Will Lead Conservation Innovation Center
(Annapolis, MD) – Today, Chesapeake Conservancy announced that Susan Minnemeyer has been promoted to the role of vice president of technology. Minnemeyer joined the nonprofit in February 2019 as a geospatial program manager.
As vice president for technology, Susan Minnemeyer leads Chesapeake Conservancy’s Conservation Innovation Center (CIC), which empowers conservation with applications for data-driven decision making. The CIC team supports the Chesapeake Bay Program and other conservation partners by providing data and insights to prioritize restoration practices, evaluate alternatives, and identify solutions for effective implementation.
“I’m excited about the opportunity to lead the CIC and apply my experience in mapping and environmental monitoring to conservation in the Chesapeake watershed, making a difference in my community and beyond,” said Minnemeyer. “Chesapeake Conservancy’s Conservation Innovation Center uses geospatial technology and data science to enhance the pace and quality of conservation. Our approach leverages high resolution data to locate the best places for conservation practices and green infrastructure to improve water quality. Expanding conservation and restoration opportunities improves our quality of life while also protecting habitat and contributing to natural climate solutions.”
“Susan brings valuable expertise on forest and land cover monitoring applications for conservation and restoration to the Chesapeake Conservancy,” said Executive Vice President Mark Conway. “We welcomed this opportunity to promote from within and look forward to Susan’s great work together advancing precision conservation with the team at our Conservation Innovation Center.”
Prior to joining Chesapeake Conservancy, Susan was the senior GIS manager for Global Forest Watch, an initiative of the World Resources Institute that provides data and tools for monitoring forests.
She earned a Master of environmental management from the Nicholas School at Duke University, concentrating on resource and landscape ecology and a Bachelor of Science in biology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Residing in Severna Park, Maryland, following many years in Washington, DC, she enjoys native plant gardening and exploring the Chesapeake Bay with her husband and two sons.
Chesapeake Conservancy’s mission is to conserve and restore the natural and cultural resources of the Chesapeake Bay watershed for the enjoyment, education, and inspiration of this and future generations. We empower the conservation community with access to the latest data and technology. As principal partner for the National Park Service on the Chesapeake Bay Gateways Network and the Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail, we helped create 194 new public access sites and permanently protect some of the Bay’s special places like Werowocomoco, Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge, Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad National Historical Park, and Fort Monroe National Monument.
