New Leadership at Avondale’s Stroud Water Research Center Takes Root

After planting 1,140 trees and shelters with the help of volunteers at the end of April, former Stroud Water Research Center Executive Director and President Bern Sweeney let new leadership take root in May.

Sweeney took up a new distinguished research scientist position and poured leadership responsibilities into the cup of seven-year Assistant Director David Arscott, according to a recent announcement.

“On behalf of the board of directors, I share with you our confidence in Dave’s ability to lead Stroud Water Research Center with strength, optimism, and hope for the future of fresh water,” said Chairman Rodman W. Moorhead III.

Meanwhile, Sweeney’s more-than-40 years of experience will hone in on the type of hands-on research that has flooded Stroud with cutting-edge findings, award-winning education programs, and watershed restoration efforts throughout the region.

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“Trees are the foundation of watershed health,” Sweeney said during the volunteer planting effort in April. “We are so grateful to have the support of the wonderful companies in our community to help us restore our streams through riparian plantings. This one was our largest volunteer-only tree planting to date.”

Led by Exelon Generation with the help of BB&T, Cheshire Hunt Conservancy, Colonial Pipeline, Dansko, and Hugh Lofting Timber Framing, volunteers aided in the restoration of 165,528 square feet along two first-order, headwater tributaries of Red Clay Creek, a major tributary of Brandywine Creek and then the Christina River, as part of National Volunteer Week.

“We are extremely proud to support Stroud Water Research Center with not only funding but also the opportunity to make an impactful difference through conservation measures that protect our freshwater resources,” said Vicky Will, Exelon’s Vice President of Operations Support and Environmental Services.

Read more about the tree planting here and Stroud’s leadership transition here, then check out previous VISTA Today coverage of the center here.

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