Janice Keene

Janice Keene, Evergreen Heritage Center

Janice Keene graduated magna cum laude from the University of Maryland with a B.S. degree in Mathematics and Physics, and has completed the Executive Education Program courses at the Wharton Graduate School of Business. In 2008, after working in business development and marketing she established and has served as president of the non-profit Evergreen Heritage Center (EHC) and Foundation. Located in Mt. Savage, Maryland, this 130-acre site features gardens, green houses, trails, streams, forest, a mansion and more. All of this is focused upon providing experiential learning opportunities for thousands of students (K-12 as well as college students from nearby Frostburg State University) and adults in order to guide them in being good stewards of the environment. The EHC operates in partnership with a vast array of local, state and national non-profits, private entities, educational institutions and agencies in order to provide educational, conservation and preservation programs, projects and events.

Most recently Keene was awarded the 2015 Richard A. Johnson Environmental Education Award from the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science's Appalachian Laboratory. This was for her "outstanding contributions to environmental management in Western Maryland." The EHC was also awarded a 2015 State of Maryland Sustainability Award for its "showcasing best practices in environmental conservation... providing environmental education programs... and workshops on best practices in sustainable agriculture and forestry." EHC was also recognized in 2014 as a Chesapeake Forest Champion. And in 2013 Janice Keene was recognized by the (Maryland) Daily Record as one of Maryland’s Top 100 Women.

The Evergreen Heritage Center exists on an historic Maryland estate that pre-dates the Civil War, and on April 17, 2015 was officially listed on the National Register of Historic Places.