Talbot Thrive was founded as a 501(c)3 non-profit in December of 2021. Growing out of a concern for safe, adequate places to enjoy the outdoors by biking, running, walking or rolling, we created this organization to address those issues and more in Talbot County.

As founding members and board members, we are just like you. We live in Talbot County. We enjoy taking in the outdoors in our community and we care about the safety of alternate modes of transportation. Are you looking to get involved too? Complete the form below and we will be in touch about how you can join us!

Heather Grant, Executive Director

Originally from Hartford, Connecticut, Heather is a former Digital Marketing Manager for The Associated Jewish Federation of Baltimore, a former Marketing Director for the Navy in Annapolis, the Marketing Manager for the Annual Waterfowl Festival and was appointed full-time Executive Director of Talbot Thrive in January of 2024. She is a graduate of the University of New Hampshire with a B.A. in English/Journalism and holds and M.A. from the University of Baltimore in Publication Design. Heather has been on the Talbot Thrive team since its inception three years ago and was recently Board President in 2023.

An avid cyclist, Heather has raised over $15,000 for charities through her riding endeavors including the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, the Maryland Food Bank, Carepacks and the YMCA. In 2020 she re-established the Tour de Talbot event in Talbot County which has become a major fundraiser for Talbot Thrive and is held in June each year. Heather resides in Easton with her family.

Ted Bautz, Board Member

Ted is a retired telecommunications and commercial real estate professional who now enjoys the serene beauty of Talbot County and the Eastern Shore with his wife, Annette. He is deeply engaged in the community serving on the boards of both the Easton Economic Development Corporation and the Talbot County Economic Development Commission. Outside of his professional and volunteer work, Ted is an enthusiastic sailor, frequently seen racing and cruising the Chesapeake Bay. He enjoys golf, woodworking and exploring the picturesque trails of Talbot County where land and water meet.

Dina Daly, Board Member

Dina Gomes Daly is Executive Director of Building African American Minds (BAAM) Inc. She began this position in April 2021. Dina and her husband, Derick are the founding members of BAAM and she has been on the board since its inception. Dina is responsible for all the programming that is offered by BAAM to youth, their families and the community, at large. Services include after school & summer camp programs for boys & girls as well as workforce development program, Wellness Matters! Program that will include workshops on physical and mental health program.

Dina graduated from the University of Maryland at Baltimore where she received her Master’s degree in Social Work. She received her Bachelor’s degree from Suffolk University in Boston, MA. She is a licensed certified social worker and a graduate of Leadership MD (2007). Mrs. Daly is a member of Rotary Club of Easton and serves in many local non-profit boards and has held leadership positions in several of them.

Jen Jefferson, Board Member

Jen is from neighboring Delaware, where as a kid she cruised the streets of the Town of Milton on her banana seat bike.  She earned a Bachelor’s degree with honors from Washington College in Chestertown and has lived and worked on the Eastern Shore for 30 odd years since.

A Certified Public Accountant, Jen has held accounting management roles across several industries including healthcare, construction, retail, manufacturing, and local government.  She is currently the CFO for a 120-year-old enterprise that includes one of the last canneries on the Eastern Shore (S.E.W. Friel, a sweet corn cannery) and a lumber and building material supply company, Friel Lumber.

When she is not counting corn or 2×4’s, Jen is cycling around Delmarva and has participated in cycling fundraising events for the National MS Society, ADA’s Tour de Cure, the YMCA, American Heart Association, Talbot Interfaith Shelter and ShoreRivers. She also chaired the Photography exhibit at the Waterfowl Festival for 5 years. She enjoys residing in Easton and looks forward to using her skill set to help Talbot Thrive thrive.

Cameron J. Mactavish, Board President

Hailing from Philadelphia, Cameron is a practicing Architect and an avid cyclist, golfer, sailor and fitness buff. He and his wife Michelle now live full time in Oxford and are enjoying their retirement from “Big City living”. When not visiting their three sons and grandson, they divide their time between Oxford and Rehoboth Beach, where they manage family property and enjoy riding the Junction and Breakwater Trail. Prior to settling in Oxford, Cameron co-founded VMA, an award winning architectural firm specializing in higher education projects.

David Mansfield, Board Member

David is a recently retired solo practice attorney who has relocated to Easton. He and his wife are avid cyclists and new members of the Chesapeake Cycling Club. They were active members of the Suffolk Bicycle Riders Association on Long Island for about 9 years. David’s background in volunteer organizations includes approximately five years as an active assistant scoutmaster in Boy Scout Troop 301 in St. James NY on Long Island.

As an active member of the Suffolk County (NY) Bar Association for over 40 years, he served as a co-chair on several important committees and was listed as a mentor for young and other attorneys on the subject of the New York State Vehicle and Traffic Law. He was a regular contributing author to the official publication, The Suffolk Lawyer, on the subject of the Vehicle and Traffic Law and gave an annual update seminar on the New York State Vehicle and Traffic Law for continuing legal education credits.

Richard Marks, Board Member

Richard moved to Talbot County in 1976 to manage a frozen food facility for Paris Foods Corp. He assimilated quickly with the Eastern Shore’s business community and served as President of the Talbot County Chamber of Commerce in 1978. Richard served on the Maryland Economic Growth Task Force and traveled with Governor Schaeffer on two business delegations, one to Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union in 1990 and the other to Mexico in 1991.

Away from business, Richard is an advocate for assisting refugees and internally displaced persons and served for several years on the board of the United Nations Refugee Agency. Not just thinking and acting globally, he, along with his wife Amy, assist local non-profit organizations through their private foundation, Dock Street.

Richard currently serves on the boards of BAAM, Talbot Mentors and the Frederick Douglass Park Advisory Group. Richard’s four children are now “internally displaced” so he spends his spare time cycling the back roads of Talbot County and eating well at his wife Amy’s restaurant, Out of the Fire.

Suzanne Sullivan, Board Member

Suzanne Sullivan is the Director of Education for ShoreRivers, a nonprofit dedicated to healthy, swimmable, fishable rivers on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. In 2013 Suzanne migrated from her beloved hometown of Boston, Massachusetts to the Eastern Shore of Maryland and has made a home in Cambridge. An avid outdoors-woman, Suzanne loves living steps away from the Choptank River and seeing her neighbors on the land and the water. Suzanne works in Eastern Shore communities to introduce people of all ages to the river through education programs and improve water quality through community stewardship and restoration projects. Suzanne is passionate about Talbot Thrive because it aligns with her belief that our communities should be able to safely access public green spaces and waterways whether it is by foot, bike, boat, or vehicle. In the last 5 years, Suzanne has taken up road biking and mountain biking and loves biking Blackwater Wildlife Refuge and Naylor Mill in Salisbury.

Andrew Bernish, Advisory Committee

Andrew is a certified GIS Planner (AICP / GISP) with the KFH Group assigned to the Secretary of Transportation’s office at the Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT) where he manages GIS projects and initiatives for the Secretary’s office. His cartography has been recognized with a Special Achievement in GIS award by ESRI in 2019 and as a winner in the first annual ArcGIS for Adobe Creative Cloud maps competition in 2020.

Andrew is on faculty with the George Washington University’s Sustainable Urban Planning Department and the University of Maryland’s Community Planning Program (College Park). He teaches graduate students in Urban Planning and GIS at both universities. He is the Education Caucus Chair for the Maryland State Geographic Information Committee (MSGIC). Andrew served in the United States Peace Corps in the Education and Community Resource Program in South Africa. He holds a master’s degree in Community Planning from the University of Maryland (College Park) and a bachelor’s degree from the University of North Carolina (Chapel Hill). Andrew lives in Easton with this wife Molly who is a midwife and his 3 children Penelope, Clive, and Ellis. He bikes, runs, and kayaks around Talbot County for fun.

Kevan Full, Advisory Committee

Kevan is one of those New York transplants, now having lived in Easton for seven years. He gave up the strains of the New York metropolitan corporate lifestyle, having worked for an energy trading firm for years. He now works as the director of marketing and janitorial services for a small hospitality firm, located at his principal residence, in a converted corn crib.

Kevan has been an avid cyclist before bikes were made of titanium or carbon fiber. He has logged tens of thousands of miles on his bikes, and as much as he has enjoyed riding them, he enjoys getting off their saddle just as much. He has been an active member of a few clubs and took leadership of the Chesapeake Cycling Club, commonly referred to as C3, three years ago. He has recently passed the club’s management responsibility on to another member and now is devoting some of his time to Talbot Thrive.

Our Commitment to Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

At Talbot Thrive, we are deeply dedicated to building and sustaining an inclusive environment where diversity is celebrated and valued. We are committed to fostering a team of compassionate, forward-thinking leaders who actively support equity and inclusion. This commitment shapes every part of our organization as we strive to create spaces where everyone feels empowered to bring their authentic selves—regardless of race, gender, or background.

Our work emphasizes continuous learning, respect, and collaboration, as we strive to be a community where everyone can grow and succeed together. We believe that diverse perspectives drive innovation and create stronger, more resilient communities. Through our programming, advocacy, and partnerships, Talbot Thrive actively champions social change, inviting all stakeholders to join us in this journey of shared growth, understanding, and action toward a more equitable future.