By Greg Ellison

(April 23, 2020) Looking to increase stakeholder representation, the Maryland Coastal Bays Program Board of Directors earlier this month voted to expand membership to include Ocean Pines Director of Amenities and Operational Logistics Colby Phillips.

Coastal Bays Executive Director Kevin Smith, who took the reins in January following the retirement of predecessor Frank Piorko, said he initially met Phillips last year  before his retirement in December after 34 years with the Maryland Department of Natural Resources.

“I first met Colby when working with Maryland DNR with the Chesapeake and Coastal Bay Trust Fund,” he said.

Smith said he worked with Phillips last year as part of the Ocean Pines team that was seeking funding for drainage improvements, and he continues to work her now following his appointment to the Coastal Bays Program leadership post.

“She was always enthusiastic … and just had a great attitude about trying to do work that would help not only the residents there in Ocean Pines … but also that’s going to help water quality [and] habitat,” he said.

Smith said discussions among Coastal Bays Program leadership this year have included adding a voice from Ocean Pines.

“Ocean Pines is the substantial community in the coastal bays watershed,” he said. “We really wanted to get somebody on board that was very familiar with Ocean Pines folks and could represent some of their interests.”

The Maryland Coastal Bays Program is a non-profit venture that works with Worcester County, the municipalities Ocean City and Berlin and with the Maryland Departments of Natural Resources, Agriculture and Planning. Additionally, federal partners include the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the National Park Service.

For her part, Phillips expressed enthusiasm over being asked to join the program.

“I was honored,” she said. “I love being a part of anything that can help water quality and the environment.”

Phillips said she learned more about water quality and how it can be affected by runoff and other points of pollution after working with Public Works Director Eddie Wells, Public Works Operations Manager Nobie Violante, Bryan Seipp, a watershed manager from the Center for Watershed Protection and Rich Polk with Vista Engineering.

“The last year I’ve been working really closely on drainage issues in the Pines with the team,” she said. “My involvement started with drainage, but along the way I’ve learned about … water quality and the importance of … making sure that we’re taking care of our watershed.”

Speaking on Monday, Smith said since being voted in during the board of directors last online meeting on April 1, Phillips would officially get her toes wet this Wednesday.

“We have an abbreviated board meeting this week as just kind of a coronavirus update,” he said.

Phillips’ presence will increase the Coastal Bays board to eight members, which Smith said might grow further in the future.

“We really want to get a good representation of interested stakeholders in the area,” he said. “One of the things we’re trying to do is add another board member that would represent agricultural interests.”

Serving on the Coastal Bays Program Board of Directors are Ocean City Councilman Tony Deluca, Dr. Ali Ishaque with the University of Maryland Eastern Shore, Kristen Fleming with the Department of Natural Resources, Katherine Munson with Worcester County and Citizen Advisory Committee members Dr. Nancy Zeller and Steven Taylor. Bill Hulslander with Assateague Island National Seashore is a non-voting member.