Board of Visitors

Katherine Gensler (Washington, D.C.) is chair of the Nelson Institute Board of Visitors and vice president of government affairs for Arevon, leading the company’s strategic engagement with federal and state government officials. Katherine also heads the marketing and communications team at Arevon. Previously, she spent 13 years with the Solar Energy Industries Association, expanding its advocacy before Congress and the Administration on behalf of the U.S. solar industry. Katherine also served as an energy analyst at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, where she advised the commission on electricity and natural gas policies throughout the West.

She holds a master of public affairs degree from Indiana University and a bachelor of science in political science from the University of Wisconsin–Madison. Katherine lives in Washington, D.C., in a solar-powered home.

Read more about Katherine Gensler

Ian Gurfield (Madison, Wisconsin) is the cofounder of Ian’s Pizza and Batch Bakehouse. An entrepreneur at heart, Gurfield started his first business, Ian’s Pizza, in 2001 when he was just 23 years old. Since then, he’s been an investor in multiple food businesses, real estate endeavors, and clean tech startups. Gurfield was born and raised in Massachusetts, but also spent five years in Brazil, his mother’s native country. He is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts–Amherst, where he earned a multidisciplinary degree focused on social thought and political economy.

Lynn Hobbie (Madison, Wisconsin) is executive vice president at Madison Gas and Electric Company. MGE is an investor-owned utility in Wisconsin that serves the Madison and Dane County communities. Her responsibilities include marketing, energy products and services, corporate communications, economic development, residential, business and community services and web services. Lynn has worked at MGE for 30 years. She has an undergraduate degree in history and a master of science degree in land resources/energy policy and analysis, both from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Lynn was the recipient of the 2014 Nelson Institute Distinguished Alumni Award.

Her current board service includes the board of directors for 1000 Friends of Wisconsin and the Wisconsin Statewide Energy Efficiency and Renewables Administration, and she is a member of the City of Madison’s Sustainable Transportation Master Plan Committee. She has served previously on the board of directors for the Wisconsin Public Utilities Institute and the Energy Center of Wisconsin.

Steven Lawry (New York City) received a PhD in land resources from the Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies in 1988. The same year he joined the research staff of UW-Madison’s Land Tenure Center (LTC) and became LTC’s associate director in charge of Africa programs in 1990. Steven held senior positions in the Ford Foundation from 1992 to 2006, including assistant representative for the foundation’s Office for South Africa and Namibia (1992-1997) and regional representative for the foundation’s Office for the Middle East and North Africa in Cairo (1997-2001).

He was president of Antioch College, in Yellow Springs, Ohio, in 2006 and 2007. He was a senior research fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School’s Hauser Center for Nonprofit Organizations from 2008 to 2013. On leave from the Kennedy School, he headed the USAID-funded Sudan Property Rights Program in 2010 and 2011, based in Juba, assisting the government of South Sudan develop a national land policy. He went on to serve as global practice leader for Land Tenure and Property Rights at DAI, a Washington-based consulting group, from 2011 to 2014.

From 2014 to 2019 Steven served as director of governance research and principal scientist at the Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR); first at CIFOR’s Indonesia headquarters and later in Washington, D.C. As a scholar, foundation executive, policy advisor, and project manager, Steven has carried out research and published scholarly articles on topics including:

• The social and ecological effects of forest rights devolution
• The effects of land reform on agricultural investment and productivity and social equity
• Tenure and governance factors affecting adoption of forest landscape restoration practices
• The outcomes of higher education initiatives intended to foster civic engagement
• Impactful approaches to philanthropic giving

Read more about Steven Lawry

Ashley Lee’s passion for cultivating community-representative leadership stems from a deep love of the Milwaukee community. Ashley is a native of the Sherman Park community in Milwaukee and has over eight years of experience working to achieve racial and educational equity. Ashley currently serves as the national director of alumni mobilization and engagement for Public Allies Inc., an organization dedicated to creating a just and equitable society and the diverse leadership to sustain it.

In her previous role as executive director of Public Allies’ Milwaukee region, Ashley led the creation of an environmental and water justice cohort within Public Allies to strengthen the pipeline for diverse leaders in Wisconsin organizations dedicated to sustainability. She also serves in a part-time capacity as an outreach specialist at the Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies.

In past roles, Ashley served as the special assistant to the superintendent for Milwaukee Public Schools and worked on Teach For America’s national admissions team. Ashley is a skilled facilitator, collaborative leader, and unapologetic advocate for youth and BIPOC voices above all.

Ashley earned a bachelor of science in community and environmental sociology and environmental sciences from the University of Wisconsin–Madison. She also holds a master’s degree in educational leadership and policy analysis from Marquette University. In the spring of 2019, Ashley was awarded the Governor’s Service Award for AmeriCorps Alumni of the Year as well as the Nelson Institute’s Rising Star Alumni Award.

Read more about Ashley Lee

Linda Mearns is director of the Regional Climate Uncertainty Program (RCUP) and previously served as director of the Weather and Climate Impacts Assessment Science Program (WCIASP) for 15 years. She is also head of the Regional Integrated Sciences Collective (RISC) within the Information Systems Division (ISD) of the Computational and Information Systems Lab, and senior scientist at the National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, Colorado.

She served as director of the Institute for the Study of Society and Environment (ISSE) for three years ending in April 2008. She holds a PhD in geography/climatology from UCLA.

She has performed research and published mainly in the areas of climate change scenario formation, quantifying uncertainties, and climate change impacts on agro-ecosystems. She has particularly worked extensively with regional climate models. She has been an author in the IPCC Climate Change 1995, 2001, 2007, and 2013-14 Assessments regarding climate variability, impacts of climate change on agriculture, regional projections of climate change, climate scenarios, and uncertainty in future projections of climate change. She has also participated in all of the U.S. National Climate Assessments either as an author or review editor.

She led the multi-agency supported North American Regional Climate Change Assessment Program (NARCCAP), and is co-chair of the North American CORDEX Program. She has been a member of the National Research Council Climate Research Committee (CRC), the NAS Human Dimensions of Global Change (HDGC) Committee, the NAS Panel on Adaptation of the America’s Climate Choices Program, and the National Academy of Sciences Panel on Advancing Climate Modeling.

She has worked extensively with resource managers (e.g., water resource managers and ecologists) to form climate change scenarios for use in adaptation planning. She was made a fellow of the American Meteorological Society in January 2006. She received the American Association of Geographers Life Time Achievement Award in 2015 and the Excellence in Research Award in 2016. She currently is on the advisory panel of the USGCRP and member of the Board on Environmental Health (BEH) of the AMS.

David Morell, PhD (Sonoma, California), a specialist in global environmental and energy policy, retired in 2007 as co-founder and CEO of a global environmental consulting firm, Specialty Technical Consultants.

Dr. Morell previously served as a senior official of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in both Washington, D.C., and in San Francisco. He was EPA’s first director of the national pollution permit program for wastewater treatment plants (NPDES) and then directed the Office of Transportation and Land Use Policy under the Clean Air Act. In San Francisco he served as special assistant to the EPA regional administrator. He also served as director of hazardous waste policy for California state government and as special assistant for toxics management for Santa Clara County, California (Silicon Valley).

He has had consulting assignments for the World Bank and USAID (in Mexico, Russia, and Thailand).

At present he is president of the board of directors for Sonoma Ecology Center; chair of the Climate Action Commission on the City of Sonoma; co-founder and board member of the Sonoma Biochar Initiative; member of the Climate Justice Committee of national veterans group, Common Defense; and an advisory board member of Gardens for Health International.

Dr. Morell has many years of experience in university teaching and research, including at Princeton University, Stanford University, Claremont Graduate School, Mae Fah Luang University (Thailand), and the University of California-Berkeley and Santa Cruz. He earned a BA in economics and international relations from the University of Wisconsin–Madison and a PhD in public policy from Princeton.

Betsy Otto (Washington, D.C.) recently retired as the director of World Resources Institute’s (WRI) Global Water Program, where she led development of Aqueduct, a global water risk assessment and mapping tool to inform private and public sector investment and water management decisions, and launched an urban water resilience project in African cities.

Otto also worked with staff across WRI to incorporate water considerations and sustainable solutions for climate adaptation at the intersection with cities, energy, forests, biodiversity, governance, and finance.

Otto has more than 30 years of experience working on water resource management, ecosystem protection, and urban water systems. She has worked to promote sound land and water planning and urban water infrastructure systems that incorporate upstream ecosystem services and green infrastructure designs in cities, and integrate drinking water, stormwater, and wastewater management.

Prior to joining WRI, Otto developed successful clean water and water supply programs for American Rivers in Washington, D.C., where she worked closely with mayors, utilities, federal agencies, and Congress to promote smart water policies and drive public and private investment toward more sustainable water infrastructure solutions.

Otto earned a master’s degree in water resources management from the University of Wisconsin–Madison’s Nelson Institute, an MBA from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School, and a BA in economics from the University of Illinois. From 2006 to 2007, she was a Loeb Fellow at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design, where she studied international water management, urban infrastructure, and water and sanitation issues.

Watch an interview with Otto on Netflix’s Explained series; she explains the world water crisis at the 3-minute mark.

Jim Rink (Naperville, Illinois) is an accomplished professional with over 35 years of leadership in manufacturing, advanced technology, and organizational development. Collaborating with global teams in China, Europe, the United States, Mexico, and India, he has effectively fostered international partnerships and streamlined operations, enhancing organizational agility and manufacturing excellence. As the founder and owner of Integrity 360 Leadership (i360L), Jim drives organizational growth by aligning people, processes, and technology.

As a recognized mentor and coach, Jim holds certifications as an ICF Professional Certified Coach (PCC), Gallup-certified strengths coach, and EQ-I certified associate. He has influenced hundreds of people, fostering talent development and career growth. His academic background includes advanced degrees in education, business, and engineering, giving him a broad perspective on complex challenges.

Currently, Jim serves as the co-chair of the Board of Visitors at the Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, a director at the Workforce Investment Board of Will County and is actively engaged with Lewis University as a Council of Regents member and adjunct faculty. He has also held critical roles, including chairman of the Will County Center for Economic Development and positions within various educational and economic foundations.

Dedicated to community impact, Jim extends his leadership to environmental sustainability, workforce development, and education. His significant roles in community and non-profit organizations underscore his commitment to driving economic growth and educational excellence. As a visionary leader, Jim continues to focus on fostering sustainable, inclusive growth and empowering the next generation of leaders.

Read more about Jim Rink

Arthur Sacks is professor emeritus of environmental studies, film studies, and English at the Colorado School of Mines in Golden, Colorado. He served in a variety of administrative and faculty positions for the Institute for Environmental Studies (now Nelson Institute) beginning in 1976, and was its second director from 1985 to 1990.

Dr. Sacks was instrumental in organizing and developing several of the institute’s MS and PhD programs as well as the undergraduate certificate/minor in environmental studies.

Among his accomplishments, he secured numerous major institute grants from public agencies and private foundations. Among these, he obtained about $500,000 in flexible funding from the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation for institute initiatives, and the initial $1.25 million endowment in Climate, People and the Environment from an anonymous donor in honor of the institute’s founding director, Professor Reid A. Bryson.

In 1986, Professor Sacks was appointed by and reported to the administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to serve in a leadership role in the U.S.-U.S.S.R. Agreement on Cooperation in the Field of Environmental Protection. His Soviet counterpart was the U.S.S.R. minister of education. Dr. Sacks held this role until the breakup of the Soviet Union in 1991.

He joined the Colorado School of Mines in Golden, Colorado, in 1993 to be professor and founding director of the Division of Liberal Arts and International Studies. He served in this capacity for 11 years before being appointed as associate vice president for academic and faculty affairs (associate provost). He held that position for five years before being appointed as director of the McBride Honors Program in Public Affairs for Engineers, a position he held until retiring from Mines in 2011.

During his distinguished career, Dr. Sacks has published and lectured internationally on every continent except Antarctica in the fields of environmental education and sustainability. He has served on numerous editorial boards of refereed environmental studies and environmental education publications and professional journals. He was president of the North American Association for Environmental Education (NAAEE), being central to expanding the Association from the National Association for Environmental Education (NAEE).

Professor Sacks was privileged to be one of U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson’s many friends and associates, working with him on environmental education matters from 1976 and forward.

He earned his master’s degree and PhD in English at UW-Madison.

Read Arthur Sacks’ full bio (pdf) and watch a video in which he shares the story of the Nelson Institute’s beginnings and how it built an international reputation in environmental studies education, research, and outreach.

Read more about Arthur Sacks

Angélica Sanchez Mora’s (Milwaukee) love for nature and environmental justice started in her hometown of Guadalajara, Mexico, where she explored urban green spaces with her family. Her passion for conservation was reaffirmed when she got her bachelor’s degree in conservation and environmental science from UW–Milwaukee in 2014. As she dug deeper into her interests, she came to the Nelson Institute and earned her master’s degree in environmental conservation in 2016.

As the branch manager of the Urban Ecology Center’s Menomonee Valley location, Mora develops and implements programs alongside her team to connect community members with nature and help build a sense of community around environmental stewardship. She has fostered partnerships with schools, community organizations, and neighbors, and has worked to develop programs that engage diverse communities and help break down barriers to access to nature.

Throughout her career, Mora continues to push toward a more equitable outdoors experience and creating spaces that allows people from different backgrounds, especially the Latinx community, to connect with nature in their own unique way.

Read more about Angélica Sanchez Mora

Anne Sayers (Cross Plains, Wisconsin) is the secretary-designee of the Wisconsin Department of Tourism, where she has led the creation of the Office of Outdoor Recreation and elevated the Wisconsin brand while deeply engaging in the hard-hit industry in pivots necessitated by the global pandemic. In January 2021, Sayers was recognized as one of the “Top 25 Most Extraordinary Minds in Sales, Marketing, and Revenue Optimization” by the Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International.

Sayers previously led conservation efforts at the local, state, national, and international level for nearly two decades with a variety of nonprofit organizations including the International Crane Foundation and The Nature Conservancy. She is the owner and operator of Oh, Hello LLC, a marketing, communications, and nonprofit management consultancy.

She holds degrees from the University of Wisconsin–Madison in international relations (managing the global commons) and geography (human-environmental interaction), as well as a certificate of environmental studies from the Nelson Institute. Sayers also serves on the boards of directors for Taliesin Preservation and Wisconsin State Fair Park. She is a former vice chair of the Nelson Institute Board of Visitors.

Tisha Schuller (Boulder, Colorado) founded Adamantine Energy to help energy companies translate their sustainability and decarbonization aspirations into action. Tisha advises private clients from Fortune 100 energy companies to nonprofit environmental organizations in matters including ESG and decarbonization strategies, managing disruption, energy policy, environmental justice, and stakeholder engagement. She also serves as the strategic advisor for Stanford University’s Natural Gas Initiative. Previously, Tisha served as president and CEO of the Colorado Oil & Gas Association and as principal and vice president of Tetra Tech, a national environmental consulting and engineering firm. She has a BS from Stanford University.

Tisha serves on many academic and nonprofit boards including those of the Breakthrough Institute, the Energy for Growth Hub, the Denver Museum of Nature & Science Institute for Science & Policy Strategic Council, the University of Wisconsin–Madison Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies, and the Payne Institute for Public Policy at the Colorado School of Mines. She has also been a member of the National Petroleum Council, an advisory board to the U.S. secretary of energy under the Obama, Trump, and Biden administrations.

She is the author of three books: Accidentally Adamant (2018), The Gamechanger’s Playbook: How Oil & Gas Leaders Thrive in an Era of Continuous Disruption (2020) and her latest, Real Decarbonization: How Oil & Gas Companies Are Seizing the Low-Carbon Future (2022). Tisha authors Both of These Things Are True, a weekly email newsletter, and hosts the Real Decarbonization podcast.

Follow Tisha on X (formerly Twitter)

Mike Strigel (Madison, Wisconsin) is the assistant deputy secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade, Consumer Protection (DATCP), a role he began in July 2023. Strigel supports DATCP’s external affairs and strengthens relationships with stakeholders.

A Wisconsin native, Strigel is a graduate of Cornell University with a bachelor’s degree in communication and the University of Wisconsin–Madison with a master’s degree in land resources from the Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies. His previous field experience with The Prairie Enthusiasts, the International Crane Foundation, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and other organizations has taken him through the prairies, savannas, forests, and wetlands of Wisconsin and the Midwest as well as stints in the forests of southern Oregon and northern California.

Before his position at DATCP, he was president and executive director at the Aldo Leopold Nature Center in Monona, Wisconsin, where he led efforts to instill Leopold’s conservation legacy in more than 50,000 visitors per year. He also served as executive director of Gathering Waters: Wisconsin’s Alliance for Land Trusts and spent eight years at the Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters, where he was executive director. At the academy, Strigel directed a national conference in 1999 celebrating the 50th Anniversary of Leopold’s A Sand County Almanac, one of the personal highlights of his career. He is a former chair of the Nelson Institute Board of Visitors.

Cait Williamson (Madison, Wisconsin) is the director of conservation programs for the Natural Resources Foundation (NRF) of Wisconsin, where she leads the organization’s funding programs and initiatives for conservation and environmental education. She works closely with partners across the state to ensure that NRF has the most significant impact possible on Wisconsin’s lands, waters, and wildlife through strategic, science-based investments, while leading diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts across the organization and Wisconsin’s conservation community.

Williamson has 10 years of experience in the environmental conservation field, with expertise in conservation science and planning, program development, and partnership building. She earned her master’s in environmental conservation from UW–Madison’s Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies and a bachelor’s in biology and environmental studies from Lawrence University.

Williamson is a CCNET coach for the internationally used Conservation Standards, she serves on the science advisory board for the Wisconsin Initiative on Climate Change Impacts, and she cofounded the Wisconsin Chapter of the Society for Conservation Biology. She lives in Madison, Wisconsin, with husband, Miguel, and their dog, Sydney.

Williamson is a recipient of the 2023 Rising Star Alumni Award.

Read more about Cait Williamson