Our Team
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Executive Director "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 |
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Education Program Manager & Developer "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 |
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Land Stewardship Manager “I am excited for the future of our Farm Corps 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 |
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Maintenance, Polymath "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 |
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Board of Directors:
Chris Jamieson
Board President
Executive Committee Chair
Buildings Grounds & Animal Husbandry Committee Chair
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.
Eric Nelson
Board Vice President
Executive Committee
Governance Committee Chair
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 Secretary
Executive Committee
Program 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.
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.
My experience in related areas of service includes:
- Serving on the Board of the All Saints Foundation, reviewing grants and disbursing funds for community health projects.
- Vice President of Greening Greater Racine, an ecumenical effort to raise awareness and initiate projects that encourage better environmental stewardship.
- Representative (of GGR) to the Clean Power Coalition, which advocates for legislative changes that will end our reliance upon coal-fired power and create a future built upon renewable energy resources.
- Member of Southeastern Wisconsin Solar Group Buy, an organization dedicated to increasing solar power sales in our area.
- Director of the North Side Food Pantry. In this role, I also encourage better nutrition by providing fresh produce from the Eco-Justice Center, community gardens, and UW-Parkside gardens.
- Treasurer, North Pointe United Methodist Church, a role I assumed after a career in finance.
- As a personal endeavor, I installed solar panels on my home and led a project to install 57 solar panels on my church.
- I am an avid cyclist - an environmentally-friendly activity that keeps me healthy and enables me to enjoy the beauty of the natural world.
- I am an average golfer.
Stacie Havron
Board Member
Development & 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.
Stacie loves to garden and be outside. She enjoys hiking, camping, kayaking, and yoga. She and her husband enjoy playing outdoor volleyball. Stacie enjoys meeting new people and collaborating with others to achieve common goals, as well as building partnerships. She is a proponent of environmental education and loves that kids have passion and an inquisitive nature. She enjoys exploring the natural world with her daughters.
Jocelyn Arnold
Board Member
Development & Marketing Committee
Jocelyn Arnold is a junior at Carthage College, double majoring in Business Management and Marketing. On campus, Jocelyn is involved in many things, including being the President of the CURE Club (Carthage United to Rescue Earth), and a member of Habitat for Humanity, Special Olympics, PPGen, and Horticulture. Jocelyn also has an on-campus job as a Student Ambassador (tour guide). She is also a Girl Scout Alumni, having been a scout for 12 years and completed her Silver and Gold Awards (equal to an Eagle Scout Award). Jocelyn's Gold Award involved installing dog waste stations in her hometown to protect the environment from pollution. She is very passionate about our earth and is so excited to be working with the Eco-Justice Center.
Kari McGaughey
Board Member
Development & Marketing Committee
Elizabeth Erickson
Board Member
Program Committee
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Join our Team!
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.