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January 15, 2026

Talbot Spy

Nonpartisan Education-based News for Talbot County Community

5 News Notes

Earth Data Selected for Mapping Project in Delaware County, Pennsylvania

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Earth Data, Incorporated was recently selected by Delaware County, Pennsylvania to perform a comprehensive project to scan and digitize all of the County’s subdivision maps. Delaware County is the fifth most populous county in Pennsylvania.

The maps had been developed and maintained in a paper format since the 1970s. According to the County the maps “have reached their life expectancy, as well, as it would be helpful and cost-effective for the subdivisions to be captured digitally and added to the extensive County mapping database for planners to utilize on top of other geospatial data.”

Earth Data Selected for Mapping Project in Delaware County, Pennsylvania. Pictured are Ron McDonald (Project Administrator at Earth Data) on the left, Eric Flickinger (Director of Geospatial Services at Earth Data) on the right.

Earth Data was one of several firms to compete for this work, which involves scanning, organizing, and naming the maps for easy accessibility and georeferencing the scanned maps using ArcGIS tools to align with current county parcel boundaries. Additional tasks include digitizing the maps, verifying topology, generating metadata, and creating fields to capture the subdivision data visible on the plat maps.

According to Eric Flickinger, Earth Data’s Director of Geospatial Services, “Earth Data is well suited to complete this project. We have significant recent, relevant experience digitizing documents, georeferencing scanned maps and digiting features in an ArcGIS environment for Federal, state and local governments. We look forward to being of service to Delaware County on this project.”

After an initial delivery and review of a subset of the digitized parcels by the County GIS department, the project is expected to take approximately six months to complete.

For more than 48 years, Earth Data, Inc. has been providing field-oriented water resources and geospatial consulting services using high-tech tools to collect, analyze, manage, and distribute data in sophisticated ways. For further information, visit earthdatainc.com.

The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.

Fiber Artist Susan Fay Schauer John Gains Notoriety as Thread Painter

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Her work in fiber and thread intersects layers of reality and fantasy, life and rebirth. It explores what we are made of. In it, there is a strong dose of realism such that the viewer ‘knows’ the subject right away. But something more lies within and that is the draw and the depth of the work of fiber artist Susan Schauer John of Easton, Maryland.

Schauer John is catching the eye of a national audience with her fabric collage and creative stitching. This month her work will be featured in the Smithsonian Craft Show in Washington, DC, and at the Oxford Fine Arts Fair in Oxford, Maryland. In June she will be teaching at the Winslow Arts Center in Bainbridge, Washington. Her work has been exhibited and sold in galleries from Washington, DC to San Francisco and she has work in the permanent collection of the White House.

“Peter Hears a Noise,” by fabric artist Susan Schauer John who is exhibiting May 3-7 at the Smithsonian Craft Show and will be at the Oxford Fine Arts Fair in Oxford, Maryland May 19 – 21.

Schauer John has been an artist all her life. She was introduced to drawing, painting and sculpture at a young age by her father who was a renowned watercolorist. Educated in both the sciences and the arts, she received her bachelor of science in biology at Denison University and went on to receive a graduate education in the neurosciences at Princeton University, all the while studying the arts on the side. In the late 1980s, however, Susan turned her full attention to her art and has not looked back. She has had inspiration and recognition in many art forms, including woodturning, portraiture, and fiber arts.

“During COVID, I wanted to do something that I had never done before. I had my sewing machine on the third floor and thought, now that I’m home, I can spend a little time sewing. The first thing I did was to make some fun art quilts that I hung up,” she recalls.

Fiber artist Susan Schauer John who is featured in the Smithsonian Craft Show in Washington, DC on May 3 – 7, 2023.

“Then one day, I started to think about being in my 60s and whether my work was leaving any kind of legacy. I realized I needed to express myself in something that was just me. And it dawned on me that I love realism. I can do realism. I can sketch anything, and make it look like the real thing. But where I hadn’t grown in my art was in abstraction.”

Schauer John then decided to take a collage of fabrics, based on values from dark to light, that would maybe give her a chance to explore abstraction more, but still do what she liked to do – realism. This began her journey into her fabric art. Since she lives on the Chesapeake Bay, she decided to start with species of birds native to the region.

“One day I was looking out my window and saw a Merlin, which is in the falcon family, come down to my bird feeders and steal a bird and fly off with that bird. I found a photograph of a Merlin and asked the photographer if I could use it to draw from. From my drawing, I then laid down my cut cotton fabric shapes from light to dark to create value. And that’s where I finally was able to kind of force myself into doing some abstraction. The fabrics form the base of a collage. Once that is done, then then I start stitching with my sewing machine and go straight for realism. I use the thread as my painting/drawing form to put realism back into the work. When I’m stitching or thread painting, I think about it as if I’m doing colored pencil,” she explains.

“This medium puts everything together. It is a combination of abstract and realism.”

Quality is important to Schauer John as she uses high-quality cotton fabric and quality Italian cotton thread sourced from England. Sometimes she uses layers of batting to add depth to her work. She starts sewing from the middle of her fabric to be able to stitch out and not get big puckers in it. She states, “You have to start in the middle and radiate out, just like a stone that you throw in the water that ripples out.”

Some of the elements that are distinctive about Schauer John’s work are the realism in the eyes of her animals and the hidden surprises in each piece. In several of her recent pieces, she hid a Peter Rabbit using the fabric in a creative way for viewers to play “I Spy” when looking at her work. Because of the detail in each piece she creates, it can take up to a month to complete.

“Art is how I see the world, and what I see continues to evolve.”

Schauer John has studied with the exceptional figure painter and sculptor Robert Liberace and the talented realistic painter James Plumb. She is a member of the Portrait Society of America, and the Colored Pencil Society of America, and teaches art to adult students.

In its 41st year, the 2023 Smithsonian Craft Show will bring 120 artists from across the country to the National Building Museum for a five-day event, May 3 through 7, to be themed “Celebrating the American Spirit.” Produced by the Smithsonian Women’s Committee, the annual event will showcase the work of contemporary American artists, including this year a selection of Native American and Indigenous artisans.

Representing all facets of contemporary craft and design, the Smithsonian Craft Show will include basketry, ceramics, decorative fiber, furniture, glass, jewelry, leather, metal, mixed media, paper, wearable art, and wood. The works will be for sale with collectors and shoppers able to find one-of-a-kind pieces at a wide range of prices.

To learn more about Susan Schauer John’s fiber artwork, visit sfsfiber.art or email [email protected], or call Susan Schauer John at 410-253-9131.

The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.

Talbot Community Connections Cancels “Maltreatment Across the Lifespan” Symposium

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Talbot Community Connections has cancelled its 2023 Symposium, “Maltreatment Across the Lifespan,” scheduled for Thursday, May 18, 2023.

For further information, visit talbotcommunityconnections.org, email [email protected] or call 410-770-5908.

The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.

Mid-Atlantic Tire Pros Offers First Car Care Clinic

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Helping people feel more confident while operating their vehicles has been on the mind of Terry John, the previous owner of Mid-Atlantic Tire Pros. He and his step-son Ben Ellison, who is now the owner of the business, thought it was about time to offer a car care clinic which did just that. John has had a heart for children and the community, organizing the Koats for Kids Coat Drive every year for the past 16 years.

Ben and Terry organized their first car care clinic for Girl Scouts who had just gotten their licenses and their mothers.  John developed a handout for participants on what to do in an emergency and the two used one of the company’s loaner vehicles as a demonstration car. Mid-Atlantic Tire Pros lead technician Cody Cahall provided the hands-on instruction.

“We realized pretty quickly that the scouts didn’t understand basic car care, so we showed them how to open the hood and explained how the engine works and what combustion is,” Ellison stated.

“We then covered how to fill the windshield washer fluid and coolant, and how to use jumper cables, including the new jump boxes. The moms got really engaged in the process and wanted to learn too. We want women to feel comfortable learning about cars in a male-oriented industry.”

Pictured back row, left to right, at a recent Mid-Atlantic Tire Pro car care clinic with Girl Scout Troop #289 are Terry John, the previous owner of Mid-Atlantic Tire Pros; Cody Cahall, master mechanic of Mid-Atlantic Tire Pros; Anna Sqwaja; Ben Ellison, owner of Mid- Atlantic Tire Pros; Christa Chesley, and Gwen Fike. Pictured front row kneeling, left to right, are Lori Hammond – Troop #289 Girl Scout Leader; Kate Adelman, Morgan Fike, Jessica Hammond, and Leslie Adelman.

Sprout supplied refreshments for participants and Mid-Atlantic Tire Pros gave them each a free entry-level car tool kit as part of the experience. Participants walked away with a basic knowledge of car care and some basic tools to help them as new drivers.

One of the mothers who participated in the car care clinic, Leslie Adelman, told Ellison that her daughter texted her a picture of herself jumping someone’s car battery in a local parking lot. Her text read, “Look what I am doing right now – helping a senior at a physical therapy office. Definitely feeling more confident after the car clinic!”

Another mother, Lori Hammond, added, “I think you offer a good course that people could benefit from in our community.”

Ellison learned that maybe if we made the clinic broader, people of all ages would want to participate by creating a comfortable welcoming atmosphere. He plans for Mid-Atlantic Tire Pros to offer a two-hour clinic quarterly for the general public covering basic car care, such as understanding dashboard lights, tire pressure, standard maintenance intervals, changing the oil, and managing emergencies.

Chesapeake Forum, which provides lifelong learning courses locally, has also approached Ellison about offering the course through its program.

“We would love to partner with other local businesses in offering the clinic to more people locally. This is about helping out the community by providing a knowledge base about car care. It makes me feel better personally with my wife and kids that my wife understands the car and how to handle emergencies in it. After we offered the car care clinic, the biggest key moment for me was realizing that this can be empowering for people,” Ellison comments.

For further information about upcoming car care clinics, contact Mid-Atlantic TirePros and Hybrid Shop, call 410-770-3337, or visit midatlantictire.com or visit its Facebook page.

Mid-Atlantic TirePros and Hybrid Shop in Easton is an independently owned and operated automotive repair shop, which also provides expert care for hybrid and electric vehicles.

The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.

Earth Data Employees Volunteer with Habitat Choptank in Easton

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In addition to using high-tech tools in field-oriented water resources and geospatial consulting services, employees with Earth Data, Inc. in Centreville are rolling up their sleeves to use manual tools to help out the community through volunteer service. Earth Data employees recently participated with Habitat Choptank to help install siding on sheds for Habitat homes on Prospect Avenue in Easton. Habitat is currently building four houses on Prospect Avenue and five houses and one rehab in the Hill Neighborhood in Easton.

Back row, L-R: Jim Thomas, Site Supervisor for Habitat Choptank, Elijah Madron, Christine Kunkowski, Jackson Forrest, Ron McDonald, Travonte McCready, Site Supervisor for Habitat Choptank; Jennifer Marshall, and Aden Marshall. Front row, L-R: Shawn Stabile and Tina Wright.

“Working with local businesses like Earth Data is great because it lets more people know what we’re doing and allows them to build their team, working together as a team on site. So, I think it helps them and it helps us,” comments Jim Thomas, Site Supervisor for Habitat Choptank.

In addition to regular crews of volunteers during the week, Habitat Choptank utilizes crews on Saturdays where businesses, churches, and nonprofit groups can volunteer. The organization continues to build its volunteer corps since COVID.

“Volunteers are critical to helping us keep our homes affordable for the families we serve,” said JoAnn Hansen, Executive Director of Habitat Choptank. “The need for affordable housing just keeps growing, so volunteers like those from Earth Data help us meet the need and are so appreciated.”

Earth Data employee Jen Marshall spent the day learning more skills she can use at home with DIY projects. She adds, “In addition to learning new skills, I also like that I am helping the community.”

Christine Kunkowski, Office Manager at Earth Data, and Tina Wright, Administrative Assistant at Earth Data, who helped organize the volunteer day for employees, also made up an all-women’s team at the site. They, add, “It’s just fun just being out here knowing that you’re doing something great for the community and helping people to move into their new homes.”

Pictured left to right are Earth Data’s employees Ron McDonald and Jen Marshall with Jim Thomas, Site Supervisor with Habitat Choptank in the background.

In addition to giving back through its environmental work, the Earth Data Giving Program encourages all Earth Data Incorporated employees to help others. It provides employees with paid public-service hours for volunteer work done to support local charities and others, such as helping feed school kids on the weekends, cleaning hiking trails, supporting elementary school reading programs, and teaching kids about the world around them by using maps and GIS.

For more than 48 years, Earth Data, Inc. has been providing field-oriented water resources and geospatial consulting services using high-tech tools to collect, analyze, manage, and distribute data in sophisticated ways. For further information, visit earthdatainc.com.

The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.

Haven Ministries’ Hope Warehouse Sponsors Art Auction

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Haven Ministries’ Hope Warehouse is having an Art Auction benefiting Haven Ministries on Friday, April 28, 2023 at Cascia Vineyard at 1200 Thompson Creek Road in Stevensville starting at 6 p.m.  Hope Warehouse offers used appliances, furniture, artwork, and building supplies for purchase in Queenstown. The sale of items at a reduced cost to the public support Haven Ministries’ other ministries in the community, including its homeless shelter, food pantry, street outreach, and resource center. The Art Auction, which will feature live and silent auctions featuring art donated by the community and local artists, will also offer lite fare and libations for guests.

Hope Warehouse often receives donations of all types of quality artwork and crafted pieces to sell to the public.  Occasionally, they receive original pieces of artwork which are more valuable.

According to Joni Melotti, Hope Warehouse Manager, and Lorraine Sincavage, Lead Volunteer, who are organizing the event, “It occurred to us that an art auction might be a great way to offer a fun experience while raising money to support Haven Ministries’ many outreach programs that help citizens in our community.  It also brings more attention to the presence of Hope Warehouse and Our Daily Thread and the quality donations we receive through both.”

Pictured left to right are Barbara Regalia, Lorraine Sincavage, Lead volunteer, and Joni Melotti, Warehouse Manager, holding a sampling of the artwork to be featured at Haven Ministries’ Hope Warehouse Art Auction on April 28.

“Additionally, we hope that we will gain more visibility as a charity to which members of our community can donate while also shining a light on our dedicated sponsors.  The donations of artwork from local artists for the auction also showcase the local talent we have in the area which helps the artists as well.   We are so appreciative of the generosity of our community and hope this event will expand our revenue and bring more visibility to the work of Haven Ministries in our community.”

Sponsors of the event to date include Cascia Vineyard, Kent Island Federation of Arts, and Queen Anne County Art Development. The following are sponsors who provide continued support of Haven Ministries: PNC Bank, Miltec Construction Services and Supplies, Inc., The Narrows, Judy Center Early Learning Hub, Marriage Miracles, Waterman Realty Company, Homeland Tile and Escrow, The Shore Update, Social Point Media and Marketing, What’s Up Media, Increte, and the Jacob Sloan Foundation.

Tickets for the Art Auction cost $30 in advance and include a glass of wine at the event. For further information or to buy tickets, visit haven-ministries.org or call 410-827-7194.

Love shapes the ministry, love transforms people, and hope prevails at Haven Ministries.  Haven Ministries operates a seasonal Homeless Shelter, a Resource Center, and Food Pantry in Queenstown, Our Daily Thread Store in Chester, Hope Warehouse in Queenstown, and a Food Pantry Truck in Sudlersville.

The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.

Haven Ministries Hires Cindy Clark as Director of Development

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Cindy Clark of Stevensville, the new Director of Development at Haven Ministries.

Cindy Clark of Stevensville was recently hired as the Director of Development at Haven Ministries. For the last 23 years, Clark worked in the commercial insurance industry. Her most recent position was with CNR Insurance Inc. in Annapolis.

“I pursued this position with Haven Ministries because of the opportunity it offered me to use my skills and gifts for the greater good of my community,” reflects Clark.

Clark holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Maryland College Park and an Associate of Arts degree from Montgomery College in Rockville. In addition, she completed several courses in commercial insurance over her career and earned accredited designations in the field (CIC, CISR, CLCS).

Her volunteer work has included a number of fundraising activities including organizing events to raise funds and support the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer – volunteering as a crew member for a number of years; creating a small fundraiser for Busy Bodies Children’s Gym; and recently most recently acting as a co-chair for Lighthouse Christian Academy’s auction gala in 2021. In her new role at Haven Ministries, she will be responsible for raising funds, planning and coordinating fundraising events, as well as developing and overseeing the various community partnership programs and campaigns.

“I have always been passionate about fundraising. My sister is also very passionate about it, raising funds for Special Olympics,” Clark states.

“I like that Haven Ministries is a Christian-based ministry involving local churches. I also like that it is helping people in our community right down the street – we are helping our neighbors.”

Clark is looking forward to meeting with local businesses in the coming days that support Haven Ministries’ many activities and events.  The organization’s upcoming events include its Hope Warehouse Art Auction on April 28, Haven Ministries Golf Tournament on September 22 at Queenstown Harbor, and “Beef, Bonfires, and Cigars” at Kent Island Resort on November 4.

“We are excited to have Cindy come on board. She brings enthusiasm and energy to the position which will enable us to get back to in-person events with our friends and supporters in the coming months,” adds Peter Grim, Executive Director of Haven Ministries.

Clark lives in Stevensville with her husband and son.

To reach Clark, email her at [email protected] or call her at 443-239-4739.

The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.

Local Earth Data Employee Supports Guatemalan Project While Mountain Biking

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Jeff Chipman, a geologist with Earth Data, Inc. in Centreville, recently left his comfort zone to go on a mountain biking trip in Guatemala which benefitted women in third-world countries. Although he was raised in Utah and accustomed to outdoor sports, including whitewater rafting, he was relatively new to mountain biking.

“This part of the world really interests me. I like the people, I like the culture, and I like the food of Central America. Specifically, as a geologist, there are also several active volcanoes throughout this region,” Chipman states.

Jeff Chipman and fellow bikers taking a break outside of a rural Escuela school.

He had been looking to book a trip to Guatemala in December of 2022 when his sister contacted him to tell him that there was a women’s nonprofit group, World Ride, that was offering a co-ed mountain biking trip in Guatemala that same month. World Ride works to empower women globally through mountain biking. They have established programs around the world where they work with local women to create bike libraries, assist women with leadership and guide training, and support women with their race goals.

Jeff Chipman watching an Eruption of Vulcan de Fuego, known as “the fire volcano,” from a base camp on a neighboring volcano.

“What was neat about this nonprofit is that it trains local women in third world countries to be mountain bike guides in these eco-tourism destinations and the proceeds from the trips get funneled back to the local communities for women’s rights groups and women’s causes,” Chipman adds.

“Although I wasn’t down there like building schools or anything like that, it was rewarding to see my trip support a good cause.”

According to Chipman, who took the trip in December, the people live a very isolated life in the mountains of Guatemala. He observed that it was not an everyday occurrence for the people he encountered on the trails each day to see mountain bikes.

“In addition, I was made aware of the repressed, traditional culture for women in the mountains of Guatemala. These women are expected to make textiles and farm, but not do mountain biking. Mountain biking is a male sport there. Although the people had very few resources in the mountains, including water or electricity, they were some of the happiest people I have ever seen,” he adds.

“Travel is a good thing for everyone to do. Whether that’s traveling outside of your state, or outside of your country, experiencing different people and cultures is a very beneficial thing for many, many different reasons. Going into a third-world country especially gives you that huge perspective that ‘stuff’ doesn’t matter. For the overwhelming majority of the people I met and talked to, you could tell that they were more than willing and happy to talk to you and help you in any way – even if they didn’t have resources.”

In thinking about future opportunities to travel and contribute to the world, Chipman hoped to find future opportunities like World Ride. He concludes, “Supporting women in these third-world countries makes me want to find and do more. There is work to be done in these places and I’d like to a part of it.”

“Seeing our employees take trips like this for their vacations is very heartwarming for me. Our company embraces community service throughout the year. I believe we need to leave the world a better place than we found it. We are people who work hard and want to help, not only our clients but our community,” comments Mark Williams, President of Earth Data, Inc.

For more than 48 years, Earth Data, Inc. has been providing field-oriented water resources and geospatial consulting services using high-tech tools to collect, analyze, manage, and distribute data in sophisticated ways. For further information, visit earthdatainc.com.

The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.

Talbot Foster Parents Help Support Region’s Foster Children

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Talbot County foster parents Jess Flaherty and Jeanne Scharf, who have become friends and support one another, as they care for youth across the state who are placed in foster care.

Talbot County’s foster parents are stepping up to the plate in helping Maryland’s foster children have safe and loving homes when their lives have been disrupted Many of these children come from other counties across Maryland and are facing a variety of challenges.

According to Paris Quillet, Special Projects Coordinator for the Talbot County Department of Social Services, approximately 73 percent of the children placed in Talbot County Resource Homes are children from other local departments across the state.

“We are focused on caring for children and supporting both resource parents, birth parents, and our sister agencies,” states Linda Webb, Director of Talbot County Department of Social Services. “We all work together to provide a safe and loving environment for each child for as long as it is needed.”

Jess Flaherty of Easton is a mother of five children; four are her biological children, and one of them has Down’s Syndrome. She and her husband adopted a daughter from Carroll County who has Cerebral Palsy, is blind, and is tube-fed. They hope to adopt another daughter who is currently in foster care from Allegany County and who has a rare form of epilepsy.

“Talbot County is always trying to match foster children to the best families to get the best fit for the children,” Flaherty comments.

“In particular, there is a need for foster parents for special needs and medically fragile children across the state. Talbot County’s foster parents have always been willing to take children from other counties to help meet the needs of children regardless of what county they originate in,” Quillet adds.

To stay encouraged, Flaherty relies on other foster parents who are called to do the same thing to provide support. In addition, when caring for a particularly difficult case, she will ask her social worker to give the family space for things to settle down before they are available to help more children.

“It is rewarding to work with professionals who want to do the right thing and who respect your boundaries. It is a collective effort to meet the ideal care for these children,” she adds. “Talbot DSS advocates for me when I have a child from another county and helps facilitate the communication and care even though I am working with social workers in other counties.”

Jeanne and Jeff Scharf of Ridgely, who have been foster parents since 1998, have four biological children and have adopted six foster children. The family’s children range in age from 10 to 32. The Scharf’s oldest son was a “Special Delivery” from Baltimore County and became family in 2005. Recently, the Scharfs had an 11-year-old foster child from a different county who had been with them before.

“We try and empathize with kids no matter where they are from and try and figure out a commonality we share. We are trying to put tools in their toolboxes that they can use the rest of their lives whether they are in our home or not,” Jeanne Scharf states.

“Our goal with respite and short-term placements is to keep children safe before they go with their next placement.”

Jeanne and Jeff are a spiritual couple and believe that there are higher reasons for children being placed with them. “We believe that there is something God wants us to teach these children or things for them to teach us,” she adds.

Jeanne’s passion for foster care comes from her childhood living with a father who had mental health issues. She shares that she and her siblings should have been in foster care for the complex trauma of that experience. She credits the care of her grandmother and aunts in helping the family survive it.

“I keep doing this because if we can instill in our children their worth, not just for a moment, but for the rest of their lives – they will have the strength and courage to move forward in life,” Scharf reflects.

According to Jeanne Scharf and Jess Flaherty, who have become supports for one another through their foster parent journeys, “There are still so many children out there hurting and there need to be people bridging the gap like foster parents.”

Talbot County continues to need more foster and adoptive parents to help meet the needs of children of all ages, most recently including infants and school-aged children. The agency also gets requests from time to time for sibling groups and older teens who are soon aging out of foster care and need guidance in transitioning into adulthood. For further information on becoming a foster or adoptive parent, call the Talbot County Department of Social Services at 410-820-7371 or visit midshoreresourceparents.com.

The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.

Earth Data Employees Pass Association of State Boards of Geology Exam

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Two employees of Earth Data, Inc., Ben Gemballa, Project Geologist, and Kayla Warhola, Geologist, both of Chestertown recently passed the Association of State Boards of Geology (ASBOG®) Fundamentals of Geology Examination. The examination is the first step for a person seeking to become a Licensed Professional Geologist. Employees must work five years in the field before taking the Professional Geologist Exam.

According to ASBOG, much of today’s geological practice affects the health, safety, and welfare of the public, the environment, and the economy and the feasibility of engineered works. Geologists make use of their special knowledge for the benefit of the public: from the obvious, e.g., exploration and development of mineral resources plus the development of water resources, to the less obvious, e.g., evaluating the stability of foundations for buildings, dams, bridges, and roadways, plus many others.

Pictured left to right are Kayla Warhola, Geologist, and Ben Gemballa, Project Geologist, and both of Chestertown and employees of Earth Data, Inc. The two recently passed the Association of State Boards of Geology (ASBOG®) Fundamentals of Geology Examination.

Gemballa completed his Bachelor of Science degree in geology from Juniata College in Huntingdon, Pennsylvania, and his Master of Science in Geophysics at the University of Memphis in Memphis, Tennessee. His work at Earth Data has involved drilling and sampling monitoring wells, overseeing pumping tests in high-capacity groundwater production wells, and performing borehole video surveys and specialized geophysical logging on a variety of Earth Data projects. He has also provided construction administration and construction inspection work on Earth Data’s SWIFT® project in Hampton Roads, Virginia.

Warhola completed her Bachelor of Science degree in geology from the California University of Pennsylvania in California, Pennsylvania. Her work has primarily involved collecting and analyzing surface and groundwater samples on some large, ongoing projects and providing detailed sediment descriptions from deep drilling projects. Ms. Warhola also utilizes her previous construction inspection experience on various projects and is currently training to learn to operate Earth Data’s geophysical logging equipment.

“We are proud of the accomplishments of these two employees who have been with us a little over a year and their initiative to further their professional certifications. Having licensed professional geologists is not only a standard for the industry but a standard for our company as well,” states Mark Williams, President of Earth Data, Inc.

For more than 48 years, Earth Data, Inc. has been providing field-oriented water resources and geospatial consulting services using high-tech tools to collect, analyze, manage, and distribute data in sophisticated ways. For further information, visit earthdatainc.com.

The Spy Newspapers may periodically employ the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance the clarity and accuracy of our content.