Judy Schwartz is a native Sussex Countian born and raised on the outskirts of Seaford. She graduated from Seaford High School in 1974 and the University of Delaware in 1978 with a degree in Civil Engineering. Judy worked for George, Miles & Buhr (GMB), consulting engineers of Seaford and Salisbury for over 40 years, retiring in Dec 2020.

Judy became interested in land stewardship at an early age, spending many days at her grandparents’ farm, the “Brandy Jim Farm,” on Hastings Farm Road east of Seaford. On the farm, she learned to appreciate the land and soil, the crops produced and how they were impacted by the sun, wind and water – or lack of water. Years later, several large tracts of the Brandy Jim Farm were placed in conservation with The Nature Conservancy by Judy’s mother and aunts, while other acres are still being farmed today.

When Judy turned eight years old, her family moved to a house on the Nanticoke River at Middleford, where she learned to love the river life, spending her childhood fishing, canoeing, row boating and playing in the swamps. Judy’s passion for environmental stewardship flared during her middle school and early high school years with the nationwide awakening of the environmental movement, the first Earth Day in 1970, and the Clean Water Act in 1972.

With a degree in civil engineering, Judy began work at GMB in 1980. Early in her career at GMB, she specialized in water pollution control and was responsible for design of sewage treatment plants in many communities of Sussex County and Maryland’s Eastern Shore. As climate change became evident, Judy became certified as a LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) accredited professional, shifting her focus toward stormwater management, flood control, green infrastructure and sustainability.

Along the way, Judy raised 2 children supported by her husband Steve, an educator who is still active with Delaware schools. Judy now lives with her husband on the Nanticoke River downstream of Seaford, where she still enjoys the river life. She insists that blue and green surroundings in nature are essential elements for nurturing a life of happiness and satisfaction.