Meet Our Staff

Kathy Phillips, Executive Director

Kathy Phillips is Assateague Coastal Trust's Executive Director and the Assateague Coastkeeper. A Worcester County resident since 1971, Kathy has served as chair of the Democratic Central Committee of Worcester County as well as board member of the Eastern Surfing Association, the United States Surfing Federation, and Surfing America. She is also a 2003 inductee to the East Coast Surfing Hall of Fame.

She currently sits on the Maryland Stormwater Consortium, a coalition of 40 organizations working together for stronger stormwater regulations and implementation of the 2007 Maryland Stormwater Management Act. She was appointed in 2008 by DNR Secretary John Griffin to the Maryland Aquaculture Development Workgroup, and also sat on the 2008 Maryland Critical Areas Coalition that worked with Critical Areas Commission Chair Margaret McHale to strengthen Maryland Critical Area Law.

She has provided comment and guidance to the Accomack County Planning Commission on the matters of critical area buffers and stormwater control. She is currently a member of the Chesapeake WATERKEEPERS, a group of 17 Chesapeake Bay and Coastal Bays Riverkeeper programs under the WATERKEEPER Alliance.

Contact Kathy by e-mail or phone at the ACT offices.

Steve Farr, Development Director

Steve Farr is a newcomer to the Delmarva Peninsula and joined ACT in October 2007. He manages ACT's development program, including foundation grants, membership giving and major gifts. Steve also manages the Grow Berlin Green project, a partnership with Lower Shore Land Trust and the Maryland Coastal Bays Program focused on citizen-driven sustainability activities in our home community.

Steve came to ACT after spending more than 20 years in the strategic philanthropy practice of a Washington, D.C. based global public affairs agency where he managed the design, development and implementation of charitable giving initiatives for corporate and private foundation clients.

Steve graduated from Yale University with a BA in American Studies.

Contact Steve by e-mail or phone at the ACT offices.

Kimberly Fehrer, Administrative Director

Kim has been with Assateague Coastal Trust since 1997. Her duties include bookkeeping, managing financial reports, membership database management, and general office support. Kim co-chairs Maryland Coast Day and organizes the International Coastal Cleanup for the region.

She has also been an active volunteer for the Nature Conservancy's Nassawango Creek Preserve since 1986, and volunteers for the Furnace Town Historical Foundation. Kim's varied interests include native plant gardening, creating custom jewelry, canoeing, and kayaking.

Contact Kim by e-mail or phone at the ACT offices.

Verena Chase, Coast Kids Director

Verena Chase is our Coast Kids Program Director and has worked for ACT since 2004. She coordinates monthly events, creates publications which feature local fauna, flora, and geography for children, and manages the Coast Kids membership. Verena holds an MS in Environmental Protection from FH Bingen, Germany.

Contact Verena by e-mail or phone at the ACT offices.

Debbi Dean-Colley, GBG Project Manager

Debbi Dean-Colley is ACT’s Grow Berlin Green (GBG) Project Manager. A resident of Berlin, MD with her family, she is responsible for community outreach and project coordination of GBG efforts in the town of Berlin.

Debbie studied at the University of Pittsburgh and Duquesne University in Environmental Studies. She brings leadership skills and community outreach skills to GBG as a result of her service in several non-profit organizations associated with environmental and animal rehabilitation, including the Pittsburgh Chamber of Commerce, Animal Friends Advisory Board, Pittsburgh, PA, the Board of Florida Organic Growers, and as past President of the Showell Elementary School PTA.

She previously owned an organic, vegetarian restaurant in Florida and used to volunteer her time rehabilitating injured and abandoned wildlife in the Pennsylvania area.

Contact Debbi by e-mail or phone at the ACT offices.

Jim Rapp, Outreach Coordinator

Jim Rapp, ACT's Past-President, is the former Executive Director of Delmarva Low-Impact Tourism Experiences (DLITE) and the Salisbury Zoo. He also serves on the board of the Lower Eastern Shore Heritage Council, and is Past-President of the Nanticoke Watershed Alliance.

His areas of expertise include wildlife management, habitat preservation, and public outreach. Jim has a Bachelor of Science in biology from Salisbury University and enjoys paddling and birding in the coastal bays watershed.

Contact Jim by e-mail or phone at the ACT offices.