Emily joined Potomac Riverkeeper Network in 2018 as the Development Associate. She received her undergraduate degree in Political Science and Economics from American University, in Washington D.C. and her Masters in Public Policy, with a focus on Environmental Policy, from American as well. Prior to joining PRKN, she interned for the Pisces Foundation, assisting the Water Program by conducting research, assisting with grantmaking activities, and analyzing other materials to support water strategic plan implementation. Emily has also interned for the Democratic Party of Virginia, assisting with grassroots organizing efforts for the Hilary Clinton campaign. On her days not at PRKN, Emily enjoys many outdoor activities such as hiking, camping and kayaking.

Dean Naujoks joined Potomac Riverkeeper Network in 2015 as the Potomac Riverkeeper.

Dean Naujoks has over 20 years of environmental non-profit experience. He began his non-profit career in 1991 with the NC Wildlife Federation. After graduating from NC State University, with a self-created degree in Environmental Policy and Sustainable Development, he was hired as the first Upper Neuse Riverkeeper, serving from 2001 to 2008. He became the first Riverkeeper on the Yadkin River with Yadkin Riverkeeper, Inc. in 2008, also serving as Executive Director until 2014.

Dean has been awarded River Network’s 2009 National River Heroes Award. River Network’s River Heroes Award celebrates rivers and those who protect them by recognizing victories and honoring those who provide leadership and inspiration along the way. Yadkin Riverkeeper also won the 2011 North Carolina Wildlife Federation Governor’s Achievement Award Water Conservation Organization of the Year.

Most recently, he has been recognized by Waterkeepers Chesapeake as a recipient of their 2019 Waterkeeper Outstanding Win (WOW) Award for his fight against Dominion and accomplishments in making safe disposal of coal ash a requirement in Virginia.

Potomac Pollution Hotline: 202.871.8289

Shortly after joining Potomac Riverkeeper, Inc. in 2009, Brent Walls now works as the Upper Potomac Riverkeeper and is responsible for defending the public trust of the rivers and streams in the Upper Potomac by advocating for clean water and ensuring the the virtues of the Clean Water Act are enforced. Brent Walls has been an advocate for clean water for over a decade. With an Environmental Science background in fresh water ecology, Brent has brought a valuable scientific perspective to Potomac Riverkeeper since 2009. His experience in water quality sampling has ensured defensible enforcement actions and has been a unique advising asset with local watershed groups. Brent’s love of maps and proficiency with Geographical Information Systems has inspired the development of Water Trail maps in the Upper Potomac and has provided PRK with valuable interactive web maps and the creation of a mobile application to report water pollution.

Mark joined Potomac Riverkeeper Network in 2015 as the official Shenandoah Riverkeeper. Having guided on the Shenandoah and Potomac for almost twenty years, Mark Frondorf comes to the Shenandoah Riverkeeper position used to hard work and recognizing the importance of a hands-on approach to protecting our rivers. His passion for the water, combined with his people and analytical skills, honed over 25 years as a think tank senior policy analyst tackling some of the most vexing issues facing our nation, make him ideally suited to defend the Shenandoah against pollution, protect our right to clean water, and promote the recreational use of this beautiful river. Mark was the principal investigator and author of a government study that examined the ocean dumping of U.S. chemical weapons and explored the full-range of issues, challenges and potential solutions to this complex problem.

As the former president of the Potomac River Smallmouth Club, he successfully lobbied both Virginia and Maryland officials to implement and expand catch and release regulations and he was instrumental in getting the federal government to revise the Code of Federal Regulations to permit wade fishing on portions of the Potomac. Mark also served on the Board of Directors for the Mid-Atlantic Federation of Fly Fishers. He holds an M.A. from the George Washington University Elliott School of International Affairs.

Nancy Stoner is president of Potomac Riverkeeper Network.  One of the nation’s most experienced water policy experts, Nancy has a rich and distinguished background in protecting our nation’s water.

Nancy began her career as an attorney in the Environment and Natural Resources Division of the U.S. Department of Justice in Washington, DC, where she litigated and analyzed legislative proposals on a broad range of environmental and natural resource statutes.  She also worked for many years at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), where she recently served as Acting Assistant Administrator for Water.  In that position Nancy managed the agency’s program for implementing the Clean Water Act and Safe Drinking Water Act nationwide to protect surface water resources and ensure the safety of tap water, supervising a staff of more than 600 and a budget of more than $3 billion in grants, loans and contract support.  She also supervised the development of national rules to protect surface waters, drinking water sources and tap water and represented the agency in congressional hearings, national conferences, symposia and press conferences.   Nancy also served as Co-Director, Water Program, Natural Resources Defense Council, where she co-directed a national program to promote sound water resource management nationally and in specific watersheds, such as the Great Lakes, Chesapeake Bay, and Anacostia River.

Nancy most recently served as Water Program Director and Senior Fellow for the Pisces Foundation where she developed the foundation’s strategy to protect freshwater resources in the U.S. using integrated water management (IWM) to maximize the value from water resources for people and nature.  She also supervised a $7 million investment annually to implement IWM in urban and agricultural watersheds.

Nancy graduated from the Yale Law School, New Haven, CT and was awarded a Juris Doctorate in 1986.  She was also awarded a Bachelor of Arts with Highest Distinction, Phi Beta Kappa, from the University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA.

She lives in Silver Spring, MD with her husband, Marc Machlin. She has two grown children, Laura and Jared.    She enjoys whitewater rafting, tubing, canoeing, birding, and gardening.

Emily Franc comes to Potomac Riverkeeper Network with extensive experience and background in environmental research, policy, fundraising and advocacy accumulated through years spent working on Capitol Hill for a prominent member of the House Energy and Environment Committee, as well as for various international agencies and non-profits including the United Nations Environment Program Caribbean Environment Programme (UNEP-CEP), The Ocean Foundation (TOF), and Qatar Foundation International (QFI).

She also has broad executive level experience in non-profit management, strategic development and effectiveness analytics, communications, philanthropic fundraising, and a proven track record in taking organizational capacity to scale during periods of rapid growth and transforming non-profits into thriving financially successful entities.

Prior to this, Emily was the Riverkeeper for Anacostia Riverkeeper.  There she was responsible for developing, implementing and raising money for programs that limit pollution from the waters of the Anacostia River watershed; educating the public on water quality issues and best practices; and increasing public awareness of our local waterways as community resources to be valued and protected.

She is an avid explorer and will try most anything once.  She has traveled throughout the United States, Europe, Africa, the Caribbean, and the Middle East.  Through her passion for volunteerism, she has regularly participated in riverbank cleanups and wetlands restoration projects in Washington, D.C., California, Florida, the Chesapeake Bay Watershed, Zambia, Jamaica and Qatar.

Emily received her undergraduate degree in Political Science from California State University, Hayward and her Masters of Environmental Science from Johns Hopkins University.

Emily believes in lifelong learning, and has an insatiable curiosity.  An avid explorer and world traveler, this Maryland native has called the Potomac River watershed home for most of her life, and enjoys fishing, hiking, boating, and any opportunity to be out on the water.  She has four adult children who are amazing!

Serena is Potomac Riverkeeper Network’s Outreach Coordinator. She received her Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science from the University of Virginia and was an aquatic ecology research assistant. As a Peace Corps Volunteer in Zambia, Serena worked as an agroforestry extension agent in a community of smallholder farmers along the beautiful Mkushi River. Serena was also a grassroots electoral organizer on congressional campaigns in New Jersey in 2018 and Kansas in 2020. She grew up in Virginia Beach and still enjoys being outdoors among the trees and around the water, often with a book in hand.

Mary Oshin has joined us as our much needed Grants and Database Administrator. A graduate of the University of Maryland Baltimore County with a double major in Media Communications and Political Science, she is currently pursuing a Master of Science degree in Information Systems. Mary has more than five years of Information Systems experience and looks forward to using her skill to champion efficiency and effectiveness here at Potomac Riverkeeper Network.

Her background includes being a change agent in the areas of creating a daily report of server performance and project status to help proactively monitor the environment, policies and procedures, process improvement, innovation, and fostering collaboration.

Morgan holds a B.A. from Washington College in Chestertown, MD, where she double majored in Environmental Studies & Studio Art. She joined Potomac Riverkeeper Network in 2020 as an intern and was brought on full-time in 2021 as Volunteer Coordinator. Morgan’s passion for the environment stems from her childhood spent exploring the Chesapeake Bay Watershed. Growing up learning about the many beautiful, unique, & delicate ecosystems throughout the region and how they are interconnected inspired her to pursue a career helping protect & defend our waterways.

Morgan is an avid outdoors enthusiast & environmentalist. In her spare time she can be found hiking, camping, kayaking, sailing, birding – or any activity that gets her outside. Additionally, she is also an artist working in several mediums including painting, sculpture, & photography. Her work, which has been shown in several galleries throughout Maryland, often focuses on the natural world & environmental issues. With her work at PRKN and as an artist, she hopes to start meaningful conversations about the world we live in, the challenges it faces, and drive more people to take actions to care for the planet we call home.