MEET OUR STAFF

 

Marian Riggs Gelb , Executive Director

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 worked as an analyst in the Iowa Legislative Fiscal Bureau. In the early 1980’s, she worked on the staff of Senator Alan Dixon. From 1985 to 1991, She 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 dedicated a significant amount of time to supporting her children’s schools, often taking leadership roles in supporting the staff and the parent/teacher organizationsGelb 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, member of the Polk County Conservation/DM Parks Task Force; 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.

 

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 returns 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 joined Council staff in April 2005. Four years prior to this, she left a successful career with the American Red Cross, to pursue her dream of writing on behalf of our natural environment. Lynn obtained B.S. degrees in journalism and in environmental studies, from Iowa State University in 2004. The highlight of her college career was participating in the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg, South Africa. During her college career, Lynn worked as a public relations specialist for the Iowa Department of Public Health, gradually taking on more and more freelance environmental writing jobs. After college, she worked as a staff and a freelance writer in Northwestern Iowa, specializing in environmental issues, until landing her dream job at the Council.

 

Lynn also has over 15 years experience in public education program development, program administration and management; organizing and facilitating networks; grant procurement, curriculum writing, and public/media relations.

 

Vicki Hoogeveen, Bookkeeper/Office Manager

Vicki is from Des Moines and comes to the Iowa Environmental Council 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 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.

 

Amy Broadmoore, Air Quality Program Director

Amy Broadmoore joined the Council, on contract, in February as an Air Quality Program Analyst. This is a new position, developed to conduct research on air quality issues in Iowa, begin the process of coalition building and public education and advise the Council on policy opportunities available to protect Iowa’s air quality.

 

Amy has a J.D. degree from the University of Minnesota Law School, an M.S. degree in Ecology from the University of Minnesota Graduate School, and a B.A. degree in Biology from Grinnell College. While in law school, Amy worked at the Iowa Attorney General’s Office, where she researched the impact of global warming on Iowa agriculture. She has also worked as an intern at Farmers’ Legal Action Group and Minnesota Farmers’ Union and has a special interest in working with farmers to protect Iowa’s natural resources.

 

Amy works from home, in Grinnell, most days, but has an office at the Council, too.