About You |
Randy Kenyatta Rowel (XMNR) is a life long native of Annapolis, and grew up on the banks and streams of the Severn River and Broadneck Peninsula. Randy is also the first ever Diversity and Inclusion Coordinator for the Maryland Department of Natural Resources – Human Resources Unit. Randy Rowel has over 15 years of experience in community and environmental health science in the areas of youth development, environmental justice, environmental health disparities, water quality capacity building, storm water management studies, aquaculture production, climate change, community resiliency, and global sustainability. He works primarily in partnership with community-based organizations and state government to study and address diversity, equity, inclusion, and environmental justice and workforce development issues which translates research to action.
Randy received his Master’s Degree from Virginia Tech, Executive Master of Natural Resources, through the Center for Leadership in Global Sustainability. In doing so he also spent one month in rural and urban metropolises in India gathering data on how to build community capacity around environmental issues with little to no support. He also worked for Virginia Tech as research assistant before leaving and going to state agency position.
Randy is focused on providing technical and leadership assistance to communities fighting against environmental injustice and environmental health disparities in the DMV region and across the nation. Randy is engaging communities throughout the state region on environmental health issues including exposure and health risks for individuals who fish and recreate on the Chesapeake Bay; and use of best management practices to reduce stormwater inputs in the Chesapeake Bay. In addition, he is working with schools in the region on pipeline development efforts in the STEM+H disciplines (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, and Health). He has worked on environmental justice issues including environmental racism with community-based organizations through long-term community-university environmental health and justice partnerships in Maryland. He is Co-Founder of RR & Associates and Founder of the Urban Sustainability Group, and Stormwater Disciples, and ArtMakers of Annapolis.
He is a member of the Global Agenda Council, and the Diversity Action Workgroup through the Chesapeake Research Consortium. Randy K. Rowel has received many awards for his contributions and achievements as an environmental professional, researcher, and advocate. He received the Executive Citation Award in 2015 from the Anne Arundel County Executive Steve Schuh, the Citizens Award from the Annapolis Fire Department, and is a member of the Boys and Girls Club of America’s Hall of Fame.
Mr. Rowel also received his BS degree in Social Science with a minor in African/African -American Studies and Criminal Justice from the University of Maryland (Eastern Shore) in 2005. While at UMES he also published his first book, was Editor in Chief of the school newspaper, and was a student athlete having played on the school basketball team, and later played Semi-Pro in the D-League for the NBA.
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