Board of Directors

The Manor Conservancy

James W. Constable
James W. Constable
President

James W. Constable served as Chairperson of the Board of the Maryland Environmental Trust and is a partner at Wright, Constable & Skeen, L.L.P. in Baltimore. His practice includes corporate and business law, real estate, commercial transactions, conservation easements, and estate planning. Mr. Constable has authored numerous publications on conservation easements and estate planning, and is the former chair of the Baltimore County Landmarks Preservation Commission. He is a resident of Baltimore County and serves on the Easement Committee.

Harry McDonough
Harry McDonough
Vice President

A lifelong resident of a 312-acre farm on Carroll Road, Harry has granted easements on over 170 acres through the Rural Legacy program. He is an independent businessman specializing in privately held firms.

Timbrooke F. Filbert
Timbrooke F. Filbert
Administrative Director

Raised on one of the earliest protected easements on Manor Road, Timbrooke brings professional experience in hospitality, membership, and business development from his work with NeueHouse Madison Square and ArtClass Content, supporting the Conservancy's mission and longevity.

Thorne Gould
Thorne Gould
Secretary & Finance Chair

A Manor area resident since 1992, Thorne's homestead is under easement through the Maryland Agricultural Land Preservation Foundation. He owns several area businesses and has served on The Manor Conservancy Board of Directors since 1993, also serving as Chair of the Finance and Nominating Committees.

George G. Clarke
George G. Clarke
Secretary

George and his wife live in a 19th-century home on TMC and MET-conserved property, with plans to re-establish agricultural use, restore the wooded acreage, and preserve the house. He worked in financial management at Rockwell International and developed franchise territories in Baltimore, Buffalo, and Rochester. George serves on the stewardship and finance committees.

J. Doug Behrens
J. Doug Behrens
Director

A Manor resident and descendant of the Sparks and Hutchins families, Doug's residence is under a conservation easement. A former manager of hospital pharmacies, he has served as a TMC director since 2013 and is a member of the Easement Committee.

Robert Bowie, Jr.
Robert Bowie, Jr.
Director

A Manor resident since 2007, Bob is the founding member (now retired) of the law firm Bowie & Jensen, LLC, specializing in business and real estate law. He has written eight plays performed in Baltimore theaters. A preservationist and avid fisherman, Bob coordinates Conservancy Advocacy liaisons.

Susanna Brellis
Susanna Brellis
Director

Living in Monkton since 2016 on a homestead preserved under a TMC easement, Susanna is an environmental scientist with KCI Technologies, Inc. She has spent her career studying the effects of development and watershed conditions on local waterways.

Dean Bryant
Dean Bryant
Director

Born and raised on a small cattle farm in Indiana, Dean holds a degree in Animal Science and a Master's in Animal Genetics from Purdue University. After moving to Maryland's Eastern Shore, he played an enormous role in developing the University of Maryland's Wye Herd genetics program. He is now Roseda Farm's resident cattleman and genetics master, residing in Monkton with his wife, Marcia.

Dominic Higgins
Dominic Higgins
Director

Owner of Higgins Tree Service, a highly regarded Maryland-based operation specializing in conscious tree care, agricultural land management, and farm restoration. A graduate of Hereford High School, Dom's work spans multiple counties and he is known for his thoughtful, ecologically informed approach to maintaining rural landscapes across northern Baltimore and Harford Counties.

Robert B. Voss
Robert B. Voss
Director

Co-owner of John Brown General & Butchery, a locally focused, sustainable butcher shop and restaurant in Baltimore County. His work centers on sourcing whole animals from regional farms, supporting pasture-based agriculture, and preserving the food traditions and rural landscapes of the region. A Monkton resident, he has made John Brown a destination for high-quality, responsibly raised meats.

Joe Davies
Joe Davies
Director

A lifelong Manor resident, Joe resides at Dunmore Farm, which is under easement. He is the CEO of his own recycling business, a horseman, and a gentleman farmer. He has served on The Manor Conservancy Board of Directors since 2003 and is a member of the Easement Committee.

Henry C. Pitts
Henry C. Pitts
Director

A Manor area resident for over 60 years, Henry's property is under an easement co-held by the Maryland Environmental Trust and The Manor Conservancy. He is a retired pension fund manager with Mercantile Safe-Deposit & Trust Company, and served as Manor Conservancy President from 2022 to 2025.

Renée Hamidi
Renée Hamidi
Director

Renée brings a wide-ranging background as an industrial engineer, operations manager, freelance writer, and parent. She first joined TMC as Administrative Director, working closely with the Rural Legacy Program and the Maryland Environmental Trust to complete conservation easements. She later joined the Valleys Planning Council and has returned to The Manor Conservancy as a member of the Board.

Emily Emerick
Emily Emerick
Director

A Manor area resident for 26 years, Emily has been the Executive Director of Ladew Gardens since 2002. She has served on The Manor Conservancy Board of Directors since 2013 and is a member of the Development Committee.

Dorian I. Filbert
Dorian I. Filbert
Director

Living in Monkton since 1987, Dorian's homestead is under easement co-held by The Manor Conservancy and the Department of Natural Resources. She has served on the Board of Directors of the Elkridge-Harford Hunt Club and on The Manor Conservancy Board since 1993. She is co-chairman of the Development Committee.

Chuck Gittings
Chuck Gittings
Director

A Manor area resident for 26 years, Chuck's farm is under an easement with the Maryland Environmental Trust. He was a self-employed auto dealer for over 40 years. He is co-chair of the Manor Race, a member of the Baltimore Area Boy Scout Advisory Board, and is involved in other philanthropic organizations.

Joan Norman
Joan Norman
Director

Joan has owned One Straw Farm in White Hall with her husband Drew since 1983. A certified organic farm, One Straw has an active CSA program serving 1,500 members and sells produce to restaurants and farmers' markets. Joan's farm is preserved through an easement with the Maryland Agricultural Land Preservation Foundation.

Patrick Smith
Patrick Smith
Director

A Monkton resident since 2013, Patrick is the Vice President of MacKenzie Commercial Real Estate Services, LLC. An avid outdoorsman and hobby farmer, he has served on the Executive Committee Board since 2017.

Wilson Taliaferro
Wilson Taliaferro
Director

Wilson lives in Phoenix next to the NCR Trail and Gunpowder River. A strategic financial planner at Bush River Trust and past alumni board co-chair for Friends School of Baltimore, he serves on the Finance and Stewardship Committees. Taking action to improve his community is central to his work.

Arabella Knox Brockett
Arabella Knox Brockett
Director

A founding partner of The ONE Group and a longtime real estate professional specializing in greater Baltimore and the Monkton area. Born and raised in Monkton, a graduate of Garrison Forest School and Texas A&M University, she combines deep local knowledge with nearly two decades of experience helping clients buy, sell, and steward properties—many of them rural and equestrian. An avid polo player, she is closely tied to the region's land-based sporting traditions.