MISSION, OBJECTIVES, STAFF and ADVISORS
Mission
The Women’s Environmental Institute at Amador Hill, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, is an environmental research, renewal and retreat center designed to create and share knowledge about environmental issues and policies relevant to women, children and identified communities especially affected by environmental injustices; to promote organic and sustainable agriculture skill building and ecological awareness; and to promote activism that influences public policy and supports social change.
Objectives
WEI has six program centers dedicated:
• to create knowledge, scholarship and educational materials for individuals or groups working on environmental issues related to women, children, and disproportionately impacted communities
• to become an information hub that organizes current research and writing on environmental issues related to women, children, and identified communities
• to demonstrate leadership in civic involvement, global responsibility and stewardship around environmental issues at both the local and global level
• to provide both on-site and off-site educational outreach in seminars (and eventually distant learning courses) and experiential learning workshops on practical activities related to sustainable agriculture and environmental issues
• to develop strong affiliations with local environmental and ecologically-focused groups and secondary and post-secondary institutions to create collaborative programming and projects
• to create an institute that will provide a model for environmentally-friendly construction, land stewardship and conservation practices, renewable energy, resource development, and organic food production and processing.
WHAT WEI CREATES: A Center for Renewal, Thought, Action
A space for meetings and retreats and a renewal center for activists, educators, students, organizations, and citizens working on environmental issues that impact on women, children, and communities disproportionately affected by environmental injustice; training and workshops for social action change.
A progressive Rockin' Chair Think Tank to organize and analyze information on current environmental research; provide opportunities for creating research groups on community environmental initiatives and maintain policy development networks and organizations to foster social change and inclusive enviro/feminist political action
An Alternative Farm Campus to provide outreach and education on green living, sustainable development, renewable energy, organic food production and to develop environmental and eco-agricultural policies and resources.
An Eco-Friendly Community Center to provide a learning space that will model practices of environmentally-friendly construction, land stewardship, environmental conservation, renewable resource development, and organic farming and gardening practices.
A peaceful Retreat and Conference Center for guests to rest up and do what they need to do to carry on.
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2008 Scholar Under Fire
Paul Wotzka (guest scholar). Paul is a surface water hydrologist and has worked for the State of Minnesota for over 16 years researching water quality problems primarily due to agriculture. He has done extensive monitoring of pesticides in precipitation, and rural and urban watersheds. He received his Civil Engineering Degree from the University of Minnesota and has also worked at the Metropolitan Council and Hennepin Conservation District. As a life-long Minnesotan, he has a deep appreciation of the State's climate and water resources. He resides with his family in southeastern Minnesota near the town of Weaver.
WEI STAFF
Karen Clark, Executive Director. Karen is a progressive Minnesota State legislator for 28 years, public-health nurse and OB-GYN nurse practitioner, community organizer, graduate of the JFK School at Harvard and ovarian cancer survivor of 7 years. Karen's passionate dedication to environmental justice is reflected in her legislative, community and personal priorities. Karen is a part-time instructor at the University of Minnesota and also at the College of St. Catherine's Graduate Program of Holistic Health Studies.
Jacquelyn Zita, Director of Education and Operations. Prominent Women's Studies scholar and educator, Jacquelyn is the former Chair of the Department of Gender, Women and Sexuality Studies at the University of Minnesota and former Director of Graduate Studies for the U of Mn Feminist Studies Ph.D. Program. Dr. Zita holds a BS in Biology and Chemistry and a Ph.D. in Philosophy from Washington University, St. Louis. Formerly President of the National Women's Studies Association, Jacquelyn brings experience as an educator and institution builder plus her extensive knowledge of women's biology. women's health issues, organic farming, and gender and environmental studies. She also serves as Vice President of the Friends of Wild River State Park in Chisago County.
AMADOR HILL OFFICE STAFF, INTERNS and GUEST SCHOLAR
Tria Vang, Office Manager, is a local farmr located in Taylors Falls. She is very passionate about sustainable agriculture and getting healthy food to the locals, elders, women and children. She is also a member of MFA's NIAP and Big River Foods Project, which helps her distribute her vegetables to local grocery stores as a way of providing access to those who cannot travel to her farm.
Katie Zerwas, North Circle Project Coordinator supported by AmeriCorps*ViSTA. Katie has experience in sustainable agriculture and community organizing and is taking a strong leadership role in WEI's North Circle Project. She first got involved with WEI as a student at Organic Farm School. In 2005 she worked as a farm intern for Many Hands Organic Farm in Plainview, MN, and in 2007 she worked as a WEI farm intern. She has worked as a community organizer and volunteer coordinator on several progressive campaigns, and completed training at Camp Wellstone in 2004. Katie has a B.A. in American Studies from Carleton College in Northfield, MN.
Laurie Allmann, Writer-in-Residence and Community Outreach Liaison. Environmental writer and spoken-word artist Laurie Allmann has a keen interest in bridging the gap between the scientific community and the general public. She was the recipient of a Minnesota Book Award for Far From Tame: Reflections from the Heart of a Continent (University of Minnesota Press, 1997); was a member of the writing team for the public television documentary series Minnesota: A History of the Land (1997, 1998), has been a regularly featured essayist/commentator for Minnesota Public Radio’s Voices from the Heartland series (1991-1993). As a freelance writer, she has written extensively on conservation topics for nonprofit groups and government agencies, authoring such publications as “Land Protection Options: A Handbook for Private Landowners” and “Natural Areas: Protecting a Vital Community Asset.” Her creative writing has also been adapted for stage performance, including the prose-poem “Collector Road,” the dramatic monologue “Citizens of a Sweetwater Sea,” and the one-act play “River Café.” She is honored to play a role in the work of WEI, helping to advancing its vital mission of environmental justice and sustainability.
CITY OFFICE STAFF and INTERNSBlake Traylor, Executive Assistant. Blake has a degree in English. She has a long- standing interest and personal involvement in organic growing and maintains 1500 square feet of vegetables, fruit & herbs (organically) in St. Paul where she lives with her two children. She has made her living as a paralegal, executive assistant in the non-profit sector, editor/proofreader, jewelry designer, events manager and bartender. Her volunteer efforts have focused on organics and inner city reforestation as a Master Gardener and a Planting Supervisor for Great River Greening.
Ann L. Fredrickson, Phillips Neighborhood EJEAC Principal Investigator. Ann has over 20 years experience doing health-related research in the Divisions of Environmental Health Sciences and Epidemiology and Community Health at the University of Minnesota. Most recently she served as Sr. Scientist managing two projects that investigated children’s environmental health in the Whittier, Lyndale, and Phillips neighborhoods in Minneapolis, in addition to a patient education project for the CUHCC clinic, also in the Phillips neighborhood. She has a master’s degree in Community Health Education from the University of Minnesota School of Public Health and is a Certified Clinical Research Coordinator. She is committed to conducting health research that embodies principles of good science, respect for all persons, and justice.
Fardin Oliaei, East Metro EJEAC Principal Investigator. Fardin has a Ph.D. in Environmental Sciences, MS in Biology and BS in Chemistry. She is respected nationally and internationally for her scientific research, her writings and lectures on air pollutants, persistent bioaccumulative toxic pollutants, PBDEs, flame-retardants, dioxin, plus newly identified environmental contaminants. She served as the Lead Scientist and Coordinator of Emerging Contaminants at the MN Pollution Control Agency and is best known locally for her research findings on PFCs. Her research emphasizes the impact of these contaminants on human health and the ecological risks associated with toxic exposure. Dr. Oliaei has taught at several Minnesota colleges and universities and currently serves on the Board of the Forum of Women in the Environmental Field and on the Advisory Group on Fate and Exposure Modeling for the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SFTAC).
Emily Moore, EcoAware Project Coordiinator and WEI Representative for the Healthy Legacy Project. Emily has recently retired from 20 years at the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, where she worked most recently as a pollution prevention specialist helping individuals reduce toxicity in their workplaces and homes by adopting environmentally preferable products and practices. She holds a B.S. in chemistry and an M.A. in biochemistry from the University of Michigan and has taught in high schools and colleges in California, Indiana and Minnesota.
Eleonore Wesserle, Climate Justice Project Coordinator. Eleonore graduated from the University of Minnesota with a B.S. in Conservation Biology in 2003. After graduation she spent several years working in lab and field ecological studies. In late 2004, her career turned towards employing her people skills as an Admissions Counselor for the College of Natural Resources at the U of M. In 2006, after spending a summer with the Minnesota Conservation Corps, Eleonore joined the Higher Education Consortium for Urban Affairs (HECUA) Environmental Sustainability program, and just completed her first semester as the program Teaching Assistant.
Sheri Apungu, Phillips Neighborhood EJEAC Community Organizer,
Caroline Martin, EJEAC Assistant, St. Joseph Worker. Caroline is completing her second year of AmeriCorps service through the St. Joseph Worker Program, sponsored by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondolet. She worked as a farm intern on WEI's 100 member CSA in 2007. She will be joining the WEI's EJEAC team this spring, after working for the winter at The Dwelling in the Woods, a retreat center started by the Sisters of St. Joseph. Caroline has a B.S. in Biology from the University of Wisconsin-River Falls and plans to pursue a graduate degree in Community Nutrition.
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WEI BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Sharon Day, WEI Board Chair, is the Executive Director and co-founder of the Indigenous Peoples Task Force, a member of the Bois Forte Band of Ojibwe, an artist, musician, educator and community activist. Sharon directed the Ogitchidag Theater Project for youth and created the Manidoowahdak Odena Housing Village for families living with HIV/AIDS in Minneapolis. Sharon has years of executive director experience and is particularly skilled in creating collaborations of people from diverse backgrounds to work on social justice issues and ensuring Native American leadership opportunities. Sharon directs the Indigenous Women’s Programming at WEI.
Hattie Bonds, WEI Treasurer, is Assistant Principal at Patrick Henry High School and Founding Board Member of Environmental Justice Advocates of Minnesota. Hattie is active in education and civil rights issues, including serving on numerous boards dedicated to educational advancement for low-income and students of color. Hattie has a B.S. in Elementary and Special Education from Lincoln University, Jefferson, Missouri; an M.A. in Educational Administration from the University of Missouri at Kansas City, Missouri; a Post-M.A. Secondary Science Certificate from the University of Missouri at Columbia, Missouri; and Doctorial courses from Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota.
Alondra Espejel, WEI Board Secretary, majored in Management, Popular Education and Chicano Studies at the University of Minnesota. She has over six years of community and academic experience with the Latino and immigrant communities, including work with the U of MN La Raza Student Cultural Center, Chicano Studies Support Group (to rebuild the Chicano Studies Department), the General College Truth Movement, the Girls Getting Ahead leadership program with La Escuelita, WomenVenture and the Page Foundation. Currently she is Communications Organizer for the Minnesota Immigrant Freedom Network working with the Voices of Immigrants Changing and Education Society program.
Collie Graddick, Board Member and North Circle Advisory, an Agricultural Consultant with the MN Department of Agriculture(MDA) managing the MDA/ US Environmental Protection Agency’s Urban Pesticide Educational Initiative program. Formerly a regulatory advisor with MDA’ Seed, Noxious Weed and Pesticide Regulatory Program, Collie has worked with MDA for 12 years. Previously a County Extension Agent in Auburn, Alabama, and a marketing coordinator at Cargill-Nutrena, Collie earned a BS in Plant Science from Fort Valley State College in Georgia and an MS in Plant and Soil Science from Tuskegee University in Alabama.
Robert Lilligren, Board Member and Capital Campaign Committee Member, is serving his second term as the Council Member representing three inner-city neighborhoods (Phillips, Whittier, and Stevens Square) on the Minneapolis City Council, where he chairs the Committee on the Whole. Robert serves on numerous boards including the Empowerment Zone Board, Minneapolis Convention Center Board, Midtown Community Works Partnership, Minneapolis American Indian Center Capital Campaign Committee, Minneapolis Crisis Nursery, OutFront Minnesota Board Member, Native Amercan Community Development Institute (Charter Member) and is a founding Board member of bikeon.org. An avid environmentalist and bicyclist, Robert is a member of the White Earth Band of Ojibwe and is the first American Indian to serve in the Minneapolis City Council.
Becky Lourey, Board Member, is a retired Minnesota Senator now working as a farmer, writer, and small business owner. Senator Lourey provided 16 years of leadership in the Minnesota State Legislature, first in the House and then in the Senate where she was an effective champion for numerous economic and social justice issues including affordable health care, sustainable agriculture, civil rights for all, disability issues, affordable housing, Native American rights and the environment. The mother of 12 children, Becky Lourey is known for her articulate grasp of many issues and her ability to forge alliances with diverse groups. She and her husband are owners of a small rural business that provides child care and living wages for their 50 employees. Currently, she is working on a book about global sustainability and world peace.
Chela Vasquez, Board Member, has a Ph.D. in Environmental Science. Currently, Chela works as Campaign Coordinator at Pesticide Action Network North America. In her recent job as Development Coordinator with Centro Campesino she wrote grants and organized farmworkers on human, civil, and workers' rights in South Central Minnesota. At Centro Campesino she helped pass state legislation strengthening labor law enforcement for migrant workers in Minnesota. Her previous work at the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy focused on international genetic resources; and at Minnesota Water Alliance she worked on preventing water privatization in Minnesota.