February 14, 2010

Board of Directors

We thank Ed Olson, Gina Howden, and Dick Jenks, retired board members for their valuable contributions. We are looking for additional board members and volunteers to fill committee positions. Please contact us with the email below if that sounds like a role for you with Friends.

Ezra Meyer – President
Ezra grew up in the watershed on Eagle Spring Lake – 4th generation. He has an undergraduate degree in Economics and Master’s in both Water Resources Management and Urban & Regional Planning from UW Madison. He’s been the Water Resources Specialist at Clean Wisconsin for over 4 years. Ezra is passionate about building on the watershed’s long history of people and nature coexisting in a mutually beneficial way. Ezra is a founding member of the Friends.

Pamela MeyerTreasurer
Pamela grew up on Eagle Spring Lake, raised three children and lives there today. In 2003, she sold a conservation easement held by the Nature Conservancy on Crooked Creek Tree Farm, LLC, 60+ acres with 1,500 feet on the Mukwonago River, remaining a private landowner. She has served 3 terms on the Waukesha County board, currently serving on the Finance and Land Use, Parks, and Environmental Committees. She is passionate about water issues and land use planning which is critical to water protection in this and every watershed.

Dave Swanson -Secretary
Dave is a friend of the Mukwonago River watershed and the environment. David grew up on the north side of Chicago until attending Northland College in Ashland, WI on beautiful Lake Superior. He has degrees in both Mathematics and Biology. In 1998, he accepted a teaching position at Nature’s Classroom Institute of Wisconsin in Mukwonago which is in the watershed.  He is presently teaching at Milwaukee Montessori.  David is passionate about education, nature, gardening, and leading a healthy natural lifestyle.

Eric Howden  – former Watershed Coordinator, now board member
Eric was a great resource as our Watershed Coordinator for two years. He successfully fulfilled our earlier grants and secured our two current WDNR grants.  We are very excited to have him as an addition to our board.  Eric lives in Eagle with his wife, Gina and two children, Olivia and Caleb.  Eric, Gina and  family enjoy getting into their canoe, affectionately named “Bella”, and exploring local waterways as often as possible. As an active parent in Eagleville Elementary, an environmental charter school, Eric is excited about the continuing relationship between the Friends and Eagleville in order to educate the next generation of members and watershed protectors.

Ed Olson – former board member
Ed has resided near, kayaked on and waded in the Mukwonago River for over thirty-five years. For the past thirty years he served in executive capacities with Waukesha Memorial Hospital and ProHealth Care, including eight years as President and CEO of WMH.  Ed retired from full time employment in February. He holds a BS in Political Science from Carroll University. His graduate work at UW-Milwaukee was in Urban Studies. His volunteer activities in Waukesha County have included board directorships with United Way (President and Campaign Chair), the Women’s Center (President), Mukwonago Y, Interfaith Senior Programs, American Heart Association, Wisconsin Hospital Association, Waukesha County Business Alliance and more.  Ed and his wife, Linda, have two grown daughters, one amazing grandson and a very curious and lucky cat.

Dick Jenks – former board member
Dick Jenks and his wife, Mary moved to a family property up north last spring. We will miss Dick and his dedication to the Mukwonago River and Phantom Lake. Dick Jenks grew up on a dairy farm in central Wisconsin. He is currently retired after a 30 years management career in telecommunications. Dick has a BS in Mechanical Engineering from Madison and an MBA from Whitewater. He is a licensed real estate appraiser. Dick and his wife, Mary have lived on Upper Phantom Lake since 1985.  They enjoy travel, hiking, canoeing, and most outdoor activities. Dick served several terms on the Phantom Lakes Management District and is a member of the Friends of Vernon Marsh. The Friends of the Mukwonago has grown so much in the past few years that Dick wants to help with the many environmental challenges just outside our back door.

Email us at info@mukwonagoriver.org