Dr. Mamie Parker, retired USFWS leader, joins Friends of John Smith Chesapeake Trail's board
May 11, 2009
Annapolis, October 23, 2009 -- The Friends of the John Smith Chesapeake Trail is pleased to announce that Dr. Mamie A. Parker has been named to its Board of Directors.
Dr. Parker, who recently retired from United States Fish and Wildlife Service after almost 30 years, was Assistant Director for Fisheries and Habitat Conservation. Prior to that appointment she was Regional Director for the Northeast Region, which includes the Chesapeake watershed, and a special assistant to the USFWS director on policy issues.
During her work with USFWS, she was noted for her enthusiastic support of partnerships with non-government organizations that complemented her agency's work. That outlook, combined with her policy work, regional leadership, and technical expertise, gives her a deep understanding of what is required to get things done.
She is also an avid fisherwoman, who started fishing with her mother in south Arkansas for grinner, carp, and catfish.
"Dr. Parker brings our board national expertise in conservation, fisheries, and refuges - highly valued knowledge and leadership at a moment when we are working toward conserving the Chesapeake's future," said Charlie Stek, chairman of the board of the Friends.
She began her career with the USFWS as a biologist in a national hatchery. As her responsibilities increased she managed programs, and regions. In her final post as Assistant Director of Fisheries and Habitat Conservation she managed a $250 million budget, supporting over 2,400 employees and 300 field stations throughout the country.
"I have a grateful and humble heart as I join the outstanding and dedicated Board of Directors and partners in the conservation of the Chesapeake," Dr. Parker said.
Dr. Parker has received numerous awards for her work. She received the Ira Gabrielson Award, given once a year by employees of the USFWS to the Service's most outstanding leader. A native of Wilmot, Arkansas, she was also inducted into the Arkansas Outdoor Hall of Fame.
Dr. Parker and her husband lives in the Washington, D.C. area.
Gilbert Grosvenor, Chairman of the National Geographic Society; William Baker, President of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation; and Patrick Noonan, Chairman Emeritus of The Conservation Fund founded the Friends of the Capt. John Smith Chesapeake Trail in 2005. They were seeking a way to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the founding of Jamestown and the explorations of Capt. John Smith and to bring attention to the bay's history, its native people, and the conservation of its ecosystems and regional culture.
