FHRP has a very active board of volunteers. Board members are from partner organizations and communities adjacent to Herring Run Park. In addition to setting strategic priorities, raising money, and advocating for the parks, board members support events and programs in the park.
Update
FHRP is currently (as of July 2022) in a strategic planning process to determine the focus areas of FHRP for the next 3-5 years. This helps the organization decide what programs to host, how to advocate, what funds to attract and what staffing model is needed to accomplish this. This process cannot be done without community input as FHRP are community stewards. We are seeking input through focus groups, surveys and interviews. Please see our email and social media communications to be kept up to date. If you have questions, email us at info@friendsofherringrun.org. We look forward to sharing the plan with you in 2023!
Update
FHRP is currently (as of July 2022) in a strategic planning process to determine the focus areas of FHRP for the next 3-5 years. This helps the organization decide what programs to host, how to advocate, what funds to attract and what staffing model is needed to accomplish this. This process cannot be done without community input as FHRP are community stewards. We are seeking input through focus groups, surveys and interviews. Please see our email and social media communications to be kept up to date. If you have questions, email us at info@friendsofherringrun.org. We look forward to sharing the plan with you in 2023!
Board of Directors
- Laura Gillis, President
- Anita Bryant, Vice President
- Tracy Smith, Jr., Treasurer
- Amanda Cunningham, Secretary
- Tami Butler
- Scott Johnson, Past President
- Bess Keller
- Charles Minor
- Cyndi Murray
- Kate Scherr-Adams
Board Bios
LAURA GILLIS |
ANITA BRYANT |
Board PresidentLaura joined the Friends of Herring Run Parks Board in 2012 and served as President from 2013 through 2018. Trained as a nurse, Laura is particularly interested in the health benefits of the park. She is a member of the leadership team for a woman-owned business that offers technical assistance and training to providers working with marginalized populations. She has decades of experience writing and winning grants, a skill she has used on behalf of FHRP. She helped spearhead the board’s 2018 strategic planning process.
Since moving to Baltimore in 1985, Laura and her husband have lived in the City’s northeast section, for the past 15 years, in a house overlooking Lake Montebello. Favorite thing about Herring Run: Watching the trees’ seasonal changes and seeing red foxes as she rides her bike on the park’s trails. TRACY SMITH, JR.
Board Treasurer
Tracy Smith, Jr. has worked in data analysis, finance, accounting, and customer service management. In his spare time, he enjoys working out, meditating, and nurturing his garden. Tracy volunteers as a tutor weekly with the Immigrant Outreach Service Center at St. Matthew Church and is a member of the BUILD (Baltimoreans United in Leadership Development) Violence Interruption Team. He has lived in Baltimore since 1998, is married to Ndaneh Smart-Smith, and has two sons ages 20 and 25.
Favorite thing about Herring Run: The sense of being in shared space that is enjoyed and valued. TAMI BUTLER
Board MemberTami is a resident of Belair Edison with front row seats to Herring Run Park. Recognized as a beloved steward of her neighborhood, Tami is often seen picking up litter in the park and in her neighborhood.
A Baltimore Civil Servant, Tami gives back to her community in many ways. Tami brings her collaborative spirit and her enthusiasm to the Board of Friends of Herring Run Parks and inspires her neighbors to get involved in their community.
Board Member
Bess is a writer, editor, and researcher. She formerly worked as a public affairs manager for UMBC, a publicist for a think tank, and a reporter for a national education newspaper. She holds a master’s degree in public policy and is currently a Fellow (2019) with GreenFaith, an interfaith coalition for the environment that works with houses of worship, religious schools, and people of all faiths to help them become better environmental stewards.
She joined the board in 2017 and helped spearhead the board’s 2018 strategic planning process. She has been picking up trash with her bare hands for 30+ years. Favorite thing about Herring Run: The way the stream meanders through a diversity of neighborhoods, providing residents with nature next door, and park goers with the experience of both nature and the build environment.
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Board Vice PresidentAnita's mission is community, connection, and impact. She has a passion and interest in protecting green spaces, especially in urban communities. She joined FHRP to help increase engagement and participation with Baltimore City residents with park activities and preservation.
Anita’s a creative visionary accustomed to working in various levels of business ranging from private, entertainment, non-profit, and government. A professional “Think Tank” who believes in connecting the idea and strategy into a results-driven experience. In her current position as Lead Marketing Specialist at the Institute for Innovation and Implementation at the University of Maryland School of Social Work, developing strategic marketing campaigns and initiatives that support the Institute’s work in mental health for youth-and family-serving systems and services. Favorite thing about Herring Run: Watching the deer and other wildlife in my neighborhood – proving we can all coexist in all environments. AMANDA CUNNINGHAM
Board SecretaryAmanda has been involved in Baltimore’s greening scene for over 20 years. She has managed programs for Parks & People, co-authored a community greening how-to book, helped found and direct the Baltimore Tree Trust, and developed the Baltimore TreeKeepers Program. She volunteers on the Baltimore City Forestry Board and is Co-President of the Flowering Tree Trails of Baltimore. She is certified as an arborist with tree-risk assessment qualification. For 24 years she has been a volunteer educator with the master gardener program of the University of Maryland’s Extension Service.
For fun, Amanda hunts down trees to measure for the Maryland Big Tree program. An alumna of Towson State, she lives in the Waltherson neighborhood. She joined the board in 2018. Favorite thing about Herring Run: All of its wildness! SCOTT JOHNSON
Board MemberScott has been the Community School Coordinator for Afya Public Charter School since 2015. Through partnerships, Scott taps local resources to meet student needs and engages students in serving the community. He also coaches Afya’s soccer team, which has as its first order of business at every game or practice de-littering the Herring Run field where the team plays.
An avid hiker since his undergraduate days at Morgan State, Scott founded and leads a Boy Scout troop at Afya. Favorite thing about Herring Run: Bringing Afya students into the park, especially to plant trees, as they did in 2016. CHARLES MINOR
Board Member
Along with wife Susan of more than 50 years, Charles, a life long Baltimorean, is a more than 30-year resident of Beverly Hills. Charles has had over fifty years teaching experience, beginning with 34 years teaching students in secondary schools of Baltimore City to experience teaching students from elementary school to college following his retirement from BCPS. He has served as a community officer, a mentor, and a basketball coach. Presently he is active member of 2 Morgan State alumni chapters and the Julian Chapter of the Association for the Study of African American Life and History. He served on the board of the Henry Hall program of the National Aquarium for over 25 years. He is a strong advocate of HBCUs, the environment and social justice.
Favorite thing about Herring Run: walking the trails and being surprised by deer that occasionally show themselves at various points along the way. |
