The Iowa Environmental Council was pleased to announce Marian Riggs Gelb as the new Executive Director, in May 2007. Marian quickly began learning about the Council and making her mark, including being appointed to represent the Council on the Iowa Climate Change Advisory Council.
"Public awareness of environmental issues has grown considerably in Iowa in the last few years; more and more people want to know what their community leaders are going to do to protect our precious natural resources. The Iowa Environmental Council works with leaders to find non-partisan policy solutions that clean up and protect our air, soil and water. And now—with the public looking for solutions to the most pressing issue of our time: global warming—the Council is particularly poised to successfully advocate for non-partisan energy solutions," says Marian.
In the late 1970s, Marian Riggs Gelb worked as an analyst in the Iowa Legislative Fiscal Bureau. In the early 1980’s, she moved to Washington, D.C. to pursue her MBA in Finance at George Washington University. During that time she worked on the staff of Senator Alan Dixon. From 1985 to 1991, Marian served as Vice President of the commercial loan department, of Bank 2000, in McLean, Virginia. More recently, she has been a consultant to Growing Green Communities, the REAP Alliance and Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation. Marian also serves as Vice-Chair of the Des Moines Park and Recreation Board, of which she has been a member since 2001. She is a member of the Mayor’s Task Force on Energy Conservation and Environmental Enhancement, and Chairperson, Urban Conservation Advisory Committee, a subcommittee of the Des Moines Park and Recreation Board. In 2006, she was appointed to sit on the North River Basin Study Steering Committee and appointed to the Downtown Des Moines Planning Project Steering Committee. Ms. Gelb is a member of the Stakeholder Advisory Board for the outreach program of the Environmental Health Sciences Research Center at the University of Iowa. In 2007, Ms. Gelb was appointed by the Governor to serve on the Iowa Climate Change Advisory Council and elected by the Council to serve as secretary.
Susan Heathcote, Water Program Director
Since 1996 Susan has provided the technical leadership on many of the Council's issues, including water quality, water monitoring, agricultural drainage wells, livestock manure management, and Iowa's hazardous site program. Before joining the Council, she worked 11 years as a petroleum geophysicist for Mobil Oil Corporation in California, Alaska, and Norway, and six years as an environmental consultant for the Howard R. Green Company in Iowa. She received her undergraduate degree in geology from the University of Arkansas and her master's degree in geology and geophysics from the University of Iowa.
Nathaniel Baer , Energy Program Director
Nathaniel joined the Council, in July 2007, from Environment Iowa, an extension of Iowa PIRG—Public Interest Research Group. There he successfully advocated for new policies in Iowa to address global warming, boost clean energy, and improve energy efficiency programs.
Nathaniel has a JD from the University of Iowa College of Law, where he graduated with high honors and was awarded the Michelle Bennett Client Representation Award and the Public Interest Law Foundation Grant. During law school, he represented nonprofit organizations on formation and management and won asylum cases for several clients from east Africa. Prior to law school, Nathaniel managed a large organic farm in southern Minnesota and worked as a policy advocate and organizer on affordable housing issues.
Barbra Jotzke, Development Director
Barbra returned to her hometown of Des Moines in August of 2007 to direct the fundraising efforts for the Iowa Environmental Council.
She received her M.A. in philosophy from Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo, Michigan, in June 1998. For the last four years she has worked for the Chicago Foundation for Women where she coordinated outreach, special events and the annual fund. Prior to the Foundation she spent five years in the annual fund department at Lake Forest College. Barbra has extensive experience in securing diverse funding sources and developing a broad base of supporters.
Her passion for fundraising for advocacy rises from a belief in the importance of working for true solutions rather than short term fixes. Barbra brings her skills, vision and leadership to create a sustainable funding base for the Iowa Environmental Council.
Lynn Laws, Communications Director
Lynn Laws has been the Communications Director for the Iowa Environmental Council since April 2005. In this position she is responsible for public and media relations; development and implementation of communication campaigns and strategies; content and design of print and online communications; and the Council’s annual conference. Prior to coming to the Council, she coordinated and designed education campaigns for American Red Cross chapters in Iowa and assisted with curriculum development and was on the teacher trainer faculty for the National American Red Cross. Lynn holds B.S. degrees in journalism and environmental studies from Iowa State University.
Vicki Hoogeveen, Bookkeeper/Office Manager
Vicki is from Des Moines and came to the Iowa Environmental Council in May of 2007, with 10 years of experience in the non-profit sector, payroll, bookkeeping, and customer service. She holds a business administration bachelor’s degree with financial emphasis from Morningside College, in Sioux City, Iowa. Vicki juggles taking care of her one-year old son with her work at the Council. You can find her at the Council on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.
Shannon Garretson , Water Policy Legal Analyst
Shannan Garretson joined our team in February 2008, as a graduate from the University of Iowa. Her educational background is in Environmental Science, with a Hydroscience emphasis. While attending college, she gained experience working with Geographic Information Systems with the Geologic Survey Bureau as well as ground water sampling with the U.S. Geologic Survey. Prior to attending university she enlisted in the U.S. Coast Guard, where she remains a reservist. Her field in the Coast Guard is Marine Science Technician, which has a main focus in environmental protection. She enjoys spending as much time as possible outdoors with her husband and 2-year-old daughter.
Lee Searles, Air Quality Program Director
Leland (Lee) Searles became the new Air Quality Program Director in May 2009, on contract. Lee has taught anthropology since 1997 in Minnesota and Iowa. He graduated from the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities in sociocultural anthropology (PhD, 2001), and he also has degrees from Iowa State University (MA, Anthropology, 1993) and Graceland University (BA, Sociology, 1981). At the University of Minnesota Lee taught laboratory sections on human evolution that covered biological evolutionary research and theory, human and primate evolution, and genetics.
Since coming to Iowa in 2003 he has become involved in various community organizations and has devoted considerable attention to the human factors in environmental change. His background in ecological/environmental anthropology provides a basis for understanding the scientific and social impacts of human resource use across a wide range of cultural systems. He also brings experience working in the non-profit sector in Minnesota and Iowa.
The Iowa Environmental Council was pleased to announce Marian Riggs Gelb as the new Executive Director, in May 2007. Marian quickly began learning about the Council and making her mark, including being appointed to represent the Council on the Iowa Climate Change Advisory Council. 
Since 1996 Susan has provided the technical leadership on many of the Council's issues, including water quality, water monitoring, agricultural drainage wells, livestock manure management, and Iowa's hazardous site program. Before joining the Council, she worked 11 years as a petroleum geophysicist for Mobil Oil Corporation in California, Alaska, and Norway, and six years as an environmental consultant for the Howard R. Green Company in Iowa. She received her undergraduate degree in geology from the University of Arkansas and her master's degree in geology and geophysics from the University of Iowa.
Nathaniel joined the Council, in July 2007, from Environment Iowa, an extension of Iowa PIRG—Public Interest Research Group. There he successfully advocated for new policies in Iowa to address global warming, boost clean energy, and improve energy efficiency programs.
Barbra returned to her hometown of Des Moines in August of 2007 to direct the fundraising efforts for the Iowa Environmental Council.
Lynn Laws has been the Communications Director for the Iowa Environmental Council since April 2005. In this position she is responsible for public and media relations; development and implementation of communication campaigns and strategies; content and design of print and online communications; and the Council’s annual conference. Prior to coming to the Council, she coordinated and designed education campaigns for American Red Cross chapters in Iowa and assisted with curriculum development and was on the teacher trainer faculty for the National American Red Cross. Lynn holds B.S. degrees in journalism and environmental studies from Iowa State University. 
Vicki is from Des Moines and came to the Iowa Environmental Council in May of 2007, with 10 years of experience in the non-profit sector, payroll, bookkeeping, and customer service. She holds a business administration bachelor’s degree with financial emphasis from Morningside College, in Sioux City, Iowa. Vicki juggles taking care of her one-year old son with her work at the Council. You can find her at the Council on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.
Shannan Garretson joined our team in February 2008, as a graduate from the University of Iowa. Her educational background is in Environmental Science, with a Hydroscience emphasis. While attending college, she gained experience working with Geographic Information Systems with the Geologic Survey Bureau as well as ground water sampling with the U.S. Geologic Survey. Prior to attending university she enlisted in the U.S. Coast Guard, where she remains a reservist. Her field in the Coast Guard is Marine Science Technician, which has a main focus in environmental protection. She enjoys spending as much time as possible outdoors with her husband and 2-year-old daughter.
Leland (Lee) Searles became the new Air Quality Program Director in May 2009, on contract. Lee has taught anthropology since 1997 in Minnesota and Iowa. He graduated from the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities in sociocultural anthropology (PhD, 2001), and he also has degrees from Iowa State University (MA, Anthropology, 1993) and Graceland University (BA, Sociology, 1981). At the University of Minnesota Lee taught laboratory sections on human evolution that covered biological evolutionary research and theory, human and primate evolution, and genetics.