Mary Beth is Director of Legislative Affairs. Her current areas of focus are the Endangered Species Act and federal budget and appropriations issues related to the protection and conservation of wildlife and habitat. Over the years, Mary Beth has helped lead the environmental community on major natural resource funding issues and in response to attacks on the environment through the federal budget process.

 

Prior to her employment at Defenders, Mary Beth worked as a legislative assistant on Capitol Hill where she focused on natural resource issues, including endangered species, fisheries, land use, public lands management, watershed restoration and management, coastal zone management and western water. Mary Beth has also worked for the Maryland Zoological Society.

 

She holds a Bachelor of Arts from Antioch University, a Master of Science in Marine, Estuarine and Environmental Sciences from the University of Maryland and was a recipient of a Dean John Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship.