Speakers

Ryan graduated from UW-Stevens Point with a degree in Wildlife Ecology and Management. Later, he earned a graduate degree with honors in Environmental Policy and Management, with a fish and wildlife management emphasis.

Fresh out of college, Ryan gained employment with the Native American Fish and Wildlife Society as a Chronic Wasting Disease Biologist. Ryan trained tribal members and took CWD samples throughout the eastern US. As a native to southeastern Wisconsin, Ryan returned home after spending several years in the state of Washington. There, he worked for the Washington State DNR as a Fish and Wildlife Biologist. He oversaw timber harvest activities on public lands and was able to gain skills with scientific research design, endangered species processes, habitat conservation and land management plans, habitat inventory and analysis, geographic information systems, forest health, and landscape level management regimes.

Ryan joined the OWLT team in early 2016. He manages 32 preserves, over 2000 acres, up to 8 staff, and one Mequon Park Woodlot! Ryan’s skills that get put to work each day include ecosystem assessment and restoration, mechanics, carpentry, felling timber, and facility and grounds maintenance.

Kevin Shafer serves as Executive Director of the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District (MMSD).

Since assuming this role, Kevin has transformed the MMSD into one of the leading wastewater utilities in the country through the integration of green infrastructure with traditional infrastructure. Kevin’s 2035 Vision has propelled MMSD forward with climate change adaptation through an aggressive program to convert to renewable fuels, install green infrastructure, and preserve floodplains. His leadership has brought MMSD recognition as the recipient of almost every major award in the industry, including the 2012 U.S. Water Prize.

Kevin has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Illinois and a master’s degree from the University of Texas. He served on numerous boards and is a past president of the National Association of Clean Water Agencies, past co-chair of the Water Research Foundation, and a past member of the EPA’s Local Government Advisory Committee. He currently serves as co-chair of the US Water Alliance, and is on the boards of The Water Council, River Revitalization Foundation, Mequon Nature Preserve, and Great Lakes Protection Fund.

As a life-long sailor, Teresa is passionate about getting people out on the water; happily, her job as the Program Manager for the Milwaukee Community Sailing Center allows her to do just that. The mission of the Milwaukee Community Sailing Center is to make Lake Michigan accessible through quality programming. Over the past 40 years, MCSC has met its mission by building on its foundation of providing quality programming that teaches sailing, and also teaches transferable skills in the way of communication, leadership, and team-building.

Teresa regularly crews for Milwaukee area sailboat races, charters in the Caribbean and Great Lakes, and is a member of the Milwaukee Bay Women’s Sailing Organization, as well as an organizing member of the Midwest Women’s Sailing Conference.  Teresa’s certifications include: US Sailing Keelboat certification; AED/CPR/First Aid Infant, Child, Adult, Red Cross certification; US Sailing Level 1 Instructor certification; US Sailing REACH instructor certification; US Sailing Keelboat Instructor certification; US Sailing/US Powerboating Powerboat Safety Certification; and US Sailing/US Powerboating Powerboat Safety Instructor. Teresa also has a PhD in Early American Literature from the University of Oregon.

In March 2014, Andra became one of the only living persons to walk the 444-mile Natchez Trace. The journey inspired Andra's New York Times best-selling memoir, Not Without My Father, a story about making memories, and about turning “I wish I had” into “I'm glad I did." The Rotarian Magazine profiled Andra in its January 2017 issue as an ordinary Rotarian doing extraordinary things.