Trash Free Maryland Statement Regarding the Passing of Advocacy Director, Kim Lamphier
It is with very heavy hearts that we share the passing of our Advocacy Director, Kim Lamphier. Kim passed away on Friday, August 30, after a courageous battle with cancer. She remained tenacious and upbeat while enduring treatment, and her loss will forever leave a void in the Maryland advocacy community. Her keen intellect, passion for policy, and infectious attitude were critical to the success of the statewide ban on expanded polystyrene foam food containers this past General Assembly, among countless other bills over the years, and will be sorely missed at Trash Free Maryland. We offer our deepest condolences to Kim’s family during this difficult time, and will forever work to honor her legacy through continued advocacy for a cleaner and safer state.A memorial service for Kim will be held Saturday, August 14 from 12 noon to 4pm, at Matthews 1600, located at 1600 Frederick Rd, Catonsville, MD 21228.From our Executive Director:Two hundred forty two. The number of days I personally knew Kim. Two hundred forty two, which are quite few in the scheme of things, but lasting in their impression for whatever number of days remain for me.While Kim spent her professional time hustling the halls of Annapolis advocating for policies to protect you, me, our communities and our natural resources, she made change happen in a different way: Kim changed Your life, whoever You were.Our first interaction was when I interviewed her on January 2nd for our open position just days out from the start of the General Assembly. By January 7th she was on board, so clearly the right choice with her expertise, experience and enthusiasm. I met her in person for the first time that day, and was immediately taken by her warmth, her sharp insights into anyone and everyone of the Maryland Legislative Community, and her zeal to get started yesterday on the fight for a foam free Maryland – our priority bill for 2019. While I met Kim that morning at an Atwater’s in Catonsville, surely I had known her much longer. At least, that’s how her demeanor could make anyone feel - like you were at once a valued and important member of her tribe, and her tribe mattered above all else.Kim was optimistic against the odds. She was unwaveringly friendly. She was shortchanged on time, though I could hear her arguing otherwise because she was grace and gratitude, mixed with exactly the right dose of grit. While I was type A, she was type “Ashley, everything is on track. Seriously. YOU NEED TO CALM DOWN.” She was grounding, and generous, and a true gift to me when I was immersed in my own grieving process, navigating us through session on the coat-tails of her charisma, as much as her conviction.When we lose someone important to us, no adjective can feel sufficient to describe that person’s uniqueness, impact, and the sobering sentiments left in their wake. I am devastated for Kim, that she did not get more time to do what she loved. I am devastated for her family, whose ache over her absence can only be as immense as she was in her presence. And I am devastated for a world without Kim, but am grateful for the time I was given with her, for the time she dedicated to our cause, and for the legacy that many will strive to honor for days and years to come.Thank you, Kim.-Ashley Van Stone