Prescott Creeks-Board and Staff

Prescott Creeks - Board and Staff

Joel Hiller Suzanna McDougal Doris Cellarius Karen O'Neil		Mindy Schlimgen Russell Fosha Judy Riggenbach Betty Siegfried

Prescott Creeks - Staff

Michael Byrd Ann-Marie Benz		Renee Hoover Post

Prescott Creeks - Board of Directors

Joel Hiller
Board Chair
Director

Joel Hiller brought over 25 years of diversified experience with nonprofit organizations to the Prescott Creeks Board of Directors in the fall of 2004 and was elected to the leadership position of Board Chair in June 2006. Previously, Joel held the positions of Co-President and Interim President at Prescott College for three years, and has served with the City of Prescott Strategic Planning committee, Watson and Willow Lakes Steering committees. Joel has also held leadership positions with organizations as varied as Yavapai Regional Medical Center, the Arizona Humanities Council, the Arizona Historical Society and Desert Caballeros Western Museum. "I can spend days walking the streets of small towns and big cities alike, observing the people and buildings…the business of the day. The international southwest with its rich traditions and dynamic future is home. There are few places I've been I wouldn't return, and many more I hope to visit."

Suzanna McDougal
Vice Board Chair
Director

As a person with a passion for the Earth’s sustainability, Suzanna McDougal was the perfect candidate for the Prescott Creeks Board of Directors. She joined the Board in June of 2004 and was elected as Vice Board Chair in June 2006. After fifty years of living in Montana, New Mexico and Arizona, Suzanna settled along Aspen Creek in Prescott in 1997. Her long “herstory” of outdoor interests and passion for conservation and alternative energy have allowed her to make a living doing what she loved. In addition to serving on the Prescott Creeks Board, Suzanna owns & operates The Grove Studio: a space that can be rented for classes, meetings and workshops. Proceeds from The Grove Studio help support the non-profits, like Prescott Creeks, who rent space in the hundred-year-old house at The Grove.

Doris
Doris Cellarius
Director

Doris Cellarius and her husband Richard retired to Prescott on 1999. She has worked with the Sierra Club on pollution and toxics cleanup for many years, but now she is enjoying spending more time out-of-doors, walking our creeks and talking with her neighbors about protecting them. "Its always been about water and getting my feet wet", from my childhood in Illinois, where my Dad organized nature walks for the community, to Olympia, Washington, where we raised our family a 'stones throw' from Puget Sound." Her Reed College biology thesis was about frogs, as was her research in zoology at Columbia University. The she spent a few years working at the Bronx Zoo. Earth Day in Ann Arbor, Michigan, was a turning point. She became an full-time activist, helped start an Ecology Center, and created some school gardens. Prescott Creeks offers a wonderful opportunity to work with others who care about water and the life that depends on it.

Karen O'Neil
Director

Karen O’Neil, who joined the board in September 2004, has been a Prescott resident for more than 20 years. She has been (and continues to be) active in leadership positions in Prescott Audubon Society. She also represents Prescott Audubon Society on the statewide Arizona Audubon Council and serves as an officer. As a result of her passion for birding and other outdoor activities, she recognizes the critical need to protect and preserve riparian habitat, especially in the arid southwest, not only for birds, but for all life including human beings. Karen believes that participating as a member of the Prescott Creeks Board is a meaningful way to contribute to the protection and preservation of riparian habitat on a local level.

Mindy Schlimgen
Director

Mindy Schlimgen joined the Prescott Creeks Board of Directors in February of 2007. She comes to Prescott Creeks with vast experience working in the name of river and stream protection in the west. Her professional experience in government ranges from the USDA Forest Service to the New Mexico Department of Surface Water Quality. She now writes grants proposals for the Yavapai-Prescott Indian Tribe’s Tribal Grant Department. In the non-profit sector she was associate director for the SW Regional office of American Rivers and managed The Nature Conservancy’s Verde River Program. More recently Mindy has held leadership positions with a variety of non-governmental organizations focused on rivers, watershed and water issue in central Arizona.

Russell Fosha
Director

Russell Fosha joined the Prescott Creeks Board of Director in March of 2007. After completing a 10 week Master Watershed Steward course with the University of Arizona Yavapai County Cooperative Extension, Russ volunteered with Prescott Creeks on its Creek Observation Guide Project. More recently he signed on to monitor water levels in the Watson Woods Riparian Preserve wells. With a background in accounting, finance and planning, Russ brings many needed skills to Prescott Creeks.

Judy Riggenbach
Director

Judy Riggenbach "retired" in Prescott during 2001. Arriving from Denver she decided retirement was over rated and became involved in many non-profit organizations, including Youth Count, Yavapai Volunteer Center, Boy Scouts, and Prescott Area Leadership. She is presently part owner of the Worm Bookstore.

Judy graduated from the University of Northern Colorado and the University of Oslo, Norway, with a degree in Communication. As a Professional Speaker and author she lectured on cruise ships and traveled extensively as a Keynote Speaker, specializing in the topic of Business Body Language. She served as President of the Denver's Women's Press Club and was honored as Mentor of the Year with Denver Community Resources, INC.

Her biggest thrill was appearing on NBC's The Late Show many years ago analyzing the Presidential candidate's body language. "The dressing room with my name on it is forever etched in my memory as is the Limo ride to the Famous Amo's cookie factory!"

Judy is looking forward to becoming an integral part of the Board's mission and outreach program.

Betty J. Siegfried,
Director Emerita

Betty Siegfried is a native to the state of West Virginia, but after marrying a US Public Health Service physician she called many states home before settling in Arizona in 1974. In 1949 Betty joined her first gardening club and has been addicted ever since. As a gardener she sees herself as a defacto environmentalist; one who wants to protect the place she lives. Over the years Betty has been active in numerous environmental non-profit organizations. After a trip to San Antonio, Texas to view the San Antonio River Walk she and friend Bette Bridgewater were inspired to protect and enhance the many creeks in Prescott. In 1989 they established Prescott Creeks!

Prescott Creeks - Advisory Board

Bob Byrd
Joel C. Barnes, Ph.D.
Dan Garvey

Muriel Haverland
Karen LaVoie
John Zambrano

Prescott Creeks - Staff

Michael Byrd
Executive Director
Preserve Manager

Michael Byrd has been with Prescott Creeks since 1995. He worked as volunteer for several years before becoming the Watson Woods Riparian Preserve Manager. In 2003 the Board of Directors promoted Michael to Executive Director. While maintaining his Preserve Management duties, Michael has built the organization’s capacity to respond to community requests for improved riparian habitat, clean water and opportunities for hands-on involvement.

In December of 2007, Mayor Jack Wilson appointed Michael as Co-Chair of the City of Prescott’s Open Space Acquisition Advisory Committee which has focused much of it efforts on open space properties featuring riparian habitat in the Granite Dells area of Prescott. He also has been appointed as an advisor to the City's Committee on Unsewered Areas.

When not working or playing on a creek or river, you might find Michael outside, and off the beaten-path, with his canine sidekick “Post.”

Ann-Marie Benz
Watershed Program Coordinator

Ann-Marie Benz joined Prescott Creeks as a volunteer in February 2005 and then became the Watershed Technician as an intern in March 2005. After writing a successful grant to the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (her first!), in February 2006 she came on-board as full-time staff in the capacity of Watershed Program Coordinator. After spending a decade as an accountant, Ann-Marie returned to school at Prescott College to pursue a degree in Watershed Management and Sustainable Community Development. She is due to graduate early next year. When not working on the creeks, Ann-Marie spends time at the local wildlife rescue center.

Brad DeVries

Renee Hoover
Outreach Coordinator
VISTA Volunteer

Renee Hoover recently became part of the Prescott Creeks team as the Outreach Coordinator, through the AmeriCorps*VISTA Program. After moving to Prescott in 2003, Renee quickly fell in love with the area’s historical charisma, natural environments, and local communities. Working in a public capacity for her first three years in Prescott Renee decided, in 2006, to continue her education in Environmental Studies by attending Prescott College. She was first introduced to Prescott Creeks through class activities and later introduced to the AmeriCorps*VISTA position. With past experience in community participation at Joshua Tree National Park, Alaska and Prescott, Renee has a strong appreciation for the involvement of whole communities when addressing local environmental issues.

Prescott Creeks - Interns

Administrative Assistant

Prescott College Workstudy position:
Currently vacant.

This Prescott College workstudy student will assist the Prescott Creeks staff with many projects that include: data entry, copying, sorting, categorizing and archiving slides and photographs (both hard copy and digital), making report corrections, general editing, and other projects as needed. Telephones, filing and light
cleaning will also be involved.

See the job description & application.
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Webmaster/IT Specialist

Prescott College Workstudy position:
Currently vacant.

The Webmaster/Information Technology Specialist will work with the Prescott Creeks staff and Board of Directors to administer, maintain and enhance the Prescott Creeks website (www.PrescottCreeks.org) and local area network (LAN).

See the job description & application.
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Prescott Creeks - Other Staff

Post,
Official Greeter

Post claims Executive Director and Preserve Manager Michael Byrd as his human. He came to Michael and Prescott Creeks from the downtown Post Office. Shortly after arriving, he appointed himself as the official greeter at the Prescott Creeks office. While he has not been very forthcoming about his background or previous experience, he is diligent with his professional responsibilities. If you happen by the office when Post is not working, it's likely that he's at home chasing his kitty or canvassing the neighborhood for treats with his canine pals.

Osito
Cocklebur Collector
1995-2002

May his spirit eternally watch over Granite Creek and Watson Woods Riparian Preserve.