WWA staff

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Wisconsin Wetlands Association Staff

Katie Beilfuss, Erin O'Brien, Kyle Magyera, Mary Linton (WWA Board Chair), Alexia Sabor, and Stephani Pescitelli

Staff

Tracy Hames became Executive Director of the Wisconsin Wetlands Association in November 2011. From 1989 to 2011 he was employed as a Waterfowl Biologist with the Yakama Nation Wildlife Resource Management Program and was the lead biologist in the Yakama Nation’s Wetlands and Riparian Restoration Project in Washington State. He received a BA in Biology and Environmental Studies from Macalester College, St. Paul, MN in 1989 and a MS in Natural Resources from the University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point in 1990. Email Tracy at tracy.hames [at] wisconsinwetlands.org .

Katie Beilfuss joined our staff in 2003. She is currently WWA's Outreach Programs Director, working on our annual Wetland Science Conference, quarterly newsletter, Wetland Gems program, Ramsar initiative, and Wetland Threats Analysis. She is also Vice-Chair of the U.S. National Ramsar Committee. Katie began her tenure with WWA as Membership and Operations Coordinator and launched our Threats Analysis in 2006. She rejoined 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 nearly 20 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.

Kyle Magyera, WWA’s Wetland Policy Specialist, joined the staff in March 2009. As part of WWA’s expanding policy program, Kyle primarily coordinates local government outreach and provides assistance to citizens and local groups with questions and concerns regarding wetland protection, restoration, and management. He previously worked as a Water Regulations and Zoning Specialist at Wisconsin DNR, and holds Master’s of Science degrees in both Urban and Regional Planning and Water Resources Management from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. 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. Her work focuses on strengthening state rules and regulations governing wetland management and providing support to individuals and communities interested in protecting local wetlands. This work was recognized in 2010 when Community Shares of Wisconsin selected Erin to receive their Linda Sundberg Civil Rights Defender Award. Erin has a Masters degree in Land Resources from UW-Madison and more than seventeen years of experience managing projects for non-profit organizations. Since moving to Wisconsin in 2001, she has also 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, and in 2011 took on additional responsibilities providing assistance to our membership and outreach programs, including managing our field trip program and providing key assistance to our annual Wetland Science Conference. 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 Meeting and Wetlands Awards Ceremony, and serving as editor for Wetland News and Wetland Alerts. In May 2011, she launched WWA into the world of social media (follow us on Facebook or Twitter!) and continues to coordinate our social media program. Alexia holds graduate degrees in Conservation Biology & Sustainable Development and Forest & Wildlife Ecology from the University of Wisconsin - Madison and has worked as a fisheries biologist, database manager, statistician, and consultant for the Wisconsin government and environmental nonprofits. She enjoys cultivating strong relationships with WWA's members and volunteers 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.

Interns

Andrea McMillen joined our staff in September 2011 as Conference Intern and is working to organize and publicize Wisconsin Wetland Association’s 2012 Wetland Conference. She is passionate about water resources and enjoys event planning and organizing. Andrea holds a graduate degree in Water Resources Management from the University of Wisconsin - Madison. She is continuing to look for professional opportunities that will combine her skills in outreach, communication and education with her passion for natural systems. Email Andrea at andrea.micmillen [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 Rick 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.