Board of Directors
Tyrone P. Wilson, Ph.D., (President)
Portland Cement Association
Washington, DC
Tyrone is currently working for the Portland Cement Association (PCA) as Director, Regulatory Affairs. Among his responsibilities are serving as primary PCA resource for regulatory analysis and response for rulemakings related to environment and energy issues and acting as liaison between government entities and PCA's member companies. Prior to his position with PCA, Tyrone was employed by Digital Support Corporation as a government contractor during which time he worked as a biologist in the U.S. Geological Survey's NBII Program and later as an economic officer in the U.S. Department of State's Economic Bureau. He has held previous senior-level positions with the International Bottled Water Association (including project director for the Drinking Water Research Foundation) and the American Plastics Council. Tyrone earned a doctoral degree in Environmental Science and Public Policy from George Mason University. His research focused on agricultural biotechnology policy and country regulatory regimes. Tyrone resides in Alexandria, Virginia and is an active member of the Spring Bank Civic Association in the Mount Vernon District. In his spare time he enjoys bicycling, reading, music and artwork.
Beau Birch, (Vice-President)
Partner, Novak Birch, Baltimore, MD
Beau is a partner in and president of Novak Birch, the marketing communications and public relations firm he founded over 20 years ago. He is a tireless advocate, advisor and strategic creative resource for a broad spectrum of clients, from trade associations and Fortune 500 companies to small, startup enterprises. With his two partners, Beau leads of team of more than 20 designers, writers, programmers, and project specialists in the creation of integrated, synchronized communication programs. Though some have described him as having "printer's ink in his veins" because of his unparalleled expertise in all aspects of printing, he is equally comfortable working in print, broadcast, and digital media. Beau received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Mass Communications from Towson State University. He resides on the Magothy River, in Pasadena, Maryland, and for many years has been an avid boater and champion of marine environmental efforts.
Tim Gleeson (Treasurer)
Vice President, PNC Bank
Mr. Gleeson currently manages the underwriting group for the Washington, DC, office of PNC Bank's commercial real estate finance group. PNC Real Estate Finance provides financial products and services to commercial real estate clients nationwide. The Washington, DC office is responsible for financing activities with clients whose headquarters lie within the greater Washington metropolitan area. Mr. Gleeson joined PNC in June 1997 following completion of business school at the University of Notre Dame where he earned an MBA with a concentration in finance. Prior to attending graduate school, Mr. Gleeson worked in various capacities at the Ryland Group, Inc., one of the country's largest home builders. He also spent a brief time with Costar Group Inc., a commercial real estate research firm. Mr. Gleeson graduated from the University of Maryland in June 1993 with a Bachelor of Science in finance. Mr. Gleeson resides in Bethesda, Maryland with his wife and
Eric Osberg, (Secretary) Vice President and Treasurer, Thomas B. Fordham Institute, Washington, DC
Eric Osberg is the Vice President and Treasurer of the Thomas B. Fordham Foundation and the Thomas B. Fordham Institute, two related nonprofits in Washington, D.C., with missions to reform public K-12 education in America. Since 2002, he has been responsible for financial and managerial issues at Fordham, overseeing the budgets and spending of the two organizations and coordinating many aspects of Fordham’s strategy, operations, investments, and personnel management. He also works on specific policy projects related to school finance and other topics, and he is a Public Affairs Fellow at Stanford University’s Hoover Institution. From 1997 to 2000, Eric worked for Capital One Financial in Vienna, Virginia, where he helped develop the company's telecommunications line of business, America One. In June of 2002, Eric earned a Masters in Business Administration and a Master of Arts in Education from Stanford University. He also completed a Certificate of Nonprofit Management as part of his MBA curriculum. A native of Delaware, Eric holds both a BS in Commerce, with a concentration in Finance, and a BA in Economics from the University of Virginia. He resides in Silver Spring, MD, with his wife and 2 daughters.
children.
Robert F. Murphy (Executive Director and Member At-Large)
Ecosystem Solutions, Inc.
Bob Murphy currently serves as Director for Ecosystem Solutions, Inc. overseeing all aspects of the organization, including fundraising, proposal writing, scientific research and analysis, and field studies. Prior to ESI, Bob worked at the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay, a regional non-profit, where he specialized in habitat restoration, with particular emphases on submerged vegetation and oyster reef habitats. As a member of the senior staff at the Alliance, Bob served as scientific liaison to the Chesapeake Bay Program and other regional organizations. Bob holds a master's degree in fish ecology from the Chesapeake Biological Laboratory, University of Maryland. His continued scientific interests include the interactions of habitat and population dynamics in marine and estuarine systems. Bob and his wife Beth currently reside with their two boys, Ian and Declan, in Edgewater, MD in the South River watershed.
Mark O. Conner (Member At-Large)
Principal, Corporate Treasury Investment Consulting LLC
Baltimore MD
Mark O. Conner is a lifelong resident of the Chesapeake region and a paddling enthusiast. He in the founder and Principal of Corporate Treasury Investment Consulting LLC. Mark is also an ice hockey coach and is the director of "Hockey in the 'Hood", an outreach program that serves severely disadvantaged and at-risk kids in East Baltimore. His volunteer experience includes tutoring young readers at the St. Ambrose Tutoring Center in West Baltimore, volunteering as a board member of Baltimore Youth Hockey, and serving on the Board of Managers of the Towson YMCA. Mark is a single father of three daughters and resides in the northern part of Baltimore City.
Leila J. Hamdan, Ph.D (Member At-Large)
US Naval Research Laboratory
Washington, DC
Leila is an aquatic microbial ecologist employed as a Research Microbiologist at the Naval Research Laboratory in Washington, DC. Her focus is on understanding the impact of eutrophication on microplankton food webs in coastal systems. Specifically, her work addresses the development of anoxia in the Chesapeake Bay resulting from bacterial respiration of dissolved organic matter derived from phytoplankton. Recently she has become involved in describing microbial communities physically associated with methane hydrates found on the sea floor. This work is important on a global scale because of the impact of oceanic methane export on global climate change. Leila holds a doctoral degree in Environmental Science and Policy from George Mason University. In her free time, she volunteers as the President Elect for the Atlantic Estuarine Research Society, a regional professional society dedicated to understanding estuarine and coastal environmental issues and policies.
Clint Perez (Member At-Large)
Silver Spring, MD
Clint Perez is an independent marketing consultant. Mr. Perez has broad-based experience in designing and implementing marketing and brand management programs for world-class brands, including Discovery Education, Best Buy, Insignia and Apple Computer. Prior to Discovery Education, Mr. Perez formulated marketing and brand strategy for Best Buy's private label business as well as the company's premium home theater, computers, brand marketing and customer innovation divisions. In addition, he also held marketing, consulting and accounting positions with Apple Computer, Inc., KPMG Consulting and Discovery Communications, Inc.. Mr. Perez has a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from the University of Maryland, and a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Michigan. He currently resides in Silver Spring, MD with his wife and three children.