EFC-UMD begins work this month on the region's first Municipal Online Stormwater Training (MOST) Center, a web-based resource to help municipalities within the Chesapeake Bay Watershed access and implement innovative stormwater management techniques to improve water quality in the Bay. The project was made possible by a grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF), who will provide $350,000 a year for the next five years to launch and operate the center. Learn more

UMD-EFC provided guidance on building a stormwater asset management program for the city of Scranton (PA). We're hopeful that this work will be used as a model for other communities in the Mid-Atlantic region and across the country. Read the report

The Environmental Finance Center is pleased to welcome several new staff members.

The Environmental Finance Center West (previously with Dominican University at San Rafael, CA) has officially joined the University of Maryland EFC to expand and strengthen a partnership that now spans both coasts of the United States. Please welcome from EFC West:

Sarah Diefendorf has over 20 years of experience in the environmental field. Some of Sarah's efforts include: developing county and state Green Business Programs in the western United States, working with American Indian tribes in Arizona, California and Nevada to promote green economies and renewable energy, and working with small communities to develop climate mitigation and adaptation actions. Sarah's most recent accomplishment includes managing the research and writing of the Guidebook on International Environmental Finance for the United Nations Development Program, for which she also authored the chapter on financing renewable energy in developing countries.

Lauralee Barbaria has an MBA in Sustainable Enterprise and is the immediate past Director of the GreenMBA program, which focuses on the balance of people, planet and profit needed for businesses to thrive and make meaningful contributions to local and global communities. Her executive management and leadership experience gathered from 25 years in the financial, hi-tech and health care industries reflect her success as a change agent working with diverse groups of all sizes, communities and individuals to build effective organizations and identify strategies and implementation partnerships for complex challenges. Most recently Lauralee has worked with the Native American Environmental Protection Coalition of 20 tribes to develop a balanced strategic plan to support tribal water, integrated waste management plans and environmental initiatives.

Please also welcome:

Naomi Standing has more than 15 years of experience as an economist and policy analyst addressing issues of environment, sustainability and water in the United States and the Asia-Pacific region through initiatives built on market and incentive principles.  Most recently, her work focuses on leveraging public capital and quantifying economic impacts of changes in industry and government practices to address water quality in the Chesapeake and Delaware Watersheds.  Having worked with a diverse group of clients, including private industry, non-profit organizations, trade associations, law firms, and state and federal agencies, she offers technical expertise in quantifying economic impacts and practical experience in conveying outcomes in regulatory, market, volunteerism and litigation settings. She holds a Masters in Public Policy and Management from Carnegie Mellon University and a Masters in Economics and Applied Econometrics from the University of Delaware.