Shannon Gority has been named Executive Director of the Pennsylvania office of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF).
CBF, founded in 1967, is the largest independent conservation organization dedicated to reducing pollution and restoring waterways for the benefit of local communities and the Chesapeake Bay. For almost 35 years, CBF has been working in Pennsylvania to clean and protect Commonwealth rivers and streams.
“As we face unprecedented challenges to our ‘normal’ way of life, the opportunity to reconnect people to the natural environment is great,” Gority said. “I’m eager to work alongside of and serve CBF’s amazing team of professionals as we advocate, educate, serve, and leverage partnerships across the region to improve water quality in the Pennsylvania tributaries to the Bay.”
Gority brings years of experience working for clean water in Pennsylvania to the role of CBF Executive Director. She most recently was a consultant to both government and private industry. She was also the first Chief Executive Officer of Capital Region Water, the mission-driven water utility borne from the failing City-controlled Harrisburg Authority where she served as Engineering Director.
“Shannon has built an impressive skillset which includes transformational leadership, strategic planning and execution, building partnerships, and creative problem solving,” said Lisa Feldt, CBF’s Vice President of Environmental Protection and Restoration. “Shannon’s strong leadership skills and passion are essential in advocating for additional resources required to meet Pennsylvania’s pollution reduction requirements by 2025 and to save the Bay!”
Under Gority’s leadership, the CBF staff in Pennsylvania will continue to work to improve water quality in Pennsylvania by collaborating with a broad range of stakeholders, and implementing projects, policies, and programs that address pollution in the Commonwealth’s rivers and streams, and ultimately the Bay.
The new executive director is a graduate of Juniata College and Penn State University with degrees in Civil and Environmental Engineering. She hails from the Altoona area on the western edge of the Pennsylvania portion the Bay watershed and resides steps away from the Susquehanna River in Harrisburg where she enjoys boating with her daughter.
Gority succeeds Harry Campbell, who was named Science Policy and Advocacy Director for CBF in Pennsylvania.
