeake's activities are responsive to the people it is serving.
Lauren's professional experience includes coordination, facilitation, policy, governance, partnerships, and communications for local to national scale environmental nonprofits and public agencies, as well as small business administration. Lauren has a Master of Natural Resources in Leadership for Global Sustainability from Virginia Tech, a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Economics and Policy from the Pennsylvania State University, and certifications in nonprofit management and fundraising.
Contact: lauren@herchesapeake.com
Ronnie Vesnaver
Events Curator
Ronnie joins the HerChesapeake team as a newcomer to the Eastern Shore of Maryland. In her short time living in the Chesapeake region she has been inspired by the natural environment of the watershed and the by communities that rely on it. As an educator for a placed-based, environmental semester program, Ronnie believes strongly in connecting people with each other and with the environment as a means for social progress.
Ronnie’s professional background is in education in both formal and informal settings. She has a degree in American Studies and Art History from Colby College and a Masters in Environmental History from Rutgers University-Newark. In addition to teaching, Ronnie has hands-on experience building sustainable programming in schools. When Ronnie isn’t teaching or out in the field with her students she enjoys running, hiking, biking, yoga, paddle boarding, kayaking, going to the beach, and of course walking countless miles with her black lab, Archie.
Kerry Darragh
Blog Writer
Growing up in Pennsylvania, Kerry developed an interest in nature and protecting the environment at a young age. Now a Maryland transplant, exploring the outdoors has become one of her passions. As a communications professional, Kerry has years of experience working with environmental and public health nonprofits and Chesapeake Bay advocates to pass legislation at the state level to make people and the planet healthier. Currently, she works as the communications officer for the Horizon Foundation, the largest independent health philanthropy in Maryland. A Terp through and through, Kerry holds a Masters in Public Policy and a B.A. in Government and Politics from the University of Maryland, College Park. Outside of work, you’ll often find Kerry watching soccer, planning her next trip to a national park or hiking a trail with her partner and her rescue dog, Finnegan.
Megan Ossmann
Blog Writer
Megan was born and raised in Long Island, NY, where she developed a strong connection to the coast and a passion for environmental science. As a relatively new resident to Maryland, she has fallen in love with the Chesapeake Bay and is inspired by the culture and natural beauty of the region, as well as the dedication of all the people working tirelessly to protect and restore the Bay. Megan’s previous experience working at local and international nonprofit conservation organizations has led to a strong interest in wildlife and habitat conservation, though she is also exploring new interests in coastal resiliency and other coastal environmental issues. She currently supports the restoration and conservation of critical habitats in the Chesapeake Bay by providing coordination and facilitation at the Chesapeake Bay Program Office. Megan has a Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Studies from Adelphi University and a Masters in Environmental Management from Duke University.
Melissa Howison
Newsletter Architect
Melissa is a transplant to Maryland, but she wasted no time in making the Chesapeake Bay her beloved backyard after moving to Baltimore in 2015. Weekends are now for hiking, swimming, gardening, and exploring the Eastern Shore. During the week, she works in fundraising at NatureServe, the leading source for authoritative data on imperiled species and ecosystems in the Americas. Working and playing so closely to nature have ignited Melissa’s passion for protecting our natural resources and raising awareness about climate justice.