In January we extended tremendous gratitude to newly retired Board President Andy Holschbach for his decade of commitment to our mission. Andy is a co-founder of SEWISC, serving on the initial steering committee in 2007 and as a Board member since 2010. We will continue to benefit from Andy’s enthusiasm and expertise through his continued efforts to reduce the impact of invasive species.

The Board also thanks retiring members August Marie Ball and Bob Wakeman for their strong and thoughtful leadership and dedicated service throughout their terms of service on the Board of Directors. New additions in 2018 include two Directors who will each serve initial three-year terms. Join us in welcoming:

Meghan Wersel is the Conservation Manager for the Waukesha County Land Conservancy. She coordinates the management and monitoring of over 2,900 acres in Waukesha County and is the project manager for many large restoration grants. Early in her career, she was hired as a Land Stewardship Intern at the Ozaukee Washington Land Trust where she found and pursued a passion for restoring native habitats. She eagerly studied plant identification, as well as wildlife monitoring techniques, which lead to an understanding of Wisconsin’s natural communities and different stewardship techniques.  Meghan’s passions include: gardening, conducting invasive species removal workdays, participating in prescribed burns, and educating the public about the environmental significance of Waukesha County and southeastern Wisconsin.

Julia Robson serves as the Assistant Natural Areas Coordinator for the Milwaukee County Parks Natural Areas Program. She currently assists with the direct oversight of the 10,000-acre Natural Areas Program and has been the lead on a variety of projects, including county-wide baseline wildlife assessments, ephemeral wetland monitoring, citizen-based monitoring programs, and development of ecological restoration and management plans, as well as community education and outreach with the program’s 70+ partner organizations. Julia received a BS in Biological Sciences and Conservation and Environmental Sciences from the University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee in 2012. Julia is an avid birdwatcher and enjoys discovering the hidden gems of birding spots in Milwaukee County’s urban natural areas.