MILWAUKEE RIVERKEEPER - Key Persons
Allie's passion for water and the environment sprung up in her high school Environmental Science class while taking a field trip to a river. Using waders, field equipment, and water quality kits to determine the water's health, she knew this was a field she had to be a part of. This passion only grew as she attended Concordia University-Wisconsin for her Bachelor of Science in Environmental Studies. While pursuing her education, she worked at Concordia's Center for Environmental Stewardship and tutored for chemistry. She also interned at the Mequon Nature Preserve and Victory Garden Initiative and volunteered with the mussel monitoring program at Milwaukee Riverkeeper. In her free time, Allie enjoys reading, traveling, trying new crafty hobbies (currently embroidery), and drinking good coffee.
Anne's appreciation for the outdoors was instilled at an early age, camping across the country with her family exploring national parks and state natural areas. Her time spent attending and working at local summer camps helped foster a passion for both the environment and experiential education. Anne's extensive background working with a wide array of local non-profit initiatives ranging from statewide economic development to leadership and youth development have led her to firmly believe that change is possible through the power of people. Anne holds a Bachelor's Degree in International Politics from the University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee. When she's not at work you can often find her exploring the outdoors and all things creative.
Beth Handle grew up in Milwaukee and enjoys many of the outdoor activities our city and community offers. After spending many years on our rivers, she opened Milwaukee Kayak Company (MKC) in Spring '13. MKC is located on the Milwaukee River Downtown Milwaukee and offers daily kayak, canoe and paddleboard rentals along with weekly tours, partnering with many local non-profit organizations including MKE Riverkeeper. Beth graduated from Cardinal Stritch University with a BA in Business. She enjoys spending time with her family and friends and supporting local businesses and organizations.
Brian Spahn is a lawyer in the Milwaukee office of Godfrey & Kahn specializing in commercial litigation and internal investigations. Before returning to Wisconsin in 2010, Brian practiced law in Washington, D.C. for four years. Brian also has a significant background working in Wisconsin government and politics, including work for the Democratic Party of Wisconsin, Senators Kohl and Feingold, Governor Doyle and Milwaukee Mayor Barrett. A native of Shorewood, Wisconsin, Brian enjoys watching and playing sports, bike rides with his wife and two young children and listening to old and new music.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board Leadership Team
- Treasurer of the Board
Catherine is from Milwaukee and has been fortunate to raise three children in Shorewood, Wisconsin surrounded by both Lake Michigan and the Milwaukee River. She is currently a CFO of a software consulting company based in Brookfield and Madison. Catherine's career spans over twenty years in both public and private accounting roles. She is a natural problem solver, loves to tell the financial story with data and believes our waters are assets that deserve protection for future generations. Hiking with dogs and power gardening rank right after being on the water in free moments.
Before joining Milwaukee Riverkeeper, Cheryl consulted on environmental projects for the U.S. Forest Service; provided forestry and wildlife management planning for private landowners for the Michigan DNR and Dept. of Agriculture; and helped manage forest restoration, reforestation, and erosion control projects for the City of New York, Department of Parks and Recreation. She also served as a forestry extension/environmental education Peace Corps volunteer in Ecuador, and as a Crisis Corps volunteer in Honduras, helping with community rebuilding and reforestation projects after Hurricane Mitch.
As Riverkeeper, Cheryl identifies sources of pollution to Milwaukee's rivers, actively patrols the rivers for issues of concern, and looks for collaborative solutions to these problems. Cheryl also manages our citizen-based water quality monitoring project, the Milwaukee Urban Water Trail, and various restoration and stormwater demonstration projects.
Cheryl serves on the Board of the Waterkeeper Alliance, as a Project Team leader for the Southeastern Wisconsin Watershed Trust (Sweet Water), and as a member of several Technical Advisory Committees for SEWRPC and WDNR relating to water quality and the Milwaukee River Estuary Area of Concern. She has a BS in Biology from the University of Illinois and an MS in Natural Resource Ecology and Management from the University of Michigan School of Natural Resources and Environment.
Job Titles:
- Water Quality Assistant ( Marshfield Clinic AmeriCorps )
the water field. Prior to his arrival in MKE, Chris spent 12 years working in forestry/land management
primarily as a wildland firefighter for various federal agencies. Chris is passionate about preserving and
Growing up in bustling New York City, Emily has alway sought refuge in nature, whether in small urban parks, Vermont's Green Mountains or national parks out west. Prior to joining Milwaukee Riverkeeper, she taught English in Peru along the banks of the Amazon and developed her love of birding as Membership Director at NYC Audubon. Most recently, she spent 15 years supporting young people on their path to discovering their purpose and leading college and career development programs for Summer Search NYC. Her work has always been about relationship building and she is excited to continue that work in the Milwaukee area. Emily holds a Bachelor's degree in Classical Languages from Hamilton College. She gets her kicks from biking as a way of exploring, baking and doing puzzles of every kind with her two sons.
Job Titles:
- Sustainability Coordinator ( Marshfield Clinic AmeriCorps )
Gabrielle grew up in Germantown, Wisconsin, and has always been familiar with the Milwaukee area. Living near Milwaukee provided Gabrielle with many hikes and opportunities for outdoor adventures. Her love for environmental science stems from her previous work with animals and Wisconsin's urban parks. Through her work with local municipalities, she has gained knowledge of native plants, wildlife, and tree planting. She is earning her Bachelor of Science in Conservation and Environmental Science at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. One of Gabrielle's favorite courses was Field Methods in Conservation at the UWM Field Station learning how the ecology of the wetland, lake, and forest is all connected. She is looking to further her career in the environmental science field through community engagement and advocacy. In her free time, you will find Gabrielle horseback riding, playing piano, hiking, going to concerts, and traveling.
Jennifer has been active in environmental, charitable and service organizations since before her undergraduate days and has always strived to be an advocate for the environment, which is why she went to law school and pursued a focus on environmental law. After graduating from law school, Jennifer worked for 15 years as an environmental lawyer and litigator, most recently as a shareholder at von Briesen & Roper s.c. She has served on numerous legal and professional associations throughout her career and was named a Wisconsin Rising Star from 2006-2010 and is a Future Milwaukee graduate of the class of 2002.
Prior to becoming the new Executive Director, she served on the board of directors for Milwaukee Riverkeeper.
She has an avid interest in many different water activities including swimming, kayaking, canoeing, boating, and water skiing. Jennifer earned her B.A. from Marquette University and her J.D. from Marquette University Law School.
Job Titles:
- Chairman
- Member of the Board
The River Advocacy Committee provides analysis, guidance and oversight of the organization's efforts to advance local and statewide legislation and policy in furtherance of protecting and restoring waterways in the Milwaukee River Basin and the organization's mission.
This team seeks attorneys, activists, scientists and grassroots organizers eager to influence positive change for our community of rivers.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board Leadership Team
- President of the Board
- Senior Foreign Service Officer
Mr. Alsace is a career Senior Foreign Service Officer (ret.) with thirty-two years of service. His last posting was as U.S. Consul General to Toronto, Canada (2015-2018). He oversaw a staff of 100 colleagues, focused on U.S.-Canada bilateral relations in Canada's most populous province. Key issues included trade and commercial relations, infrastructure development and protection of Great Lakes water resources. His work on cross-border water issues was recognized by Water Canada and the Council for the Great Lakes Region. Prior to assuming that position, Mr. Alsace served as Assistant Professor at the National War College in Washington, DC. (2014-2015), teaching Strategic Leadership. Additional recent DC postings included as Director of the Office for Caribbean Affairs (2012-2014) and Chief of the War Crimes, Democracy and Human Rights Division, in the Bureau of Intelligence and Research (2010-2012. His return to Washington service followed several years of overseas postings, including in Iraq as Team Leader of an embedded Provincial Reconstruction Team (2009-2010), Economic and Political Counselor in Santiago, Chile (2006-2009), and Consul General in Barcelona, Spain (2003-2006).
Mr. Alsace is a Distinguished Graduate of the National War College (2003). He has also served in Istanbul, Turkey, as Deputy Principal Officer (1999-2002) and in several Washington assignments, including as desk officer for Lebanon and for Kazakhstan, as a staff assistant to the NEA Assistant Secretary, and as Pearson Fellow in the office of Senator Russell Feingold, who was then on the Senate's Foreign Relations Committee. Mr. Alsace has also been posted to Karachi, Santo Domingo, and Quito.
Originally from Buffalo, NY, Mr. Alsace is a graduate of Marquette University in Milwaukee, WI and obtained his law degree from the University of Minnesota. He practiced law for three years before joining the Foreign Service. Mr. Alsace has received several State Department Awards, including three Superior Honor Awards and four Meritorious Honor Awards. Married now for thirty-eight years to Nancy, a retired Nurse Practitioner, Mr. Alsace has two children. He speaks Spanish and remembers a few useful Turkish phrases.
Katie's previous experiences working with Wehr Nature Center and Milwaukee County's Natural Areas program sparked her interest in the unique system that is conservation in a dynamic urban environment and has fortified her thoughts on how critical volunteer involvement is! Katie holds an undergraduate degree in Anthropology, but returned to school in 2014 to earn a Bachelor of Science in Conservation and Environmental Science from the University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee. When not in the office Katie enjoys spending time up north, at the farmer's market or traveling to new places.
Job Titles:
- Education Coordinator ( Marquette Trinity Fellow )
As a Hmong American woman, Kia's parents were born and raised in the hills of Laos. They were sustainable farmers who instilled their love and respect for the outdoors onto Kia. She has been a Milwaukeean all her life and grew up through the Milwaukee Public School System (MPS). After graduating from the University of Wisconsin Madison with a Bachelors in English, she returned to MPS as an educator, helping students get on track toward graduation. Now, Kia is a graduate student at Marquette University in the English Master's program as a Trinity Fellow. She looks forward to using her creative arts and education background to help students gain an environmental awareness mindset. When she's not reading for class, you can find her at local spots in Milwaukee eating great food!
Leah's love for all things water began at her family's lakeside resort in Northern Minnesota. She earned a BA in Environmental Science and English from Cornell College and had a 14-year career in environmental education before returning to school to complete her MS in Freshwater Sciences at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Leah is also a SCUBA certified Divemaster and an Environmental Leadership Program Senior Fellow. When she's not at work Leah loves exploring Milwaukee and its waterways, visiting her niece, traveling, reading, and playing underwater hockey for the Milwaukee Manatees.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board Leadership Team
- Vice President of the Board
Born of the countless hours spent along Menomonee River Parkway as a kid, one profound aspect of Mark's life-long, nature-loving sensibility has been his relationship with water, especially the waters of Wisconsin. He's on the water, in the water, at the water's edge or dreaming about his next interaction with lakes and rivers, always.
With a bachelor's degree in Fine Arts from the UWM, Mark's creative aesthetic is woven into his relationship with the natural world. His career in creative, design and marketing spans local to Fortune 500 companies. With his creative counsel, Mark helped us rebrand the Milwaukee Riverkeeper.
Mark has been with the Milwaukee Riverkeeper for the past decade and brings his hands-on passion for the Milwaukee River basin. Mark has traveled waterways across North America, from Costa Rica to Canada, strengthening his understanding of the role water plays in all our lives. Informed by countless interactions with those who apply themselves unselfishly to improving our environment, Mark looks forward to the positive role he can play here at home with the Milwaukee Riverkeeper.
This teams seeks creatives, content specialists, engagement experts, promoters and rainmakers that can help connect the organization to our community and encourage our local community to give generously to our cause.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board Leadership Team
- Secretary of the Board
With the woods and water of the Pacific Northwest as a childhood playground, Patti has developed a view of the natural environment as a precious resource. A resource she and her family appreciate tremendously from their home along the Milwaukee River. Trained as an architect, she has spent her career exploring the human experience in the built environment and finds the intersection of indoor and outdoor spaces to be one of the most interesting juxtapositions in design. Patti is currently the Director of Design with Stirling Furnishings following roles with Trek Bicycle Company, Harley-Davidson Motor Company, and HGA Architects. She earned a Master's degree in Architecture from the University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee, following a Bachelor's degree in Economics from Whitman College. In her free time, Patti enjoys bicycling, running, swimming and spending time outdoors with her family.
Job Titles:
- Chairman
- Member of the Board
Peter Thornquist spent his childhood looking for fossils with his father on the banks of the Milwaukee River. He developed a fascination with human cultures and their connections to the natural environment. He studied anthropology and spent a few years in museum work, and later coordinated private voluntary development projects in Nicaragua. Peter then pursued a medical education at the Medical College of Wisconsin under the capable leadership of T. Michael Bolger. He is now a practicing physician in the Milwaukee River basin. Peter maintains a passion for the prehistoric, historic, and natural heritage of our river valleys. He is a strong believer that healthy communities require healthy environments, which depend on healthy waterways.
Job Titles:
- Communications Specialist
As a Milwaukee native since kindergarten, Shirley grew up enjoying any opportunity to play or spend time with family and friends outdoors, especially if it were in or around water. Witnessing a growing concern for the quality of our waters throughout her life while at the same time developing a passion for all things science, she realized combining these two areas of interest would be her lifelong pursuit. Having been on a challenging health journey the past 15 years, she is a passionate advocate for health and wellness, and attests strongly to how the health of our environment is essential to not only our individual health, but the overall health of the communities that live in it. Shirley studied Environmental Health and Water Quality at the Milwaukee Area Technical College, and currently has returned to study Chemical Technology and Teacher Education, while assisting with teaching Intercultural Communication courses. When not working or studying, Shirley is traveling, camping, kayaking, hiking, reading, puzzling, or painting. She's an avid thrill seeker, devoted to her meditation practice, and is working towards living self-sustainably in a tiny home with her partner, two cats, and 50+ houseplants.