Robert E. Hughes, Executive Director of the Eastern PA Coalition for Abandoned Mine Reclamation (EPCAMR) was elected at the PATU Annual 2017 Fall Meeting to represent the Northeast TU chapters on Council. He was anonymously elected for a second term in the Fall of 2018. Robert’s other professional positions have included working at the Luzerne Conservation District as the Abandoned Mine Land Program Manager, Schuylkill Conservation District as the Regional Abandoned Mine Lands Regional Coordinator, and as the Assistant Director of the Pennsylvania Environmental Council's NE Regional Office, among others. He has over 23 years experience in the restoration of past mining impacted watersheds throughout NE & NC PA, grant management, grant administration, community organizing, capacity building, and coalition building. He is passionate about mine drainage (AMD), mine reclamation, environmental education, watershed restoration, and trout and wildlife habitat improvement efforts across PA. Robert graduated from The Pennsylvania State University in May 1995 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Environmental Resource Management and a concentration in water pollution control technologies and hydrogeology. He was born in Wilkes-Barre, PA on the day of the historic Agnes Flood, June 23, 1972, and now lives in Nanticoke, PA with his wife Tara of 25 years, 3 children, Hayley (23), Dawson (19), and Ethan (9), and a grandson, Lincoln James (15 months). Robert became a Board Member of the Stanley Cooper Chapter Trout Unlimited in 2016, however, has been involved with the Chapter on many projects and as their guest speaker on a number of occasions since 1997, when he began working in Bowman’s Creek watershed on limestone sand dosing projects to improve the trout waters of their home watershed. He remained an active Board member from 2016-2018 before committing more time to PA TU as the RVP and respectfully declining another Board term with the Stanley Cooper Chapter of TU, however, still remains active in his Chapter. As RVP, Robert plans to help ensure greater representation and improved communication across the NE Region and at the State and National level. For many years in his capacity as the Executive Director of EPCAMR, he has had the chance to partner and work with many Chapters within the NE Region. He will use the relationships built during those interactions to maintain open and honest lines of communication. “I’ve worked, fished, completed coldwater heritage conservation plans, assessed, electro-shocked, stocked, created habitat, removed dams, floated, and hiked many of the watersheds in the region already in my 25-plus year career and believe that I have a wealth of experience and knowledge to cross-reference and share among the Chapters. I look forward to inviting the Chapters to a regional meeting at the EPCAMR office to discuss any and all issues, concerns, ideas, and successes. I will also look to make it to at least one of each of the Chapter meetings to introduce myself personally and get to know the membership and their concerns first-hand. Just from attending the Annual PATU meeting, I’ve come to understanding that streamlining the communication channels between Chapters and PATU and the flow of information, events, programs, training opportunities, grants, and workshops are what some of the Chapters are interested in right away. I will try and work on that right away and hit the ground running aside from reminding them about their quarterly reporting duties and reports back to PATU on their respective financial responsibilities,” assured Robert. “I’m looking forward to traveling around to see some of the higher quality rivers and streams that I am not so used to seeing on a daily basis in my work in orange-colored, AMD-laden, iron-filled, mining impacted streams of the Coal Region,” Robert emphatically stated. Additionally, Robert has a strong personal desire to get more underserved youth involved in outdoor recreation and access to public streams and waterways that could lead to the contemplative nature of fishing and the solitude that feeds the soul. He says, “Our youth need to be educated first on the historical nature of our watersheds and why the brook trout is our native species and an indicator of water quality before they can truly appreciate the joys of fishing, the catch and the release, and hopefully a sense of environmental stewardship that they can become involved with in their youth and as they get older.” Robert looks forward to learning more about the governance of PATU and to fulfilling his duties to each Chapter and to Council in his second term.