March 29, 2024
Annapolis, US 52 F

Chesapeake Bay Trust Assoc. Executive Director Honored At White House

The EPA was directed to set standards for radi...

Today, Dr. Jana Davis was be one of 11 leaders honored at the White House as a Champion of Change, for her work to promote innovation through the Trust’s portfolio of grant programs.

In 2009, the Chesapeake Bay Trust was awarded $3 million in federal recovery act funding from the Maryland Department of the Environment in partnership with the United States Environmental Protection Agency to install “green infrastructure” projects in seven Maryland communities. Dr. Davis is being honored for her management of these efforts, and their contribution to improve America’s infrastructure.

Located in Anne Arundel, Talbot, and Prince Georges County, these greening projects had both environmental and economic impacts and sought to control erosion and create habitat through living shoreline creation, to improve water quality through innovative treatment of stormwater, and to create jobs in Maryland. In the town of Edmonston in particular, Davis assisted local officials to create one of the first “green streets” in Maryland. This project included elements of community greening, advanced stormwater management, improved walkability and bikeability, and improved livability. To build on the success of this project and further advance green infrastructure, the Trust recently launched a Green Streets Grant Program in partnership with the EPA to help cities and towns in the Chesapeake Bay watershed accelerate greening efforts that improve watershed protection, community livability, and economic vitality.

“These American heroes are creating jobs today by investing in tomorrow — putting men and women back to work rebuilding America’s infrastructure,” said Secretary Ray LaHood. “We appreciate their extraordinary efforts to connect people who need their jobs back with the jobs that our communities and economy need done.”

The Champions of Change program was created as a part of President Obama’s Winning the Future initiative. Each week, a different sector is highlighted and groups of Champions, ranging from educators to entrepreneurs to community leaders, are recognized for the work they are doing to serve and strengthen their communities.

Dr. Jana Davis has been the Associate Executive Director and Chief Scientist of the Chesapeake Bay Trust since 2005. She oversees the Trust’s portfolio of grant programs focusing on watershed restoration, education, outreach, and innovation. Prior to coming to the Trust, Jana served as an American Association for the Advancement of Science Congressional Science Fellow in the United States Senate, sponsored by the American Geophysical Union. There, she handled ocean, coastal, and other environmental issues and wrote legislation on such topics as environmental literacy and habitat protection. Jana holds a B.S. in biology from Yale University and a Ph.D. in oceanography from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography.

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