About the Organization

BOARD MEMBERS 2008: From left to right, Eugene Rall, Albert Pritchett (President), Tracie Lahman (Assistant Secretary), Martha Horner (Treasurer), Schuyler Benson (Vice President), Kevin Greaney, Bill Rolle, and Al Gipe (Vice President). Members missing from the photo: Doug Collison (Vice President), Anne Croker, Ron Flohr (Secretary), Sean Mann, Denise Riley, Vance Strausburg, and Sandy Wrightson.

Mission Statement: Waterfowl Festival, Inc. is dedicated to wildlife conservation, the promotion of wildlife art, and the celebration of life on Maryland's Eastern Shore."

Waterfowl Festival, Inc. is a Maryland non-profit corporation exempt from taxation under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. To carry out its mission, the corporation has held an annual wildlife art and sportsman's festival each November since 1971 featuring the talents of over four hundred exhibitors exemplifying the cultural heritage of the Eastern Shore.

The corporation and its annual festival are administered by a small executive and administrative staff under the year-round direction of an eighteen member volunteer board of directors. In addition, over sixty volunteer committee chairpersons oversee the twenty annual festival exhibits and events, assisted in their efforts by another fifteen hundred volunteers.

The staff consists of Judith W. Price, executive director; Nancy Wells, administration; Jennie Russell, finances; Rae Copper, event coordinator; and Cyndy Carrington Miller, public relations coordinator.
Waterfowl Festival board members for 2010 are: Schuyler Benson, Doug Collison, Patricia Crane, Henry Dove, Ronald Flohr, Al Gipe, Kevin Greaney, Martha Horner, Kim Newcomb, Eugene Rall, Denise Riley, Tracie Thomas, Mary Wheeler, Sandy Wrightson and Melanie Young.

Waterfowl Festival Staff from left to right: Rae Copper, Event Coordinator; Nancy Wells, Administration; Jennie Russell, Finances; and Judith Price, Executive Director.

The many volunteers participating in the production of the annual festival come from the local Talbot County community, throughout Maryland and, amazingly, twelve other states. The palette of its volunteer corps includes business executives, governmental officials, philanthropists, and members of numerous service groups representing elementary school students through senior citizens. Support is provided in areas ranging from ticket and exhibit sales to traffic control, decorations and signs.

The Waterfowl Festival has been designated one of the top Maryland Volunteer Events of the Year as well as Wildlife Conservationist of the Year by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources. Through the efforts of its staff and volunteers more than $5 million has been raised and donated to projects throughout the Atlantic Flyway, with particular emphasis on the Chesapeake Bay region.