2006 Fox Valley Land Foundation Board and Staff

President
June Keibler

June helped found Fox Valley Land Foundation in 1992, and served as a foundation board member until 1994. At that time June was Regional Administrator for Kane County Natural Areas Volunteers. She helped spearhead the referendum through Dundee Township Park District that resulted in purchase of 50 acres of Raceway Woods as a natural area.
She also was instrumental in the referendum to create an open space district in Dundee Township. June has 20 years of experience volunteering and working in restoration of natural environments, and is one of two partners in Witness Tree Native Landscapes, Inc.

Vice President (Chair of Communications Committee)
Susan Bohne

Susan has a B.S. in ecology from Huxley College of Environmental Studies at Western Washington University. She has been a business owner for the last 13 years in Elgin and South Elgin. Twelve years ago she got involved in the Nature Conservancy Volunteer Network, and for the last five years she has been the steward for Trout Park Nature Preserve in Elgin. Susan worked for the St. Charles Park District for three years, and for the last three years has worked for Witness Tree Native Landscapes, Inc.

Secretary
Carol Grom

Carol has a B.S. in human ecology/education from Michigan State University , and has continued her education through seminars on environmental and community planning issues. She has served on both Sleepy Hollow's Planning Commission and the Village Board of Trustees. While on the Board, Carol obtained a $68,000 Green Communities environmental planning grant and coordinated a community wide planning process over a 3-year period which resulted in the Sleepy Hollow Green Communities Plan and ongoing projects.

Treasurer & Past President
Tom Armstrong

Tom is a Principal Planner in the City of Elgin’s Dept. of Planning & Neighborhood Services. His primary responsibilities include the preparation, maintenance, and monitoring of Elgin’s Comprehensive Plan and area plans, as well as the preparation of other long-range planning and policy initiatives. He is an active member of the Fox River Ecosystem Partnership: he co-chaired the Land Use Action Team, and served on the Planning Committee, which were formed to develop the Integrated Management Plan for the Fox River.

Directors:
Paul Bednar

Paul is a community planning consultant and a registered landscape architect.  He spent 13 years at the Elgin firm of Burnidge Cassell Architects until 2003 when he ventured out and started his own planning firm, Paul Bednar Planning & Design, Ltd.  He focuses on community planning as a municipal consultant and landscape architect for institutions.

Steven Byers

Since 1990 Steve has been a Field Representative for the Illinois Nature Preserves Commission. Professionally he coordinates preservation and stewardship activities on over 90 nature preserves, totaling approximately 20,000 acres in Northeastern Illinois, with private individuals, public agencies, and natural resource professionals. As a volunteer he has received many awards for his efforts to preserve and manage Bluff Spring Fen, which is now an Illinois Nature Preserve. Steve has a M.S. in Wildlife Ecology and B.S. in Fish & Wildlife Biology and is a Colonel in the U.S. Army Reserve.

Mary Gaston

Mary is a Cost Accountant for Banta Direct Marketing in Elk Grove and has a Bachelor’s degree in Business Management from National Louis University. She is a Certified Naturalist having completed her training at Morton Arboretum. Mary has served in board positions for The Institute of Management Accountants, Strays Halfway House Animal Shelter and the Board of Trustees at her church. She currently is a volunteer at Trout Park and Bluff Spring Fen Nature Preserves and has been active in restoration as a volunteer for the past nine years.

Richard Guerard

Rich has been involved in the building industry for 25 years. He is a general partner of Wyndham Deerpoint Homes, a Builder/Developer that currently has 28 projects in development and has built 800 homes in the northern Illinois area. He is a partner in the law firm of Guerard, Kalina & Butkus in Wheaton, concentrating in real estate and land development law. He is a past president and current director of the Home Builders Association of Greater Fox Valley, a director of the Northern Illinois Home Builders Association and a director of Home Builders Association of Illinois. He is the past President and a current director of the Attainable Housing Alliance (AHA). He is also a past President of the DuPage County Bar Association and a director of Benchmark Bank. He has been a speaker at approximately 85 seminars for professional associations on real estate law, banking, finance, development, home building and related topics.

Patrick Maher

Patrick has had an interest in preservation of natural areas for many years. He is involved in restoration management at Saint Stephen’s Cemetery in Carol Stream, Poplar Creek Forest Preserve near Streamwood, and Buffalo Grove Prairie. Patrick lives in Hanover Park and is employed by a computer reseller at their distribution center in Carol Stream.

John Winkates

John is a Financial Consultant, Accredited Asset Management Specialist, and Trust Specialist with A.G. Edwards & Sons' Elgin office for 5 years. He has more than 10 years experience in the financial services industry. John works with and advises numerous local not-for-profit organizations. He has a prairie restoration project on his property and is a self-taught naturalist.

Executive Director
Sabine Vorkoeper

Sabine's formal training is broad & includes degrees in biology, biophysics, physiology, German literature & journalism.  The latter is where she has extensive experience in writing & editing, as well as in advertising & marketing.  Look for her more recent work in Chicago Wilderness' Spring '06 edition.  Sabine is currently completing her Naturalist Certificate at the Morton Arboretum, and has restoration and stewardship experience with the St. Charles Park District and McHenry County Conservation District.  When she's not working, she is hiking, reading or spending time with her daughter.  Join us in welcoming Sabine as Fox Valley Land Foundation's new Executive Director.

Land Protection Specialist
Liz Aicher

Liz has been a volunteer steward for FVLF for many years, contributing valuable services such as transect monitoring on our Deerpath easement and herbicide services. She has also volunteered to monitor endangered species such as Eastern prairie fringed orchid and Hills thistle. She completed the Naturalist Certificate Program at Morton Arboretum taking the Natural Areas Track. She has her S130 Firefighting Training Certificate. Liz has been a wonderful asset to FVLF with establishing our Heritage Land Registry Program for land owners wanting to know more about stewarding their land.  She also oversees the Land Owner Contact Program which works with land owners who want to investigate protecting their land for perpetuity.

Membership/Communications Assistant
Sue George

Sue has her degree in Business Administration with a marketing major and advertising minor. She had ten years experience in marketing and sales before becoming a mom. She became the Smart Growth Committee Chairman for the local Sierra Club chapter in 2003. That brought her into contact with Fox Valley Land Foundation. Sue started working part time for FVLF in May of 2005.

Student Stewardship Coordinator
Sue Bennett

Sue specializes in community-based environmental action projects. Since 1995, she has managed projects that have created prairies, enhanced wetlands, and stabilized stream banks. Annually, she coordinates over 3,000 students, teachers, and citizens throughout the Fox River watershed in hands-on conservation projects. Her most recent projects include coordination of Friends of the Fox River's Monitoring Network and the Village of Sleepy Hollow's Lake Sharon Stream Bank Stabilization Project.