Press Statement

Trisha Salvia, Interim Director for the Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) in Pennsylvania, applauded the nominations of Russell Redding and Cindy Adams Dunn to return as Secretaries of the Pennsylvania Departments of Agriculture, and Conservation and Natural Resources, respectively. 

Redding and Dunn were nominated to retain their Cabinet posts by incoming Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro. Shapiro will be sworn in as Pennsylvania’s 48th Governor on Jan. 17.

Redding previously served as Agriculture Secretary under Governor Ed Rendell from 2009-2011. In 2015, Redding and Dunn were nominated by Governor Tom Wolf and confirmed.

Rich Negrin was nominated by incoming Governor Shapiro and would be the first Latino to serve as Secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection. 

Of the nominations, Ms. Salvia said:

“CBF is thrilled that Russell Redding and Cindy Adams Dunn have been nominated to continue to lead the Departments of Agriculture, and Conservation and Natural Resources. We also welcome the opportunity to work with Mr. Negrin in the capacity of Secretary of the Department of Environmental Protection.

“Throughout her career Cindy Dunn has been a clean water champion and as Secretary worked tirelessly so that Pennsylvanians can get the most enjoyment from the 2.2 million acres of state forest land and 124 state parks that DCNR oversees.

“Under Secretary Dunn’s leadership, DCNR has made planting streamside buffers a priority practice and has been working with the Keystone 10 Million Trees Partnership to improve the quality of local rivers and streams.

“As the consummate public servant, Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding has been a steady, guiding force at the helm of one of Pennsylvania’s most important industries.

“This would be the third administration for Russ Redding to serve as Secretary of Agriculture, and he has been a stalwart leader and advocate for farmers across the Commonwealth since day one. 

“As Pennsylvania’s farmers continue to face economic, social and environmental challenges, we at CBF believe that with Russ Redding’s leadership, the future of agriculture in the Commonwealth is in more than capable hands.

“Mr. Negrin most recently served as the vice president of Regulatory Policy and Strategy and head of external affairs at Commonwealth Edison.

“We wish Mr. Negrin the best of luck and pledge CBF’s continued commitment to working with the Department of Environmental Protection to reduce pollution and provide the clean air and rivers and streams that are the right of every Pennsylvanian.

“We look forward to working with the Departments of Agriculture, Conservation and Natural Resources, and Environmental Protection, so that we can leave a legacy of clean water for future generations.”

(ANNAPOLIS)—Today, the Chesapeake Bay Commission (CBC) announced it selected Anna Killius as its new Executive Director. Killius will lead the organization following the retirement of longtime CBC Executive Director Ann Swanson in November.

Killius, who most recently served as the advocacy director for the James River Association in Virginia, worked as a Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) legal intern in CBF’s Richmond office in 2012 while in law school at William & Mary. She also served on the legislative staff for Maryland Congressman John Sarbanes handling Chesapeake Bay policy issues and others.

CBF’s Virginia office has worked closely with Killius and the James River Association on countless issues to improve the health of the river and the Bay.

The CBC coordinates with state legislatures and the U.S. Congress to provide information about how legislation and policy could affect the Bay watershed and the ongoing efforts to improve water quality in the nation’s largest estuary.

CBF President Hilary Falk issued the following statement:

“The Commission chose a terrific person for this position. Anna is a skillful, knowledgeable, and respected partner of CBF and other environmental organizations. She has broad experience with the federal and state legislative processes and will be a tremendous asset leading the Commission’s important work. We look forward to working with Anna.”