Board of Directors

Brynn Albrecht
Taylors Falls, MN and Atlanta, GA

Brynn has worked for the last nine years in sustainability. She currently works for Best Buy on their environmental sustainability team, where she develops programs to bring about change and to help connect customers with sustainable products. She has lived next to the St. Croix River for several years and is passionate about protecting the lands and water. She brings experience with email marketing, social media, and other digital efforts through story‐telling. Along with her husband and young daughter, Brynn loves to travel and has been to more than 20 National Parks. She lives part‐time in Taylors Falls, MN and part‐time in Atlanta, GA.

Sally Arneson
Stillwater, MN

Sally Arneson is a retired teacher currently living in Stillwater with her husband Steve. As an educator she was involved in a number of environmental education initiatives. She recently became a Master Water Steward and has a keen interest in local botany. During the past several years she has participated in the design and implementation of native plant restorations on the Middle St. Croix River and in Pierce County, Wisconsin. She enjoys exploring woodlands, spending time in and by the water, traveling and relaxing at her cabin on the river.

Tom Bader
Stillwater, MN

Tom grew up near St. Croix Falls and often camped and canoed with his family an friends on the Namekagon and St. Croix. He worked at the local canoe rental and on riverboats in high school. He spent two summers after high school working for the NPS on the Upper St. Croix and Namekagon rivers. Tom lives in Stillwater where he and his wife, Meg raised their four children in the same restored home, for nearly 40 years. As a regional manager for Stantec, his role as a leader in the community was based on participating in the development of significant community design and planning, environmental management, architectural and infrastructure projects that make communities better places to live. He also was responsible for the company’s regional philanthropic community engagement program.

Doug Blanke
Stillwater, MN

Doug’s love of the St. Croix is one of the things that brought him to Minnesota more than forty years ago.  As a Minnesota Assistant Attorney General, he helped defend the constitutionality of Minnesota statutes, including the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act, enforced the state’s consumer protection laws, and fought the tobacco industry. Today, he leads the Public Health Law Center at Mitchell Hamline School of Law, helping community leaders advance health equity and strengthen the nation's laws to reduce tobacco use, promote healthier diets, and encourage more active lives. He likes to slip his kayak into the river in downtown Stillwater early in the morning when no one is looking.

Deborah Borek, M.D.
Osceola, WI

Debbie is a retired pathologist who first saw the St. Croix River 5 1/2 years ago when her fiancé Dave Wiseman brought her to his home on River Street in Osceola. She fell in love with the river and has since spent many hours hiking, kayaking, canoeing, and birding on the St. Croix and Namekagon. She has served on numerous hospital committees and a couple of medical Boards. Debbie has a long-standing interest in prairie conservation and has obtained a conservation easement on a small native prairie she owns in Kansas. She and Dave divide their time between Osceola and Kansas City.

Bill Buell
Grant, MN

Retired attorney and business owner for whom land acquisition and government regulation has been the common thread. Was an employee of the MDNR rivers programs in the 1970’s and 80’s. Served for many years as Chair of the Land Acquisition Committee of Minnesota Parks and Trails Council. Founding board member of Standing Cedars Community Land Trust on the St Croix River. Bill is an avid paddler, cyclist and skier. He has enjoyed many hours kayaking the backwaters of the St Croix and the Apostle Islands. Bill brings, to the Board, a keen awareness from the river user’s perspective. Bill and his wife, Ginny Clapp Buell, live in Grant, MN where they enjoy the outdoors and time at the family cabin on the St Croix River in Scandia, MN.

Glenn Ciegler
Stillwater, MN

Glenn has been a staunch environmentalist and outdoors enthusiast since childhood. He worked with the Sierra Club in the ‘70’s piloting a recycling effort. Glenn has been active in innumerable groups over the years to advance environmental ideals. He is a NOLS graduate, Wilderness Medicine Graduate with AWEP (Advanced Wilderness Expedition Provider). Glenn has a BS in Biology/Anthropology, a Masters in Bioengineering, a PhD in Biomedical Materials, and an MD from U of I, further 5 years Orthopedics at U of MN. He practiced Orthopedic Surgery in the St Croix Valley for 30 years. He and his wife Keri have lived in Stillwater for 30 years, on the river bluff overlooking the Boom Site.

Katelyn Claeys (Treasurer)
Lino Lakes, MN

Katelyn Claeys is a CPA at H.B. Fuller in Vadnais Heights with 10 years of accounting and financial statement experience. Katelyn has been an outdoorswoman her whole life and enjoys many outdoor activities: hiking, biking, canoeing, kayaking, snowshoeing, snowboarding, birding and fishing. She also likes learning about local plants, wildlife, geology, and local and Native American history. Katelyn and her husband, Joe, do many of these activities together and visit the St. Croix area often with their daughter. The area is special to them as their first date was canoeing from Taylors Falls to William O'Brien and they were engaged at Taylors Falls in 2019.

Chad Dayton
St. Paul, MN

Chad Dayton began his professional career as a professor of English & Writing before transitioning to outdoor education in 2010. He has since worked in the outdoor, environmental, and educational sectors in a variety of roles including field instructor, wilderness medicine instructor, college professor, and national program manager. Currently the owner/principal of Outdoor Solutions, LLC, Chad also serves on a number of non‐profit, environmental and educational Boards and Advisory Councils including National Park Trust, National Parks Conservation Association, Northland College, Dodge Nature Center, and Friends of the Mississippi River.

Loralee DiLorenzo (Vice Chair)
Marine on St Croix, MN

Loralee DiLorenzo feels fortunate to live on the bluffs of the St Croix River in Marine on St Croix, which has enhanced her family's quality of life immeasurably. She is an inveterate volunteer, focusing more on volunteer opportunities in the St Croix River Valley recently. She enjoys being on the river on her pontoon, paddle-board, canoe, skis and feet. Loralee has experience in grant-writing, strategic planning, communications, governance, leadership development and fundraising.

Dawn Georgieff
St. Paul, MN

Dawn has enjoyed many years of canoeing and sailing on the St Croix and Namekagon rivers. She is particularly knowledgeable about the river geography around the Arcola sandbar where they own a place. Dawn has been involved with research on the mussels and the algae in the St Croix and is knowledgeable about the bird life. She is also trained in aquatic invasive species detection. Dawn is a current member of the Sierra Club Clean Energy Team    and serves on the Conservancy Land and Water Committee.

Dorothy Goldie
St. Paul, MN and Deer Lake, WI

Dorothy is the retired Director of Institutional Advancement at St Paul Academy and Summit School. Previously she was the Executive Director of Minnesota Center for Book Arts, and before that held a variety of corporate marketing positions. She is an experienced board member with a passion for the St Croix Valley and the surrounding watershed. Beyond support for our mission, she has experience in nonprofit management, fundraising, board governance, community leadership, and access to donors. A short list of the boards she has served on includes the YWCA of St Paul, Shir Tikvah Congregation, St Paul Academy and Summit School, Open Book, and Franconia Sculpture Park.

Craig Hamer
Lakeland, MN

Craig is a recent retiree from 3M where he was a Corporate Scientist and Carlton Society inductee. During his career, he was a leader in commercialization of novel processes, with an emphasis on solvent elimination and sustainability. He lives on the St Croix river and appreciates the value of such a remarkable natural asset. As a board member, Craig is leveraging on his corporate experience in myriad ways: to enhance scope and reach, build team and community cohesion, grow and preserve our resources, and improve communication and education. He also serves on the board of Open Door Community Theatre, which serves the east Twin Cities metro area. Craig and his wife Monica greatly appreciate all that the rivers have to offer, especially sailing and boating on the St Croix.

Einar Hanson
Hudson, WI

Einar has practiced law for forty years, largely in the construction law area. He has a strong interest in promoting environmental causes, sparked by his years working summers in Glacier National Park during college. Beyond his legal experience, Einar enjoys working with others toward shared objectives. Einar has a long history in board service on non-profit organizations including; Glacier Park Foundation, vice president, 1981-2018, board of directors, 2018 - present; Citizens Climate Lobby, St. Croix chapter co-chair, 2020-present; Hope Coalition board, 2007-2010, chair, 2011-2012; Noon-time Kiwanis club, Red Wing, President, 2000, board member; Environmental Committee chair, Daybreak Rotary Club, 2021; Numerous terms of service on church councils. He lives only blocks away from the St. Croix River, on which his wife and he loves to kayak.

Krista Hoeschen
St. Louis Park, MN

Krista is passionate about communities and ensuring equitable ways to bring nature and education about the environment to everyone. She brings group process skills, community leadership experience, and is willing and able to work. Krista resides in the Minnehaha Creek Watershed and enjoys the wildlife as much as the outdoor activities available. She frequents parks, lakes, rivers, and discovering waterfalls. Raised in Northern Minnesota, she has always been active in nature with a clear understanding of how we impact vital ecosystems. Other organizations that Krista engages with include 4Ocean, Friends of the Headwaters, Save The Boundary Waters, Dakota County Parks, NMDP/ Be The Match, and multiple local arts and culture organizations.

Mark Holloway
Minneapolis, MN

Mark loves the St. Croix River. His great-grandfather purchased land on the St. Croix in 1934 and his family still has a cabin there, it's the first place he ever swam. Mark's work in remote places on expeditions ingrained in him a deep connection and comfort to wild places and instilled a desire to treasure, protect and serve these wild places. He was a NOLS instructor, a Widjiwagan counselor and currently is a River Expedition trainer for Widji's advanced staff. Mark is passionate about his ownership and employment at Terra Firma Building and Remodeling Cooperative where he works as a Project Developer.

Betsy Kremser (Secretary)
Osceola, WI

Betsy Kremser retired after 20 years as a planner/policy analyst for the Anoka County Community Health Department, following an early career working in public affairs for the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce and Honeywell, Inc. A graduate of Carleton College (economics) and William Mitchell College of Law (JD), she served on the board of Summit Brewing Company and currently is a member of the board of trustees of the Wilberg Memorial Public Library of Osceola. She is an avid paddler, skier, hiker and traveler. Returning to live on the bluff of the St. Croix River where she grew up, Betsy especially enjoys sharing her part of the river valley with family and friends.

Sarah Lovegreen
Minneapolis, MN

Sarah started her career as a prairie horticulturist, and environmental scientist working in waste management and sustainable systems infrastructure for the government, and then moved on to brownfield and superfund remediation and redevelopment in the private sector, and is currently a practicing environmental and real estate attorney. Sarah participates in ongoing volunteer legal work, has experience in environmental education, working with the MPCA and Minnesota Zoo, and a strong water quality interest.

Stuart Neville (Chair)
Hayward, WI

Stu Neville has worked as a fly-fishing guide in Hayward, WI for six years. He spends over 100 days a year sharing the St. Croix National Scenic Riverway with clients and friends. This hands-on, immersive experience gives him a unique and important perspective on what's actually happening on the Riverway. He graduated from St. Olaf College, majoring in environmental studies with emphasis on environmental policy. He volunteers for the Namekagon River Cleanup every spring, and has lived on the Namekagon in Hayward since 2016.

Ray Ruiz
Minneapolis, MN

Ray Ruiz has been a resident of Minnesota since 1998 and is part of the Latino community. Ray has strong connections with organizations who serve underserved and underrepresented communities in Minnesota and Wisconsin. Ray has co-facilitated diversity, equity, and inclusion seminars and training for staff at the MN Department of Natural Resources. He is a professional angler and founder of Baztec Fishing & Outdoors. Additionally, he brings over 25 years of outreach experience and over 10 years of sales and marketing experience in the private sector.

Kristina Smitten
Marine on St Croix, MN

Kristina works at Hillcrest Development as the Director of Sustainability. She has a background with the MN DNR and deep experience as a volunteer and board member.

Brian Van Abel
Scandia, MN

Brian is the Chief Financial Officer at Xcel Energy, which has a long history of supporting the Conservancy. He is an expert on financial matters as he has spent the last ten years at Xcel Energy in various financial roles including Treasurer and Senior Vice President of Finance. Brian grew up visiting the St. Croix River with his family and is now in a position to give back to the river that his two daughters (7 and 5) enjoy very much. He also serves on the board of Avivo, a Minneapolis-based non-profit focused on providing job training, mental health, and recovery services, and ending homelessness.