Staff
Misty Fae, Executive Director
An intentional resident of Baltimore City, Misty delights in the natural spaces that make Baltimore special. Sharing the vision of the Friends of Herring Run Parks in creating usable, accessible and safe outdoor environments for all, Misty comes to FHRP with over 20 years of community building experience. Misty is thrilled to put her experience to use in creating community through environmental activism. Misty recently returned to Baltimore after 5 years living in Germany with her family. The experience of living in a culture that places inherent importance on stewardship of the natural world profoundly informed her vision of what is possible with urban open spaces. When everything around us demonstrates that we are one part of our natural environment, the question then is not do we care for our environment, but how do we care for it? The question is not, am I connected, but instead how am I connected? Misty hopes that through her work with FHRP, more Baltimore City residents will have the opportunity to experience their connection to the Herring Run stream valley. Misty lives in Baltimore City among a wonderful, diverse group of neighbors with her two energetic sons, ages 10 and 8, a pup named Ella and a kitten named Chloe, who was a gift found in the park.
Lennette Abad, Community Outreach and Engagement Coordinator
Lennette is a nature lover born in the Dominican Republic, and raised in Washington, DC. Now a proud resident of the Belair-Edison neighborhood, Lennette has called Baltimore home for the last decade. From humid jungles to temperate forests, she finds beauty in the pristine serenity and peace that only nature can offer. Lennette has 8 years of experience in nonprofit communications that range from website development to meeting facilitation and community engagement. She hopes to bring her pizazz and zest for life to Friends of Herring Run Park while helping the organization to widen its reach to Black and Brown communities that can benefit from the healing properties of spending time in the woods! Lennette is also the founder of Karmic Connections, a small nonprofit that aims to heal Black and Brown folks through nature, mindfulness, and adventure so this role feels truly aligned. In her downtime, you can find her relaxing on some international beach chatting it up with locals!
Board of Directors
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 and advocating for the parks, board members support events and programs in the park.
Board Bios
LAURA GILLIS, PRESIDENT |
ANITA BRYANT, VICE PRESIDENT |
Laura 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 fox as she rides her bike on the park’s trails. JENN AIOSA, MEMBER
Jenn moved to Baltimore City in January 2001, and to Beverly Hills in 2017. An environmental scientist
by training, she has spent her career advocating for environmental protection and community engagement at the State and local levels, as a scientist with the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, the Executive Director of Blue Water Baltimore, the Chief Sustainability Officer for Baltimore County and currently as the Chief of Staff for the Maryland Energy Administration. She loves gardening, hiking, and pottery, and just being outside with her husband Rich and their dog Coco. She can often be found walking through Herring Run Park’s trails finding joy in her favorite urban oasis. Favorite thing about Herring Run: How you can forget you’re in the middle of a bustling city when surrounded by the forest. TAMI BUTLER, MEMBER
Tami 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. BESS KELLER, Secretary
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 was a 2019 Fellow 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. Monique Meadows, Member
As an organizational midwife with over 25 years of experience, Monique organically weaves the wisdom of earth-based traditions with sound organizational change theory to create holistic transformation for individuals and organizations. Her love for the natural world is integrated into all that she does. At the core, her work is as a healer. As an architect of relationships, she works to fortify the core of the organization and align organizational missions with resources and outcomes. As an organizational development professional, she has successfully authored multi-million-dollar grants, directed multi-year strategic planning processes, and worked with leadership teams to resolve longstanding conflicts. She is a featured activist in The Spirit of Social Change: Love, Hope, Faith and Joy in Intersectional Activism and published author in Spirited:
Affirming the Soul and the Black Gay/Lesbian Identity. She earned a Master’s degree in Organization Development from American University in Washington, D.C., where she was awarded a Segal-Seashore Fellowship for her commitment to social justice. Baltimore has been home to Monique for 12 years and she enjoys exploring the green spaces throughout the area. Favorite thing about Herring Run Park – The park is a magical combination of peace, play and mystery! Each time I go, I discover something new and feel at home surrounded by all the beauty. Kate Scherr-Adams, Member
Kate is a nature and city lover who enjoys hiking and exploring the outdoors. Parks like Herring Run make both of her passions possible on a daily basis. She has lived in Baltimore City for 20 years, near Herring Run Park (Lake Montebello and Waltherson neighborhoods) and visits the park with her husband and pup. Kate has worked in the nonprofit sector for over 20 years. As a consultant, Kate focuses on people and planning; supporting organizations by helping people navigate personal and organizational challenges and building strategies to achieve positive community impact.
Favorite thing about Herring Run: Seeing neighbors of the park recreating in its nature, peace and beauty. |
Anita'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 is 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 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, TREASURER
Amanda 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 was co-president of the Flowering Tree Trails of Baltimore. She is a certified arborist with tree-risk assessment qualification. For 25 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, MEMBER
Scott has been the Community School Coordinator for Belair- Edison Public Charter School (formerly Afya) since 2015. Through partnerships, Scott taps local resources to meet student needs and engages students in serving the community. He also coaches the basketball team and a mountain biking team. Scott brings his students regularly out for greening, tree planting, and clean up days in Herring Run.
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. TRACY SMITH, JR., Member
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. Charles Minor, 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. BEN ROGERS, MEMBER
Originally from Illinois, Ben moved to the Herring Run watershed in 2022. he currently works in education with the federal governement as an instructional designer and contracting officer. Ben is a Baltimore TreeKeeper and is passionate about native fruit trees- especially Paw Paws and American Persimmons. Both of which grow in Herring Run Park!
Favorite thing about Herring Run: The way that the Park provides access to nature for city residents and connects all the diverse communities surrounding the park! |
PO Box 16167
Baltimore, MD 21218 410-417-8565 |