Presenters

2013 Keynote Presenters

Gary Green

Gary P. Green, Professor, Community & Environmental Sociology
University of Wisconsin-Madison

Gary Green is a professor in the Department of Community & Environmental Sociology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a community development specialist at the University of Wisconsin-Extension. Green's teaching and research interests are primarily in the areas of community and economic development. He received his Ph.D. at the University of Missouri-Columbia and has taught at the University of Wisconsin-Madison for the past 20 years. His recent books include Mobilizing Communities: Asset Building as a Community Development Strategy (Temple University Press, 2010); Introduction to Community Development: Theory, Practice, and Service-Learning (Sage, 2010); and Asset Building and Community Development, 3rd Edition (Sage, 2012). In addition to his work in the U.S., he has been involved in research and teaching in China, New Zealand, South Korea, Uganda, and Ukraine.
Elisabeth Harrahy

Elisabeth Harrahy, Assistant Professor, Biological Sciences
University of Wisconsin-Whitewater

Elisabeth Harrahy is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Wisconsin- Whitewater, where she teaches courses in ecology, aquatic biology, and environmental toxicology.  She received her B.S. degree from the University of Massachusetts, her M.S. degree from West Virginia University, and her Ph.D. degree from Colorado State University. She has worked in consulting, academia, and for state government.  Prior to accepting her current position, she worked as an Environmental Toxicologist/Water Quality Standards Specialist for the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, where she coordinated a statewide blue-green algae monitoring project.  Her current research interests include occurrence, fate and effects of blue-green algae toxins, pesticides, and pharmaceuticals in aquatic ecosystems.
Buddy Huffaker

Buddy Huffaker, President and
Executive Director
The Aldo Leopold Foundation

Wellington "Buddy" Huffaker, IV, joined the Aldo Leopold Foundation over fifteen years ago.  As the President and Executive Director, his work ranges from giving talks to fundraising to reviewing financial statements, sometimes all in the same day.  His academic background is in landscape architecture and plant ecology but more recently his professional development has focused on management and finance.  He headed the $7.5 million campaign to construct and endow the Aldo Leopold Legacy Center and, most recently, served as Executive Producer for Green Fire, a documentary film about Aldo Leopold's life and legacy.  Buddy has participated in the White House Conference on Cooperative Conservation and was elected to represent the Northeast Region at the US Forest Service's Centennial Congress.  He serves as a leading voice for the role of ethics in the relationships between humans and nature and has addressed audiences across North America on why and how society must develop an ecological conscience.

2013 Breakout Session Presenters

Mark Dietsche, Farmer
Dunn County
Mark milks 100 cows and utilizes both no-till and minimum tillage practices on 700 acres in Dunn County.

John Haack, Regional Natural Resources Educator

UW Extension
John works for the University of Wisconsin Extension as a Regional Natural Resource Educator out of the Spooner Agricultural. Research Station.  His work includes a range of natural resource educational programs such as water quality, forestry, wetlands and wildlife.  His recent projects include community based social marketing research,  the Wisconsin Lakes Trivia Game, the Youth Lake Journal and the "Learn About Your Land" and "Learn About Your Lakes" educational series.  John is a long time wild rice harvester and more recently a wild rice processor.  Prior to his Extension career he worked with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources in a variety of position including forestry, wildlife and water regulations.  His education includes a B.S. degrees wildlife biology and graduate work in education.

Cleo Herrick, Zoning Administrator
Dunn County Zoning Division
Cleo is the zoning administrator for Dunn County. She has been in the zoning and sanitation field for over 22 years in Dunn County. Cleo is responsible for implementing the Dunn County Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance in 15 of the 22 townships and also the floodplain, shoreland and sanitation ordinances countywide.Cleo holds an AAS in Supervisory Management, a BS Business Management and is qualified as a Certified Soil Tester and Plumbing II Inspector.

John Kettenecker, Farmer
Barron County
John, from Barron County, milks 50 cows and is a long-term no-till farmer.

Pete Kling, S.t Croix County Resource Development Agent
UW-Extension
Pete Kling has served as the St. Croix County UW-Extension Community, Natural Resource, and Economic Development Educator since 2006.  Kling specializes in land-use management, regional bioenergy development, and state and local agriculture policy development.  Kling assisted area producers in the establishment of the Rush River Legacy Agricultural Enterprise Area near Baldwin, WI.  Prior to holding this position, Kling was a project manager at the engineering firm of Bonestroo, Rosene, Anderlik (2006) and with the St. Croix County Land and Water Conservation Department  (1995-2005).  Kling double majored in Forestry and Soil Science at the University of Wisconsin and received both his B.S. in Natural Resources (1992) and M.S. in Soil Science (1995) from that institution.

Gina LaLiberte, Senior Natural Resource Research Scientist
Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
Gina LaLiberte has been fascinated with algae for 20 years. Since 2000 she has specialized in using algae for bioassessment and reconstruction of lake histories as a Research Scientist for the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. She has a BS in Biology and a MS in Resource Ecology Management from the University of Michigan.

Paul J. La Liberte, Wastewater Field Supervisor
Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
Paul La Liberte is currently the Field Supervisor for Wastewater Programs in DNR's Western District.  He previously was the Basin Supervisor for the Lower Chippewa River Basin and has held positions with DNR as a Water Quality Biologist and a Water Resources Engineer.  He was a lead author for the Lake Tainter and Menomin Total Maximum Daily Load evaluation and has 30 years of experience monitoring and managing the water resources of Western Wisconsin.

Paul McGinley, Associate Professor
University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point
Paul McGinley is an Associate Professor of Water Resources in the College of Natural Resources at UW-Stevens Point and a University of Wisconsin-Extension water quality specialist.  His teaching and research focus on hydrology and water quality, particularly the relationship between land use change and changes in water quality.  Current research projects include phosphorus in groundwater, wetland hydraulics, and modeling nutrient concentrations in streams.

Julia Olmstead, Watershed Council Coordinator
UW-Extension
Julia Olmstead is the Watershed Council Coordinator in the Red Cedar and St. Croix River Basins for UW-Extension. Prior to this she worked on federal conservation and energy policy at the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy in Minneapolis, MN. She has an MS in plant breeding and sustainable agriculture from Iowa State University, a master's in journalism from the University of California-Berkeley, and a BA in botany and Spanish from UW-Madison.

Steve Olson, Farmer
Dunn County
Steve milks 60 cows in Dunn County and utilizes both no-till and vertical tillage practices on his farm.  He also works for the St. Croix County Land Conservation Department.

Nels Paulson, Assistant Professor, Sociology
University of Wisconsin-Stout
Nels Paulson is an Assistant Professor of Sociology at University of Wisconsin-Stout.  His research focuses on the environment and civil society.  Past research projects on civil society include disaster relief and religion, hunting as a substantive issue among international environmental organizations, and the place of indigenous groups in global environmental advocacy and governance.  His research has been published in Conservation and Society, International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy, Nature and Culture, and Environmental Values.  His current work is on phosphorus pollution in the Midwestern United States and the place of civil society in mitigating non-point source pollution.

Dan Prestebak, County Conservationist
Dunn County Land Conservation Division
Prior to becoming the County Conservationist in 2008 Dan held a Conservation Planner position with Dunn County since 1978. He retains Conservation Planning Certification from NRCS and has Certified Crop Advisor (CCA) status with the American Society of Agronomy. He owns and operates a ten beef cow/calf farm and practices nutrient management, no-till, and managed intensive grazing.

Mike Wenholz, Shoreland Specialist
Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
Mike is a shoreland specialist with the Department of Natural Resources.  He assists counties and municipalities in administering shoreland zoning over a 26 county area including Barron and Dunn counties. He enjoys lakes, rivers, streams, wetlands, and associated shoreland areas, as well as helping to maintain, preserve, enhance, and protect these areas.Mike has a BS in Water Resources — Aquatic Toxicology, an MS in Environmental Toxicology, and an MS in Urban and Regional Planning — Land Use Planning.

Dan Zerr, Regional Natural Resources Educator
UW-Extension       
Dan is a Natural Resource Educator with UW-Extension in Eau Claire. He works on water quality issues in western Wisconsin; educating lake groups, concerned citizens, students and various government agencies; and helping them form partnerships to improve the condition of Wisconsin's waters.                          

Matt Zoschke, County Conservationist
Clark County, Wisconsin
Matt Zoschke has been the County Conservationist in Clark County for the past six years. He holds a degree in Watershed Management and Soil Science from the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point. He is a Certified Crop Advisor and a bunch of other stuff. Before moving to Clark, his family farmed in southeast Wisconsin where the uncertainty of rented land, but the certainty of concrete lead him to pick-up and move his farming operation far too often. Currently, he comfortably lives on a small farm on a gravel road nestled between an Amish Community and four of the largest farms in Clark County.