Champions of the Chesapeake

Since 2014, we have recognized numerous individuals and organizations as Champions of the Chesapeake for their dedication to the conservation and preservation of the Chesapeake Bay, the largest estuary in the United States, and deemed a national treasure.

2024

Joel Dunn

On December 11, 2024, the Chesapeake Conservancy Board of Directors honored departing president and CEO Joel Dunn with a Champion of the Chesapeake award. Over the last 14 years, under his leadership, Chesapeake Conservancy helped create a national trail, two national monuments, a national park, a national marine sanctuary, a new national wildlife refuge and significantly advanced a national recreation area for the Chesapeake. Chesapeake Conservancy partnered to conserve thousands of acres of land, expand national wildlife refuges, create local parks, restore Chesapeake tributaries and empower the conservation movement with the latest groundbreaking data and technology.

U.S. Senator Ben Cardin

U.S. Senator Ben Cardin has been a steadfast advocate for land conservation and the restoration of the Chesapeake Bay, which is the economic, historical and cultural heart of Maryland. As a senior member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, he works to ensure that bedrock environmental laws are protected and emerging threats to clean, safe water and healthy air are addressed. He is a staunch advocate of the Chesapeake Bay Program and works every day to achieve clean water, abundant wildlife, conserved lands, public access and the engagement of diverse communities.

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U.S. Representative John Sarbanes

As a leader of the bipartisan Chesapeake Bay Watershed Task Force, Congressman Sarbanes has fought to provide adequate resources for federal agencies that have a hand in Bay restoration efforts and prioritizes protecting and enhancing public access to the public waters of the Bay and its tributaries. His leadership has led to record funding levels for Chesapeake Bay programs that facilitate conservation, restoration and recreation throughout the Bay watershed, from the Environmental Protection Agency’s Chesapeake Bay Program, to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Chesapeake Watershed Investments for Landscape Defense (WILD) Program, to the National Park Service (NPS) Gateways & Watertrails Program. He also authored the Chesapeake National Recreation Act, which would establish a new NPS unit to celebrate the Chesapeake and support sites in its watershed.

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Abel Olivo

Abel Olivo was recognized as a 2024 Champion of the Chesapeake for his work leading Defensores de la Cuenca and fostering the next generation of Chesapeake Bay advocates and conservation leaders. People of Hispanic or Latin descent represent roughly