Since 1999, Richard has served as the President of the Biophilia Foundation, a private foundation that supports efforts to create, restore, and protect wildlife habitat and biodiversity, with a particular emphasis on private lands management. Prior to creating the Biophilia Foundation, Richard raised funds and managed many wildlife habitat restoration and conservation projects while working for Chesapeake Wildlife Heritage and the Trust for Public Land. He holds a M.S. degree in Environmental Sciences and Policy from Johns Hopkins University and a B.S. in Engineering Science from Vanderbilt University. He is currently pursuing a doctoral degree in Sustainability Education from Prescott College.
Richard is the Past Chair and a current member of the Board of Directors of the Institute For Shipboard Education which runs the Semester at Sea program in cooperation with the University of Virginia as the Academic Sponsoring Institution. He also serves on the Board of Directors of the University of Maryland’s Harry Hughes Center for Agro-Ecology, the Ploughshares Fund, Water Stewardship Inc., and is the Vice Chair of the Defenders of Wildlife Board of Directors. Richard is a member of the Bay Bank Advisory Board, and chairs the Organization and Management Workgroup. The Bay Bank is a multi-partner collaborative working to bring about an Ecosystem Services Marketplace for the Chesapeake Bay region.
John E. (Ned) Gerber
Wildlife Habitat Ecologist/Director
Email: nedgerber@verizon.net
Ned received his B.S. in Biology from Cornell University in Ithaca, NY, and an Sc.M. in Ecology from Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore. His Master's thesis is entitled "Lead Poisoning and Wintering Ecology of the Black Duck in Chesapeake Bay.” Gerber specializes in habitat creation for both wetland and upland wildlife. He particularly enjoys turning cropland into wetlands of various types to provide habitat for a diversity of critters including shorebirds, warblers, fox squirrels, bobwhite quail, dragonflies, amphibians, and wild waterfowl. He notes that building new habitat is important and that maintaining that habitat in good condition for wildlife is equally as valuable. Ned enjoys gardening, bee/butterfly/bird watching, bird hunting (ruffed grouse and waterfowl), fishing, and dog training/spoiling in his spare time.
Chris coordinates Biophilia’s grants program and assists with the habitat conservation program. As a staff member of Chesapeake Wildlife Heritage since 1998, he has many years of project management and development work. He has additional experience including habitat protection in partnership with landowners, drafting conservation easements and analyzing land conservation transactions. He was previously the Outdoor Education Coordinator at Pickering Creek Audubon Center. Mr. Pupke graduated from Drew University in Madison, NJ. He currently serves as President of the Board of Directors for Queen Anne’s Conservation Association, is a member of the Board of Trustees of Camp Wright, and is active in his local parish.
Prior to joining Biophilia, Nick Williams served as Director of the Maryland Environmental Trust (MET), Maryland’s quasi-public land trust, from 2004 to 2008. Previously he had worked for several years as coordinator for MET’s Local Land Trust Assistance Program. In this capacity he provided start-up, organizational, conservation strategy, technical and financial assistance to local land trusts in Maryland, with a focus on the coastal counties. His academic background includes an MS degree in agricultural economics from Cornell University. Nick and his wife Ligia live in Mt. Rainier, in Prince George’s County.
Jenny joined the Biophilia Foundation in the fall of 2007 and is involved in all aspects of Biophilia’s projects in Maryland. She graduated from West Virginia University with a B.A. degree in English and holds a law degree from the University of Baltimore. Prior to joining the Biophilia Foundation, Jenny worked in private practice, and for 14 years served as an Assistant Attorney General in the Maryland Office of the Attorney General.
Sterling Grogan is an ecologist with more than 30 years experience in watershed remediation, mine land rehabilitation, and irrigation management in the U.S., Latin America, and Central Asia. From service in the Peace Corps in northeast Brazil, to consulting to the World Conservation Union as well as private industry, Grogan has participated in a wide variety of projects focused on the enhancement of biological diversity. Most recently, he consulted on irrigation management and water conservation in Tajikistan, and served 8 years as biologist/planner of the Middle Rio Grande Conservancy District, where his responsibilities included ecosystem management, riparian rehabilitation, irrigation system improvement, and leadership in multi-party collaborative programs for watershed rehabilitation, protection of endangered species, and regional water planning. Grogan holds M.S. degrees in Ecology and Soil Conservation, and a B.A. in Political Science. He serves on the New Mexico - Chihuahua Commission and as a Director of the Quivira Coalition. Grogan speaks fluent Spanish and Portuguese, and is a decorated veteran of combat in Viet Nam.
Manuel Jauregui
Ranch Manager
Manuel has worked at Pritzlaff Ranch for over twenty five years. In this capacity he has gained extensive first hand knowledge of its forest, pasture, riparian, and stream ecosystems. Manuel is responsible for the day-to-day planning, logistics, mechanical and human labor needed to accomplish ecosystem restoration and ongoing management of Pritzlaff Ranch lands. He is assisted in this work by Joe Montoya, Ranch Hand, and local seasonal contract labor.
Joe Montoya
Ranch Hand
Anne Watkins
Land Conservation Volunteer and Advisor
Anne, who is also Sterling’s wife, was appointed Special Assistant to the State Engineer by Governor Bill Richardson in January 2003. In that capacity, she coordinates a variety of activities for the State Engineer, including serving as Director of the Governor’s Drought Task Force. She was Principal Author of the report on the impact of climate change on the State’s water resources, and has been involved with several western region climate change adaptation initiatives. She represents the agency on multi-agency watershed remediation initiatives, including development of the Governor’s Forest and Watershed Health Plan and the Non-Native Phreatophyte/Watershed Strategic Plan. Prior to her current appointment, Anne was appointed Transit Director for the City of Albuquerque for eight years under two mayors, was a founding board member of a land trust, has served on boards of several cooperatives, and has been actively involved in New Mexico politics and non-profit organizations for over three decades.
Officers and Directors
Richard Pritzlaff, President
Sarah Page Pritzlaff, J.D., Vice President
John Edward “Ned” Gerber, Treasurer
Christopher Pupke
