Executive Director
Ann Pesiri Swanson
Ann Swanson has served as a leader in the Bay restoration for 39 years, the last 34 as the Executive Director of the Chesapeake Bay Commission, a tri-state legislative authority serving the states of Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Virginia. It is the Commission’s responsibility to sponsor legislation at the state level and to work with state legislators, members of the U.S. Congress, and the federal and state regulatory agencies to coordinate programs aimed at restoring the Chesapeake Bay.
Although Ann operates in a highly political environment, she is trained in the sciences. A trained wildlife biologist and forest ecologist, she graduated with honors from the University of Vermont and Yale University. She holds an honorary Doctor of Laws from the University of Vermont.
Ann has been recognized regionally, nationally and internationally for her work. She delivered a keynote address at the Stockholm Water Festival, chaired the University of Vermont’s Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources for 11 years, and has been recognized with awards by her colleagues in the Bay watershed, the governors of the region and the General Assemblies of Maryland, Pennsylvania and Virginia. Ann has been married for 36 years, is a published illustrator, an accomplished gardener, backpacker and sea kayaker, and is a mother of two boys.