Staff
Janet Brown started as the Office Manager for the Will Steger Foundation in November 2007. After leaving the corporate world, Janet spent eighteen years working on environmental issues through both non-profit and volunteer work including Clean Water Action, The Works and St. Joan of Arc Church. Janet’s work at WSF includes: supporting our Education, Emerging Leaders and Policy programming, maintaining our donor database, managing the monthly finances, developing on-going donor support through timely appeals, event and program support as well as recruiting and training the Foundation’s invaluable volunteer base.
Abby began her work with the Will Steger Foundation as Education Coordinator and member of the 2007 Baffin Island Expedition. A graduate of Earlham College, with a BA in Human Development Social Relations, Abby has spent 15 years working in the field of outdoor and experiential education. Combining her love of people and wilderness, Abby has worked as a high-ropes instructor, educator, and program director for a variety of schools, community centers, and outdoor education centers including Farm and Wilderness Foundation, Hulbert Outdoor Center, and Youth Farm and Market Project. Abby spent 5 years working for Outward Bound as Instructor and Course Director. Abby was instrumental in launching the Will Steger Foundation’s Emerging Leaders program which aims to engage and empower youth through leadership on climate change solutions, and is also the Youth Climate Coordinator for the RE-AMP network, building on the mission of the Will Steger Foundation to empower youth climate leadership and build cross-generation collaboration between the Midwest youth climate movement and the community of environmental non-profits and foundations across the region.
Kristen began her work with the Will Steger Foundation as a participant in our first educator Summer Institute in 2006 and has authored several of WSF’s curricula resources. Kristen’s past work experience includes teaching Pre-K through graduate students and training formal and informal educators in environmental education and STEM (science, technology, engineering and math); grant writing; youth development; curriculum development; and long-term strategic planning. Kristen has led STEM focused youth groups and professional development to informal educators at the Science Museum of Minnesota’s Kitty Andersen Youth Science Center and Learning Technologies Center, and taught environmental and climate education focused courses at Hamline University and the University of Minnesota. Kristen spent many years as a naturalist at the International Wolf Center and at a residential environmental education program in Cordoba, Argentina. Kristen’s formal education includes a M.Ed. in environmental education and a M.S. in conservation biology from the University of Minnesota. Kristen loves spending time outside, especially “up North” with her husband, two children and their chocolate lab.
For over five years Nicole has been leading the Will Steger Foundation. As the Executive Director, Nicole has built and sustained the organization by providing visioning and development activities for the organization and its education and policy programs. Prior to working for WSF, Nicole managed the education programs for the National Wildlife Federation's Great Lakes office in Ann Arbor, MI. Nicole also has experience teaching undergraduate and graduate level courses in environmental psychology, environmental education, and climate change at the University of Michigan and Hamline University. Nicole served as an Environmental Educator with the U.S. Peace Corps in the Republic of Kazakhstan. She received her M.S. in Environmental Policy and Behavior from the School of Natural Resources & Environment at the University of Michigan and a B.A. in Environmental Studies from Bates College. She was a 2010-2011 Humphrey Policy Fellow at the University of Minnesota’s Humphrey School of Public Affairs and is currently Secretary for the Friends of the Boundary Waters Wilderness Board of Directors. Nicole is passionate about the outdoors, loves the lakes in Minnesota, cycling and skiing.
Consultants
Ann’s work as Education Program Assistant has involved developing and supporting the Minnesota’s Changing Climate curriculum and online classroom and coordinating WSF’s annual Summer Institute. She began work with the Will Steger Foundation as an intern during the summer of 2008. She received a B.A. in Environmental Studies with a focus on Policy and a minor in French from Middlebury College in May 2010.
This summer, while Abby Fenton is on maternity leave, Marie will work more closely with youth across the Midwest through RE-AMP and kick off a strong and effective Midwest Youth Climate Coalition. Marie graduated with a B.A. in Environmental Studies and Economics from the University of Chicago in June 2011. While in school, she was an active member of Green Campus Initiative (GCI), a campus environmental group focusing on campus sustainability, outreach, and education and represented GCI on the steering committee of the Illinois Student Environmental Coalition. She also worked with local environmental and student groups to gather support for the Chicago Clean Power Ordinance and became an active participant in the Midwest Youth Climate Coalition. In fall 2012, Marie will pursue a Masters’ degree in Environmental Policy and Planning at the University of Michigan’s School of Natural Resources and Environment.
Joe began his work as the YEA! MN Coordinator in the fall of 2011 and will continue supporting high school environmental leadership for the 2012-2013 school year. He graduated from the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities with a degree in American Studies and a minor in Social Justice in 2011. Joe enjoys studying and talking about both social and environmental justice and is passionate about connecting youth with social activism. He spends his free time learning about urban agriculture, cooking and canning food, playing music, trout fishing, hiking, and camping.
Christy joined WSF in June 2011 as a policy intern to support WSF's Clean Air Act Defense efforts and to engage youth in WSF policy initiatives. This summer Christy will take on new responsibilities, including researching and developing a mentorship model for the RE-AMP community. Christy is a senior at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, pursuing a degree in Environmental Sciences, Policy and Management; Sustainability Studies; and Studio Art. A native to the land of 10,000 lakes, Christy enjoys spending time outside biking, camping, and photographing her adventures.
Jim oils the machine, shines the brass and keeps the gremlins at bay on the WSF technical front. He’s an unrepentant geek when it comes to developing technical solutions for remote adventure travel. In his own words, an adventure yearns to be shared, and it needs to happen in real-time. Jim started working with Will Steger in 2004 and today works for the Will Steger Foundation as webmaster - among many other hats.
A storyteller, polar history enthusiast, builder of sometimes useful things and an admirer of old school know-how, Jim makes his home in Minnesota with his wife and 2 children.
First joining Will in 1989 when he was preparing for his International Trans-Antarctica Expedition, Jerry continues to produce, shoot and edit video programming for Will Steger’s projects. Spanning more than 22 years, Jerry’s involvement with each of Will’s successive expeditions has taken him to places such as Siberia, Russia, the North Pole, Antarctica and the majority of the Canadian Arctic. Jerry’s video has been seen on a variety of media outlets including, National Geographic, Good Morning America, The Today Show, CNN, PBS, CBC, The Weather Channel and countless other national and international news organizations. Jerry is a founding member of the Will Steger Foundation and sat on the Board of Directors from 2006-2010. In addition to his work with the foundation, Jerry is a freelance producer, cameraman, and editor, and is the co-owner of his own consulting company, In-Tandem Inc. with his wife, and has one son, Landon.
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