Mike has been active in community organizations including Director and President of Galena Area Chamber of Commerce, Director and President of the Galena Historical Society and President of the Galena Lions Club as well as a long-time member of the Galena Golf Club and Galena Elks Lodge.

As a Lena native, Dan is proud to live locally and give back to our community. He helped found the Friends of Canyon Camp nonprofit organization, previously served the Blackhawk Area Council Board as VP of Outdoor Adventures, and currently volunteers as a board member for the Stockton Chamber of Commerce. As he concludes his coursework at the University of Wisconsin-Madison for his PhD in Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis, Dan has enjoyed finding additional time to spend with his wife, Lauren, and outdoor loving kids, Zoey and Austin.

As an active community member for many years, Ken has been an environmental advocate: He led the Stephenson County Recycling Awareness Program (SCRAP), chaired the Freeport Solid Waste Commission, was instrumental in the development of the Freeport Park District’s Wetlands Preserve, and is on the Habitat Committee for Pheasants Forever. He is president of the Northwest Illinois Forestry Association and a board member for the Jane Addamsland Park Foundation. Ken has been engaged with regional conservation organizations for more than 30 years.

Emily and her husband, Gregg, met in high school, married in college, and finished their degrees at the University of Illinois in Chicago. They discovered Galena in 1971, and moved there the very next year.

She was an active participant in the acquisition and development of the Gateway and Horseshoe Mound properties. Emily joined the JDCF board in 2016, and was named Vice President in 2020. She is honored to be a part of the JDCF organization, and hopes to continue to contribute to JDCF’s great legacy.

An active member of JDCF since its inception, Laurie has focused on conservation education and outreach. She helped launch Camp Casper, coordinated eagle-watching tours for ten years, has made numerous educational presentations, and has participated in many bird counts, as well as bluebird monitoring at Lost Mound. In 2020 she joined the board of Casper Creek Natural Cemetery, helping launch a business that reflects her commitment to protecting the environment.

Susan McDonald has been in marketing and sales for the last thirty years. In this capacity, she oversees a geographical sales area, manages sales reps and support staff, and is a part of a management team. With her background in sales and marketing, along with her enthusiasm for the preservation of Daviess County, Susan is interested in contributing in the areas of fundraising, membership and general awareness of JDCF.

Marilyn holds a Masters of Management degree from the Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University, and a Bachelor’s degree in Accountancy from Northern Illinois University. She is a certified public accountant. Marilyn and her husband, Harlan, who have been members of JDCF since 2003, were happy to support the mission of JDCF with the establishment of the Harlan and Marilyn Spiroff Overlook at Horseshoe Mound.

Alan grew up on a farm between Winslow and Lena, Illinois. He attended Northern Illinois University, graduating with a B.A. in Political Science, and Central Michigan University, earning an M.A. in Interpersonal and Public Communication.
A retired Speech Communications/Film Instructor from Highland Community College in Freeport, Illinois, Alan taught a variety of courses in film, business communication, public speaking, leadership development, argumentation, political communication, and small-group behavior. From 1992-2017, Alan served as Director of the Stephenson County Leadership Institute and the Jo Daviess County Leadership Forum, community leadership development programs offered by Highland.

P. Carter Newton grew up in Muskegon, MI, graduating from Mona Shores High School in 1973. He received his bachelor’s degree in history from Grinnell College in 1977 and started his newspaper career afterward. He has worked at The Galena Gazette since December 1979 and currently serves as publisher.
He is a past president of the Galena Area Chamber of Commerce and former board member of The Galena Foundation. A past president of the Illinois Press Association, he is now a member of the Illinois Press Foundation, president of the Community Development Fund of Galena, and member of the Midwest Medical Center Board of Directors.

Christine (Chris) Larson brings over 20 years of corporate experience in sales and marketing, business development, and management. She is currently Executive Director for St. Vincent de Paul Racine County Council in Wisconsin. Chris has served on the Staff of Four Mounds Foundation and, from 2006 thru 2008, she served as Executive Director of the Jo Daviess Conservation Foundation. From 2009-2018 she was Treasurer and a board member of JDCF.

The majority of Chris’s career includes executive and management positions with such telecom and technology companies as Ameritech, AT&T, Motorola, and CCC Information Technologies. Larson holds an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University and a B.S. in Business Management from the University of Wisconsin-Parkside.

Taking inspiration from his grandfather, a Kansas wheat farmer, and father, a fisheries biologist, Doug embarked on a career as a wildlife biologist, tying interests in natural resources with the agricultural areas they inhabit. After obtaining BA, and MS degrees in zoology from Southern Illinois University – Carbondale, and a completing a brief stint with the Missouri Department of Conservation, Doug started a 33-year career with the Illinois Department of Natural Resources in 1986, serving initially as District Wildlife Biologist in northwest Illinois, and concluding as Wildlife Disease and Invasive Wildlife Program Manager for the entire state. Doug is a Certified Wildlife Biologist and Prescribed Burn Manager and served as President of the Illinois Chapter of The Wildlife Society, and Treasurer of the Professional Association of Resource Conservation Managers.

Randy has a professional background of over 30 years of managing the development of computer-controlled switching systems for Bell Telephone Laboratories. His first visit to the county in 1978 led to the purchase of a small piece of property, then to a weekend home, and finally, to a full-time home in 1990. In 1995 he acquired a 14-acre parcel of land in rural Stockton and completed a 5-acre restoration (with a lot of help from friends), which is known as Bluebird Prairie. A conservation easement held by JDCF now ensures that Bluebird Prairie and the surrounding woodlands will be here for a long time. Randy looks forward to helping the JDCF continue on its very successful land preservation journey.

Bobbi is a Certified Financial Analyst (CFA), and has had a 30 year career in the investment industry managing institutional investment portfolios. She holds a Masters of Management degree from the Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University, and a Bachelor’s degree in Finance and Economics from the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana. Since retiring, she has become active in nature and bird conservation.

Lois has been a very involved JDCF board member since 2005 currently serving on the Finance, Land Preservation, Land Stewardship, Strategic Planning, and Wapello Discovery Center Committees. She holds several degrees, including a B.S. and M.S. in Education from Northern Illinois University (NIU), DeKalb, IL, and a Masters in Public Administration, also from NIU. Her professional career included teaching physical education and becoming a Director of P.E. in IL, NY, and Japan. She has been a manager of parks and recreation facilities for over 30 years with experience in long-range planning, financial management, and grant writing. Lois strongly believes in public service, having been elected Park Commissioner and member of the Wheaton Planning Commission in Wheaton, IL and appointed member of the DuPage Conservation Foundation and Western DuPage Special Recreation Association.