JDCF would like to announce that the following individuals will stand for election to our Board of Directors at the April 6 Annual Meeting.  If you would like to attend the Annual Meeting, you can download the attached invitation Annual Meeting 2023.

Ken Beach: Ken was born and raised in Freeport, IL. He spent much time in his youth on his grandparents’ farms, camping and fishing. Ken studied Water Resources – Chemistry (BS) at the University of Wisconsin – Stevens Point before working for 40 years in the environmental and safety field, helping industry, business, and municipalities with environmental permitting and regulatory requirements. He is also a graduate of Highland Community College’s Leadership Institute. 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.

Dan Dick: Dan is the Executive Director for the Highland Community College (HCC) Foundation and coordinator of the high school Servant Leadership program. As a graduate of HCC, Carthage College, and Northern Illinois University, he takes his educational background and merges them with leadership experiences learned as a lifelong member of the Boy Scouts of America. These combined skill sets create a dynamic, fun, and meaningful involvement for the students and community members Dan works with through his personal and professional endeavors. 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.

Mike McCoy: As a life-long resident of Galena and the beautiful driftless area, I learned at an early age just what a special place we have in the Northwest corner of Illinois. I have always been an outdoors person and as a child my family owned a small cabin on the Mississippi River near Harris and Deadman’s Slough where I spent many wonderful days fishing, boating and water-skiing in addition to hiking the creeks, hills and woods near Galena. After graduating from Galena High School, I received a BA in History from Western Illinois University and later a MS degree in History and Education from University of Wisconsin-Platteville. For the next nine years I taught high school history and social studies at nearby Southwestern High School before moving back to Galena to join our family Insurance agency, McCoy Insurance, with my brother Marc. Marc and I then established McCoy Real Estate Services, which operated from S Main Street in Galena for nearly 40 years.  have been active in many community activities and 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.

The following individual will stand for re-election to the Board of Directors at the April 6 Annual Meeting.

Randy Downing: “My professional career of some 30+ years mostly involved managing the development of computer-controlled switching systems for Bell Telephone Laboratories. Our first visit to this 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. We fell in love with the rolling hills of the Driftless Region. Bluebird conservation through the Natural Area Guardians got me interested in environmental issues. Next came The Prairie Enthusiasts and prairie restoration. For many years I enjoyed the peace and tranquility of picking prairie seed for new restorations on beautiful fall days and managing burns in the springtime. In 1995 we acquired a 14-acre parcel of land in rural Stockton and did our own 5-acre restoration (with a lot of help from our friends) which we call Bluebird Prairie. The call of the prairie eventually led to our building a home on this property and to move here in 2006. A conservation easement held by JDCF now ensures that Bluebird Prairie and the surrounding woodlands will be here for a long time.”