STAFF
Co-Founder | Executive Director
EJJI’s Executive Director, Donzell Brown, describes EJJI’s purpose as that of facilitators. A graduate of Oxford, Donzell honed his political and policy skills; first, in international intelligence, then, in policy and community engagement in Baltimore City and Maryland government. He currently serves as a Commissioner with the Baltimore Office of Sustainability. Throughout his more than 20 years of experience within the governmental sector, Donzell has been dedicated to advocacy, community engagement, and youth development. He brings these traits, as well as a long-held commitment to environmental justice, to EJJI. In his role, Donzell engages in community outreach, mentoring, and growing the organization. Through EJJI, he aspires to empower disenfranchised groups to have a voice and a seat at the decision-making table.
Environmental Science Program Manager
Veronica Lucchese is the environmental science program manager, working with our partners to develop environmental monitoring and restoration projects throughout the Middle Branch. Veronica is a PhD student studying Environment and Society at the University of Maryland's Center for Environmental Science. She previously worked as a NOAA contractor for the Northeast Fisheries Science Center and the Southeast Fisheries Science Center on scientific communications, outreach, website design, and economic data analysis. She received her bachelor's degree in Marine Affairs, Geology, and Anthropology from the University of Miami's Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science.
Program Manager
Laura Quigley originally joined EJJI as a journalism intern in the summer of 2022. After graduating from UMBC with a B.A. in English Communication and Technology, Laura continued her work with EJJI as the Content Manager before moving into a role as the Program Manager. She has a background in program coordination, as well as several years of experience in written and photographic storytelling. As a lifelong environmentalist and believer in the necessity of equitable outcomes, she is passionate about doing her part to aid environmental justice in Baltimore’s communities.
BOARD MEMBERS
Eric Schott is a longtime resident of Baltimore City and has worked as a scientist and as part of environmental nonprofits in the city for over 25 years. He is currently an Associate Research Professor at the Institute of Marine and Environmental Technology (IMET), where his laboratory works on the health of estuaries, the creatures in them, and their interaction with people who live near them. Inside and outside of academia, he contributes to efforts to make environmental science diverse. He has served on the boards of Blue Water Baltimore, Phillips Wharf Environmental Center, and the Eastern Shore Land Conservancy. Contrary to appearances, he is an eternal 8-year-old and fond of crustaceans.
Andrea Moreno originally comes from San Antonio, Texas where she was raised as a first-generation Xicana and studied to be a music educator. Making a pivot in her career, she served in the Peace Corps in Cameroon as a secondary English teacher. While in the Peace Corps she developed a passion for community health development after working in women's health, and HIV/AIDS and malaria prevention. Andrea is now pursuing a Master of Public Health at the University of Maryland Baltimore to focus on community and population health while addressing health inequities among vulnerable populations. She currently works as the Family and Community Engagement Coordinator at the Lakeland Community and STEAM Center in South Baltimore.
Edwin Cruz-Rivera is an Associate Professor of ecology and marine biology at Morgan State University. He has worked on issues of water quality in his native Puerto Rico and has held research or faculty appointments in Guam, Egypt, US Virgin Islands, Australia, South Africa, Israel, Bangladesh, and the USA. His research interests encompass animal nutrition, harmful blooms, invasive species, biodiversity, and marine biotechnology. He serves in the editorial boards of four scientific journals and has served in review panels for NSF, NOAA, USGS, and NASA. His research has been featured in local and national TV, radio, and newspapers.
Fred Tutman is a grassroots community advocate for clean water in Maryland’s longest and deepest intrastate waterway and holds the title of Patuxent Riverkeeper, an organization that he founded in 2004. He also lives and works on an active farm located near the Patuxent that has been his family’s ancestral home for nearly a century. Prior to Riverkeeping, Fred spent nearly 25 years working as a media producer and consultant on telecommunications assignments all over the globe, including a long stint working with and advising traditional healers in West Africa and coverage of the Falklands conflict in Argentina on assignment by the BBC. After a late-life sojourn into law school, Fred now teaches and advises in the Graduate Studies program of Goddard College in Plainfield, Vermont and has also taught classes in Environmental Law and Policy at various colleges and law schools in the DC area. In his spare time, he does trail maintenance on the Appalachian Trail when not exploring the Patuxent River by kayak. Fred is the recipient of numerous regional and state awards for his various environmental works on behalf of communities. He is the longest serving Waterkeeper in the Chesapeake region and the sole African-American Waterkeeper in the Nation.
Luke Smith is Vice President at CI Renewables, a private, non-utility affiliated developer, owner and operator of commercial and industrial scale solar power generation assets. His team strives to create a sustainable market for renewable energy, upskilling their team and partners to create more job equity, and supporting the communities they live in. Luke's company has raised more than $350m to be invested around Maryland over the next 5 years.
Prior to joining CI Renewables, he served as head of Project Delivery for Vessel Technologies and led client accounts for Google, Amazon, and Disney for a top 5 ENR Contractor.
He holds a Bachelor of Science in Engineering from Lafayette College and a Master’s in Real Estate and Infrastructure Finance from Johns Hopkins University. He is an avid investor and active on multiple non-profit boards in Maryland.
FOUNDING MEMBER
Co-Founder
Rona Kobell co-founded EJJI with Donzell Brown. In March 2024 she accepted a position with the Baltimore Banner and is no longer involved in the organization. She continues to promote Eroding History, the film she made with Sean Yoes and Andre Chung that was adapted from her MA thesis. Rona is a journalist, film, and radio producer, entrepreneur, and professor with deep knowledge of environmental justice issues; she covered the Chesapeake Bay and its people for 20 years.
