News From the Board of Directors

The Board of Directors has elected a new slate of officers for 2011.

We welcome the following new members, who began service on the Board of Directors in January 2011.

• Brian McKee is the Marketing Representative for Workforce Health, the Occupational Health division of La Porte Regional Health System. He received a Bachelor of Arts in Graphic Design from Marian College, Indianapolis. Previously, he served as the Graphic Designer for La Porte Regional Health System’s Marketing and Strategy Department. Brian is a member of the Long Beach Volunteer Fire Department and Michigan City Rotary Club. He also enjoys volunteering for La Porte Hospital Foundation and Junior Achievement.
• Nicholas Timm worked at St. Anthony’s as an Emergency Physician for approximately 6 years. After that he moved his practice to St. Joseph’s Regional Medical Center in South Bend, where he worked for 25 years until his retirement. Since retirement, he has become the Medical Director of the Sister Maura Brannick Health Center (for indigenous patients) in South Bend. Dr. Timm and his wife were honored in 1986 with the Indiana Chapter of the Nature Conservancy’s Conservation Award.

We say farewell to the following member, who has completed a term on the board.

• Craig Menne served a three-year term on the board. He was on the Board Development and Land Strategy Committees.

Board of Directors

• Dale Engquist (President) retired after 42 years with the National Park Service, the last 28 as Superintendent of Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore.
• Margaret Williford (Vice President) is an attorney with the law firm of Burke Costanza & Cuppy in Valparaiso. She has been active as a volunteer in the areas of education and children’s advocacy.
• Tim Griffin (Treasurer) is a retired high school teacher and former Director of Benefits Administration for the FMC Corporation in Chicago.
• Kathy Dennis (Secretary) has served as Director of Development for the Omaha Symphony Orchestra and for Kaleidoscope, a Chicago-based non-profit focusing on children's welfare issues.
• Marty Balogh is Director of the Meetings and Travel Department of the American Bar Association.
• Steve Barker is a Restoration Ecologist at JFNew, an ecological restoration firm, and environmental liaison for the Coffee Creek Watershed Conservancy.
• Steven Cohen is retired from a career in local government with the Chicago Transit Authority and the City of Chicago's Aviation Department.
• Sara Leonard is a retired public relations and fundraising consultant, who ran her own business in Chicago.
• Ralph Lerner, a retired educator, is Benjamin Franklin Professor Emeritus in the College of the University of Chicago and Professor Emeritus on the Committee of Social Thought.
• Brian McKee is the Marketing Representative for Workforce Health, the Occupational Health division of La Porte Regional Health System.
• Dan Plath is the Water Program Leader for the Environmental, Health, and Safety Department of NiSource and a former employee of the Indiana Department of Environmental Management.
• Rachel Saxon is the President & Senior Trust Officer at Horizon Trust & Investment Management. Rachel is a member of the Michigan City Lion’s Club.
• Ellen Szarleta is a natural resource economist and attorney who is currently Assistant Professor in the School of Public and Environmental Affairs at Indiana University Northwest.
• Ray Szarmach an attorney whose practice is predominantly in Lake County.
• Nicholas Timm is the Medical Director of the Sister Maura Brannick Health Center (for indigenous patients) in South Bend.
• Sarah Tunis is the District Manager for JPMorgan Chase Bank. She has a degree in corporate recreation management and has considerable experience as a volunteer and board member for local non-profit organizations.
• Anne Walsh is a former special education teacher who served for many years on the school board in Palos Park, Illinois, and as chair of the school district foundation.
• Lance Werner is controller/treasurer of the Chicago South Shore & South Bend Railroad. He is active with Junior Achievement, Leadership LaPorte County, and the Rotary, and he serves on the advisory boards of Purdue North Central and the Sinai Forum.

Life Board Members

• Judith Gaskell is the Librarian of the Supreme Court of the United States.
• Irene Herlocker-Meyer is a longtime environmentalist whose activism helped establish the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore and save Hoosier Prairie.
• Myrna Newgent, the longest serving member of the Board of Directors, was President for 13 years.
• Dr. Barbara Plampin, a retired English professor, is a skilled botanist and writer.

Advisory Council

• John Bacone is Director of the Division of Nature Preserves for the Indiana Department of Natural Resources.
• Robert Boklund is a board member of LaPorte County Conservation Trust and a member of the Indiana Heritage Trust Project Committee.
• Lee Botts is a renowned environmentalist who founded the Alliance for the Great Lakes and the Indiana Dunes Environmental Learning Center.
• Walt Breitinger is a leading local environmental activist, serving with many regional, state and national conservation organizations.
• Mark Chamberlain is the President and CEO of Lakeside Wealth Management Group.
• Meg Haller is an Assistant Professor of Public Administration at the University of Illinois at Chicago.
• J. Ronald Engel is Professor Emeritus at Meadville Lombard Theological School and Senior Research Consultant for The Center for Humans and Nature.
• Paul Kohlhoff is an Assistant Professor at Valparaiso University School of Law and a past SHLT Executive Director.
• Patrick Lee is President of the Lee Companies, a construction services firm based in Gary.
• Craig Menne is a partner in the Michigan City-based General Insurance Services, Inc., working out of its Valparaiso office.
• Ed Noonan is an architect and chairman of Chicago Associates Planners and Architects. He and his wife Eve are co-developers of Tryon Farm, an eco-friendly community that has received significant national attention.
• Len Pryweller is President of the Miller Citizens Corporation and the Gary Citywide Development Corporation.
• Jean Rudd is a consultant on various aspects of management and planning for non-profit organizations and former President of the Woods Fund of Chicago.
• Debra Shore is a Commissioner of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago and former editor of Chicago Wilderness Magazine.
• Ronald Trigg is a retired United States Foreign Service Officer and a past SHLT Executive Director.
• Robert Wolfe is Vice President of Technical Services at JFNew.
• Kathleen Zelkowitz is Executive Director of Integrated Marketing and Communications at Valparaiso University.

Committee Structure

• Land Strategy – Dale Engquist, Chair
  Responsible for all decisions regarding land acquisition, whether by purchase, donation, tax sale or conservation easement.
• Stewardship – Steve Barker, Chair
  Responsible for developing and implementing plans and programs for the restoration, care, and maintenance of properties owned by Shirley Heinze Land Trust.
• Education and Outreach – Dan Plath, Chair
  Responsible for developing programs and activities to fulfill the education mission, including hikes, books, public outreach and student programs. Also responsible for planning programs and activities that generate public relations exposure.
• Budget and Finance – Tim Griffin, Chair
  Responsible for preparing the annual budget and overseeing the expenditure of funds and management of the investment portfolio.
• Fundraising – Steven Cohen, Chair
  Responsible for all fundraising activities, including the annual campaign, grant proposals, capital campaigns, corporate solicitation, and planned giving programs.
• Board Development – Marty Balogh, Chair
  Responsible for identifying and recommending candidates for the Board of Directors and Advisory Council.

Sub-Committees

• Summer Benefit – Anne Walsh, Chair
  Responsible for organizing SHLT’s annual summer gala.
• 30th Anniversary – Rachel Saxon, Chair
  Responsible for developing special activities to promote and celebrate SHLT’s 30th anniversary in 2011.

Staff

• Kristopher Krouse, Executive Director, earned a B.S. in Biology and Geology from Saint Joseph’s College and an M.B.A. from Indiana University. Kris is a member of the Michigan City Rotary and the Valparaiso Chamber of Commerce. He currently serves on the Indiana Lake Michigan Coastal Advisory Board, the Executive Council for Chicago Wilderness, the Environmental Management Policy Committee of the Northwestern Indiana Regional Planning Commission, the Quality of Life Council Board, the Northwest Indiana Paddling Association Board, the Land Trust Alliance Editorial Board, and the Citizens for Remediation of the Environment (CARE) Committee. Kris has been the Executive Director since March 2005.
• Paul Quinlan, Stewardship Program Manager, earned an M.S. degree in Environmental and Forest Biology from the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry. He previously worked for the Kentucky State Nature Preserves Commission. Paul has been the Stewardship Program Manager since December 2002.
• Chanaya Sadler, Development Manager, earned a B.S. in Sports Management from Arkansas State University. She previously worked as Director for the LaPorte Civic Auditorium. Chanaya has been Development Manager since January 2011.
• Jim Erdelac, Stewardship Assistant and Volunteer Coordinator, earned a B.A. in Liberal Studies from Purdue University North Central. He worked previously for the Indiana Department of Natural Resources. Jim has been Stewardship Assistant since March 2007.
• Janet Kaminski, Administrative Assistant, graduated from Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College. She was an executive secretary at Gary Works, USX Corporation, for 30 years, retiring in 1991. Janet has been Administrative Assistant since December 1995.
• Peg Mohar, Property Assistant, has served the organization in numerous capacities, including Executive Director, Board Vice President, and Board Secretary. She was SHLT’s first paid employee, when she became part-time Executive Director in August 1994.