The public is invited to the November 16 meeting of the Democratic Club of Kent County, for an interesting and informative presentation on “The Sultana Education Foundation.” Foundation Vice President Chris Cerino will be providing attendees with an overview of the Foundation’s educational programming as the organization has evolved over the past twenty-five years, from a small non-profit running a single tall ship to a regional organization that also provides area students with canoe and kayak trips, land-based programs at the Holt Education Center, adult programs, and professional development courses for teachers. Mr. Cerino will also discuss the Foundation’s work at the new Lawrence Wetlands Preserve, an 8.5-acre urban nature center that just opened this fall.
Chris Cerino has spent the past thirty years in the field of environmental education. He is a graduate of the University of Virginia, where he earned a master’s degree in teaching for secondary history. For the past twenty-three years he has served as Vice President of Sultana Education Foundation, a local non-profit organization that provides programming for over 10,000 students annually aboard the schooner Sultana, a fleet of canoes, a fleet of kayaks, and at the Holt Education Center in downtown Chestertown, Maryland. Under his direction, the Foundation twice won the Walter Cronkite Award for Excellence in Maritime Education from the National Maritime Historical Society.
Mr. Cerino served as the Mayor of Chestertown from 2014 – 2021. During his time in office, he led the complete rebuild of Chestertown Marina, raising over seven million dollars over the course of six years to complete the project. Chris also spearheaded the revitalization of the Main Street Chestertown program, and worked with Town staff to create new parks and make improvements to numerous Town-owned properties. Chris currently lives in Chestertown with his wife Michelle and two sons Joey (20) and Jake (18). When he is not aboard Sultana, you will find him fishing, swimming, crabbing, kayaking, and looking for arrowheads on the Chester and Sassafras Rivers with his family on their 17-foot Boston Whaler.
The meeting will take place at The Kitchen at The Imperial, 208 High St, Chestertown, on Thursday, November 16; doors will open at 5:30 pm for a social time and to order a meal from the menu. A brief business meeting will be conducted before the main presentation, including the Club election for the 2023-25 term. The main program will start at approximately 7:00 pm. It is not necessary to purchase a meal to attend. Please consider attending this meeting (RSVP to [email protected]) to learn more about this great local institution!
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