About Us

Established in 2006, Friends of Chesapeake Gateways is a 501c3 nonprofit organization that supports the mission and goals of the Chesapeake Bay Gateways Network. Friends of Chesapeake Gateways works closely with the National Park Service and with more than 160 individual sites across the region in 6 states and the District of Columbia.

Friends of Chesapeake Gateways aims to enable ever better interpretation and experience of the Chesapeake at Gateway sites, resulting in an experience of such high quality that visitors connect to the Chesapeake emotionally as well as intellectually, and thus choose to contribute to its long term conservation.

A volunteer board of directors that includes representatives from the nonprofit, business and public sector governs friends of Chesapeake Gateways. A small staff supports operations.

For information on press coverage and for media inquiries, click here.

Board members:

Lloyd L. Beatty, Jr, Chair
Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, Shore Bancshares, Inc.

Ellie Altman, Vice Chair
Executive Director, Adkins Arboretum

Claudia Schechter, Treasurer
Independent consultant
Former CFO and VP for Operations of the National Park Foundation
Director of Operations, Department of the Interior

Robert Carter
Director, Community Services Division, Virginia Department of Historic Resources

Page Hayhurst
Executive Director, Virginia Living Museum

Charles A. Stek
President, Environmental Stewardship Strategies
Former Projects Director to Senator Paul Sarbanes and Senator Ben Cardin, Maryland

Staff

Eleanor Mahoney, Program Director
As Program Director, Eleanor Mahoney works closely with individual Gateway sites, the National Park Service and regional partners to build a vibrant and sustainable Chesapeake Bay Gateways Network (CBGN). Prior to joining Friends, she served as Assistant National Coordinator for Heritage Areas, a grassroots community partnership initiative of the National Park Service. Ms. Mahoney is a native of the Washington, DC region and enjoys exploring the Chesapeake Bay by foot, bike and canoe.