Jeff Kelble has been named president of Potomac Riverkeeper, Inc., effective July 14. The non-profit conservation organization is dedicated to stopping pollution and restoring clean water throughout the Potomac Watershed, home to over six million residents in Washington, D.C, Virginia, Maryland, West Virginia and Pennsylvania.
Kelble served for over eight years as Shenandoah Riverkeeper and also served on the national board of Waterkeeper Alliance since 2012. During his tenure as Shenandoah Riverkeeper, Kelble has conducted research on the threats to the Shenandoah, and worked to preserve the river, along with the wildlife and recreation it sustains. Kelble has gone after major polluters, worked to reform regulations and government behavior, taking legal action when needed, and worked with local land owners to mitigate the effects of agricultural activity on the health of the river.
Graduating from Tufts University in 1994 with a Bachelor of Science in engineering psychology, Kelble worked in business for several years, and later in 1999 began working for a fishing guide service in Harper’s Ferry. Soon after, Kelble started his own fishing guide service on the Shenandoah, Rappahannock and Potomac Rivers, and helped established a fly-fishing school in Virginia for L.L. Bean.