Job Title: Riverkeeper and CEO
Organization: Patuxent Riverkeeper
Career Overview: Fred Tutman’s primary role is to support the regional movement to protect the Patuxent River. He does this through detecting pollution, supporting community activism, and assisting citizens with the environmental issues that are important to them. Riverkeepers are an international movement licensed by the Waterkeeper Alliance.
A Day on the Job: The primary goal of any waterkeeper is to advocate for clean water according to the region they represent. This means that there is no “typical workday” for a Riverkeeper. Some of the tasks that Fred may be working on any given day include running training sessions, teaching about environmental justice issues, testifying in court, attending meetings with stakeholders of the river, meeting with citizens, and giving talks to share strategies to improve water quality.
Skills Needed: Surprisingly, strong communication skills are required to be a successful Riverkeeper. These people skills are necessary in order to facilitate communication between scientists, educators and technicians. These conversations can often be difficult and slow moving, so persistence and thick skin are also useful. In fact, Fred is a trained mediator to help him facilitate constructive conversations. Additional skills include public speaking, legal skills, teaching, statesmanship, and some boating skills. A scientific background is also helpful, but Fred insists that a knowledge of science alone is not sufficient.
Education: After a 25 year career in television, radio, and media Fred attended law school. This legal understanding has been vital to Fred’s position as the Patuxent Riverkeeper.
Experience and Training: Fred’s career as a Waterkeeper was greatly influenced by his mentors. In his teenage years, he was influenced by Ellen Chambers. A woman who modeled how to fight for land-use issues and how to connect people to their physical landscape. This informal training, paired with his experience in media and legal education prepared Fred for his career as the Patuxent Riverkeeper.
Personal Career Path: Fred’s professional background includes a 25 year career in television, radio, and media. Fred decided to attend law school in his forties in order to address some of the hardships he witnessed during his time in broadcast media. During his time in school, Fred attended a Tributary Strategist meeting at Maryland Department of Natural Resources where he met Fred Kelly, Riverkeeper for the Severn River. Learning more about the work of Riverkeepers inspired him to become an advocate for the Patuxent River where he grew up. This position allowed him to be the voice of communities who had never had an advocate. Since then, he’s felt incredibly connected to the river community.
Pay and Job Outlook: Fred acknowledges that pursuing a career in environmental justice doesn’t always translate to a large paycheck but says most Waterkeepers can make a decent wage and get to spend time outdoors. Waterkeepers are among the fastest growing environmental groups in the world. It’s unique because someone inside the watershed needs to stand up and establish an organization and movement about protecting a body of water. Fred sees Waterkeepers as a growing movement.
Favorite and Most Challenging Aspect to the Job: Being a Riverkeeper means making yourself available to the communities that depend on the river. This often means conducting meetings on nights and weekends. But those late night meetings contribute to Fred’s favorite part of his job, which is that the people within the Patuxent River watershed entrust him with their stories. As the only black Riverkeeper in the country, Fred feels that he’s especially entrusted with the stories of communities of color. Navigating the complexities of community overlays is the most challenging part of Fred’s job. It can be difficult to satisfy the aims of a large group of people without alienating anyone. The secret to being a successful Waterkeeper is owning your mistakes and doing your best to get it right, Fred says that the community you serve can sense that.
Advice for Young Professionals Interested in This Career: Fred suggests developing your people skills and educating yourself on humanitarian and cultural issues. The issues that Waterkeepers address are multi-facetted. Remember that good-faith efforts to find equitable solutions to these problems will always be rewarded with some kind of progress. Keep an open mind to your own fallibility. Be open to the rhythms of your waterway, she’ll tell you what she wants.
