Our team

Emily Smedley

Environment and Energy Program Officer

Emily manages grantmaking and initiatives related to environmental health, sustainable energy, land use, and neighborhood vitality.

As the Environment and Energy Program Officer, Emily manages grantmaking and initiatives that focus on preserving open space, promoting energy efficiency, and reducing negative impacts to the environment in Berks County.  

Emily’s an accomplished communications professional that developed a passion for the environment while working at the Lancaster Clean Water Partners, a collaborative partnership that brings multi-sector organizations together to improve water quality in Lancaster County. There, she worked alongside farmers, urban gardeners, municipalities, grassroots nonprofits, and community-minded businesses to implement conservation best practices. She managed work groups and advisory committees, communications, and several programs, including a donor-advised fund focused on supporting clean water projects. She also graduated in the inaugural class of the Lancaster Watershed Leadership Academy. 

Before Lancaster Clean Water Partners, Emily worked at a Baltimore-based, full-service communications firm focused on progressive social change. There, she worked on several public health, education, and social justice initiatives, including providing communications, advertising, and media support to HealthCare Access Maryland, Behavioral Health System Baltimore, and the Horizon Foundation. She also has worked on various social media and documentary-style video projects for Spotlight on Poverty and Opportunity, Tax Credits for Workers and Their Families, and the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.  Emily has won two MarCom awards for her video work with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and an American Web Design Award for her video work with the Education Writers Association.

Emily grew up in Chester County and graduated from Saint Joseph’s University with a bachelor’s degree in communications and a minor in marketing. For fun, Emily loves gardening, exploring local coffee shops, reading, and hiking with her dogs, Marlo and Frankie. 

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