Board Member since May 2010
Thomas Barba is a partner in the Washington, D.C. office of Steptoe & Johnson LLP, where he is a member of both Litigation and Technology Departments. He is an experienced products liability litigator and advisor, with a long-standing practice representing technology companies in federal regulatory matters involving government electronic surveillance. For the past decade, he has also served as General Counsel to Steptoe & Johnson LLP. Before joining the firm, Mr. Barba was U.S. Deputy Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Division.
Education
Temple University School of Law, J.D.
Temple University, B.A.
Board Member since June 2009
Patrick Coyne is a partner at Finnegan, Henderson, Farabow, Garrett & Dunner, LLP, focusing on intellectual property trials and appeals. He has served as Chair and Vice Chair of the Amicus and Antitrust Law Committees and is currently Co-Chair of the Special Committee on Legislation of the American Intellectual Property Law Association. Mr. Coyne also serves as Vice President and is a member of the Board of Governors of the Federal Circuit Bar Association.
Education
University of Virginia School of Law, J.D.
University of Virginia, B.S., with high distinction
Board Member since January 2017
Richard Hinds is Senior Counsel in Cleary Gottlieb’s Washington, D.C. office, where he focuses on litigation. His practice encompasses international trade matters, product liability, and environmental and land-use regulatory issues. He co-authored “Chapter 27: Toxic Substances Control Act” in Matthew Bender’s Environmental Practice Guide. Mr. Hinds joined Cleary Gottlieb in 1973, became a partner in 1977, and previously served as Special Assistant to the Assistant Secretary of Trade Affairs in the U.S. Treasury Department.
Education
Columbia Law School, LL.B., cum laude; Editor, Columbia Law Review
Tufts University, B.A., magna cum laude
EAC President since 2014
Captain Rick Hoffman has served as President of the Environmental Action Council (EAC) since 2014, prior to its merger with Chesapeake Legal Alliance. A retired U.S. Navy Captain with nearly 28 years of service, he commanded the USS De Wert and USS Hue City and held key roles including Operations Officer for the Enterprise Battle Group and Program Sponsor for Tomahawk Cruise Missile Program at the Pentagon.
After retiring, Captain Hoffman founded Orion Solutions, LLC, a Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business based in Jacksonville, Florida, specializing in business process engineering and training development for defense and commercial clients. His naval expertise has also been featured as a technical advisor for films Battleship and Captain Phillips.
He serves on the boards of the North Florida Land Trust and the University of North Florida’s Taylor Leadership Institute.
Education
The Citadel, B.S.
Naval Postgraduate School, M.S., Oceanography
The National War College
Board Member since June 2017
Deborah Jennings is a retired senior partner from DLA Piper’s Washington, D.C. office. Her practice focused on litigation and negotiations involving air, water, and hazardous waste issues, as well as policies addressing ozone, acid rain, and climate change. She previously served as Assistant Attorney General of Maryland and Chief of the Criminal Investigations Division, and as Assistant State’s Attorney for Montgomery County. Ms. Jennings has been listed in The Best Lawyers in America for over two decades and was a charter member and Board of Regents member of the American College of Environmental Lawyers.
Education
Georgetown University Law Center, J.D.
University of Maryland, B.A., with honors
Board Member since June 2009
Stephen Kurzman is a retired Washington, D.C. attorney, most recently a partner at Nixon, Hargrave, Devans & Doyle. He previously served as Assistant Secretary for Legislation at the U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, Legislative Assistant and Counsel to Senator Jacob K. Javits, and Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Southern District of New York. Kurzman has served on the D.C. Advisory Committee to the U.S. Civil Rights Commission and remains active in several civic and arts orgs.
Education
Harvard Law School
Harvard College
Secretary and Board Member since September 2016
David Menotti is Senior Counsel in Crowell & Moring’s Environment & Natural Resources Group. He has nearly 40 years of experience in environmental law, focusing on matters under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act, the Toxic Substances Control Act, and other key environmental statutes. Between 1974 and 1982, he held multiple senior positions at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and previously clerked for Judge Harold R. Tyler, Jr. (S.D.N.Y.) and served as a U.S. Army JAGC officer.
Education
University of Pennsylvania Law School, J.D., magna cum laude
Syracuse University, B.A.
Board Member since June 2019
Lois Schiffer serves as General Counsel for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), where she oversees more than 100 attorneys and advises the Under Secretary for Oceans and Atmosphere. She previously served as Assistant Attorney General for the Environment and Natural Resources Division at the U.S. Department of Justice and as General Counsel to the National Capital Planning Commission. An adjunct professor of environmental law at Georgetown University Law Center, she has received both the Charles Fahy Distinguished Adjunct Professor Award and the Edmund J. Randolph Award for outstanding service.
Education
Harvard Law School, J.D.
Radcliffe College, B.A.
Vice Chair, Board Member since December 2018
Joyce Schlesinger recently retired from Ramboll Group, a Danish engineering and consultancy firm, where she served as Principal and Executive Vice President for Global Practice Development of Environment & Health. She founded the firm’s Due Diligence practice and has more than 35 years of experience in risk assessment and management. Joyce has led multidisciplinary teams supporting environmental litigation and liability assessments involving national-scale matters.
Education
Stanford University, M.S., Civil (Environmental) Engineering
Mount Holyoke College, A.B., Chemistry
Treasurer, Board Member since February 2018
Skip Shipman is an entrepreneur and business strategy consultant who has co-founded three technology consulting firms serving clients across government, nonprofit, and private sectors. He later founded the Capstone Group, providing strategic advisory services in growth, M&A support, and integration. Skip has also served as Director and Treasurer of the South River Federation, a leading organization for Chesapeake Bay restoration.
Education
Georgetown University, M.A., Economics
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, B.S., Electrical Engineering
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, B.S., Management
Emeritus Director, Founder & Board Chair (2009-2023)
Russell Stevenson is the founder of Chesapeake Legal Alliance and served as Board Chair from 2009 to 2023. He was previously Senior Vice President and General Counsel for CIENA Corporation and now teaches as a Professor from Practice at Georgetown Law. Over his distinguished career, Mr. Stevenson has served as Deputy General Counsel of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and as General Counsel for CyberCash, Inc. A lifelong sailor, Russ lives on the Chesapeake Bay and remains dedicated to its restoration.
Education
Harvard Law School, J.D.
Cornell University, B.S., Mechanical Engineering
Board Member since July 2023
Robin D. Leone is a litigation attorney at Saul Ewing LLP, where she chairs the firm’s Pro Bono Committee. She focuses her practice on developing litigation strategies, writing persuasive legal arguments for trial and appellate courts, establishing discovery protocols using e-discovery tools, and preparing witnesses for deposition and trial.
Robin brings a litigation perspective to emerging business issues, advising clients on regulatory compliance, trade secret protection, and governmental interactions. She also serves as pro bono general counsel for a nonprofit focused on protecting and improving Baltimore’s waterways.
Before law school, Robin worked as a consultant to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in Region III, focusing on Resource Conservation and Recovery Act and Superfund enforcement programs. A longtime Baltimore resident, she is deeply committed to the city’s environmental future.
Board Member since July 2023
Morgan Johnson is an attorney with the Sustainable FERC Project, a coalition-based initiative housed within the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC). Her work promotes a clean, equitable, low-carbon energy future, focusing on gas advocacy before FERC, DOE, and the federal courts.
Previously, Morgan was the staff attorney at Waterkeepers Chesapeake, where she represented 17 Waterkeeper programs across Maryland, Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Washington, D.C. She has been cited as an expert in The Clean Water Act Owner’s Manual and The Advocate’s Guide to Effective Participation in Environmental Permit Proceedings for LNG Export Facilities.
Morgan is passionate about clean water and energy justice, centering her legal work on climate accountability and equitable environmental policy.
Board Member since July 2024
Jody Cummings serves as General Counsel for Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation in Connecticut, overseeing all legal services for the Nation and its business enterprises. He also leads the Nation’s Government Affairs Department, directing its federal and state advocacy, legislative, and regulatory strategies.
Previously, Jody was a partner at Steptoe & Johnson LLP in Washington, D.C., representing tribes, intertribal organizations, and businesses operating in Indian Country. His experience includes federal permitting, economic development, Indian gaming, and agency consultation under the National Historic Preservation Act and the National Environmental Policy Act.
Earlier in his career, Jody served as Deputy Solicitor for Indian Affairs at the U.S. Department of the Interior. An enrolled member of the Lumbee Tribal Nation, he is dedicated to advancing federal recognition for his people.
Education
Duke University, B.A.
Columbia Law School, J.D.
Board Member since July 2024
Peter Robertson is a seasoned environmental lawyer and policy leader with extensive experience in both the public and private sectors. He currently serves as Senior Director of Low Carbon Solutions at ExxonMobil Corporation in Washington, D.C.
Peter previously served as Deputy Administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency under Carol Browner and as Senior Vice President for Corporate Affairs at Pebble Limited Partnership. His prior private practice included leadership roles at Squire Patton Boggs, Pillsbury, and Crowell & Moring, where he advised clients on environmental law and policy.
A long-time advocate for the Chesapeake Bay, Peter brings deep legislative and regulatory insight that strengthens CLA’s environmental mission.
Education
Georgetown University Law Center, J.D.
University of Oklahoma, B.A., Phi Beta Kappa
Chair, Board Member since March 2010
David Weinberg is Senior Counsel at Wiley Rein LLP, with more than 35 years of experience in administrative and environmental law. His practice focuses on environmental, occupational health and safety, transportation, product safety, and pesticide matters.
David provides strategic guidance on regulatory compliance and environmental policy, drawing from decades of leadership in federal and corporate environmental affairs.
Education
Georgetown University Law Center, LL.M.
University of Pennsylvania Law School, J.D.
Yale University, A.B.
Donald Boesch served as President of the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science from 1990 to 2017 and as the University’s Vice Chancellor for Environmental Sustainability. He was appointed by President Barack Obama to the National Commission on the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and served on the Governor’s Chesapeake Bay Cabinet and the Maryland Commission on Climate Change.
Recognized as an “Admiral of the Chesapeake,” Dr. Boesch has been deeply involved in Chesapeake Bay research and policy for more than 35 years, advising federal agencies, the Chesapeake Bay Program, and five Maryland governors.
Jeffrey K. Harris consults with industry and government on technology, programs, and capabilities affecting national security. He previously served as President of Lockheed Martin Missiles and Space and President of Lockheed Martin Special Programs.
Earlier in his career, Jeff was President of Space Imaging, the first company to commercially provide high-resolution satellite imagery, and served as Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Space and Director of the National Reconnaissance Office. His expertise bridges national security, aerospace innovation, and environmental monitoring.
Kurt Riegel has served in senior roles on both sides of environmental regulation — as a Department of the Navy executive managing environmental compliance and technology programs, and as a policy developer at the Environmental Protection Agency and Department of Energy.
A scientist by training, Kurt also led the National Science Foundation’s National Astronomy Centers. Since moving to Annapolis, he has been an active member of the Sierra Club, the Annapolis Environmental Commission, and the Severn River Association. He currently chairs the Annapolis Transportation Board and serves on the Anne Arundel County Severn River and Bicycle Commissions.
When the wind calls, he and his wife Marieluise can be found sailing throughout the Chesapeake Bay.
Arielle V. King is an environmental educator, facilitator, and writer dedicated to making environmentalism and law inclusive and accessible. Her work centers on storytelling, environmental justice, and amplifying voices traditionally overlooked in mainstream environmental movements.
As Programming Director at Black Girl Environmentalist, Arielle builds intergenerational communities that empower Black girls, women, and nonbinary people across environmental disciplines. She has researched, scripted, and hosted The Joy Report, a podcast highlighting intersectional climate solutions.
Arielle has earned degrees in Environmental and Sustainability Studies, Environmental Law and Policy, and a Juris Doctor focused on environmental justice and civil rights law. In 2024, she was named a Climate Creator to Watch by Pique Action and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
Board Member since June 2019
Roy Mason has practiced law for more than 40 years, building a reputation as one of Maryland’s top trial attorneys. He founded and led many successful firms, including Mason, Cawood & Hobbs and Smouse & Mason, LLC.
Roy has been recognized as one of the Top 100 Trial Lawyers by the National Trial Lawyers Association and has been named a 'Super Lawyer' every year since the distinction began. His career has included high-profile litigation, mentorship, and leadership in the Maryland legal community.
