Meet Our Team

The Audubon Society of Central Maryland consists of a group of individuals who come together for a common cause, to preserve and protect our natural areas for the sake of wildlife and people. ASCM is a local, independent branch of the National Audubon Society. Meet our board members and other key volunteers.

Board of Directors

  • Thomas Rogers, interim acting president

  • Beverly Smith-Moulden, treasurer

  • David Smith, nature walk leader

  • Janet Ady, education chair

  • Kristi Johnson

  • Ken Hart, board member emeritus

  • Robin Kummer, board member emeritus in memoriam

Key Volunteers

  • Paul Troxell, sanctuary committee chair

  • Julie Dunlap, advocacy chair, Climate Watch coordinator

  • Erin Abernethy, fundraising team

  • Jayme Levy Duva, advocacy team

  • Brooke Gooding, communications team

  • Crystal Kunst, nature walk leader

  • Nancy Lawson - advocacy team

  • Zack Moxley, bookkeeper

  • Heather Schoning - event coordinator

Board Member Bios

Tom Rogers, interim acting president, has volunteered at the chapter sanctuaries for many years. He has now moved into a board role with emphasis on the sanctuaries, fundraising, and volunteer coordination. He regularly attends nature walks at the sanctuaries and participates in ASCM events. He doubles as a volunteer at the Maryland state parks doing invasive plant pulls and trash pickup. A grandfather of six, Tom was a human resources professional for more than 40 years in his business career and also co-owned Uncle Ralph’s Bakery in Frederick for a period of time. Retired now, Tom devotes volunteer time to environmental activities and issues of poverty.

Janet Ady, PhD (education chair), is passionate about environmental education and connecting people to nature. Janet has lived in Frederick County since 1996; she and her husband raised two children in Myersville, on the east-facing slope of South Mountain, near the Appalachian Trail. She volunteers for the Maryland Association for Environmental and Outdoor Education in the Maryland Green Schools Program, the Frederick County Climate Emergency Working Group (preparing the Education recommendation), and the national Project Learning Tree Education Operating Committee, and as a member of the North American Association for Environmental Education Advisory Council. She worked closely with the National Audubon Society on developing and training on Tools for Engagement: A Toolkit for Engaging People in Conservation and has enjoyed numerous partnerships with National Audubon Society throughout her career.  Her career with the Department of the Interior at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Bureau of Land Management took her from a wildlife refuge on San Francisco Bay, to Alaska, the National Conservation Training Center in West Virginia, and Washington DC. She studied natural resources planning and interpretation and environmental education, then earned teaching credentials, a masters in natural science, and later a doctorate in sustainability education (2016) and a Specialized Certificate in Sustainability and Behavior Change (2021).

David Smith, MS, has been interested in birds and nature since childhood. He received an MS in zoology, completing a thesis on differences in winter habitat use of the sexes of American kestrel in south central Florida. David has served as president of ASCM and of the Frederick Bird Club, a chapter of the Maryland Ornithological Society, and regularly leads nature and birdwatching field trips for these organizations. David has also served on various bird and other wildlife conservation committees for state and nonprofit organizations, including the Audubon Maryland-DC Important Bird Areas Program and as a co-chair of the Maryland Amphibian and Reptile Atlas Project. He is an environmental consultant for Coastal Resources, Inc., a small, woman-owned firm in Annapolis, where his focus is on wetland identification, delineation, and mitigation compliance and wildlife studies.

Ken Hart (board member emeritus) has been a volunteer with the chapter since it was founded in 1985. Always interested in nature, his involvement with the chapter stems from his interest in conserving our environment, providing a home for nature, and making nature accessible to the public to improve environmental awareness. He is retired from human resources in the Social Security Administration. With assistance from his wife, Anne, he chaired the chapter seed sale for a number of years.

Robin Kummer, MS (board member emeritus in memoriam), began attending monthly programs presented by ASCM more than 25 years ago and began volunteering soon thereafter, first as program chair, then as president from 2000 to 2002. She earned an MS in biology from Towson University and is also a Carroll County Master Gardener, with a special interest in native plants that resulted in her proposing, then chairing for 20 years the annual native plant sale. Robin passed away February 27, 2023. The chapter will forever be indebted to for her tremendous dedication.

Volunteer Bios

Julie Dunlap, PhD (education chair, Climate Watch coordinator) has written many children’s books about nature and environmental history. She has also co-edited nature writing anthologies, including Coming of Age at the End of Nature. Julie teaches undergraduates about environmental history and management for the University of Maryland Global Campus, and also serves as the advocacy chair for Maryland-DC Audubon. She has volunteered with ASCM for over 20 years.

Paul Troxell (sanctuary committee chair) initially started volunteering with ASCM by helping with trail upkeep, eventually taking on the responsibility of mowing and maintaining the trails at Fed Archibald and now serving as sanctuary committee chair. His commitment to the chapter is driven by his deep appreciation for nature, as he aims to contribute to environmental conservation, create secure habitats for wildlife, and make natural spaces more accessible and safe for the public. His ultimate goal is to foster connections between people and nature, while also enhancing environmental awareness.