I write this month of a “shift” in our leadership. Claire Maulhardt, who has led the Exchange board as President since our inception as a corporation last July, has stepped down, owing to the fact that she has left her role as Stormwater Utility Director at Capital Region Water and our bylaws require our president to be employed by a local government or stormwater utility. Claire’s steadfast and thoughtful leadership has seen us through big transitions, including a doubling of our membership since we expanded the sectors we serve and our evolution to nonprofit status, which will be fully effective July 1.
That’s the “bitter” part of the news. The “sweet” part is that Beatrice Ohene-Okae has stepped into to fill the vacancy. Having served ably as vice president of the board and co-chair of the SPPC before that, she is eminently qualified for the role and we are indebted to her for her willingness to take it on. Adding to the ambrosia, Claire will fill the vacant role of vice president.
Beatrice asked us to share her excitement about her new role with this statement:
Dear members of the Green Infrastructure Leadership Exchange –
I’m writing to share my excitement with continuing our network’s tradition of peer learning and
collaboration by stepping into the role of President of the Exchange’s Board of Directors.
I’m an Environmental Protection Specialist with the Department of Energy and Environment
(DOEE) in Washington, DC. DOEE has been a member of the Exchange for several years and
we’ve had the opportunity to experience firsthand the value that peer learning offers to
professionals across our sector.As President of the Exchange, I remain committed to supporting our growing network and our
mission of advancing equitable implementation of green stormwater infrastructure across the
U.S. and Canada.The Exchange has several new initiatives that we look forward to sharing with you all in the
coming months – like our Making Connections Series, which pairs members up for engaging
conversations about their work and career experiences. You can complete this form if you’re
interested in presenting during a Making Connections session this year.We’re also calling on members to help re-vision Learning Circles with us. Over the summer the
Exchange will be hosting conversations led by our new Education Manager, Tracy Tegart. You’ll
have an opportunity to share your insights into how peer learning can be reimagined to better
serve member needs and promote engagement across the network.I look forward to working with all of you as we continue to advance our practice and support the Exchange as a vital resource for GSI practitioners across North America.
Please join me in thanking Claire for her extraordinary service to our organization and congratulating Beatrice on her election as President.
