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All Board members are elected to a two year term.
There is a limit of three consecutive two-year terms with a one-year required break.
Officers are nominated and elected every year.
Steve Anseth, Treasurer
CPA, Francis & Associates
Steven Anseth is a Certified Public Accountant and shareholder with the Minneapolis
accounting firm Francis & Associates, P.A. He works primarily in the nonprofit
sector assisting nonprofit organizations with their Form 990 filing requirement,
financial statement audits, board trainings, internal controls, and other
consulting work. Prior to working in public accounting, Steven’s work experience
included nearly 15 years in various finance roles at a large international
nonprofit organization. He is a graduate of the University of Minnesota, with a
B.S. degree. As a certified public accountant, he is a member of the American
Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Minnesota Society of
Certified Public Accountants. Steven is a member of the Financial Statement
Review Task Force at the MNCPA Society. He also is active in the Twin Cities
Nonprofit Financial Group and has served on the Board of Directors for various
nonprofit organizations.
Don Arnosti
Policy Director, Audubon Minnesota
Don Arnosti was one of the founding members of MEF's Board back in the early 1990's
while Executive Director of Audubon Minnesota. After more than 15 years away from the
Board, he is returning to participate in the next phase of growth of MEF. Don has worked
as an environmental advocate, program director and executive director for several MEF
organizations over the past twenty-five years, including Minnesota Center for
Environmental Advocacy, Audubon Minnesota, Clean Water Action, and the Minnesota Environmental
Partnership. Don is presently the Policy Director for Audubon Minnesota of the National
Audubon Society. He also loves to canoe, fish, read and travel to foreign countries.
Sylvia Bachmann, President
Communications Strategist
Sylvia Bachmann is a communications strategist with 20 years of industry experience.
She specializes in content strategy, project management, media outreach and business writing/editing.
After starting her career at an organic agriculture research center in Pennsylvania,
she worked in Minneapolis from 1991-1994, including work for Mona Meyer McGrath & Gavin
(now Weber Shandwick) and Colle & McVoy. She moved to New York in 1994, where she produced
award-winning public relations campaigns for several prestigious agencies, most recently as a
vice president in Healthcare at Cohn & Wolfe. She also held VP positions at Edelman Worldwide
and at Ketchum, both in New York. Since 2003, she has lived in western Iowa and Minneapolis,
working as an independent consultant serving a wide range of agencies and corporations, including
several non-profits.
Janet Brown
Associate Director, Will Steger Foundation
Janet Brown has been part of the Will Steger Foundation team since November 2007.
As the Associate Director, Janet helps WSF manage a robust development plan while
also providing support for communications, outreach, and programs. Prior to WSF,
Janet worked on environmental issues for eighteen years through both non-profit
and volunteer work including Clean Water Action and St. Joan of Arc Church. Janet
has her bachelor degree in Marketing and Business Administration and worked in
marketing for six years with Northwest Airlines. Janet enjoys spending time with
her husband Mike, adult children, Nansi & Kevin as well as Daisy, their dog and
Kramer their cat. Her interests vary from yoga, running and biking to quilting,
soap and candle making.
Sacha Casillas
Director of Membership and Development, Environmental Initiative
Sacha Casillas has recently joined the staff of Environmental Initiative as the Director of Membership and Development. She was the Membership Director of the Friends of the Boundary Waters Wilderness.
She had been with the Friends for the past five years. Before that she spent a year participating
in sea turtle conservation efforts in Magdalena Bay, Baja California Sur, Mexico. She lives in
Minneapolis and spends her free time traveling, especially to northern MN.
Marc Colin
Partner/Shareholder, Carpenter Evert & Associates, Ltd
Marc Colin is a CPA and partner/shareholder at Carpenter Evert and Associates, LTD. in Bloomington, MN.
He has been providing audit, accounting and tax services to non-profits, small businesses and individuals
for over 15 years. Marc is a graduate of Gustavus Adolphus College. Marc enjoys back country hiking and
camping trips to Wyoming and Colorado; paddling and camping trips to the BWCA and Apostle Islands; and
running marathons. In addition to serving on the MEF board, Marc began serving as the volunteer CFO of
Defending the Blue Line in 2011.
Jake Fischer, J.D.
Clean Energy Program Manager , The Minnesota Project
Jake Fischer, J.D., serves as the Clean Energy Program Manager at the Minnesota Project.
Jake has focused his practical and academic endeavors around gaining experience in the
areas of renewable energy development and community ownership. Jake grew up on his
family’s farm in South Dakota, where he observed a rural community’s need for alternate
avenues of sustainability and hopes to work toward this important goal. Jake has a J.D.
and B.S. from the University of Minnesota and is admitted to the Minnesota State Bar. Jake
enjoys music of all sorts, craft beer and the Golden Gophers.
Katie Galloway
Earth Fund Manager, Aveda
Katie Galloway is the Earth Fund Manager for Aveda where she oversees charitable giving
programs and partnerships and also supports environmental sustainability initiatives. In this
capacity, Katie enjoys working closely with non-profit environmental organizations in Minnesota
and around the world. Katie began her career in environmental work coordinating volunteer programs,
wetland monitoring, and habitat restoration events for Friends of the Mississippi River.
Bjorn Gangeness, Vice President
Regulatory Affairs, Pace Analytical Services, Inc.
Bjorn Gangeness is a Regulatory Affairs professional at Pace Analytical Services, Inc.
He received his BA degree from Gustavus Aldophus College in Chemistry, Environmental
Studies and Scandinavian Studies. He holds a MS in Science, Technology and
Environmental Policy from the University of Minnesota.
Patti Hague, Past President
Operations Director, Hearth Connection
Patti Hague is the Operations Director at Hearth Connection. Previously she has held the positions
of Vice President of Programs for Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Greater Twin Cities, Director of
Community Relations for HealthPartners, and Director of Health and Community Services for the Greater
Minneapolis Chapter of the American Red Cross. Prior to that she spent 8 years in the field of disability
advocacy. Patti has served on the board of several organizations, including the Minnesota Council on
Foundations, HealthPartners, Minnesota Environmental Fund, and Philanthrofund Foundation. Patti has a
Master's degree from George Washington University and a BA degree from Carleton College
Claire Hames
Assistant General Counsel, Piper Jaffray & Co.
Claire Hames is a Managing Director and Assistant General Counsel at Piper Jaffray & Co., a Minnesota-based
financial services firm. Claire graduated from Middlebury College and the University of Minnesota Law School,
and is an avid gardener, camper and skier.
Abby Liesch
Membership Associate, Land Stewardship Project
Abby Liesch has been the Membership Associate at Land Stewardship Project since 2007. Abby grew up in northeastern
Wisconsin, where she first learned to enjoy discovering the natural world through canoeing, biking, camping and
hiking. She also enjoys poetry, growing and cooking food, and brewing beer. She lives in Minneapolis,
with her husband, Philip. They enjoy native trees and plants throughout the region, in both urban and rural areas.
Abby has worked for the Minnesota Conservation Corps, the Natural Resource Conservation Service, and as a cook
at a St. Paul cafe serving locally produced foods, where she found her passion for helping to create a sustainable
and just food and farming system.
Cori Mattke
Membership and Administrative Coordinator, Friends of the Boundary Waters Wilderness
Cori earned a degree in Environmental Studies and Community Organizing/Outreach from Northland College in Ashland, Wisc. Her professional interests lie in the intersection between ecology, communities, and conservation initiatives. While at Northland Cori developed and self-published a book-length community writing project focused on sense of place and individuals’ relationships to landscapes across the country. At home she is an avid vegetable gardener, printmaker, and outdoor enthusiast who enjoys paddling, backpacking, and snowshoeing throughout Minnesota.
Ken Potts
Director of Sustainability, McGough Construction
Ken Potts, AIA, LEED AP, joined McGough Companies in 2005. There he leads the
sustainability strategies of the Development, Construction, and Facility Management
divisions. Ken has overseen McGough’s involvement in LEED Certification under every commercial
rating system, including two Platinum Certified buildings. Ken also participates in various community
and volunteer activities. In 2011 the City Council in Edina, MN appointed him to a three year term as a
City Planning Commissioner. From 2009 – 2011, Ken has served as a Resource Team Member and Forum participant
to the American Architectural Foundation’s Sustainable Cities Design Academy. This new initiative by the AAF
provides development and technical assistance to local community leaders engaged in shaping policy and making
design decisions in their communities. Ken was a founding Director of the USGBC’s Chicago Chapter in 2002 and
is currently a member of USGBG Minnesota.
Annie Sarver-Bodoh, Secretary
Development Director, Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy
Annie Sarver-Bodoh is a longtime development officer in the Twin Cities with more than
twenty years of fundraising experience. Her areas of expertise include donor cultivation,
corporate and foundation giving, special event management, and strategic planning. Additionally,
Annie has a long background in marketing communications including the development of brand
architecture, key messaging, print and electronic communications. She earned her B.A. from
the University of Notre Dame.
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