Phyllis Joris
Executive Director
Phyllis, originally from Belgium, was excited to join the NeighborSpace team as the Program Manager. Now, she is excited to move into the role of Executive Director. The NeighborSpace mission speaks to several of her passions – community, the outdoors, equity – and she is excited to dedicate her time and energy to making it a reality. Phyllis graduated from college with a master’s degree in mathematics. She and her husband now live in Cockeysville with their five children: four boys and a girl between the ages of 6 and 12. Over these child-rearing years, she has volunteered with a few different local non-profits, and is currently the PTA President at her children’s elementary school. Her favorite place to unwind is her garden and she looks forward to rolling up her sleeves on the NeighborSpace sites as well.
Carol Partonen
Administrative Manager
As a nature lover, raised in the woods of southern Maryland, Carol understands how vital green space is to everyday well-being and is proud to join NeighborSpace’s mission of ensuring access for all. She started her career working in the administration office at St. John’s College of Annapolis, where she earned a bachelor’s in liberal arts and also met her wife. After spending a few years working for a law firm in Seattle, she returned home to Maryland, where she got a job working with a small Baltimore nonprofit. Carol and her wife have settled down in a quiet corner of Parkville, where they have a wealth of wildlife to watch and a view of Cromwell Valley. They spend most of their free time enjoying simple pleasures like walking the local nature trails or, when the weather is bad, drinking tea and cuddling with their cat, Cardamom.
Amanda Glassco
Community Engagement & Volunteer Coordinator
Amanda is excited to join the team and is passionate about NeighborSpace’s mission to conserve and improve land and to increase community access to green spaces. Her previous experience includes teaching middle and high school environmental science and working for a community-based youth mentoring program. Additionally, she volunteered with environmental nonprofits in the Chicago area where she did restoration work and volunteered as a naturalist. She and her family moved to Baltimore City in 2021 and enjoy tending to their tiny urban forest and garden, reading, playing board games, and exploring nearby parks together.
John R. Alexander
Board Member, Stewardship Committee Co-Chair
John is a retired planner who lives in Lutherville.
Aaron Barnett
Board Member
Working as a member longshoreman in the International Longshoreman's Association, Port of Baltimore Local 333, he works along with other ILA locals up and down the east coast from Maine to Texas. His job is to import and export cargo internationally to and from vessels from across the globe 🌎. Aaron is also President of the Powhatan Farms Improvement Association.
Carolyn Cecil
Board Secretary
Carolyn is a Licensed Certified Clinical Social Worker active in various conservation projects in and around Idlewylde, where she lives.
Lance Dennis
Board Treasurer
Lance currently works as a procurement and sales manager in Millersville, MD for a company that manufactures security systems specializing in nuclear power plants. He and his partner Steven have 3 dogs: Ryker, Channah and Corduroy. He love the outdoors, camping, hiking, amusement parks, fixing things in the garage, and enjoying his cabin in West Virginia. He has experience in business and real-estate, and serves as the President of Potomac Island Ridge Association and as the Treasurer of Tollgate Action Group (TAG).
Larry Fogelson
Board Member
Larry Fogelson retired in 2009 after 38 years at Maryland Department of Planning working on land use program and policy issues related to the water resources, provision of water, wastewater, recreation and open space, and other public infrastructure.
Nancy Goldring
Board Member
Nancy is a seventh generation Towsonite. After many years as a stewardship partner, she hopes that participating on the NeighborSpace Board is a wonderful opportunity to grow in her understanding of the impact of greenspace, especially on marginalized communities. She is hopeful that her work as an advocate for the preservation of greenspace in the Historic East Towson community will assist in forwarding the NeighborSpace mission.
Arnold "Pat" Keller
Board Member & Co-Chair of the Advocacy & Public Policy Committee
Pat Keller is the former Director of the Baltimore County Department of Planning where he served for over 16 years. He is also the President of the Perry Hall Improvement Association and is a member of the Planning Advisory Committee for the Morgan State University, Department of Urban Studies.
Jack Leonard
Board Member
Jack is a landscape architect and retired professor in the Graduate Program in Landscape Architecture at Morgan State University. He lives in Monkton.
Kathy Reiner Martin
Board Member and Chair of the Board Development & Communications/Fundraising Committees
Kathy grew up downstream in a small waterfront community, in a family whose 5 generations span 90 years of fighting pollution while simply ‘messing about in boats’. She spent her teen and adult life on environmental work – which meant that whenever connecting with others. she met them where they were and joined in their work to widen her understanding and offered the same to them. Decades of learning from successes and failures inform her the work is ‘never done’; but it’s where we get to, together. Recently retired from the University of Maryland School of Dentistry, she actively engages with others using her community building, historical, and mentoring skills. Though she lives in Perry Hall, you can find her in the summer months kayaking mostly on the Gunpowder.
Marsha McLaughlin
Board Vice President and Co-chair of the Stewardship Committee
Marsha is a retired planner having served for many years as the Director of Planning for Howard County, MD. She lives in Lutherville.
Klaus Philipsen
Board President
Klaus is an architect and transportation planner who lives in Catonsville.
Eric Rockel - Emeritus
Chair of the Applications Committee
Eric is a retired real estate professional and chair of the Applications Committee. He lives in Lutherville.