Staff
David J. O'Neill
President
David J. O’Neill is the president of the Friends of the John Smith Chesapeake Trail.
O’Neill has been a leader in developing Chesapeake Bay policy, guiding restoration work for the bay, and in promoting sustainable development nationally.
Prior to joining the Friends, David was the vice president for global communications and external affairs at Cherokee Investment Services, a private equity firm headquartered in Raleigh, North Carolina. Cherokee specializes in brownfield and sustainable redevelopment projects in North America and in Europe.
He is best known in the Chesapeake region for his leadership of the Chesapeake Bay Trust, which during his tenure increased revenues by 200 percent and more than doubled its grant making to support Chesapeake Bay environmental restoration and protection. While at the Trust, he co-founded the Chesapeake Funders Network, a coalition of 20 private foundations committed to the Bay’s restoration. O’Neill helped develop and pass legislation, including the Chesapeake Bay 2010 Trust Fund that dedicates millions of dollars annually for Bay restoration.
Prior to working at the Trust, he was the director of Land Use Policy and Outreach for the Urban Land Institute where developed smart growth research and policies centered on building consensus to help communities and states direct growth and development.
David was awarded the Andrew White Medal from Loyola University for outstanding commitment to the Chesapeake Bay. He is married to Kerith and has two children, Reilly, 7 and Finnegan, 4.
Tim Barrett
Outreach and Stewardship
Tim handles stewardship activities and engages communities in activities associated with the trail. He is a graduate of Virginia Tech's Natural Resources Conservation and Recreation program and previously worked for the National Park Service and the National Council for Preservation Education protecting historic landscapes on American Battlefields.
David Burke, AICP
Conservation and Strategic Planning
David is a planning consultant certified by the American Institute of Certified Planners with over three decades of private and public sector experience in the Chesapeake Bay region and beyond, developing and managing numerous coastal, wetland, watershed and land conservation programs and projects.
Joel Dunn
Government Relations and Policy
Joel has worked on conservation policy and implementation in the Chesapeake for five years. He is an adjunct staff member of the Friends, also holding the position of Coordinator of The Conservation Fund's Sustainable Chesapeake Program.
Michael Shultz, APR
Communications
Michael leads the Friend's communications effort. He is a communications consultant accredited by the Public Relations Society of America who has worked with regional and national groups to develop and execute their strategic and communication plans. He has played in and written about the Chesapeake during most of his career.
Colleen Whitlock
Director of Administration
Colleen manages the administrative responsibilities for the Friends office. She is familiar with the trail having been Sultana Projects' Communication Director for the Captain John Smith 400 Project and 2007 shallop voyage around the Bay. She holds a B.A. in History from Washington College as well as an M.A.T. in Elementary Education from East Tennessee State University.
CWhitlock@ChesapeakeTrails.org
