ShoreRivers picks Budden to follow Hardesty as executive director

EASTON — After what was described as “an extensive search and hiring process,” ShoreRivers has named Scott Budden as its next executive director.

He succeeds Isabel Hardesty, who announced in July that she would be stepping down effective Dec. 31. 

“ShoreRivers’ Governing Board is thrilled with our selection of Scott Budden as the organization’s new Executive Director,” board Chair Marian Fry said in a news release Monday, Dec. 8.

Fry said Budden was chosen from a robust pool of applicants based upon his skills acquired from a diverse 18-year professional background, which includes having served as ShoreRivers’ deputy director of finance.

“His undeniable talent and deep familiarity with our organization and our communities are the perfect combination to lead ShoreRivers into its next chapter,” Fry said in the news release.

Budden was raised near Chestertown, on the banks of Langford Creek. He attended Kent County Public Schools and in 2007 graduated from Bucknell University with a double major in economics and international relations and a minor in Spanish.

After a 10-year stint in Washington, D.C. as a corporate financial analyst for The Atlantic and Booz Allen Hamilton, he founded an oyster farm on Maryland’s Eastern Shore in 2015. Within a decade, Budden helped scale Orchard Point Oyster Co. to a nationally distributed brand.

“With his passion for aquaculture and familiarity with both the business and nonprofit worlds, Scott is a natural fit for ShoreRivers,” the news release states.

Hardesty said in a written statement: “In addition to being knowledgeable and capable, Scott has an incredible combination of genuine kindness and determination. He knows our communities, he loves these rivers, and he will lead ShoreRivers with compassion, integrity and focus. After working closely with Scott for over a year, and knowing him personally for over a decade, I’m confident that I’m leaving ShoreRivers in the right hands.”

Budden is a past appointee to the Maryland Aquaculture Coordinating Council and the Maryland Tidal Fish Advisory Commission, and has served on boards and committees for nonprofits that include the Chester River Association (a ShoreRivers legacy organization) Oyster Recovery Partnership, Chesapeake Oyster Alliance, Maryland Sea Grant and Washington College’s Innovation Plant.

“I am honored to have the opportunity to lead an organization that has meant so much to me for years — both personally and professionally. To be at a helm that has been deftly steered by previous executive directors is a privilege. Isabel is leaving the organization on a path of continued success, and I look forward to stewarding it by supporting our talented staff in the years to come,” Budden said in the news release.

He added, “Our rivers hold different meanings for each of us. For me, they represent our shared cultural history and, thanks to the continued work of ShoreRivers, and our generous funders and partner organizations, their future is in good hands.”

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Isabel Hardesty has been with ShoreRivers for 14 years — the last five as executive director.

During Hardesty’s tenure, the organization experienced 48% growth in staff (23 to 34 positions) and 68% growth in revenue ($4.4 million to $7.4 million), according to the news release.

Hardesty is credited with solidifying ShoreRivers’ reputation as the community-centered and solutions-oriented voice for clean water on the Eastern Shore.

“Leading a culture of trust, transparency and tenacity will be a lasting hallmark of her service to ShoreRivers and the communities we serve,” the news release states.