William R. (Bill) Howard
Executive Director
(2008 to present)
Bill is the driving force behind all Downstream projects, supervising our production team of creative and technical professionals, and is the principal liaison with all project partners. Bill specializes in constituent resource management and map integrations. Bill is an avid outdoorsman and fly fisherman with over 30 years experience in web, video, and multimedia development. Bill currently serves on the board of DC-based Chesapeake Commons as immediate past chairman, and on the board of Conservation West Virginia. He lives in Shepherdstown, West Virginia with his wife, Libby. A charter member and past president of The Rotary Club of Shepherdstown, Bill is very active in the business and nonprofit community.
David Lillard
Project Manager
David rejoined Downstream in 2023, having served as project manager 2016–2020. He couples land trust and land and water policy experience with three decades of public policy communications, website development, media relations. David specializes in helping nonprofits implement strategies for each of their audiences, from grassroots and grass tops, to digital and traditional media and lawmakers. He serves on the Chesapeake Bay Citizens Advisory Committee and the Conservation West Virginia board of directors. He is most at home hiking in the woods or paddling a lake in West Virginia, where he lives. He is the author several hiking and travel guides.
Tom Conant
Creative Consultant
Tom’s contributions to the Downstream Project date back to 2007 and the production of our documentary Shenandoah: Voices of the River, which he helped promote and distribute through the launch of the organization’s first website. Tom is a former whitewater river guide and operations manager for Blue Ridge Outfitters in Harpers Ferry, WV, and is an avid canoeist and fly fisherman. He continues to provide his extensive verbal and visual skills to all aspects of Downstream’s web, video, and graphic design projects.
Tom Taylor
Graphic Design, Creative Team (2008)
Tom joined The Downstream Project staff 16 years ago following his first retirement and a 40-year career creating messaging and images for IBM, Textron, Boeing, Lufthansa, and Coca-Cola. Tom now thoroughly enjoys the challenge of creating images that help nonprofit conservation organizations accomplish their missions.
Margarita Carey
Operations Manager
Margarita Carey serves as the Operations Manager for the Downstream Project, supporting the Executive Director in coordinating conservation and communication initiatives. Before joining Downstream in 2025, she spent nearly two decades with The Conservation Fund, first as Program Associate with the Conservation Leadership Network and later as Operations Manager for Conservation Services. A graduate of Shepherd University (B.S., Environmental Studies, magna cum laude, 2000), Margarita brings both local knowledge and deep experience in environmental program management. Originally from Washington, D.C., she has called the Shepherdstown area home for more than 25 years, where she lives with her son, a dog, and a cat—and promises that one of these days, she’ll find time for a hobby.
Brian Jolliff
Web Design and Development
Brian joined the Downstream “Dream Team” in late 2022 bringing his extensive experience with website design and development to the table. He is a graduate of WVU (West Virginia University) in 1994 with a BFA in Graphic Design and worked professionally as a Graphic Artist in the newspaper industry for 9 years and has over 28 years in both print design and website design. Brian lives in Berkeley County with his wife and teenage son, with a grown daughter that also lives nearby with her husband. When he is not hard at work banging away at his keyboard, Brian enjoys traveling, brewery hopping, attending concerts, and spending time with his family.
David Matulionis
Solution Architect, Web Development & Creative Strategy
David brings over a decade of experience in crafting purposeful, high-performing websites for mission-driven organizations and growing businesses. As a solution architect, he bridges creative design with technical development to deliver digital experiences that are both engaging and scalable.
His work spans branding, UX design, and full-stack WordPress development, with deep experience in optimizing site performance, accessibility, and long-term maintainability. David has led dozens of redesigns and web strategy projects across nonprofit, environmental, and commercial sectors, focusing on clean design, intuitive structure, and measurable results.
When not developing or designing, David enjoys exploring new creative technologies and refining processes that help teams work smarter.
Michael Murdock
Video Production/Still Photographer
Mike has spent more than forty years behind the camera as a still photographer, videographer, editor, and producer based in Washington, DC and Shepherdstown, WV. His work has appeared in Time, Newsweek, People, Reader’s Digest, and other national publications, earning him numerous honors including regional and national Emmys, ITVA, Telly, and Cine Golden Eagle awards. Mike has covered stories of national and international scope for outlets such as CBS, ABC, BBC, CBC, NHK, and CNN, bringing a storyteller’s eye to subjects from the White House to humanitarian recovery efforts.
After a distinguished broadcast career, Mike has found a second calling with The Downstream Project—channeling his lifetime of visual storytelling into conservation.
