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Home / Blogs / Thank You for a Successful 2026 Taste!
October 5, 2026
Thank you to everyone who joined us for the 2026 Taste: Celebrate the Chesapeake. The Alliance’s annual Taste celebration presents an opportunity for like-minded clean water advocates to gather and celebrate our beautiful watershed and all we have accomplished to protect it. Check out each event across the watershed below, and learn more about our award winners!
We celebrated the first of four events in Pennsylvania. 100 of our friends and partners gathered at the Railroad House Inn in Marietta, PA to celebrate the Chesapeake and our PA Watershed Champion.
See more photos from the PA Taste
It was our pleasure to award Melissa Erdman as our 2026 Pennsylvania Watershed Champion.
Melissa Erdman is a District Conservationist with USDA-NRCS in Juniata County, PA. She has been with NRCS for over 20 years, 15 of which have been serving the agricultural community of Juniata County. Melissa is a critical partner in our Agriculture work, and we are grateful for her positive and steady leadership! The Chesapeake is lucky to have advocates like Melissa fighting in her corner!
Learn more about Melissa
In Virginia, 80 of our friends and partners gathered at Robins Nature Center at Maymont, in Richmond.
See more photos from the VA Taste
It was our pleasure to award Jenn Clarke as our 2026 Virginia Watershed Champion.
Jenn Clarke is a Program and Operations Supervisor with the City of Richmond’s Department of Public Utilities and is passionate about building partnerships, community, and infrastructure to improve the health of the James River and how life is enjoyed along it. The Alliance witnessed Jenn’s tireless support through collaborating on a successful green street revitalization project, Fulton Green Street. Jenn has also been a real leader driving the City of Richmond and its partners in implementing the RVA Clean Water Plan in a way that grounds efforts in partnership and true community engagement.
Learn more about Jenn
Another thank you to everyone who joined us at the Taste in Washington, D.C! 75 of our friends and partners gathered at the Hill Center at the Old Naval Hospital.
See more photos from the DC Taste
This year, both Bill Ferrell and Will Avila had the distinction of being our 2026 Washington D.C. Watershed Champions.
After serving 35 years in prison, “Uncle” Bill came out to a totally different world, but he didn’t let that stop him. Bill trained to become one of only a handful of people certified by the DC Government’s Department of Energy and the Environment as an environmentally-friendly RiverSmart contractor, and continued to grow his landscaping and native plant knowledge across the ensuing years.
Will Avila is the founder of Clean Decisions and Changing Perceptions, organizations that create opportunities for returning citizens through employment, entrepreneurship, and community engagement. The work Will and Bill have done to guide returning citizens towards careers in green infrastructure has everlasting ripple effects across not just their own teams, but the Alliance and the DC community.
Learn more about Will and Bill
A final thank you to 125 of our friends and partners gathered at the Atreeum at Soaring Timbers to bring this year’s celebration to a close.
See more photos from the Maryland Taste
In Maryland, Les Knapp was our 2026 Maryland Watershed Champion!
Les currently serves as Water and Science Administration Assistant Director for the Maryland Department of the Environment. He has been with the Department since 2022, serving first as a Senior Local Government Advisor and then as Government Relations Director. Les exemplifies the spirit and impact of a Watershed Champion through his fast support of local governments in their efforts to protect and restore the Chesapeake Bay watershed. The Alliance has benefited from Les’ leadership, humility, dedication to inclusion, and transformative contributions to the Bay watershed!
Learn more about Les
Albert McCullough was a scientist, engineer, mentor, and Chesapeake Bay advocate whose legacy lives on in restored waterways and inspired lives. Al’s expertise in shoreline forensics, tidal marshes, and more has led to many of the design innovations used in living shoreline designs in Maryland and across the watershed. His ingenuity, dedication, and leadership have created a lasting legacy for Chesapeake Bay coastal restoration. Al’s son and business partner, Seth McCullough, accepted the award on his late father’s behalf. Thank you, Al, for all of your incredible work and dedication.
Learn more about Al
Many thanks to all of our incredible sponsors for helping us raise over $140K leading up to the 2026 Taste, the 380 friends and partners who joined us across the watershed. See you next year!
Events Taste: Celebrate the Chesapeake
