Choosing to Lead Conference

Stephanie Chewning

Coastal Education Coordinator

Stephanie’s love for the ocean started at a very young age on the beaches of Stone Harbor, New Jersey, searching for and collecting shells with her Nana. This childhood passion never stopped, and she followed her interest in the outdoors by pursuing a degree in Marine Science from American University in Washington, D.C.

After college, Stephanie spent time teaching environmental science in Florida, California, and Georgia. Ultimately settling on the Georgia coast, she worked at Driftwood Education Center on St. Simons Island as the Program Director and later with the Georgia Department of Natural Resources as a Naturalist on Sapelo Island. Stephanie continues to share her love of our coast as a part of the One Hundred Miles education team.

Megan Desrosiers

President and Chief Executive Officer

Megan Desrosiers is the founding President/CEO of One Hundred Miles, Georgia’s coastal advocacy organization. In an effort to elevate the Georgia coast as a recognized place of historical, cultural, and biological significance, she spends her time working in local communities, on regional collaboration projects, and lobbying in Atlanta. Since the organization’s inception in 2013, Megan and her team have been responsible for improvements to the Erosion and Sedimentation Act requiring a 25-foot buffer for all salt marsh, galvanizing statewide opposition to offshore drilling, education programs reaching more than 10,000 people annually, and local ordinances that promote responsible growth balanced with conservation. She also serves on the leadership team of the Georgia Water Coalition and the board of Georgia Conservation Voters.

Before coming to Georgia’s coast, Megan spent 10 years at the Coastal Conservation League (CCL) in South Carolina, where she helped to establish the organization’s first climate and energy and agriculture program agendas. She worked with a team to start GrowFood Carolina, South Carolina’s first local food hub, and collaborated with a group of diverse leaders to initiate Charleston County’s Greenbelt Program.

Megan is a graduate of Allegheny College in Meadville, Pennsylvania and Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island. Since finishing her degrees, she has completed professional development programs at the Harvard Business School, Institute for Conservation Leadership, and the Buckley School for Public Speaking. Megan lives in Old Town Brunswick with her husband, Michael, and two sons, Luca and Kellen.

Kristen Clark

12th Grade, South Effingham High School

What Three Words Best Describe You?

Adventurous, Creative, Assiduous

What Is Your Dream Career?

I don’t know exactly what it is I want to pursue later in life, but I know I want it to be something that gives me the freedom to travel and explore the world while still making a difference. I want to do something that allows me to be creative and pursue my passions, something more than just a standard desk job.

What Is Your Claim to Fame?

I’ve participated in South Carolina’s Olympic Development Program for soccer for the past two years.

What Is Your Favorite Place Along Georgia’s Coast? What Do You Like Most About It?

My favorite place probably has to be Saint Simon’s Island. It’s not just about how beautiful and serene it is, though. I like how being there makes me feel. I like that it makes me feel at peace with myself and lets me escape from the world around me.

What Coastal Issue(s) Are You Most Passionate About? Why?

I think that major coastal issues to be concerned about primarily surround plastic pollution and the degradation of beaches and coastal lands. There are so many issues that are important and worthwhile, but I feel that plastic pollution is especially important. It threatens wildlife and chemicals leeched can harmfully impact human health, as well.

What Advice Would You Give to Other Students Who Want to Be Leaders or Make a Difference?

You are never too small to make a difference. Every movement and every change in history has started with one action, one idea, that was built upon to create change. All contributions, big or small, have the power to make a difference.