About The Assateague , Kathy Phillips

Assateague Kathy Phillips has extensive experience in advocacy and coalition building, having served as the Executive Director of the Eastern Surfing Association for 15 years. She brought the issue of land and water conservation in the coastal bays watershed to the forefront of the 2006 Worcester County election during her campaign for District 3 Commissioner.

She is dedicated to building stronger working relationships with all stakeholders in the Assateague Coastkeeper territory. "Through better public education and a strong commitment among all those who live and work along our coastal bays, " Phillips says, "we can protect our waterways and the environment upon which all living beings depend.”

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.

As COASTKEEPER, Kathy monitors the coastal bays and their watersheds for signs of polluting activities and follows local issues relating to water quality and resource degradation. Part of the international WATERKEEPER Alliance®, the Assateague Coastkeeper is your public advocate, protecting the Coastal Bays for the people, plants and animals who rely on clean and safe water.

The Coastkeeper is an on-the-water monitor  who patrols the watershed by boat in search of evidence of pollution or other water quality problems. The Coastkeeper also reaches out to and engages citizens to provide additional eyes, ears and even noses to identify and report pollution sources.

The Coastkeeper is an on-the-ground educator  who informs landowners, farmers, boaters and citizens about environmentally-friendly practices they can employ to prevent adverse impacts on the land and waters. The Coastkeeper works with the community to help us help ourselves.

Most importantly, the Coastkeeper is an in-the trenches advocate   for the health of the coastal bays and the communities who depend on them; making sure existing laws to protect water quality are fully enforced, pressing for the enactment of stronger measures to safeguard our marshes, creeks and bays, and standing up to polluters and policymakers to hold them accountable for their actions.

You have a natural and a legal right to water that is swim-able, fish-able and drinkable. The COASTKEEPER is there to stand firmly on the side of you and your family to safeguard this right against polluters.