DarkSky DC works to restore the nighttime environment and protect the greater Washington DC metro area from the harmful effects of light pollution through advocacy, outreach, and conservation.

2026 Board President
I joined DarkSky International in 1996, when I was prosecuting federal litigation to protect sea turtles from light pollution in Puerto Rico. I was recruited to the DarkSky International Board of Directors in 2013, and served for six years, including three years as President. Here in DC I’ve been active in our campaigns since 2009. I am leading a chapter workgroup plan to draft legislation to reduce light pollution in DC, and secure its enactment by the City Council.

2026 Board Vice President
I have been an active member of DarkSky DC (previously the D.C. chapter of Dark-Sky International) for more than 10 years. I have testified on behalf of our chapter before the D.C. Council and the National Capital Planning Commission and drafted our chapter's official written positions on lighting issues for submission to multiple government bodies. Aside from policy work, I frequently participate in grass-roots public outreach at community events. I look forward to serving DarkSky DC in the coming year by continuing these activities, along with monitoring the District's LED streetlight conversion project and engaging with the National Park Service on lighting at the Rock Creek Park golf course.

2026 Board Secretary
I was interested to join the DarkSky DC Chapter Board because I care about the night sky and have a track record of dark sky advocacy. I received my PhD in Astronomy and Astrophysics from the University of Michigan in 2022. I was a member of the local dark skies group in Michigan, where I gave public lectures, worked with the student government, and helped support our team's successful push for a local dark sky ordinance. I will contribute to our outreach efforts and bring key connections from other dark sky groups.

2026 Board Treasurer
I’ve been involved with DarkSky International since 2007, when I arranged Congressional briefings on light pollution for House and Senate staffers. Since then I’ve spread the DarkSky message at the Air and Space Museum, National Mall, and many other locations. During much of that time, I’ve been the primary DC contact for interested people reaching out with questions; I’ve been the first DarkSky contact for some of our most active advocates. I am contributing to a new chapter project that will measure on-the-ground light levels in different parts of the city.

2026 Board Member At-Large
When still a child, I first heard about the difficulty migrating birds had because of the nighttime glow from cities; with time, my understanding of the negative impact of artificial lights at night has grown enormously, as lighting up the night has become more and more excessive. But it's a pollution that many seem oblivious to, so a few years back, I thought to heighten awareness by encouraging the city to engage with EarthHour, and with the help of some who’ve been fighting this battle far longer than I, we inaugurated LightsOut Hour DC in March of 2023. But I yearned for more substantive impact, and so this past summer, I approached several other local environmental groups to ask that they join with DarkSkyDC in a campaign to lower the city’s lights during the Spring and Fall bird migrations in 2025. We now know that in the U.S. a billion birds fall prey every year to the cumulative hazards posed by light pollution in this country, and I believe that calling attention to this will prove to be efficacious in our efforts to rein in light pollution overall.