Vice President of Development / Executive Director Emeritus at Irvine Nature Center in Owings Mills, MD
Born and raised in Baltimore, Maryland, Brooks developed his affinity for the outdoors while camping with friends and neighbors on weekend trips as a child. This passion blossomed once his family began vacationing in the Adirondack Mountains of Upstate New York, where he enjoyed hiking, climbing, and fishing. After graduating with degrees in English and Classical Languages from Colgate University, Brooks launched into nearly two decades of teaching and administrating in Baltimore independent schools. Along the way, he earned a Master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction from Loyola University and became a certified instructor for the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS). When the opportunity to lead the Irvine Nature Center presented itself in 2013, he was finally able to combine his love of nature and the outdoors with the skills he had developed as a classroom teacher and school administrator.
Over his thirteen-year tenure at Irvine, Brooks transformed the center from a local attraction to a regional leader in environmental education and conservation. Along the way, Irvine doubled its land footprint to over 210 acres; established and grew endowment and cash operating reserve funds; rebuilt and restored 65 acres of wetlands and thousands of linear feet of the headwater of the Jones Falls; and expanded its programming, making nature and nature-based education more accessible in our community. Looking ahead, Brooks helped launch Irvine’s Cultivating Community Campaign, raising nearly 80% of the $10 million goal before his departure.
In June of 2026, Brooks stepped down as Executive Director of Irvine. He currently serves as a trustee of the Garrison Forest School, where he chairs the Governance Committee. He also serves on the Baltimore County Board of Recreation and Parks. Brooks is now enjoying more time with his family and working around his small farm just around the corner from Irvine.