Ann Swanson has served as a leader in the Chesapeake Bay restoration for nearly 30 years, the last 26 as the executive director of the Chesapeake Bay Commission, a tri-state legislative authority serving the states of Pennsylvania, Maryland and Virginia. It is the commission’s responsibility to sponsor legislation at the state level and to work with state legislators, members of the U.S. Congress, and federal and state regulatory agencies to coordinate programs aimed at restoring the Chesapeake Bay. A trained wildlife biologist and forest ecologist, Ms. Swanson graduated from the University of Vermont and Yale University; she once served as chairwoman of the board for the University of Vermont’s Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources. She remains on its board.