Professional Staff
Prairie Rivers’ staff of highly qualified experts and activists is supported by your generous contributions.
Glynnis Collins, Executive Director
Glynnis took over the leadership role as Prairie Rivers Network’s Executive Director in July 2008. Previously one of PRN’s Water Resources Scientists, her work focused on ensuring that the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency followed the Clean Water Act requirement to set protective standards for the amounts of harmful pollutants that can be in our waterways. She also has experience in watershed-based ambient water quality monitoring and has done research into the fate and transport of nitrogen in water. She has worked with permit applicants, advocacy groups, municipalities, and local citizens—all of whom we communicate with in our clean water work on a regular basis. As Executive Director, Glynnis brings with her an intimate knowledge of PRN’s program work and forward-thinking, pragmatic leadership to continue our important work. Glynnis has a B.S. in Environmental and Forest Biology and M.S. in Biology. Contact Glynnis at (217) 344-2371 or gcollins @ prairierivers.org.
Steph Adams, Communications & Membership Services
Steph joined PRN in May, 2008. She comes to PRN with several years of development, outreach and public relations experience for environmental and other non-profit organizations from a western land trust to a women’s rights organization in Africa. Steph has also gotten her feet wet with other river organizations: She worked for the River Alliance of Wisconsin and was a volunteer for Utah Rivers Council. Steph currently plans special events for members and the public and manages communications. Steph has a B.S in Economics and a M.A. in Public Policy Analysis. Contact Steph at (217) 344-2371 or sadams @ prairierivers.org.
Traci Barkley, Water Resources Scientist
Traci Barkley joined PRN in 2005 and works to reduce pollution entering our rivers and streams by ensuring that municipalities, mining operations, and industries follow Clean Water Act regulations that include specific limits on the amount of pollution allowed to be discharged into a river or stream. Previously, Traci worked for IEPA where she was involved in water quality monitoring; provided technical assistance to the public, local watershed groups, and state agencies; and was involved in statewide discussions related to water quality standards and criteria, NPDES permits, and TMDL development. She also coordinated River Watch volunteers for the Illinois EcoWatch program, a citizen monitoring program that tracks ecological trends in Illinois. Traci is a former PRN volunteer with a B.S. in Ecology and M.S. in Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences. Contact Traci at (217) 344-2371 or tbarkley @ prairierivers.org.
Elliot Brinkman, Water Resources Specialist – Habitat Conservation
Elliot Brinkman joined PRN in April, 2011. He works to advance wildlife conservation efforts along the Mississippi River by engaging public and private stakeholders through outreach strategies. He also assists stakeholders in securing funding for habitat conservation projects.
Prior to joining PRN, Elliot worked as a research assistant on a USDA-CSREES funded Watershed Health Integrated Research (WHIR) project in the lower Kaskaskia River region in Illinois. He was responsible for collecting and analyzing social data from several communities within the study area, and assessing capacity for watershed conservation. Elliot has also worked at Redwood National and State Parks as an environmental educator. He has a B.S. in Forestry, with an emphasis on Outdoor Recreation Resource Management, and an M.S. in Forestry, specializing in Human Dimensions of Natural Resource Management. Contact Elliot at (217) 344-2371 or ebrinkman @ prairierivers.org.
Robert Hirschfeld, Coalition Organizer – Invasive Species
Robert Hirschfeld joined PRN in March 2011 to work on invasive species issues. He will be engaged in grassroots and grasstops organizing, partner coordination, and participation in strategy development for an effort to build a coalition in support of a permanent solution to the movement of aquatic invasive species between the Great Lakes and Mississippi River basins. He will also represent Prairie Rivers Network in the media and coordinate outreach and visibility activities regarding invasive species issues. Before joining the professional staff, Robert was a legal intern for PRN, working on Clean Water Act compliance and enforcement. He graduated from the University of Puget Sound with a B.A. in religion and Asian studies, and received his J.D. from the University of Illinois College of Law in 2009. Robert is also an editor of the Champaign-Urbana online magazine Smile Politely and a working musician. Contact Robert at (217) 344-2371 or rhirschfeld @ prairierivers.org
Stacy James, Water Resources Scientist
Stacy James joined PRN in 2006 and works to reduce urban and agricultural stormwater pollution entering our rivers. Stacy also represents Prairie Rivers Network on a multi-state collaborative effort to reduce pollution entering the Mississippi River. Previously, Stacy was a post-doc for the U.S. Geological Survey Columbia Environmental Research Center in Missouri, where she conducted research on the effects of contamination on aquatic organisms. Her dissertation at the University of Missouri assessed how amphibians respond to cadmium contamination in the aquatic and terrestrial environment. Before enrolling in graduate school, she worked all over the U.S. as a seasonal technician for bird, mammal, amphibian, reptile, and plant projects. Stacy has a B.S. in Biology and Ph.D. in Biological Sciences and Conservation Biology. Contact Stacy at (217) 344-2371 or sjames @ prairierivers.org.
Kim Knowles, Staff Attorney
Kim joined the staff of PRN in November 2008. She works to strengthen clean water policy in Illinois and to reduce the amount of pollution entering our rivers and streams. Kim is a former staff attorney for the Missouri Coalition for the Environment and has a long history of working in the public interest, including working with Native American communities. In New Mexico, Kim worked as a staff attorney for Indian Pueblo Legal Services and as a public defender for the Jicarilla Apache Tribe. During law school she worked for The National Wildlife Federation in Washington, D.C. She has a B.S. in economics, an M.A. in public policy and a J.D. Contact Kim at (217) 344-2371 or kknowles @ prairierivers.org.
Vickie Nudelman, Operations Manager
Vickie Nudelman joined PRN in 2005 and is responsible for the management of PRN’s donor database and all financial records, as well as the website and online communications. Previously, Vickie worked for the Mississippi Center for Community and Civic Engagement as the program coordinator of a service-learning grant that focused on improving civic education by utilizing college students as civic tutors to K-8 students in after-school programs. Vickie also previously worked as a technical writer where she coauthored several computer textbooks. Vickie has a B.S. in Computer Information Systems and Marketing. Contact Vickie at (217) 344-2371 or vnudelman @ prairierivers.org.
Brian Perbix, Grassroots Organizer
Brian Perbix joined PRN in 2010 and does community organizing, coalition building and grassroots mobilization in support of our campaigns to reduce water pollution from coal mining and coal ash disposal in Illinois. This includes working directly with coalfield residents, community groups, and partner organizations within the Illinois coal basin to promote a coordinated response to coal pollution.
He is a 2009 graduate of Grinnell College with a BA in Biology and a concentration in Environmental Studies. As part of his degree he researched the use of goats to control invasive plants in Iowa prairies. He also worked at the Conard Environmental Research Area in Kellogg, IA on multiple aspects of prairie restoration. Brian has been involved with many community organizations, including internships with the African Network for Integrated Development in Sénégal, and the Streetworks Collaborative in Minneapolis, MN. Contact Brian at (217) 720-9289 or bperbix @ prairierivers.org.
Cecily Smith, Water Resources Specialist
Cecily Smith joined the PRN staff in 2007. Her program work includes: protecting wetlands and streams by reviewing and commenting on applications for projects that will severely disturb or destroy these water resources; keeping our waters clean and aquatic species healthy by educating citizens and health care providers on proper disposal of unwanted pharmaceuticals; and protecting instream flows by participating in water supply planning efforts in Illinois. Cecily is a former PRN volunteer with a B.A. in English, a J.D., and a Masters in Public Administration with an emphasis in environmental policy. Contact Cecily at (217) 344-2371 or csmith @ prairierivers.org.
Board of Directors
Prairie Rivers Network is governed by a board of directors that sets policy for the organization, determines its annual working budget, and hires and oversees the work of its executive director. Members are elected by the board and serve three-year terms with the option of reappointment. Present members of the board are as follows:
Jon McNussen, President
Jon McNussen joined the Board in 1991 and was elected president in 2006. He is the Environmental, Health, and Safety Coordinator for an agricultural and industrial equipment manufacturer, and is also a leader of Citizens for a Safe Environment, a grassroots group which successfully opposed construction of a landfill and a toxic waste incinerator. Like other members of the board, McNussen provides leadership based on his firsthand experiences as a grassroots organizer. His knowledge of OSHA and EPA regulations and a perspective on the environmental issues facing industry are also valuable to our board.
Michael Rosenthal, Treasurer
Michael Rosenthal of Glencoe, Illinois, joined the Board in 1996 and is an engineer with his family firm, Rosenthal Manufacturing in Chicago. While a student at the University of Illinois, Rosenthal led the campus Model Community waste reduction program, recruiting and training volunteers from sororities and fraternities to reduce the wastes produced at their campus houses, recycle everything possible, and use recycled products. Rosenthal brings to the board the energy of youth and expertise concerning environmental issues and industries. His dog, Piper, loves to swim in Illinois’ clean rivers and streams.
Eric Freyfogle, Secretary
Dr. Eric Freyfogle of Urbana, Illinois, joined the Board in 1998 and elected Secretary in 2009. He is a Max L. Rowe Professor of Law at the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana, and is a long-time environmental activist who brings to the board both hands-on experience and legal expertise about environmental issues. His teaching and scholarly work focus on issues of property ownership, natural resources law, and environmental law and policy. He is co-author of the leading work on wildlife law and a recognized scholar on the thought of Aldo Leopold and Wendell Berry. His books include Why Conservation Is Failing and How It Can Regain Ground (Yale University Press 2006) and On Private Property: Finding Common Ground on the Ownership of Land (Beacon Press 2007).
Margaret Bruns
Maggie Bruns joined the Board in early 2010 and is the Legal and Operations Associate at the League of Conservation Voters in Washington, D.C. She currently manages operations, outreach and LCV’s President’s Office, while acting as the liaison for their Board of Directors. Bruns has been a long time supporter and volunteer of Prairie Rivers Network. She began volunteering while attending UIUC. Shortly thereafter she began organizing various PRN events such as the Salt Fork River Clean-ups and our Annual Dinners. After graduation, Bruns worked for the Student Conservation Association in Northwest Montana and interned with World Wildlife Fund, before landing at the League. She brings a fresh (yet familiar) voice and her experience working with a national grassroots organization to help guide the future direction of Prairie Rivers Network.
Clark Bullard
Clark Bullard of Urbana, Illinois, joined the Board in 2000 and is an engineer and long-time environmental activist. He has served as a professor, consultant, member and Chair of the Central Midwest Low-Level Radioactive Waste Interstate Commission, directed the US Dept. of Energy’s Office of Conservation and Renewables Policy, and served as policy analyst for the Congressional Office of Technology Assessment. He currently serves on the board of directors of the National Wildlife Federation and the Committee on the Middle Fork of the Vermilion River. Bullard brings to the board not only his professional expertise but also well-honed skills in organizing to achieve environmental goals.
Charles Goodall
Charles Goodall of Sidell, Illinois, joined the Board in 2000 and was elected treasurer in 2006. He is a fifth-generation grain farmer and a long-time environmental activist. As a member of the Committee on the Middle Fork, Goodall helped gain national scenic river status for this east-central Illinois stream. Goodall brings the board critical expertise on agricultural issues and an important link to the farm community.
Jason Lindsey
Jason Lindsey joined the Board in 2005 and is one of the premier travel and advertising photographers in the Midwest. His award winning work has been published in books, magazines, posters, annual reports, advertising, cards, and calendars. Chicago Review Press published his book Windy City Wild: Chicago’s Natural Wonders. This fine art book explores the natural areas and wildlife of the Chicago region. Jason’s photographs are also used around the world by advertising, corporate and editorial clients. He shoots in locations from the Ice Hotel in Sweden to the Manhattan Bridge in New York, and from glaciers in Alaska to farm fields in the Midwest. His talents provide Prairie Rivers Network with beautiful photos of Illinois rivers and streams. Visit www.jasonlindsey.com to view his photos.