Meet Our Team!
Executive Director
MaryLynn Conter Strack
“Although I’ve only been with Eco-J since 2020, I’m proud to continue the work that the founding Racine Dominican Sisters began in 2004 – creating healthier people, communities, and ecosystems by connecting people with nature. I’m excited every time I hear staff or board members discuss future ideas, watch children taste a new vegetable for the first time, or see interns learn a new skill like driving the tractor. The mission of the Eco-Justice Center is more vital now than ever before and I’m grateful that I have the opportunity to further that mission.” – MaryLynn
marylynn@ecojusticecenter.org
(262) 681-8527 x1
Education Program Manager & Developer
Katie Flannery
“I love being a part of the Eco-J community and am very excited to see where this season of growth will take us! It is so rewarding to have the opportunity to work to refine and expand our educational programming focusing on connecting people of all ages to the Earth in developmentally conscious ways. Whether it is through summer camp adventures, Solstice and Equinox reflections, or school trip discoveries, I am always excited to help facilitate learning and connection is such a beautiful space.” – Katie
katie@ecojusticecenter.org
(262) 681-8527 x2
Land Stewardship Manager
Alex Weyenberg
“I am excited for the future of our Land Stewardship program. We’ve been working hard to get our gardens planned and ready for future seasons and I’m excited to see what we can accomplish. I can’t wait to work with new groups of interns, growing nutrient-dense food for the community and exploring new ways to make our farm more sustainable and efficient.” – Alex
alex@ecojusticecenter.org
(262) 681-8527 x4
Maintenance, Educator, Polymath
Jeff Appenzeller
“I’m a native of the beautiful driftless area of rural southwest Wisconsin. The bucolic setting of Platteville instilled within me a deep connection to nature and all of its denizens. Even while serving 20 years in the army, it was the opportunity to experience different natural settings that made that experience most rewarding. Having had many varied teaching experiences in the military, I decided to bring my love of the environment into the classroom where I taught elementary school for 20 years in Racine. Retiring, but not ready to quit working, I became the maintenance worker for Eco-Justice Center in 2019. Working here allows me to continue to nurture my love for the environment and allows me to apply the skills I developed in my lifetime.” – Jeff
jeff@ecojusticecenter.org
(262) 681-8527 x3
Our Board of Directors
Eric Nelson
Board President
Executive Committee
My journey with Eco-Justice Center began in 2010 with a search for a tranquil writing retreat. After that positive experience with the Hermitage, my three sons started attending Eco-J’s summer camp. Professionally, I serve in HR at SC Johnson where I get to live out my values by assisting with their sustainability and DEI initiatives. A lifetime of volunteering in leadership roles non-profits, in recent years I’ve focused on helping orgs with training, org design, and tech/data management (and, yes, I know those last two sentences makes me sound like the least fun person at a party). While on the board, I aim to foster connections between our Racine County and the Eco-J staff and land, furthering Eco-J’s mission for a more sustainable and just world.
Laura Feider
Board Vice President
Executive Committee
Governance Committee Chair
Laura earned her degree in birth-6th grade education at Winona State, and later earned her master’s in cross-categorical special education (ages 6-21) at Concordia. Over the years she has taught preschool and elementary school. In the fall of 2021, she decided to put her master’s to use and has since been teaching middle school special education in East Troy. She enjoys the outdoors, especially hiking and camping. She enjoys spending time with family and friends.
Jocelyn Arnold
Board Secretary
Events Committee Chair
Jocelyn Arnold is entering her fifth year as a dedicated board member of the Eco-Justice Center. A recent graduate of Carthage College, she holds degrees in Management, Marketing, and Finance. In addition to serving on the board, Jocelyn is the Chair of the Events Committee, where she enjoys volunteering her time and helping plan events that support the organization’s mission.
Steve Oppeneer
Board Treasurer
Executive Committee
Finance Committee Chair
If our children are our future, we must ensure that there will be a future for them. If our children are our future, we must ensure that they are well-equipped to move successfully into this future. If our children are our future, we must do all we can to help them feel invested in, and responsible for, this future. This is why I serve on the Board of the Eco-Justice Center.
Christopher Jamieson
Board Member
Buildings, Grounds, & Animal Husbandry Committee Chair
Chris is the past president of the Eco-Justice Board of directors. In 2016 Chris retired from the Racine Unified School after nearly 40 years as a special educator. He is also a board member of the Racine Area Retired Educators Association. He graduated from Ripon College and received a master’s degree in School Psychology from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. Chris and his wife Sandy enjoy hiking, biking, kayaking, and other outdoor activities. They have 2 adult children.
Kari McGaughey
Board Member
Marketing Committee
I first discovered Eco-J when my oldest son started summer camp at the farm. I quickly fell in love with ‘the farm’ as we call it in our home. It remains a sacred space for our family to visit, to enjoy the outdoors and animals and to simply be. It’s a true gem and a place I want everybody to know about! I’m a born and raised farm girl from Ozaukee County. I live, work and play in Racine with my husband and three young children. I have a public health background and am passionate about whole-person wellness; mind, body and spirit. It is a privilege to serve on this board, giving back to an organization in my community whose mission I align with.
Elizabeth Erickson
Board Member
Events Committee
Description coming!
Stacie Havron
Board Member
Marketing Committee
Stacie Havron has been volunteering with the Eco-Justice Center since 2012. Stacie did her undergrad at Carroll University and earned her master’s degree from Alaska Pacific University, both in Environmental Science. She has about 15 years of experience working in varied environmental capacities, including environmental laboratory testing, project management of watershed monitoring, environmental health compliance and education, and environmental coordination for transportation projects within Wisconsin.
Shauna Edson
Board Member
Marketing Committee Chair
Shauna Edson grew up in Kenosha, WI and works as a librarian at UW-Parkside. She is passionate about all things environmental and in 2022, completed the Wisconsin Master Naturalist Certificate through UW-Madison Extension. Shauna lives in Shorewood, WI with her husband, dog and many rescue birds. In her free time, she loves birding, hiking and reading.
Want to Join the Board?
We’re looking for Board and Committee members, and we want you! Click here for details about Board and Committee volunteer positions.
If you are interested, please submit this application, then email your resume to MaryLynn