ANNAPOLIS — The environmental group that grades every Maryland legislator, including Southern Maryland’s delegation, has a new leader heading into the 2027 General Assembly session.
Jason Donofrio started Monday, Nov. 9, as executive director of the Maryland League of Conservation Voters and its sister organization, the Maryland LCV Education Fund, the groups’ boards announced. He is the fifth executive director in the organization’s 47-year history.
Donofrio succeeds Kim Coble, who led both organizations for seven years. Coble announced her retirement in June after about three decades in Maryland environmental advocacy and stayed on while the boards searched for a replacement, Maryland Matters reported at the time. She took the job in October 2019 after a long tenure at the Chesapeake Bay Foundation.
A fundraising background
Donofrio’s resume is weighted toward fundraising and coalition work rather than State House lobbying. He comes from the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation, where he was vice president of development and led fundraising for an organization with a $25 million annual budget, according to the announcement.
Before that he was chief development officer and external relations officer at The Ocean Foundation, working on ocean and climate policy. He began his career at The Public Interest Network, where he served as a statewide director and ran fundraising and grassroots canvass offices in three states.
He also has a Chesapeake connection: Donofrio has chaired the Urban Waters Workgroup of the Chesapeake Bay Funders Network. He serves on the steering committee of the Climate Strong Islands Network and on the board of governors of the School of Architecture founded by Frank Lloyd Wright, the groups said.
In a statement, Donofrio said he was “deeply honored” to join the organization and looked forward to working with staff, board members and community partners.
Board Chairman Patrick Miller called him a proven environmental leader with experience building coalitions and working with policymakers. Education Fund Chairwoman Kitty Thomas said she is confident he can lead the organizations to “new heights.” The boards said the search drew applicants from across the country.
What the group does
Maryland LCV is an advocacy organization, and its announcement reflects its own view of its role. Founded in 1979, it endorses candidates it considers pro-environment and publishes an Environmental Scorecard after each legislative session that rates lawmakers on selected votes, along with a report card on the governor. Those scores cover the senators and delegates who represent Calvert, Charles and St. Mary’s counties, and candidates in both parties cite or dispute them in campaigns.
The group said candidates it endorsed for the House of Delegates and state Senate won 93% of their races in this month’s general election, and noted that its statewide endorsees, Gov. Wes Moore, Comptroller Brooke Lierman and Attorney General Anthony Brown, all won. Those figures are the organization’s own tally.
The Education Fund, created in 2000, is the group’s nonpartisan educational arm. It organizes environmental coalitions and runs voter and candidate education on issues including electric transportation and environmental justice.
Donofrio takes over two months before the General Assembly convenes in January, when the organization typically sets out its legislative priorities for the session. He will hold a virtual meet-and-greet Thursday, Nov. 19, from noon to 1 p.m., and the staff will host an open house Thursday, Dec. 10. Registration for both is on the Maryland LCV events page.
