Secretary of the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Josh Kurtz and his team visited the Washington College Center for Environment and Society (CES) on Wednesday, April 10.  

After a brief tour of CES’ “living building” headquarters, Kurtz and his staff sat down with President Mike Sosulski, CES Director Valerie Imbruce, other College leaders, and several CES advisory board members to learn more about CES and discuss ways in which DNR may partner with and use the Center’s community engagement and research efforts. 

“[CES] really is aligned with where we are moving within the Department,” said Kurtz, emphasizing that putting the people of this region first is the best path forward to “building durability” for all future solutions to protect and improve the health of the Chesapeake Bay and our natural lands. 

President Sosulski noted that thanks to the impressive work happening at CES, the College will become “the premier institution for the study of the environment at the intersection of society,”
and he urged continued and deep collaboration with DNR wherever possible. 

“The Department of Natural Resources is an important partner for CES,” Imbruce said following the meeting. “We both believe that environmental problems are interdisciplinary and that people—their histories, culture, and lived experiences—need to be at the center of proposed solutions.” 

Secretary Kurtz agreed that the work CES is doing locally would dovetail nicely with DNR’s expanding community engagement and education efforts. “People care more about the creek behind their home than the entirety of the Bay,” he noted. “That’s where we have to meet them with our outreach.”

Following their visit to CES, Kurtz and his team met with a handful of students to discuss career opportunities and internships at DNR and to answer questions about working in environmental policy and management at the state level. 

The DNR team complimented College efforts to assist students in pursuing careers in and around the environment. Kurtz lauded the career path of the recently appointed superintendent of the Maryland Park Service, Angela Crenshaw ’04, noting that she is a “phenomenal communicator.”

“We want to give all of you who are passionate about this work the opportunity to grow your career,” said Kurtz. “The interdisciplinary nature of your Washington College education will certainly give you an edge in that pursuit.”