Dee Durham

Dee’s longtime home, as a child and adult, was in Rockland, Delaware adjacent to Brandywine Creek State Park. Here her passion for conservation and environmental protection was instilled exploring the woods and streams of the park as a child and watching as the surrounding acres were developed and open space and farms lost forever, and streams disappeared. Dee served as the Executive Director of Preservation Delaware from 1995-2002, and then through 2010 was the Executive Director of S.A.V.E., a land use, conservation planning and transportation advocacy organization based in Chester County, Pennsylvania. While at S.A.V.E. Dee led initiatives to protect rural community character, being recognized with Preservation Pennsylvania’s Chairman’s Award in 2012. She has served on numerous nonprofit boards with a strong focus in the conservation and preservation arena including the Delaware Chapter of the Sierra Club, Friends of Brandywine Park, Friends of Brandywine Creek State Park, and Preservation Delaware. In 2010, Dee co-founded Plastic Free Delaware (PFD) and Zero Waste First State and continues to lead its initiatives today. PFD led passage of the nation’s fourth state plastic bag ban, and led passage of legislation banning balloon releases. Witnessing the power of youth advocacy, Dee founded YES! – the annual Delaware Youth Environmental Summit for all high school students. Since November 2018 Dee has served as New Castle County Council Member representing District 2 and has already led the passage of multiple ordinances which strengthen county code regarding protection of open space, energy code, historic resources, scenic byways, and more. In November 2022 she was elected to serve as President of Preservation Delaware where she continues to seek increased funding and code changes to better protect Delaware’s historic treasures and settings.