Lou Etgen to Lead Gunpowder Valley Conservancy as Executive Director

“I have long admired the work of local watershed groups in achieving great, on-the-ground success, and the Gunpowder Valley Conservancy (GVC) is one of the finest in the state. It is a great honor to be joining the GVC team as we work towards clean water in the Gunpowder watershed.” ~ Lou Etgen

The Baltimore County-based non-profit environmental group, Gunpowder Valley Conservancy, welcomes a new Executive Director, Lou Etgen.

Before joining the Gunpowder Valley Conservancy, Lou was the Maryland State Director for the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay after serving two stints as Interim Director. During his Alliance tenure, he helped created many of their signature programs including: Project Clean Stream, the Chesapeake Watershed Forum, DC’s RiverSmart Homes, and RiverWise Congregations. Lou also previously served as Director of Programs at the Capital Area Food Bank, Operations Director of Mid-Atlantic Gleaning Network, as well as held positions with Echo Hill Outdoor School and the Chesapeake Bay Foundation.

Formed in 1989, the Gunpowder Valley Conservancy (GVC) seeks to educate and mobilize people and resources to preserve and restore the lands and waterways of the Gunpowder watershed for future generations. The Gunpowder watershed drains some 500 square miles from its starting point in lower York County, Pennsylvania, through Carroll, Baltimore and Harford counties, Maryland, before reaching the shores of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore’s drinking water relies on the health of the Gunpowder watershed as Prettyboy and Loch Raven Reservoirs are both located within its boundaries.

Each year, approximately 2,000 volunteers participate in the GVC’s meaningful environmental stewardship events. As a result, GVC volunteers have planted over 30,000 native trees and removed over 240 tons of trash along local waterways.