INDIAN CREEK NATURE CENTER - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Trail Coordinator ( She / Her / Hers )
Abigail Barten is an Iowa native, with an appreciation for all things outdoors. She graduated from Iowa State University with a BS in Animal Ecology and a minor in Forestry. During summers in college and after graduation, she spent her time working in Northern Minnesota and Wisconsin. There, she solidified her desire to help take care of the natural land and to share this experience with others. She's excited to have the opportunity to connect with volunteers while working on projects for the ICNC trail areas. In her free time, Abigail loves to go camping, canoeing, hiking with her dog, making pottery, and taking care of her garden and quail.
Job Titles:
- Executive Assistant ( She / Her / Hers )
Amanda Vincent is a Cedar Rapids native and has enjoyed Nature Center trails, events and programs over the years. Amanda has spent the last several years working for various non-profits in Iowa. She received a degree in Psychology from the University of Northern Iowa and is also a graduate of the Iowa Master Gardener and Iowa Master Naturalist programs. Amanda has always had a passion for the outdoors and has an appreciation for all living things. She enjoys trail running, hiking, camping, rock hunting, and gardening in her free time.
Job Titles:
- Director
- Member of the Executive Committee
- Partner, Grit Capital
Job Titles:
- Director
- Member of the Executive Committee
- Owner & Business Manager, Lion Bridge Brewing Company
Job Titles:
- Director
- Member of the Executive Committee
- Vice President, Private Banking, Collins Community Credit Union
Job Titles:
- Education Manager ( She / Her / Hers )
Andria Cossolotto, a graduate of the University of Northern Iowa, came to Indian Creek Nature Center having previously been a naturalist in western Iowa. At ICNC, Andria leads school field trips and camps, helping to instill the love of nature in future generations. In her spare time, Andria works to help improve pollinator habitats and enjoys getting outdoors with her husband and two children whenever possible.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Executive Committee
- Trustee
Job Titles:
- Member of the Executive Committee
- Trustee
- President, Kings Material
Job Titles:
- Director
- Member of the Executive Committee
- Partner, Carson Wealth Management
Dana Wood grew up in Center Point, Iowa. After graduating from University of Northern Iowa with a degree in Fashion Merchandising and a minor in Business, she spent several years working as a seamstress. A career change made her Administrative Assistant at Global Crossing where she stayed until becoming Office Manager at Indian Creek Nature Center in 2002. Dana enjoys sewing, swimming, kayaking, camping, gardening, and spending time with family.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Executive Committee
- Trustee
- President / President, Coe College
- President, Coe College
Job Titles:
- Custodian ( He / Him / His )
A Cedar Rapids native, David Lammers has been volunteering at the Indian Creek Nature Center ever since his high school internship in 2001. He graduated from Upper Iowa University in 2007 with a degree in conservation. Outside of the Nature Center, he stays busy with the Five Seasons Ski Team and the Eastern Iowa Circus.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Executive Committee
- Trustee
Job Titles:
- Director
- Member of the Executive Committee
- President, Mount Mercy University
Job Titles:
- Senior Naturalist ( She / Her / Hers )
Emily Roediger is originally from Rochester, Minnesota. She graduated from Gustavus Adolphus College with majors in Biology and Environmental Studies and minors in Geology and Music, and has an environmental education graduate certificate from Hamline University. She has over 4 years of experience with multiple environmental education organizations, and is excited to be at Indian Creek! Emily enjoys being outside whether she's hiking and exploring new places, camping, playing tennis, bike riding, or even just sitting!
Job Titles:
- Marketing Manager ( He / Him / His )
As a kid, Eric found a love of the outdoors during family camping and canoeing trips. This love grew as Eric earned his Mass Communication degree at Winona State University, a college tucked between bluffs, lakes and the Mississippi River. Since arriving in Cedar Rapids in 2011, Eric has worked in television production and as a copywriter as well as founded his own non-profit organization. Meanwhile, his love for the outdoors kept growing as hiking and kayaking with his wife became their favorite hobbies. When Eric is not chasing his two children around he enjoys running, reading, playing Ultimate Frisbee and getting his family on the water, on a trail or to a campground.
Job Titles:
- Program Assistant ( She / Her / Hers )
Hanna was born and raised in Des Moines. She went to Coe College here in Cedar Rapids where she graduated with degrees in Biology and Environmental Science and a minor in Anthropology! During her senior year at Coe, she volunteered at the Nature Center as a Teacher Naturalist. Following graduation, she officially moved to Cedar Rapids and wanted to take on a more consistent role at Indian Creek! During her free time she loves adventuring with her fiancé and their dog, Kane. She also coaches high school softball in the summers!
Job Titles:
- Director
- Member of the Executive Committee
- Simmons Perrine Moyer Bergman PLC, Associate Attorney
Job Titles:
- Community Volunteer
- Director
- Member of the Executive Committee
Job Titles:
- Farm Manager ( He / Him / His )
Jared Schulz grew up in Dubuque, IA along the bluffs of the Mississippi River. His appreciation for the outdoors started at a young age, fishing and camping with his family every summer. He graduated from Wartburg College with a B.A. in environmental science. Following graduation, he joined AmeriCorps working on environmental stewardship projects in Iowa and California. He developed a passion for growing food which led him to Madison WI, where he began his organic farming career. After four growing seasons he's back in Iowa excited to share his passion for farming with others. He enjoys skiing, camping, and hiking with his dog, Ashla.
Job Titles:
- Director of Land Stewardship ( She / Her / Hers )
Jean Wiedenheft started as a volunteer at the Nature Center, helping with scout workshops and spreading wood chips on the trails. She's been a full-time employee since 2001, sharing her enthusiasm for nature with volunteers and visitors. She enjoys horseback riding, beekeeping and walking in the woods.
Job Titles:
- Guest Services Associate ( She / Her / Hers )
Jen Rowray is an Iowa native, born in Cedar Rapids and raised in rural Solon. She attended NMSU (Truman State) in Kirksville Missouri where she earned a BA in English but her love of country living led her to purchase her home and 6 acres of land in Benton County in 1999. When she is not working her full time job with a dog boarding facility she is doing side gigs from mowing to making Kettle corn, and of course, GSA at Indian Creek. In her down time she writes, maintains an active social media, cares for her horses, cats and dogs (and tries to avoid being spit on by her snarky Llama, Snowball) and her land. She has 4 grown children and one 16 year old daughter who keeps her very aware she is not as cool as she thinks she is.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Executive Committee
- President Elect / Executive Vice President & Chief Lending Officer, Cedar Rapids Bank & Trust
Job Titles:
- Executive Director
- Executive Director ( He / Him / His )
John Myers has been executive director of Indian Creek Nature Center in Cedar Rapids, Iowa since May 2013. Working with the organization's board of directors, John leads the strategic planning and growth of the organization ensuring that its vision to create champions of nature is achieved. John believes that Indian Creek Nature Center can and should be a leader in the outdoor field by championing new and innovative initiatives that make substantive change.
Job Titles:
- Grants Coordinator ( She / Her / Hers )
Katie Giorgio is a Cedar Rapids native who has spent her career working in the nonprofit world - at another nature center, an art museum, and a community foundation - and as a freelance writer for a variety of newspapers, magazines, websites, and organizations. She has always loved storytelling, so it makes sense that she got degrees in Magazine Journalism and English/Writing from Drake University. In the last two decades, she's written about nearly every topic you can think of. When not sitting at a laptop, she's spending time raising two teenagers, taking her two dogs on long walks, working in the garden, exploring new places, and reading.
Job Titles:
- Director
- Member of the Executive Committee
- Founder / CEO, Ecocare Supply, Ecocare Hemp, the Compost Ninja
Job Titles:
- Director
- Member of the Executive Committee
- Documentation Specialist, Limo Link
Job Titles:
- Membership & Development Coordinator ( She / Her / Hers )
Laura McGrath was born and raised in Cedar Rapids, IA. After attending Luther College, she returned to work at two local museums. Her passion for preserving history, both natural and cultural, brought her to ICNC in 2022. She is excited to have the opportunity to connect with ICNC members and donors to find a shared love of nature. You will often find Laura with her husband and daughter at the park, exploring a local trail, or planning their next road trip.
Job Titles:
- Community Volunteer
- Member of the Executive Committee
- Trustee
Job Titles:
- Community Volunteer
- Member of the Executive Committee
- Trustee
Job Titles:
- Preschool Specialist and Interim Creekside Forest School Director ( She / Her / Hers )
Marcy Fratzke is an Iowa native with more than a decade of experience working in education. She received a degree in French from Iowa State University and spent the first part of her career teaching and traveling with high school aged students. In 2020 she made the transition to working with preschool aged children and found her passion in developing young minds.
Marcy is married with three daughters and enjoys party planning, traveling, and trying new things. She enjoys being a tourist in her own state and discovering all of the amazing things to see and do close to home.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Executive Committee
- Secretary / Vice - President, Customer & Community Engagement, Alliant Energy
Job Titles:
- Guest Services Associate ( She / Her / Hers )
Growing up in southeast Iowa on the Mississippi River, spending summers traveling on the family houseboat, Michelle Basler discovered her love of nature early. While attending the University of Iowa in the early '90's she found another passion in local radio and that career path moved her to Cedar Rapids where she and her husband Bill, are happily adventuring with their 6 kids and two dogs. Michelle loves trail running, boating, water skiing, and bird watching.
Job Titles:
- Assistant Preschool Teacher ( She / Her / Hers )
Morgan Bryant graduated from the University of Iowa with a degree in Therapeutic Recreation. She worked as a Recreation Specialist at UnityPoint St. Luke's hospital in the youth behavioral health unit and as the Program Director of the Parent Education Consortium at Iowa State Extension and Outreach Linn County. She is passionate about supporting families in building healthy foundations for their children and will continue that work as the Assistant Teacher at Creekside Forest School. In her free time, Morgan enjoys reading historical fiction, spending time with family, practicing yoga, gardening, and going on walks in the mountains or woods.
Job Titles:
- Special Projects & Grants Coordinator ( She / Her / Hers )
A native of southern New Jersey, Nancy moved with her family to Cedar Rapids in 1970 - three years before the Nature Center was launched. She joined the Nature Center staff in 2000 as Development Assistant, and in 2022 transitioned to a new, part-time role as Special Projects and Grants Coordinator. She says the best part of her job is working with and getting to know so many great people. In her free time Nancy enjoys exploring nature on foot, time with family and friends, reading, traveling, puzzles, volunteering, music (singing, playing the piano, attending concerts…) and dark chocolate (not necessarily in that order).
Job Titles:
- Director
- Member of the Executive Committee
- Vice President of Finance, Frontier Co - Op
Job Titles:
- Lead Preschool Teacher ( She / Her / Hers )
Nicole Upchurch began her path as an educator in 2001 in Idaho. She has experience instructing K-6 Spanish, Songwriting/Ukulele and Outdoor Education. After moving to Iowa with her family, she found her way into nature-based Early Childhood Education in 2009 while working with Taproot & Prairie Green School. She is a graduate of the Iowa Master Naturalist program. In addition, Nicole is a singer/songwriter, performing regularly with Awful Purdies and The Feralings. She lives in Tiffin with her husband, Benj and their three children Harper, Béla and Waelyn. Together they enjoy spending time outdoors with their Australian shepherd dog, Copper.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Executive Committee
- Trustee
- EVP / Chief Banking Officer, Bank Iowa
Job Titles:
- Development & Sponsorship Coordinator ( He / Him / His )
Peter grew up in Des Moines, Iowa and developed a love of nature as a child on family camping trips. As a graduate of Iowa State University, he spent his early career working in the north of Spain before returning to the U.S. to teach at the University of Iowa. Along the way, he had the opportunity to participate in a community garden group which sparked his interest in the development of green spaces and prompted him to begin working to help communities around Eastern Iowa grow their tree canopy. At Indian Creek Nature Center, Peter hopes to connect sponsors to the Nature Center in meaningful ways.
Job Titles:
- Amazing Space Manager and Interim Director of Education
Sarah Botkin grew up on a farm in central Illinois raising sheep. She received her B.A. from Monmouth College and her Masters from Kansas State University. After spending 18 years in Student Affairs in the Higher Education setting, Sarah joined Indian Creek Nature Center in August 2018. She enjoys traveling, bike riding and reading a good book.
Job Titles:
- Director of Development & Marketing ( She / Her / Hers )
Sarah Halbrook joined the staff of the Indian Creek Nature Center after her service as an ICNC board member. Her service to the organization as a volunteer led to a desire to work daily toward the mission of creating Champions of Nature. She identifies as an environmentalist from the earliest of ages- recalling organizing her middle school classmates to petition for recycling in their school lunch program and being enchanted while working the land in her school's outdoor classrooms in 6-12 grade.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Executive Committee
- Trustee
- Vice President, Investments, Cedar Rapids Bank and Trust
Job Titles:
- Member of the Executive Committee
- President of Real Estate, IGD Industries
Job Titles:
- Member of the Executive Committee
- Treasurer / Chief Financial Officer, Midwest Equity Investors