CeCe Carter, a Baltimore County native with a decade of experience leading environmental nonprofits, has been appointed the new executive director of Irvine Nature Center in Owings Mills.
Carter succeeds former executive director Brooks Paternotte, who announced in October that he would be stepping down from the organization he has led since 2013. Paternotte will serve as Executive Director Emeritus through the end of the current fiscal year to aid the transition.
In its announcement, the nature center’s Board of Trustees said Carter impressed the search committee “with her strategic mindset, her deep conservation expertise, and exceptional track record of philanthropic leadership.”
“CeCe brings a deep commitment to environmental education, community engagement, and stewardship that aligns perfectly with Irvine’s values. Her vision for Irvine feels both ambitious and achievable, and our community will feel her impact for years to come,” board vice president Harry William Holt Jr. said in a statement. Holt will step into the role of board president on July 1, 2026.
Most recently, Carter served as the Mid Atlantic Regional Manager for The Surfrider Foundation, an environmental nonprofit dedicated to protecting the world’s oceans, waves and beaches.
Before that, she held positions as Chief Conservation Director and Deputy Director at the International Rhino Foundation, and Program Officer for Species Conservation at the World Wildlife Fund.
“I look forward to building upon this organization’s many successes as we work to advance Irvine’s mission and impact on our community,” Carter said in a statement. “I am eager to create relationships with the many key stakeholders including volunteers, staff, corporate sponsors, institutional and individual donors, and members, who together make Irvine impactful, reliable, and special. I am grateful for the opportunity to make a meaningful environmental difference here in my backyard.”
Founded in 1975, Irvine is the region’s largest independent non-profit nature center. The 211-acre campus in Owings Mills includes woodlands, wetlands, and meadows. It provides environmental education to thousands of children, adults, and families each year, including through The Nature Preschool, Earth Friends Homeschool, Summer Nature Camp, and other hands-on learning opportunities.
Irvine Nature Center is located at 11201 Garrison Forest Road in Owings Mills, Maryland.
