Staff & Leadership

Leadership Team

Peter Smerud

Executive Director | Email

Meredith St. Pierre

Development Director | Email

Ken Smith

Finance, HR, & Facilities Director | Email

Jessica Vance

Marketing Director | Email

Program Naturalists

& Marketing Staff

Jolene Brink

Marketing & Communications | Email

Rachel Giemza

Youth, Family, & Special Programs | Email

Danielle Hefferan

Naturalist Training | Email

David Stieler

Curriculum & Sites | Email

Joe Walewski

Programs & Naturalist Training | Email

David Butcher

Adventure Education | Email

Peter Harris

Science and Research | Email

Shelby Roback

School & Group Programs | Email

Lori Walewski

Informal Education | Email

Courtney Wright

Live Animals | Email

Graduate Naturalists

Mentor Naturalists

Celia Carr
Emily Delfosse

Graduate Naturalists

Ella Doud
Kate Folkman
Christina Gilbert
Matt Hallahan
Carolyn Hanrahan
Hannah Henricksen
Tasha Holifield
Olivia Jascor
Kiana Johnson
Chloe McKinley
Kelly Popham
Moss Schumacher
Noah Shea
Spencer Skaggs
Mabel Smebakken
Evan Unruh-Friesen
Gene Whipple

Each year through an intense 10-month graduate program, a cohort of naturalists live, train, and teach at Wolf Ridge while earning graduate credits. We’ve trained over 1,000 naturalists during our 50-year history as an organization.

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Group of People Outside Wearing Blue Jackets at Wolf Ridge — *2021-2022 Wolf Ridge Graduate Naturalists*

Russ Bierbaum (Chair)
Nancy Quattelbaum Burke
Gene Champeau
Doug Connell
Gene Champeau
Pat Coppo (Vice Chair)
Andy Datko
Sarah Edstrom
Sara Hill

Raj Pillai
John Priem
Ron Sackett
Nancy Schultz
Schele Smith
Lee Thao
Sandy Timmerman
Roberto Zayas

Emeritus Members

Tom Berg
James E. Brandenberg
William M. Burns
Ron Kirk
Rene Settergren

Deceased

Thomas Atchison
Richard (Dick) Gray, Sr
Peter Heegaard
Robert Heller
Donn Larson
Myron Latimer
Sigurd Olson
Michael Plautz
Werner Tismer