Inform Governance and Accountability Workgroup

Purpose: The Inform Governance and Accountability Workgroup will provide scientific and technical expertise to the Government Accountability Team, which has been tasked with developing recommendations on accountability and governance for Management Board and PSC review, consideration, and approval (see framework here).

Timeline: This ad-hoc workgroup was created during the June 2025 Meeting. The workgroup anticipates sunsetting at the STAC Summer 2026 Meeting.

Members:

  • Erin Letavic, HRG, Inc, STAC
  • Chris Brosch, DE Dept of Ag, STAC
  • Bill Dennison, UMCES, STAC
  • Mike Runge, USGS, STAC

Products: 

  • One-pager on CBP Current Structure & Decision-Making
    • This document was prepared by the STAC Governance Ad Hoc Workgroup to support ongoing discussions within the Chesapeake Bay Program on governance and decision- making. The framework presented here is a tool for discussion, not a final product. It reflects how governance currently functions in the partnership by showing the flow of technical information, partner input, and state and federal actions into Management Board decisions, and the accountability and adaptive management loops that guide progress. This one-pager was developed to provide a clear picture of how the partnership operates today, with the understanding that the framework that captures the CBP’s present functioning is not necessarily the framework that will best achieve the desired outcomes for the Bay and its watershed. This is a starting point, not an endpoint. By sharing this framework, the Ad Hoc Workgroups aims to seed conversation and reflection, recognizing that future discussions will need to explore where gaps exist and how governance might evolve to meet the challenges ahead.

For more information, please contact Meg Cole, STAC Coordinator, colem@chesapeake.org.