Autumn Phillips-Lewis, Chair
Autumn is the Land Manager at the American Chestnut Land Trust and manages over 3,500 acres of protected land in Calvert County, Maryland. She is also the founder and owner of the ecological services company EcoHaven, LLC. She earned a B.S. in Environmental Science from Elizabethtown College and a M.S. in Applied Ecology and Conservation Biology from Frostburg State University. For her Masters thesis, Autumn spent two summers doing research on directional seed dispersal by small mammals in Soberania National Park in Panama. Her interest in environmental conservation began in high school when she competed in the Envirothon program in her home state of Pennsylvania. She now helps to pass this experience on by helping with Calvert County’s Envirothon program. Autumn joined the Forestry Board in 2014.
Jill Lee, Vice Chair
Jill is a Maryland native who attended Jacksonville University to study Marine Science. She returned home and started as a Park Ranger in Prince George’s County where she maintains natural areas, does school programs, works with volunteers and has many other duties. Jill has always had a connection to the outdoors and joined the Forestry Board with interests in natural resource management, native plants, and the Big Tree program in Calvert County. Jill has been a member of the Board since 2012.
Dawn Balinski, Treasurer
Dawn is currently the Treasurer of the Maryland Forestry Foundation, a nonprofit that fiscally manages the largest tree planting operation on private property in the state. The Foundation supports many programs of the Maryland Forestry Boards, such the Natural Resources Careers Camp, the Maryland Urban and Community Forests grant program and the Maryland Big Tree program. She grew up in Alabama where she owns farm and forest land that has been in her family since the early 1800s. She manages 2 active tree farms and farm and hunting leases on the Alabama land. In Maryland, she and her husband Steve own forested land in Lusby which is in the county’s Agricultural Preservation District program. Dawn became a Board member in 2010.
Brian Stupak, Secretary
Brian Stupak is a Pennsylvania native and attended Colorado State University, graduating in 1997 with a B.S. in Forest Management. He joined the Maryland Forest Service in 1998 and currently is the Project Manager for Calvert, Anne Arundel and Prince George’s Counties. Brian’s interest in forestry began in high school and he particularly enjoys the ever changing work assignments and working with landowners dedicated to sound, sustainable forestry management. He also has a great interest in wildland fire management and frequently takes assignments with the Maryland Wildland Fire Crew. He has been the Board Secretary since 2002.
Kenneth Johnston, Member
As a scientist, Ken has always taken an interest in nature. Despite growing up in New York City, the night sky interested him and set his future career in astronomy. Since receiving a PhD in Astronomy in 1969, Ken has been engaged in research in stellar and extra-galactic astronomy. Ken’s property in Calvert County offers a respite from crowded city living with a decent view of the heavens from the shores of the Chesapeake Bay. He lives on 24 acres, of which 22 are woodland and need to be managed, giving him a high interest in tree planting, forest management, land use planning, and forest conservation. Ken has been a member since 2017.
Steve Stadelman, Member
Steve is a forester with the USDA, Forest Service, where he helps oversee several of their environmental compliance programs from the Washington, DC office. Steve resides in Calvert County and is also a part-time consultant forester. He received his BS in Forest Management from the University of Missouri and his MS in Environmental Management from the University of Maryland. Steve has been connected with the forestry community in Calvert County for over 30 years. He is an Army National Guard veteran. Steve has been a Board member since 2023.
Amalia Pleake-Tamm, Member
Amalia Pleake-Tamm has been an Environmental Planner in Calvert County’s Department of Planning & Zoning since 2022. She administers forest conservation outside of the Critical Area, tidal water quality testing, and flood mitigation plans. She is the government liaison to the citizens’ Environmental Commission. She earned a law degree with a certificate in environmental law from the University of Maryland. Prior to returning to Calvert County, she worked with federal agencies and international nonprofits in the environmental and clean energy sector, as well as domestic environmental, property, and contract litigation. She spent two years in northern Malawi, working with the Department of Forestry with the U.S. Peace Corps. Amalia joined the Board in 2023.