Gerald W. Winegrad is an attorney and an Adjunct Professor at the University of Maryland School of Public Policy where he has taught a graduate course on Chesapeake Bay Restoration since 1988 and a course on Wildlife Management since 2006. He also has taught courses on Chesapeake Bay restoration and land use at the graduate school level at Johns Hopkins University and the University of Maryland Law School.

Gerald Winegrad served with distinction in the Maryland Legislature from 1983 to 1995, first in the House of Delegates and then 12 years as a State Senator. He represented the greater Annapolis area. Senator Winegrad served as Chairman of the Senate Environment Subcommittee for eight years and wrote, sponsored, or managed nearly all environmental legislation passing the Senate, including the Chesapeake Bay legislation. He was the prime sponsor of the phosphate detergent ban. Gerald also served on the tri-state Chesapeake Bay Commission, Maryland Environmental Trust, and National Conference of State Legislature’s Environment Committee for 12 years. He testified before Congressional committees for the latter group representing the 50 state legislatures on environmental issues.

Gerald Winegrad received numerous awards for his legislative work, including Legislator or Conservationist of the year from such groups as the Sierra Club, Audubon Society of the Central Atlantic States, Clean Water Action, and the Maryland Public Health Association. Gerald Winegrad was called the “environmental conscience” of the Senate by the Washington Post and Tom Horton wrote that “he is the person who more than any other set Maryland’s environmental agenda over the past 16 years”. In January 2002, Gerald was presented the prestigious Life Time Achievement Award by the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, only the third person to be so honored.

Gerald Winegrad holds a B.A. Degree in Economics from Western Maryland College and a J.D. Degree from the University of Maryland School of Law and has been an attorney since 1969. His formal environmental career began in 1969 when he served as Counsel to the National Wildlife Federation. After leaving the Legislature in 1995 he served as Vice President for Policy of the American Bird Conservancy in Washington, D.C until 2008. At ABC he directed the work of the 90 member organization Bird Conservation Alliance and was a leader in national efforts to conserve avian species.

Gerald was a naval officer in the Judge Advocate General’s Corps during the Vietnam War and was promoted to and served as a full time Military Judge. He achieved the rank of Commander in the U.S. Naval Reserve.

He has authored numerous articles on the environment and has spoken at many national and international conferences throughout the U.S. and globally. He has made presentations on Chesapeake Bay restoration to many groups, trying to stimulate changes to restore the Bay including this past Thursday at John Hopkins University. He formed and chairs a group of 38 senior Bay scientists and policy makers trying to foster the necessary changes for the Bay. The group includes two former governors, U.S. Senator. U.S. Congressman, and former Maryland and Virginia Secretaries of Natural Resources.

Gerald lives on Oyster Creek just off of the Chesapeake Bay in the Severn River watershed and is an active birder and crabber. He is a lifelong Marylander and grew up fishing and swimming in the Bay. He is Vice President of the Anne Arundel Bird Club.