LNRP
P.O. Box 62
Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235
Inquiry@LNRP.org
Founder
John Roberts
John Roberts brings to LNRP his experience as a career dairy veterinarian, part owner of a dairy farm and a passionate concern for the environment. John is a long time resident of both the northern and southern ends of the lakeshore region. The foundational philosophy of “solutions through community” was his initiative as LNRP’s first president. John is an avid canoeist, kayaker, bird watcher, botanist and has spearheaded the most comprehensive scientific study of any river system in the basin. He understands the people, the agricultural backbone and the local environmental concerns that are part of the fabric of living in this beautiful and productive lakeshore region. He knows that LNRP is an essential and proven way to make things even better.
President
Don Pirrung
Don is a professional engineer and professional hydrologist involved with environmental engineering projects. He is a Senior Engineer at Earth Tech, an engineering consulting firm in Sheboygan, WI. His project experience includes water quality studies, wastewater treatment facility design, landfill evaluation and design, and other water related projects. He has over 30 years of experience in environmental engineering and has a MS and BS in Civil Engineering. For recreation, Don enjoys fishing, hunting and camping. He played a key role as a member of the Friends of Fischer Creek in saving a 130 acre parcel of Lake Michigan shoreline in Manitowoc County from development and creating a park for generations to enjoy. The project was so unique and special that Public Television prepared a documentary on the project which was narrated by singer James Taylor as part of an overview of successful environmental projects within the Great Lakes.
Vice President
Chris Goebel
Chris
is the former executive director of Glacial Lakes Conservancy, a Wisconsin
nonprofit land conservation organization serving Sheboygan, Manitowoc, Kewaunee,
Calumet and Fond du Lac counties. He is a lawyer by training, and also
holds a masters degree in forest management. An Illinois native and always
a Midwesterner at heart, Chris has moved around a bit in his career, among
other things serving time in Washington, D.C. as a staff attorney in the U.S.
House of Representatives and heading the National Association of Chemical Recyclers,
a trade group of hazardous waste management businesses. Since coming
to Wisconsin in 1999, he has negotiated more than fifty conservation easements
covering wetlands, forests, working farms, lake and stream shoreland areas
and conservation developments.
Treasurer
Jim Olson
Jim Olson has a background in advertising, graphic design and printing. Though recently retired, he channels his passion for nature through photography. Jim was raised on an Illinois farm and knows the challenges facing farmers to be faithful stewards of the land and water. He and his wife (a master gardener) have lived on the lakeshore in Algoma since 2001. Having first-hand experience with the annual algae bloom along the lakeshore, he recognizes the need for organizations like LNRP to educate people and facilitate efforts to keep our waters clean.
Secretary
Tom Ward
Tom
was Department Director for the Manitowoc County Soil & Water Conservation
Department for the past 32 years. Prior to arriving in Manitowoc County he
worked in the Eau Clair County Zoning office. After graduating college
at UW Steven’s Point with a degree in Natural Resource Management, he
dairy farmed with his parents for two years. Tom has facilitated the
development of a number of Citizen Organizations in Manitowoc County such as
the Friends of the Branch River, the Manitowoc County Lakes Association, Pigeon
River Watershed Monitors, and Ground Water Guardians. He was past State President
for the Soil & Water Conservation Society and helped re-organize the State
chapter to improve operations, organized and was a charter member of the Great
Lakes Non-point Abatement Coalition (GLNAC). Tom is currently Secretary
for the Wisconsin drainage areas of the Great Lakes. He is also currently
assisting with the development of a Great Lakes Coalition of organizations
to focus on restoring the Great Lakes.
Directors
Don Schwobe
Don is a retired dairy farmer currently raising heifers, steers and hogs. He is a member of the Calumet county board of supervisors and serving on the finance, public grounds, senior care and rules committees. Don was elected as Calumet county clerk and served for eight years from 1967-1974, he was also elected as township assessor for ten years. Don enjoyed previous membership in the Glacier Land Resource Conservation and Development Council and the Great Lakes Non-point Abatement Coalition and was also past president of The Calumet County Fair Association.
Fred Depies
Fred
brings experience related to agriculture and local food systems as well as
good business sense. Fred got involved in agriculture beginning in 2001
when he organized a Sustainable Farm Fair. From 2003, Fred has been producing
the Farm Fresh Atlas of Eastern Wisconsin that lists producers and processors
that practice sustainable agriculture. In 2004, Fred was appointed the
Calumet County Representative to Glacierland RC&D Coordinating Council
where he still retains his seat. In the same year, he began coordinating
the annual Fall Food and Energy Fest at the Ledge View Nature Center. In
the last two year, Fred has been a Technical Service and Education Provider
for Grazing Lands Conservation Initiative (GLCI) grant. He also has
been the project manager for GLCI research projects on Fish Foliar Spray and
Compost Tea. He has started NEW Food, a regional food development organization,
and the Sheboygan Area Local Food Alliance (SALFA). Finally, in April
2008, Fred was appointed to Wisconsin’s Buy Local Buy Wisconsin Legislative
Advisory Committee.
Kelley O'Connor
Kelley
grew up on small dairy farm near Pulaski, Wisconsin on what she calls a typical
Irish Catholic family farm. Her parents had 7 children plus hired teenage
farmhands since her father also worked full-time for the Brown County Library
for 30 years driving the Bookmobile. She says she appreciates the fact
that her father not only taught her about hard work and farming, but always
kept her and her siblings well supplied with books to read! Kelley has spent
most of her professional life with state agencies in environmental management
positions. For the last three years, she has been the Lakeshore Region
Watershed Supervisor at the Department of Natural Resources and is responsible
for all watershed activities in Door, Kewaunee, and Manitowoc Counties. Kelley
received her bachelor’s degree in Natural Resources Management and Soils
from UW-Stevens Point and then continued her education getting her master’s
in Environmental Science and Policy from UW-Green Bay. Before becoming
the Watershed Supervisor, Kelley had three other positions at the DNR and previously
worked as a DOT/DNR Liaison. She started her professional career with
Brown County Soil and Water as their first County Conservationist.
Rock Anderson
Rock
grew up in Chilton, WI, a river rat, fishing, exploring and waterfowl hunting
on the Manitowoc River. After high school, he attended the University of Wisconsin
Stevens Point, where he received a Bachelor’s Degree in Wildlife Management.
His first job out of college was a Conservation Technician for the Calumet
Co. Soil and Water Conservation District. In 1978 he became the first County
Conservationist for Calumet County. In the 1980’s he managed some of
the first watershed protection projects in the state, The Winnebago East Shore
and the South Branch of the Manitowoc. In 1993, Rock accepted a position as
Environmental Engineering Specialist with the Wi. Dept of Agriculture, Trade
and Consumer Protection. In
NE Wisconsin, Rock worked with other engineers in 14 different counties, assisting
in the design of large water quality projects on large farms and in situations
where the local government entity felt additional expertise was necessary.
One of them was the development of miles of additional sturgeon spawning habitat
in the Wolf River basin. Rock retired from state service in 2008 and as a
confirmed “small town” guy,
still lives with his wife Sherrill in Chilton. He now works part time as a
design specialist for a private engineering consultant.
Eric Fowle
Eric Fowle has worked for Regional Planning Commissions since 1993 and currently serves as Executive Director of the East Central Wisconsin RPC. He graduated in 1992 from the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, with a Bachelor’s Degree in Urban Studies with an emphasis in Regional Analysis. Eric received his American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP) certification in 1999 and has been involved in numerous urban and rural planning issues over the years, many with an environmental focus.In 1998, he founded with a group of citizen volunteers the Niagara Escarpment Resource Network and brings a wealth of knowledge and passion to LNRP. Known as “Mr. Escarpment,” in his spare time, he and wife Suzanne travel “particularly to southern Ontario to visit the other half of the Great Arc (of the Escarpment).”
John Kirsch
John Kirsch was born and raised in West Bend and has lived in Cleveland since 1981.He graduated from the University of Wisconsin Stout with a B.S. Industrial Technology – Building Construction and works at AECOM in Sheboygan. He has designed buildings throughout the U.S. for a wide range of clients with more than 30 years experience in Building Design, Project Management and Computerized Building Information Modeling.
John has enjoyed five terms as Trustee for the Village of Cleveland. His duties included Plan Commission Chairman and member, Parks Committee Chairman and Human Resources Chairman. He also served on the Village of Cleveland and Town of Centerville joint planning committee. Both as citizen and elected official, he promoted and was instrumental in Preservation of Fischer Creek Conservation Area, Point Creek Conservation Area, Veterans Park Conservation Area and Hika Park conservation shoreline. As a strong advocate of planning to guide development and preserve natural and cultural aspects of the community, John has promoted and participated in several local planning efforts including the development of the Village of Cleveland parks and green space plans, Village of Cleveland comprehensive plan, Cleveland and Centerville Joint Plan, The Village of Cleveland Waterfront Study, Preliminary Engineering Study for Boat Landing Protection.
John is presently a member of the Centerville Creek Restoration Advisory Committee. When not working on the endless old house and barn projects, he enjoys life in Wisconsin spending time outdoors with Idell and their dog, Leo, and interacting with nature as a conservation hunter and fisherman, camper, hiker, backpacker, cross-county skier and snowshoer. John’s other activities include cooking and eating with family and friends, sausage making, exploring the northwest forests and coasts with Idell and their family, as well as chipping away at hiking the entire Ice Age Trail.
Ed Douglass
Ed
has a Ph.D. in development communications with a minor in cultural anthropology.
His work in the last 25 years has been in developing countries, helping colleagues
in Africa and the Middle East to design communication strategies that encourage
people to adopt and sustain specific behaviors that will improve their health
and that of their families. He has worked on a variety of public health challenges
from childhood immunizations, to malaria, to drinking water and sanitation.
It is from his work in water and sanitation that he has developed an abiding
concern for the safety of drinking water in the Lakeshore basin. Ed is one
of the founding members of the LNRP. He also served on the board of the Door
Property Owners for nine years.
Lynn Utesch
Lynn Utesch and family are small farmers raising grass-fed beef and lamb on their 150-acre farm in Kewaunee. Formerly of Washington Island and living on the lakeshore for the last 20 years, Lynn has witnessed first-hand receding lake levels, E-Coli problems, algae blooms, a variety of invasive species, among other issues impacting Lake Michigan and our water resources. While believing in the principles of good stewardship and sustainability in farming, he is acutely aware of farm practices that threaten the environment and water quality. Lynn is proud and excited to be part of LNRP and looks forward to addressing issues that help protect and preserve the lakeshore region.
Barbara Bundy-Jost
Born during the Barbie Doll era and named the same by her pediatrician, Barbara Bundy-Jost denies modeling her life after the plastic icon. Although she is immediately mesmerized by women’s accessories, (particularly handbags and shoes) and she does hold a fascination for 50’s/ 60’s fashion and guys with 3-letter names like Ken or Jim she flatly denies Barbie’s influence on her life. Barb has spent the better part of her life working for the Manitowoc Public School District as an art teacher, and a 21st Century Communications team teacher. Because of her love of art and her belief in the power of art to make you smart, she works diligently promoting the work of the Water’s Edge Artists and their Art with a Purpose program.
Barb is married to a guy named Jim. They share 3 daughters, 33 acres on Point Creek in Cleveland, WI and a passion for sustaining the earth. Twenty years ago they put their land in forest management and planted over 19,000 trees. They also planted 150 apples trees on this land. Every fall their orchard supplies family and friends with an abundance of apples and juice and Jim’s homemade wine. When picking season is done, pleasant walks through their woods highlight where the deer, cranes and turkeys play.
Staff
James Kettler
Executive Director
920-304-1919
Jim@LNRP.org
As an ecologist with special interests restoration ecology, agroecology, and ecosystem management, James received a Ph.D. in ecology from the University of Georgia and a B.S. in Wildlife Ecology from the University of Wisconsin - Madison. From 1985 - 1995, he worked at the interface of land management issues examining potential improvements of traditional agricultural systems and restoration of degraded pastures in Costa Rica, working with traditional farmers on inland fisheries development in West Africa, serving as an ecologist for the Nooksack Indian Tribe in western Washington State, and conducting training workshops on sustainable agriculture for agricultural extension agents in the state of Georgia.
James also taught at the Graduate School of Environmental Studies at Bard College. From 1996-2006, he was involved with the International Honors Program, as Traveling Faculty, as Academic Director, and Executive Director. Jim and his family live in an environmentally designed home using geothermal, passive solar, and a wood stove in the town of Centerville in Manitowoc County.
Sherrill Anderson
Program Assistant
Sherrill brings a passion for writing, editing and capturing people’s stories, part of an extensive appreciation of nature and the environment. Her formal education includes a BA in Environmental Studies and Philosophy from Western Michigan University, and a MS in Land Resources with an emphasis in Agricultural Journalism and Resource Policy from UW-Madison. Raised in the Detroit area, she served as a VISTA Volunteer at the New Mexico Solar Energy Association in Santa Fe, editing and writing, and worked with private and state government renewable energy ventures. She returned to Wisconsin in 1993 where she resides with her husband Rock, an LNRP board member. Along with assisting the Water’s Edge Artists and Niagara Escarpment Resource Network, Sherrill edits and contributes to LNRP’s newsletter, The Source, and serves as media contact for LNRP.
Bonnita Budysz
WEA Artistic Director
Bonnita grew up in rural Manitowoc County spending summers with absolute abandon and a sense of wonder on her grandparents’ dairy farm, instilling a personal connection to nature’s rhythms and cycles. Her early childhood drawings of farm animals and nature around her blossomed into a career as a fine artist. Her artworks have been exhibited at the Cultural Galleries in Petropavlosvsk, Russia and the Pasadena Museum of California Art, as well as local venues including the Rahr-West Art Museum in Manitowoc and the Edgewood Orchard Galleries in Door County. She shares her love of art by teaching, demonstrating, and lecturing at art institutions worldwide.
As an artist activist, Bonnita spearheaded a three-museum show, "Farm Stories: Studies of a Disappearing Landscape,” featured in the national American Artist magazine, and included an award winning video documentary. As founder and director of the Water's Edge Artists, partnering with LNRP, she continues to champion conservation issues.
Bonnita and her husband Robert live in a century-old farmhouse west of Two Rivers in Larrabee. She loves gardening around her renovated heifer barn studio, hosting summer pot-lucks and pitfires with friends and family, and especially enjoys backpacking and canoeing to explore wonderfully wild places.