STAFF

Ruth Berlin, LCSW-C, Executive Director

Ruth founded the Maryland Pesticide Network in 1994. She became a grassroots activist after she and her son were poisoned by pesticides aerially sprayed for fruit fly eradication in Southern California in 1990. Her work on the issue of pesticides and her success at bringing together a diverse coalition of state groups concerned about the impact of pesticides on public health and the environment has been recognized locally and nationally. She was appointed to the Maryland Governor's Pesticide Council in 1997 by Governor Parris N. Glendening and was a member of the Council until December 2004. Ruth has been a board member of Beyond Pesticides since 1996. She also served on the board of the Maryland League of Conservation Voters from 1998- 2000 and is an active member of the Maryland Citizens Campaign for the Environment, a coalition of Maryland environmental groups.

Ruth received her B.A. from City College of New York in 1970 and her M.S.W. from Adelphi School of Social Work in 1972. She was the co- founder and co- director of the Family Group Institute, San Francisco from 1976-1981 and associate faculty at the University of San Francisco Medical School from 1977-1981. She was also the co-founder and past co-director of InnerSource: A Center for Psychotherapy and Healing in Annapolis, MD from 1990-2000. Ruth gave this position up to devote her time to the Maryland Pesticide Network. She has been a practicing psychotherapist for 36 years and currently maintains a small part-time private practice in Annapolis, MD.

Michael Boeck, J.D., Program Director

Mike is the director of Maryland Pesticide Network's IPM in Health Care Facilities Project (in partnership with Beyond Pesticides). Mike has sixteen years of professional experience in the field of environmental policy and project management that emphasizes community involvement and environmental justice, risk communication, technical outreach, strategic planning and program development, and alternative regulatory approaches. Prior to his work with MPN, Mike worked as a consultant primarily to U.S. EPA, where he was engaged in the development of innovative programs such as the university-based Technical Outreach Services to Communities program, the national brownfields cleanup and revitalization program, environmental justice communities displaced by environmental contamination, and pesticide environmental stewardship. Mike holds a J.D. in Law from the University of Georgia and a B.A. in Economics from the College of William and Mary.

Robert SanGeorge, M.A., Project Director

Robert has been professionally engaged in environmental, public health and social change work for the last twenty-two years. His past positions include Senior Communications and Development Consultant for the Sabin Vaccine Institute, Vice President for External Relations for the World Resources Institute; Director of Communications for the World Wildlife Fund and Vice President for Public Affairs for the National Audubon Society. Prior to his work with these organizations, from 1978- 1984 Robert worked for United Press International (UPI) as Chief International Energy and Environment Correspondent, Legal Correspondent and as UPI Ohio Bureau Chief. He has an M.A. in public policy from Ohio State University, where he was a Kiplinger Foundation Fellow.

Kim Birnbaum, Program Assistant

Kim has been an environmental activist with the Sierra Club since 2000. During her conservation work with the Howard County Sierra Club, she led an educational campaign regarding pesticides used in response to West Nile Virus. This led to her becoming the Maryland Sierra Club representative on the MPN steering committee, on which she has served since 2002. She also serves as MPN's membership coordinator. Kim is Maryland Sierra Club's Pesticides Issue Chair and for the Howard County Sierra Club serves as vice chair and fundraising chair. Her skills include grassroots campaign activism and organization, volunteer coordination, and event planning. Kim is passionate about environmental health issues and environmental justice, especially as they impact children, minorities, and other especially vulnerable groups.

Ther Aung, M.H.S., Research Associate

Ther has been working as a part-time Research Associate for the Maryland Pesticide Network since July 2006. She conducts literature search on peer-reviewed epidemiological studies on pesticides for MPN’s publications used to educate health care providers and public health professionals. In addition to research, she is involved with the development of MPN’s resource guide and outreach to minority worker populations to raise awareness about the health impacts of occupational pesticide exposures. She has over five years of research and advocacy experience working with non-profit organizations in the field of labor rights, health, and international development. Ther has an M.H.S in Environmental Health Science from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and a B.A. in International Relations and Environmental Studies from the College of William and Mary.