Who We Are
Meet the team making it happen
As the statewide alliance for land trusts, Gathering Waters supports the 40+ land trusts in Wisconsin by providing technical assistance, training, and continuing education. In addition to serving as a unified voice for Wisconsin’s land trust community and building capacity for permanent land protection, Gathering Waters promotes public understanding and support for land trusts and encourages public policies that strengthen Wisconsin’s land and water conservation efforts.
Gathering Waters was founded in 1994 by a group of visionary leaders who recognized the need for a statewide organization to help land trusts, landowners, and communities protect the places that make Wisconsin special. Read about our history here.
Meet our staff, board members, and others working to serve the land trust community below.
Mike Carlson (he/him)
Executive Director
Charles Carlin (he/him)
Director of Strategic Initiatives
Creal Zearing (she/her)
Director of Philanthropy, CFRE
Chris Gutschenritter (he/him)
Director of Land Conservation Law Program
Patricia McMurtrie (she/her)
Annual Giving and Outreach Manager
Morgan Rusnak (she/her)
Advocacy Manager
Julie Allen (she/her)
Accounting Manager
Amanda Jutrzonka (she/her)
Communications Manager
Rhianon Morgan (she/they)
Operations Coordinator
Lily Butler (she/her)
Events and Outreach Coordinator
Cindy Benzschawel (she/her)
Database and Annual Giving Coordinator
Mike Carlson (he/him)
Executive Director
Charles Carlin (he/him)
Director of Strategic Initiatives
Creal Zearing (she/her)
Director of Philanthropy, CFRE
Chris Gutschenritter (he/him)
Director of Land Conservation Law Program
Patricia McMurtrie (she/her)
Annual Giving and Outreach Manager
Morgan Rusnak (she/her)
Advocacy Manager
Julie Allen (she/her)
Accounting Manager
Amanda Jutrzonka (she/her)
Communications Manager
Rhianon Morgan (she/they)
Operations Coordinator
Lily Butler (she/her)
Events and Outreach Coordinator
Cindy Benzschawel (she/her)
Database and Annual Giving Coordinator
Board of Directors
Carol Abrahamzon
Chair - Caledonia, MN
Becky Steinhoff
Vice Chair - Madison
Carol Fisher
Treasurer - Madison
Jeff Ottum
Secretary - Door County
Marjie Tomter
Grafton
Nicole Van Helden
Sturgeon Bay
Stephanie Vrabec
Appleton
Vanessa Wishart
Madison
Land Trust Council
An advisory body to support the Wisconsin land trust community
The Land Trust Council informs Gathering Waters’ programs and initiatives. The leaders on the Council provide critical advice that keeps our services relevant, timely, and useful as we pursue our collective mission of protecting the places that make Wisconsin special.
Council participation is voluntary. Council members share ideas, serve as liaisons with land trust community members, and advise on Gathering Waters’ programs. The Council meets annually in person and periodically by teleconference.
Carol
Abrahamzon,
Chair
Mississippi Valley Conservancy
Tom
Stolp,
Vice Chair
Ozaukee Washington Land Trust/River Revitalization Foundation
Ted
Anchor
Northwoods
Land Trust
Jennifer
Filipiak
Driftless Area Land Conservancy
Clint
Miller
The
Conservation Fund
Linda
Mutschler
Cedar Lakes Conservation Foundation
Rick
Remington
Landmark Conservancy
Alison
Volk
American Farmland Trust
Emily
Wood
Door County Land Trust
Carol
Abrahamzon,
Chair
Mississippi Valley Conservancy
Tom
Stolp,
Vice Chair
Ozaukee Washington Land Trust/River Revitalization Foundation
Ted
Anchor
Northwoods
Land Trust
Jennifer
Filipiak
Driftless Area Land Conservancy
Clint
Miller
The
Conservation Fund
Linda
Mutschler
Cedar Lakes Conservation Foundation
Rick
Remington
Landmark Conservancy
Alison
Volk
American Farmland Trust
Emily
Wood
Door County Land Trust
Land Conservation Law Program Advisory Council
The Land Conservation Law Program Advisory Council is a body of legal experts each with varying experience in conservation law. They assist and advise the director of the Law Program.
Committee Members
Christopher Hughes
Partner, Stafford Rosenbaum LLP
Maureen Kinney
Attorney at Law, Johns, Flaherty & Collins, S.C.
Peter McKeever
Retired Attorney, Law Office of Peter E. McKeever, LLC
Bill O’Connor
Attorney at Law, Boardman Clark LLP
Nancy Peterson
Retired Partner, Quarles & Brady LLP
Alison Volk
Land Protection Projects Deputy Director, American Farmland Trust
Eli Woyke
Attorney at Law, Small Batch Law LLC
Community Support
As an alliance, collaboration is inherent to who we are. Beyond our land trust members and the individuals listed above, we work regularly with a variety of partners to advance conservation in Wisconsin.
