Staff & Volunteers

MCA’s workload  is tackled by two staff members, a talented board of directors and skilled and dedicated volunteers.  Our Board and volunteers give generously of their expertise and time.   Working together as a team, MCA has been able to take on the many challenges that face the Agricultural Reserve and at the same time work to promote it through education and legislative initiative. MCA is also registered to provide student service learning hours to middle and high school students.  Contact us to find out more!
Caroline Taylor
Executive Director
​Caroline, who has the great fortune to live with her family within the Reserve in historic Sugarland Forest,  has worked on environmental and agricultural issues for much of her professional career.  Her first exposure to environmental litigation came while employed at Covington and Burling.  She then worked with a talented group of lawyers and advocates at National Wildlife Federation on a wide range of cases and issues including:  Spotted Owl, Key Deer, Exxon oil spill, food policy, forest preservation and, water resources. Yet her passion has always been local issues including protection of the Ag Reserve’s natural resources and working lands.  Caroline comes from a long line of farmers and ranchers, from Pennsylvania, Virginia and Idaho. Growing Legacy, Caroline’s second film project, aims to both educate and inspire the many, the diverse-  those who through the simple act of eating, as Wendell Berry wisely notes, practice agriculture. Participating on behalf of MCA on County committees to advance a strategic plan for food composting, agritourism, and a long range zero waste policy and implementation plan.
Kristina Bostick
Senior Conservation Associate 
Kristina grew up in Montgomery County (hiking Sugarloaf every year on her birthday)  and has returned after a number of years in North Carolina where she earned her Masters in Public Administration and worked on numerous environmental issues, including  stormwater mitigation and greening local governments. Kristina values all the ways the Ag Reserve benefits our region but nothing beats the excitement of a weekly CSA box or the first peaches of summer, all grown right here!
Gene Kingsbury 
President
​Gene is the owner and operator of Kingsbury’s Orchard, located in Dickerson, Maryland.  He is a fifth generation farmer, working the property that his family purchased in 1907.  His family has been growing fruit on the farm since the 1930’s.  While managed for many years as both a dairy farm and peach orchard, Gene now focuses totally on fruit production.  He has expanded the business to include apples, apricots, cherries, nectarines and pears.  Today, he is growing more than 50 varieties of white and yellow peaches, along with about 20 varieties of apples. 
Gene also worked a second career with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).  He spent more than 20 years in the FAA’s Office of International Aviation prior to retiring in 2011 to devote his full attention to the family farm.  He holds a Masters Degree in International Economics from the American University. 
Gene and his wife, Julie, currently live near the farm with their awesome Aussie, “Maggie,” who serves as the official mascot for Kingsbury’s Orchard. 
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Lee with one of her flock. Dan Gross
Lee Langstaff
Vice President
Lee has been the Shepherdess at Shepherd's Hey Farm at the foot of Sugarloaf Mountain since 1994, producing the high quality wool and meat products while placing highest priority on the health and welfare of the animals and that of the land, water resources and local natural biodiversity. She is the immediate past president of the Maryland Sheep Breeders Association. Lee brings her long history of Ag Reserve advocacy and professional mediation skills to advance MCA's mission. She is also behind the camera for many of the most incredible landscape photos on this website. Lee (and her sheep) have a starring role in our "Growing Legacy" short film. 
Bob Wilbur
Treasurer, Chief Financial Officer 
Formerly a professor of Finance at San Diego State, Bob has moved home Maryland and is now expertly keeping the books for MCA. Always willing to lend a hand, you'll also see him pitching in on any number of MCA events. 
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Carole Bergmann
Re-Leaf Program Chair
Oversight for our Re-Leaf the Reserve Program is provided by MCA Board Member Carole Bergmann. Carole is the  Founder of Weed Warriors, pictured here showing Weed Warrior volunteers some invasive Japanese Stiltgrass. 
Carole was the Montgomery County Forest Ecologist and her career of forest protection was honored in 2017 by the Joe Howard Award from Conservation Montgomery.
Carole is a member of:
Montgomery Co Forestry Board member
Maryland Invasive Species Council Member
Mid-Atlantic Invasive Plant Council Board Member
She is a Grad School USA Natural History Field Studies instructor and also takes time to lead field trip for local schools  and Audubon Naturalist Society
Cynthia Mackie
Climate Change Advisor
Cynthia Mackie is a long-time resident of Montgomery County, avid gardener and beekeeper.   With a Ph.D. in human ecology from Rutgers University, she has both social science and plant ecology expertise.  Much of her career has been devoted to social aspects of nature conservation and natural resources management in Asia.  In addition to 12 years with the US Forest Service International Programs, she served as Vice President for Asia and Pacific at Conservation International, several advisory positions with the US Agency for International Development, and as a consultant to the World Bank, the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, amongst others.  Since retiring from the US Forest Service in 2018 Cynthia has turned her attention to supporting efforts in Montgomery County to respond to the climate crisis, and serves on the County’s Climate Change Work Group on Sequestration and Adaptation. ​
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Josh Goldman
Communications Intern
Throughout middle school, high school and studies in engineering at UMD, Josh has been generous with time and talent as MCA's Communications Intern. He has provided IT support, issue advocacy, drafting and editing, photography and more. Currently he is putting the finishing touches on the online Explore Guide that he built- a map based resource for consumers, adventurers and commercial buyers seeking local commerce and adventure. Built from the ground up, the guide will provide the platform for local farms and venues to update their own information - keeping the resource evergreen.
Josh received the 2016 MCA Volunteer of the Year Award, commenting that he believes that the benefits of volunteerism should be experienced by all.

Annabel Kaufman
Content Contributor
 I have been an equestrian all my life, participated in multiple years in pony club focusing on horse and pasture management. I am currently enrolled in a biomedical program at my high school, and I hope to pursue a career as an equine vet. I am very interested in the intersection between sensible land use, water quality, and human health. My farm does its part by working with the University of Maryland agriculture extension service to develop a nutrient management plan.
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