WWA staff

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Wisconsin Wetlands Association Staff

Stephani Pescitelli, Kyle Magyera, Brooke Bushman (with daughter), Katie Beilfuss,
Erin O'Brien, Becky Abel, Mary Linton (WWA Board Chair) and Alexia Sabor

Becky Abel became Executive Director of the Wisconsin Wetlands Association in August 2003. Becky came to WWA from The Nature Conservancy where she worked from 1996 to 2003. At TNC she worked as Conservation Planner for the International Migratory Bird Program and prior to that worked on local and regional conservation efforts with the Wisconsin chapter of The Nature Conservancy. Her broad career experience also includes work with Wisconsin's Department of Natural Resources, National Audubon Society, and various international projects. Much of Becky’s work experience has involved coordinating federal, state, and local landowner partnerships to work toward common conservation goals. She has conducted field work and plant and animal survey work in wetlands and prairies throughout Wisconsin. With Bachelor's and Master's of Science degrees in Wildlife Ecology from the University of Wisconsin - Madison (her graduate work involved developing a successful technique for reintroducing Trumpeter Swans to Wisconsin), Becky has strong roots in Wisconsin's conservation community. She currently serves on the boards of numerous other organizations including serving as a board member of The Trumpeter Swan Society and member of the Executive Committee and Boards of Community Shares of Wisconsin and Community Chip. Email Becky at becky.abel [at] wisconsinwetlands.org .

Katie Beilfuss assumed the position of Outreach Programs Director in May, 2009, working on our annual Wetland Science Conference, quarterly newsletter, Wetland Gems project, and Wetland Threats Analysis. She also serves on the U.S. National Ramsar Committee and is the North American representative to the World Wetlands Network. Katie began her tenure with WWA as Membership and Operations Coordinator in 2003 and launched our Threats Analysis in 2006. She re-joined our staff in September 2008 after an 18-month leave of absence while her family lived in Mozambique to work on the restoration of Gorongosa National Park. Katie has a Masters degree in Land Resources from UW-Madison's Gaylord Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies. She has more than 10 years of nonprofit and environmental experience with organizations including the Gorongosa Restoration Project (Mozambique, Africa), the International Crane Foundation, and The Nature Conservancy. Email Katie at katie.beilfuss [at] wisconsinwetlands.org.

Brooke Bushman joined the staff in April 2009 as Outreach Programs Coordinator. She works as part of the Outreach Programs team, promoting the Wetland Gems program, organizing our field trip series, supporting the annual wetland conference, and managing content for WWA’s website. While earning a Master’s degree in Urban and Regional Planning from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Brooke honed her skills liaising between decision makers and the public on water resource management issues. She also brings to WWA her experience working in Utah for the National Aquatic (Bio)Monitoring Center and Department of Natural Resources as a wetland and stream macro-invertebrate technician and research associate. More recently, she worked for the Wisconsin DNR, providing outreach, policy and planning services to the Shoreland and Floodplain programs. Her focus there was revising the Shoreland Management Program administrative code and supporting the floodplain map modernization project. Brooke considers her self a Jane-of-all-trades and brings new ideas for reaching out to the public and working with our partners. Email Brooke at brooke.bushman [at] wisconsinwetlands.org.

Laura England stepped down in May 2009 from her five year tenure as WWA's Outreach Programs Director, but is continuing her work on Special Projects on a part-time basis following the birth of her first child. Her contributions included developing and coordinating programs that facilitate exchange of wetland science and management information among the wetland professional community as well as programs that educate Wisconsinites about wetland functional values, wetland ecology and wetland restoration. Laura has a research background in aquatic ecology; she holds a Masters degree in Ecology and a certificate in Conservation Ecology and Sustainable Development from the University of Georgia’s Institute of Ecology. Email Laura at laura.england [at] wisconsinwetlands.org.

Kyle Magyera joined WWA’s staff in March 2009 as our new Wetland Policy Specialist. Kyle brings a wealth of wetland policy experience to WWA. This includes nearly three years as a Water Regulations and Zoning Specialist for the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR) where he worked on high profile projects such as the wetland regulatory audit and an evaluation of WDNR's wetland restoration permit program. Kyle is also pursuing dual Masters' degrees in Urban and Regional Planning and Water Resources Management from UW Madison, and is well underway on a wetland policy focused thesis. Kyle's interest, experience, and enthusiasm for wetland policy made him an ideal choice to help with this exciting expansion of WWA's wetland protection efforts. The addition of Kyle will enable WWA to dedicate 30 more staff hours a week to this important work. Kyle can be reached at kyle.magyera@wisconsinwetlands.org. Email Kyle at kyle.magyera [at] wisconsinwetlands.org.

Erin O'Brien, WWA's Wetland Policy Director, joined our staff in February 2004. She originally served as our Wetland Policy and Conservation Specialist, and has helped expand our policy programs significantly. Erin's work focuses on strengthening state rules and regulations governing wetland management and providing support to individuals and communities interested in protecting local wetlands. Erin has a Masters degree in Land Resources from UW-Madison and more than fifteen years of experience managing projects for non-profit organizations. Since moving to Wisconsin in 2001, she has worked on water policy and advocacy projects for the River Alliance of Wisconsin and the Wisconsin Association of Lakes. Email Erin at erin.obrien [at] wisconsinwetlands.org.

Stephani Pescitelli became the Wisconsin Wetlands Association’s Office Manager in July, 2010. She is a recent graduate of Eastern Illinois University’s Environmental Biology program where she worked in several social justice organizations, did outreach for the Office of Study Abroad, and became the first campus Sustainability Intern. Stephani hopes to eventually attend graduate school at the University of Wisconsin, but is looking forward to time off from academics in order to decide the area of conservation on which to focus her studies. She is grateful for the opportunity to work with the WWA team and looks forward to learning more about the wetlands in this region and how to protect them. Email Stephani at stephani.pescitelli [at] wisconsinwetlands.org.

Alexia Sabor joined the WWA staff in June 2007 as our Member Services Coordinator. Alexia’s work involves maintaining member records, recruiting new members, organizing WWA’s annual member meeting, and serving as editor for Wetland News and Wetland Alerts. She has worked as a fisheries biologist, database manager, and statistician for the Wisconsin DNR as well as done independent consulting for the State of Wisconsin and environmental nonprofits. Alexia holds Master of Science in Conservation Biology and Sustainable Development from the University of Wisconsin - Madison and is currently completing her PhD in Forest Ecology and Management at UW. She has conducted field research in a variety of Wisconsin ecosystems, including streams, lakes, and forested wetlands, and her research has focused on monitoring human impacts on the natural environment. Alexia particularly enjoys interacting with people and believes that cultivating strong relationships with members and volunteers is among the most important aspects of nonprofit operations. She looks forward to getting to know WWA’s members and using her skills to help maintain our statewide network of citizens interested and involved in wetland protection. Email Alexia at alexia.sabor [at] wisconsinwetlands.org.

Key Volunteers

Rick Jones has been volunteering weekly for Wisconsin Wetlands Association since 2005, assisting with member communications, clerical work, and database management. He is happily retired from the Dane County Library Service and now volunteers with a handful of Madison-based organizations. He’s been a WWA member since 1997 and says he is "happy to be contributing to WWA’s efforts to educate people about the importance of wetlands." WWA recognized Rick for his dedication and with a volunteer award at our 2006 Annual Meeting. Rick was also recognized with a Backyard Hero Award from Community Shares of WI in May, 2007. We thank Richard for his dedication to wetland conservation.

Richard S. Russell, a volunteer since spring 2005, has logged more than 500 hours revamping WWA's database so it can better track and communicate with members, donors, partners and program participants. A retired database professional, Richard helps more than a dozen area nonprofit groups develop and manage databases, and he handles registration details for a myriad of local conventions and conferences. Richard's outstanding contributions were recognized with a Backyard Hero Award from Community Shares of WI in May, 2006. We thank Richard for his dedication to wetland conservation.

Kathy Dutilly has been volunteering weekly for Wisconsin Wetlands Association since 2007, assisting with member communications, clerical work, and small research projects. A retired teacher, Kathy wanted to combine her recreational interests with her volunteer work and thought WWA was the perfect place to do that. She and her husband have three sailboats, a kayak and a canoe, all of which are used primarily on the Yahara lakes. Kathy says she appreciates that wetlands are a key component of the water quality they enjoy, and we thank Kathy for her dedication to wetland conservation.

Carolyn Sandberg has contributed her time and professional cartography skills to WWA since 2006. Carolyn completed her graduate work at UW Madison and is an expert in both map-making and GIS. She has been dedicated to helping WWA develop maps to support both our Wetland Threats Analysis and Wetland Gems projects from the very beginning. WWA thanks Carolyn for her commitment to these multi-year projects. Our outreach materials for these projects will be greatly enhanced by her contributions. Carolyn was honored with a Backyard Hero Award from Community Shares of WI in May, 2009. We thank Carolyn for generously sharing her skills and expertise for the cause of wetland conservation.