Board of Directors
Dan Jay
President
Board Member since 2019
Dan arrived in St. Louis from the New York area by train in 1975 to attend graduate school. Dan is now a practicing Architect, having spent forty years of his career with Christner, a St. Louis firm. With a combined March/MBA Dan has fulfilled planning, design, and project management roles for his clients, besides serving as CFO of Christner. Dan comes to the earthday365 board with over 50 years of board service including five years with Sustainable St. Louis. Dan and his wife Mary Ann Lazarus live in a (mostly) renovated home in the Central West End. His three children, grandson, and granddaughter live out of town, requiring much travel.
Joyce Gorrell
Vice President
since 2021
Joyce has worked in the Missouri Botanical Garden’s sustainability division, EarthWays Center, since 2006. She currently serves as the Sustainability Projects Manager with a focus on the overall work of the Garden as well as several of EarthWays public facing programs and projects. She directly supports many facets of daily operations, fiscal management for the U.S. Green Building Council – Missouri Gateway Chapter, and is adept at plugging into various communications concepts to produce timely results that benefit the Garden and community. She has managed the Garden’s multi-divisional Green Team on rollout of both internal and external campaigns for ten years, and represents the Garden as a leader in sustainability for the annual St. Louis Green Business Challenge.
A graduate of UM-St. Louis and life-long St. Louis city resident, Joyce is also a seasoned events maven. She has overseen planning and execution of some of the regions most beloved events including the annual Green Living Festival (taking it virtual in 2020) and hosted the regions green “movers and shakers” at the Green Ball for several years at the iconic Moonrise Hotel.
With a strong passion to share sustainability knowledge and explore actions in the community, she has participated in the USGBC’s Green Schools Quest as a mentor since 2015, and assisted an Affton, MO school in capturing the top award in the middle school category twice. She enjoys noshing her way thru the local foodie scene and has personally encouraged many restaurants to engage with the Green Dining Alliance.
Tracy Haag
Board Secretary
Board Member since 2017
Tracy Haag works for the Missouri Department of Natural Resources. Tracy is currently serving as the Public Drinking Water Unit Chief for DNR in the St. Louis Regional Office. Through this work, she has the mission of ensuring the public water systems in the St. Louis region provide safe drinking water to every resident and visitor. In previous roles with the department Tracy has assisted local governments with developing plans to address their current and future environmental needs, such as drinking water, wastewater treatment, storm water management, solid waste management, and asbestos in older buildings. Tracy’s connections with the communities provide a linkage to the department to cultivate collaborative working relationships. Tracy has worked for the department for over 30 years in both the waste water and drinking water programs. Tracy volunteers with the Missouri Stream Team-The Great 168 in cleaning up streams around the St. Louis area. She has been actively involved with Earth Day activities in both Missouri and Illinois since the early 90s. And in her spare time she likes to upcycle mittens, scarves, and stuffed animals from old wool sweaters in her craft room (aka The Mitten Factory).
She earned her Bachelor of Arts in physics from Monmouth College in Monmouth, IL and her Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from Washington University in St. Louis, MO.
Brandon Verhoff
Treasurer
Board Member since 2022
Brandon Verhoff has over 12 years of experience working in higher education and the business sectors. He holds a marketing degree from the University of Missouri, Master of Business Administration from Missouri State University, and as a graduate of the Higher Education Administration doctoral program at Saint Louis University, he completed his dissertation, “Influences of Student Sustainability Literacy in a University Setting.”
Brandon also puts theory into practice – as the past Director of Sustainability & Benchmarking for Saint Louis University he has guided process improvement projects, influenced the adoption of institutional sustainability standards, educated the University community on sustainable operations, cultivated sustainability leaders, and led sustainability initiatives and strategic plans. Currently, Brandon puts his passion to work for the parent company of Famous Footwear, Caleres, demonstrating his data analysis skills and managing store sales and payroll plans.
Isabel Acevedo
Board Member
since 2024
As Manager, Community Innovation, Isabel supports and advances the startup and innovation community at the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center. She serves as an organizational ambassador and leads regional efforts to attract Ag Tech start-ups from Latin America seeking to establish a presence in St. Louis. Passionate about community development, Isabel seeks to build transformational partnerships with a shared mission to improve the human condition while advancing regional prosperity.
Isabel has worked in the St. Louis bioscience ecosystem for over 15 years and has experience in fundraising, technology transfer, and biomedical research. Throughout her career, Isabel has supported biotech startups, mentored students and young professionals, and advocated for accessible education and inclusive workplaces.
Originally from Puerto Rico, Isabel holds a Bachelor of Science in biomedical engineering from Washington University (2006) and a Master’s of Business Administration from St. Louis University (2010). Isabel and her husband live in St. Louis City with their three young children.
Katie Gannon
Board Member
since 2024
Katie’s passion for environmental stewardship began early in life, sparked by Girl Scout camp, and progressed into a lifelong appreciation for nature. Katie is committed to reducing the environmental impact of factory farming through a vegan lifestyle. She is an avid lover of all
things outdoors, especially backpacking, canoeing, camping, and rock climbing.
Katie holds a B.S. in equine science from William Woods University and a J.D. from Saint Louis University School of Law, where she led the Student Animal Legal Defense Fund and the Environmental Law Society. She previously worked for the Friends of Animals Wildlife Law Program, which focuses on wildlife and habitat protection worldwide. In her professional life, Katie is a trial attorney specializing in defending individuals and businesses in all areas of civil litigation, with a focus on personal injury, premises liability, and breach of contract disputes.
Erika Halsey
President of Young Friends of earthday365
since 2023
Erika is a public health professional with a keen interest in the impact of climate change and environmental degradation on human health. Originally from St. Louis, she lived in South Korea and London before returning to the region in 2016 to study public health at Washington University. Erika has held a variety of jobs over the past ten years, from costumed Easter Bunny to events planner, always trying to make each place she’s worked a bit more environmentally sustainable. She most recently worked as the Director of Account Success for deviceless remote patient monitoring company CareSignal. In her free time you can find her biking, picking up trash in her neighborhood, walking in Tower Grove Park and spending time with her spouse and daughter.
Caran Hanks
Board Member
since 2024
Caran Hanks is a St. Louis native and a seasoned Community Engagement Specialist and Consultant, with extensive experience in grant writing, strategic planning, and community engagement. Throughout her career, Caran has been dedicated to advancing initiatives focused on economic development, environmental justice, social justice, and community resilience, particularly in under-served areas.
Caran’s professional journey began in 2017, when she served as a middle school science teacher for two years, cultivating a deep connection with under-served youth. Her passion for supporting marginalized communities has led her to work with a wide range of populations, from disadvantaged youth to forgotten seniors. This experience has shaped Caran’s approach to community-centered projects, ensuring all voices are heard and that the needs of historically under-invested communities are met.
A proud product of St. Louis, Caran attended Beaumont High School and graduated from Clyde C. Miller Career Academy High School. Caran earned a Bachelor’s in education from Harris Stowe State University and a Master’s in secondary education from the University of Missouri – St. Louis. Currently, Caran serves as a Neighborhood Transformation Manager with the St. Louis Development Corporation (SLDC), where they focus on economic development and revitalization in several North St. Louis neighborhoods. In this role, Caran is committed to creating sustainable, equitable solutions that benefit local communities with a strong emphasis on community engagement and long-term, positive change.
A lover of basketball and dedicated to family time, Caran believes in maintaining a healthy work-life balance. Caran’s future goal is to be an impactful resource for pushing community agendas forward, with a vision for St. Louis City communities to have a functional, equitable, and sustainable system that promotes economic soundness and collective well-being.
Jamie Hasemeier
Board Member
since 2024
Joe Jovanovich
Board Member
since 2023
Joe Jovanovich holds a Master’s in social work from Washington University, and has had a diverse career in both non-profit management and small business operations. Joe initially gained a passion for public service serving as an AmeriCorps volunteer for two years after college. After graduate school, Joe worked at Beyond Housing for five years, leading strategy in youth development programming and inter-agency collaboration. Joe took a career pivot when taking over his family’s business – The Pat Connolly Tavern – in 2015. Joe helped to grow the business, revive its brand, and recenter its commitment to sustainability in partnership with the Green Dining Alliance. Since 2017, Joe has also done part-time independent consulting work in the space of non-profit strategy and project management.
Joe is a native and longtime resident of the City of St. Louis, where he currently lives in the Dogtown neighborhood with his wife and two young children. Joe enjoys trips to local parks, traveling with his family, and gossiping about politics. He was previously involved with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Eastern Missouri as a youth mentor for many years. He also has extensive festival planning experience as a founder and long-time board member of Dogtown United, which has produced the annual St. Patrick’s Day festival since 2018, and has been a proud partner with earthday365’s Recycling On the Go program.
Rishi Masalia
Board Member
since 2024
Tina Muir
Board Member
since 2024
Tina Muir is the founder and CEO of Running for Real; host of the award-winning podcast of the same name, and co-host of Running Realized; a mother of two; and a former elite runner turned sustainability advocate. An ardent environmentalist, she has worked with the United Nations, as well as many races in the running industry, including New York and Chicago marathons on their sustainability initiatives. Through her podcast and social media presence, she starts conversations and shares resources on sustainability, climate change, and how individuals can make a positive difference in their own lives. Her book, Becoming a Sustainable Runner, co-written with Zoë Rom, merges runners’ passion for their sport with their concern for their health, their community, and the environment.
Luz Rooney
Board Member
since 2023
Luz was trained as a Climate Reality Leader in April 2021. She served as a Climate Reality mentor at the Latin American & the Global Leaders Trainings in 2021, and most recently at the Power Up Training in April of 2023. She co-hosted a three-part webinar on plastic pollution in 2021 in honor of Earth Day, World Environment Day, and World Oceans Day. This event brought experts in the field from the Netherlands, India, the Philippines, and the U.S. to discuss recycling myths and challenges, cleanup efforts in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, and the latest research on microplastics in the Atlantic Ocean.
Luz serves as a Bureau Member of the Montessori Model UN (MMUN) where she participates in Student Working Groups addressing plastic pollution, bullying, student mental health, and other topics. These working groups are preparation sessions for students across the world to represent their countries as Delegates at two annual MMUN Conferences in New York. Luz is a citizen science researcher with Webster University’ Shutterbee project which is studying the bee population in St. Louis. Luz is a trained member of Beyond Plastics, and Co-Founder of Beyond Plastics MO/WI. The group advocates to end single-use plastic pollution and promotes alternative solutions. She participated in the Informal Working Groups leading up to the Stockholm +50 International Meeting in June 2022 focusing on unsustainable production and consumption, and pollution. Luz has a master’s degree in non-profit management from Washington University in St. Louis. She is bilingual in English and Spanish.
Katy Mike Smaistrla
Board Member
since 2024
As an educator and sustainability professional, Dr. Katy Mike Smaistrla Lampe exhibits her dedication to promoting social justice, economic resilience, and environmental stewardship in and through higher education. Katy Mike considers herself lucky to be able to apply her enthusiasm, technical know-how, and theoretical background in her role as sustainability coordinator at the University of Missouri—St. Louis. On any given day, she deals with the complexities of circular economies, climate science, communication tactics, and community building. Additionally, Katy Mike teaches at a number of institutions, including Maryville and Webster Universities.
Her academic research centered on meaning-making and change-making, and she’s interested in how social/emotional competencies are utilized in heritage interpretation and sustainability leadership. She loves including more people in the conversation and inspiring them to consider how we can best utilize our precious resources. When she’s not on campus or volunteering for organizations like earthday365, you might find her teaching yoga, mailing a letter, or spending time outdoors.
Jim Stroeher
Board Member
since 2023
Jim Stroeher is STLMade. He was born at the old St. Anthony’s Hospital and was raised in south St. Louis. He graduated from Washington University with a BT: Mechanical Engineering. He has worked in Education, Engineering, and Information Technology at St. Louis Community College, Washington University, University of Missouri, Duke Manufacturing, AON, BJC Healthcare, and Commerce Bank.
Jim volunteers with many groups including Habitat for Humanity, Forest ReLeaf of Missouri, Open Space STL, Missouri Department of Conservation, Missouri Botanical Garden, and Laumeier Sculpture Park. He is also working with a small team to start a Green Team at Commerce Bank.
Jim’s favorite volunteer organizations are St Louis Zoo, Mind the Gap, and earthday365. He has been with the zoo for five years and primarily volunteers with the Special Events group, and participates in the zoo’s sustainability and green programs. Mind the Gap is a homeless outreach program in downtown St Louis. Jim has been working with the group for three years, and has become passionate about the challenges of the unhoused and loves cooking meals for them. He stumbled across a social media posting for the first Environmental Justice Days of Action and felt an immediate connection with the group. He has participated in almost all the Justice Days, along with the past two St. Louis Earth Day Festivals and Recycling On the Go events.
Jim’s philosophy is simple – If you see something that needs to be done, do it.
Jennifer Thomas
Board Member
since 2024
Jennifer is a communications professional passionate about building partnerships that lead to positive social and environmental change. She is the Director of Marketing and Communications at Community School, an independent elementary and preschool. In this role, she produces newsletters and publications, manages the school’s website and social media, and oversees advertising and public relations efforts. Additionally, Jennifer is a member of the school’s Sustainability Committee and manages its on-site compost collection.
Previously, Jennifer worked with the Gephardt Institute for Civic and Community Engagement and the Office of Sustainability at Washington University in St. Louis. She has held leadership roles in several sustainability organizations across St. Louis and Northwest Arkansas and is excited to contribute to earthday365’s mission and programs.
Jennifer has a Bachelor of Arts in urban studies from Vassar College, as well as a Master of Arts in communication and a graduate certificate in sustainability from the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville. Outside of work, she enjoys reading, hiking, exploring the local food scene, traveling, and spending time with her family.
Jennifer Wendt
Board Member
since 2024
Jennifer Wendt began her career, after receiving a degree in chemistry from UMSL, working in environmental compliance, then shifted to municipal government with a focus on regional sustainability and solid waste management. She joined MRCTI, an association of 100+ mayors of cities along the Mississippi River, in 2018 as the Plastic Waste Reduction Campaign Manager in collaboration with the United Nations Environment Programme – North America and the University of Georgia; the Mississippi River Plastic Pollution Initiative was created. While the initiative continues, plastic waste reduction projects have begun in multiple cities, including collaboration with communities, manufacturers, institutions, NGOs, and local government.
Jennifer also works for BFA Engineering with a focus on floodplain and stormwater management. Her primary areas of aptitude are sustainable materials management and resource conservation.
Aaron Young
Board Member
Chair, External Affairs Committee
since 2019
Aaron is Manager of Sustainability Planning at East-West Gateway Council of Governments, the St. Louis area Metropolitan Planning Organization. At East-West Gateway he participated in the development of OneSTL, the St. Louis regional plan for sustainable development, and is currently coordinating the collaborative efforts to implement OneSTL and promote greater regional sustainability. A former Peace Corps Volunteer in Kenya, Aaron has a graduate degree in urban and regional planning from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He is active in the American Planning Association, having served in several leadership positions with the St. Louis Metropolitan Section.
Aaron is a native of Chicago, but happily relocated to St. Louis where festivals, concerts, and international restaurants as well as hiking, canoeing, and camping are all available nearby.
Saad Amir
Board Member
since 2022
Saad Amir is a communications professional who lives in St. Louis County with his wife, Marissa, and dog Mia.
Saad works in Strategic Communications for Equifax Workforce Solutions where he supports internal and external communications for strategic business initiatives.
Before joining Equifax, Saad served several roles in local government including several years conducting government affairs for the Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District and, prior to that, communications for the St. Louis County Board of Elections.
In addition to serving on the Board of earthday365, Saad is the Chairman of the Board for Muslims for a Better America and the Chief Ethics Officer for the St. Louis Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America.
Lisa Cagle
Past-President
Board Member since 2017
Lisa Cagle currently serves as the first ever Director of Innovative Services at Metro Transit in St. Louis. She has worked in sustainability and sustainable development for over 18 years, from volunteering as a college student to assist with wetland restoration, to traveling abroad to conduct research in sustainable development best practices, to working to identify regional metrics for promoting and evaluating sustainable transportation practices and policies in the St. Louis Metropolitan Area.
While living in Oslo, Norway after college, Lisa’s research and firsthand experience demonstrated the value of quality transit in promoting equity in access to jobs, education, healthcare, and other resources. This spurred an interest in transportation systems and infrastructure as a mechanism for developing our cities and communities more sustainably and equitably, and for understanding sustainability as intrinsically tied to social equity.
Lisa is mom to Shiloh Xavier who has the sweetest baby smile in the whole world, as well as dog mom to Leo (10+ year old Pit/Lab mix) and Rebel Girl (2 year old Rhodesian Ridgeback mix); she will gladly show you pictures of her baby and doggos anytime. Lisa aims to use her place on the Board of Directors for earthday365 to help elevate and support what individuals, neighborhoods, and community organizations are doing to make St. Louis a more livable, lovable, sustainable place.
Lori Strawbridge, CPA
Board Member
since 2003
With over 15 years of service to Saint Louis small businesses, individuals, and nonprofit organizations, Lori is dedicated to assisting her clients with their accounting and tax needs. Lori earned Bachelors and Masters of Accounting degrees from the University of Missouri-Saint Louis, and has been a Certified QuickBooks ProAdvisor since 2007. With a full range of professional solutions to meet your needs, Lori’s focus is on simplifying client accounting systems to provide accurate and relevant information in the most efficient way possible.
In addition to her professional work, Lori has taken a dynamic leadership role in the community beginning in 2003 when she joined the board of directors of St. Louis Earth Day (now earthday365), an organization that has transformed the City’s sustainability landscape. She also serves on the board for Middlewest Movies and Sustainable Backyard Tour. Previously, Lori was a long-standing board member for the Judevine Center for Autism, where she chaired the Fundraising Committee for 5 years. Lori has served on the board of Artscope as Treasurer, and was Vice President of the Professional Women’s Alliance.
Andrea (Andie) Patton
Board Member
since 2022
Andrea (Andie) Patton is a Corporate Attorney at Lewis Rice and has a BA from Washington University and a Doctor of Law (JD) from University of Chicago. In addition to serving on the earthday365 Board, she is a Board leader for Places for People, a nonprofit organization with a mission of improving the physical and behavioral health of individuals, families, and communities by providing outpatient services, substance use services and treatment, and rehabilitation for persons suffering from mental illness and substance abuse.
Andie M. Patton practices in Lewis Rice’s Corporate Department and works on a variety of matters including mergers and acquisitions, corporate formation and restructuring, regulatory compliance, commercial real estate transactions, and corporate and commercial contract issues.
Andie was selected by her peers for inclusion in Best Lawyers® Ones to Watch for 2021-2023, as well as Missouri & Kansas Rising Stars® 2021.
Lisa Johnson
Board Member
since 2021
After 15 years of working at McDonnell Douglas/Boeing, Lisa moved on and has just reached her 15-year milestone at Edward Jones where she is a Sr. Facilities Project Leader – responsible for Construction Administration and Sustainability. She is also responsible for initiating a proposal to incorporate sustainability into the firm culture – in an effort to preserve and progress the Jones family legacy of conservation.
Born and raised in Chicago, Lisa landed in St. Louis in 1990 after college. She is the mother of a wonderful son, enjoys baking (especially vegan and gluten free), sewing, traveling to new places, voice over acting, and podcasting (as host of How Did I Get Here).
Lisa received her B.S in Architectural Engineering from Tennessee State University in Nashville, TN and her M.S. in Construction Management from Washington University-St. Louis. She is also a past board member of Perennial, a St. Louis non-profit that teaches people creative skills to upcycle materials and live more sustainably.
Lisa Lewis
Board Member
since 2022
Lisa Lewis is Human Resources Manager at the engineering firm Roeslein & Associates, and brings a wealth of experience in recruitment, retention, HR policies/procedures, and has a passion for creating a humane and accountable work environment. She has a BS from Drake University and MA from Webster University. Lisa is a proud member of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority and longtime resident of Old Florissant.
Lisa kindled her love of sustainability during her employment at the Missouri Botanical Garden, and is excited to continue to deepen her knowledge of all things “green” through her Board service with earthday365.
Judith Arnold
Board Member
since 2023
A longtime SLACO employee and community organizer in the Vandeventer and Hodiamont Tracks neighborhoods, Judith focuses on vacancy and economic development. She was the winner of the 2023 earthday365 Keystone Community Activist Sustainability Award. She was also the winner of SLACO’s 2022 Women of Achievement Award.
Judith is an Urban Planner with postgraduate degrees from Cleveland State University and Occidental College. She began her planning career as a volunteer with Volunteer in Service to America (VISTA), rehabbing ten homes in Kansas City. She came to St. Louis as a CORO Fellow, learning the ropes of city government and being mentored by seasoned planners and developers. She contributed to both commercial and residential rehabs along Delmar Boulevard
Angie Weber
Board Member
since 2017
Angie brings over 10 years of experience to the St. Louis Earth Day Board (now earthday365) in the fields of conservation planning, volunteer management, and environmental consulting. In her current role, Angie provides in-depth assistance on the planning and installation of urban native landscapes, and engaging volunteers in the stewardship of those spaces through a position supported by Shaw Nature Reserve and the Missouri Department of Conservation. Angie previously worked as the Conservation Program Manager for Great Rivers Greenway where she established the organization’s first conservation and volunteer programs. Those efforts helped restore native habitats and educated the citizens of the region to be good stewards of our local greenways and watersheds. Angie received her Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Studies and Biology from Drury University and earned a Master of Science in Biology from St. Louis University. Angie previously served on the Young Zoo Friends and Metropolitan Volunteer Management Association executive boards.
Angie was born with a love of nature and the outdoors. Her favorite childhood memories include creekin’ and camping with her family at the Paddy Creek Recreation Area located in the heart of the Mark Twain National Forest. In her spare time, Angie also enjoys hiking, canoeing, landscaping with native plants, and spending time at her parents’ 111-acre rustic Bed & Breakfast located just south of Fredericktown, Missouri.
Ronald Jones
Board Member
since 2022
Ronald Jones is an urban farmer in the JeffVanderLou Neighborhood and owner of Blackberry Landscaping. A graduate of UM-St. Louis with a bachelor’s degree in Media Studies and is currently pursuing an MA in Public Policy – Local Government. He is a Coro Fellows graduate in June 2022, and worked for the Saint Louis Vacancy Collaborative/Community Builder’s Network as AmeriCorps Vista for several years.
Ronald is a lifelong St. Louis city resident, and his passion for sustainability came from growing up in Walnut Park. He remembers many of the older residents on his block had fruit trees in their backyards. He states that my friends and I nicknamed that section of the neighborhood “Fruit Alley” because all the neighborhood kids would walk up and down this alley during summer break to harvest fruit hanging over the back-alley fences. This childhood memory has sparked a vision for Ronald to turn vacant lots throughout the city into food forests and orchards filled with pollinator-friendly native plants to combat food insecurity.
To complete his passion for gardening. Ronald became a Master Gardener in Dec. 2020 through the Missouri Botanical Garden program and was featured in the New York Times article “The Promise of Pawpaw” that same year.
Ronald Jones was named Urban Farmer of the Year for the City of St. Louis at the 2020 Missouri State Fair and currently works for the City of Dellwood as a Code Enforcement Inspector.
Bob Herleth
Board Member
since 2020
Bob retired from Missouri Botanical Garden in 2015 where he served as Executive Vice President for ten years. In addition to his management responsibilities, Bob was responsible for governmental relations and the Garden’s activities supporting the improvement of the neighborhoods surrounding the Garden. Following retirement, Bob worked for St. Louis Community Foundation for nearly three years to help establish Invest STL, a new community development initiative sponsored by the Foundation.
Bob and his wife, Joyce, have enjoyed residing in the Shaw neighborhood in south St. Louis for more than 40 years, where they have been involved in several community projects and organizations. Currently, Bob is a member of the Board of Commissioners for Tower Grove Park and serves as its Vice President.
Retirement for Bob includes family and grandparent time, being outdoors, and volunteering. He is an avid cyclist, and enjoys traveling and hiking. Bob recently joined the earthday365 board and is excited to be part of an organization dedicated to strengthening sustainable living in the St. Louis region.
Charles Bryson
Board Member
since 2021
Charles Bryson, II, a native St. Louisan, has a passion for service and improving the quality of life for all.
Charles has served in various aspects of human service; from a Case Worker and Case Manager at various programs for persons who were homeless in Baltimore, St. Louis, and Springfield IL, to the Director of a Head Start in Springfield IL, and Executive Director of a Youth Program in Peoria IL.
Charles has also held various positions in State and City government, including Area Rep for the Missouri Housing Development Commission, Neighborhood Development Executive, Senior Policy Advisor, Director of Department of Public Safety, and Director of the Civil Rights Enforcement Agency under both Mayor Slay and Mayor Lyda Krewson.
Charles is married and has two daughters, Bailey and Sydney and one son, Christian Nicholas.
John Risberg
Past President
Board Member since 2014
John recently retired from Maritz Holdings Inc. where he served at various times as General Counsel, Chief Administrative Officer, and Corporate Secretary of the company. He continues to provide counsel and consulting services to the company and to the Maritz family on family ownership and stewardship matters.
John also participates in a wide range of philanthropic and volunteer activities, many of which involve conservation efforts. In addition to his involvement in earthday365, he serves as an emeritus director of the World Bird Sanctuary (President from 2008-2013), and as President of the board of Beyond Housing, a community development organization concentrating on improving conditions in the 24 municipalities served by the Normandy School District in north St. Louis County. He is also active in administering the David Risberg Memorial Fund, a grant program established in honor of his late son supporting grassroots conservation organizations across the state affiliated with the Conservation Federation of Missouri. He has also been involved as a volunteer in a variety of wildlife habitat improvement and management projects in rural Missouri.
John is an avid outdoorsman who particularly enjoys fishing, hunting, biking, hiking, boating, golf, skiing, and just about any activity that involves exploring someplace new. He also enjoys a broad spectrum of cultural activities, from theater to museums to live music of all sorts. John and his wife, Mary, split their time between a condo in the Central West End of St. Louis and a lake home in Crawford County, Missouri, where he and his neighbors have participated in a number of natural habitat restoration efforts.
Kurtus Kahle
Treasurer
Board Member since 2017
Kurt was connected with earthday365 due to his position as a key contributor to sustainability teams within several organizations. Most recently, he has led his firm’s continuous improvement team focused on sustainability services, such as energy modeling and auditing, and on internal sustainability improvements. Prior to his current position, he worked in the renewable energy industry, including power plant design and fuel cell research.
Kurt is a mechanical engineer with CRB, a consulting firm that provides engineering, architecture, and construction services for the life sciences and food industries. Kurt focuses primarily on the design and evaluation of energy systems and high-purity utility systems in FDA-regulated facilities. He graduated summa cum laude from Washington University in St. Louis with degrees in Mechanical Engineering and Systems Science and Engineering, and a minor in Energy Engineering in 2013.
Kurt also volunteers as a congressional liaison for Citizens’ Climate Lobby, a nonprofit seeking to create the political will to drive action on climate change. He is heavily involved with The Gathering United Methodist Church, and enjoys playing music and riding his bike in his spare time.
Pete Salsich III
Board Member
since 2016
Pete Salsich III is an intellectual property and entertainment attorney with a passion for protecting and enhancing the creative efforts of entrepreneurs, businesses, and organizations in St. Louis and around the country, especially those that are working to improve the quality of life in their communities. He is Of Counsel with the Capes Sokol law firm in St. Louis and chairs its Entertainment and Media practice group.
Pete became involved with earthday365 after many years of observing the profound impact of the Recycling On the Go program at music and cultural festivals, and is committed to helping expand its reach in communities less obviously served. In addition to serving on the Board of earthday365, Pete also serves on the Board of The Angel Band Project, which provides music therapy programs for survivors of sexual violence, and the Executive Board of the St. Louis University Billiken Club.
Pete obtained his undergraduate and law degrees from St. Louis University, right down the street from the St. Louis City neighborhood where he and his wife have lived and raised their three children for twenty years. Pete is an entrepreneur and creator as well as a lawyer. Before law school he was a freelance illustrator, and a partner in a playground equipment company in St. Louis, and a bar at the Lake of the Ozarks in southern Missouri. These days you can also occasionally find him playing guitar with the band Eighty-One, and publishing videos and blog posts as The Screen Lawyer.
Liz Beeks
Board Member
since 2022
Liz Beeks has been at Christner Inc, an architectural firm with an environmental focus, for 37 years. She is the Director of Accounting and manages all daily financial and HR operations. Liz serves as the Treasurer for her church, teaches dance, is a Ferguson resident, and a proud mother of two.
Nick Frisella
Board Member
since 2016
Nicholas Frisella is an ALA certified Lighting Specialist (LS) with more than 15 years of experience in the lighting industry. His current role at Metro Lighting is Energy Efficiency and Sustainability Manager. Under his direction Metro Lighting has received 7 national awards from the DOE and EPA. In 2014, his energy efficiency team was awarded Top Performer from the Ameren Missouri’s BizSavers program. In 2015, his energy efficiency team completed the second highest amount of projects in the BizSavers program. This program cycle saved Metro’s commercial customers more than 18 million kWh of electricity (That equates to a lifetime savings of CO2 emissions from 106,654,504 pounds of coal burned).
Nicholas is active in promoting energy efficiency and has testified to the Missouri Public Service Commission. He is also a stakeholder in creating Missouri’s statewide technical reference manual (TRM). Nicholas has educated countless Missourians, of all ages, on how to be good stewards of the environment. He believes his crowning achievement is receiving ENERGY STAR’s Climate Communicator award. This award is typically given to international corporations for educating consumers about climate change. Nicholas is passionate about helping people reduce their environmental impact.
He earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and is proud to be a self taught environmental advocate. Nicholas also serves on The City of Maplewood’s Sustainability Commission.
Donna Bequette
Board Member
Chair, Internal Affairs Committee
since 2020
Donna Bequette retired from Washington University in 2020 after serving for 18 years in Human Resources. In addition to regulatory and technical functions, the role required involvement with faculty and staff across all campuses to provide solutions for the most efficient use of benefit applications for each individual situation. Donna enjoyed being involved campus sustainability initiatives and other community engagement events. She is a longtime sustainability advocate, and joining the earthday365 Board allows her to take her efforts up a notch and play a larger role in having impact on issues that benefit the earth and humanity.
Donna resides in Illinois with her husband and labrador; her adult sons also live nearby. Retirement has afforded more time with her grandson and twin nieces; volunteering, walking and enjoying a slower pace to life.
Roland Biehl
Board Member
since 2016
Roland is an Environmental Specialist at the Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District (MSD) Division of Environmental Compliance and coordinates the St. Louis County Stormwater Phase II Permit activities. Roland works closely with St. Louis County municipalities on water quality education and regulatory requirements assistance. Roland is a dedicated public servant, good partner with many communities and organizations, is a major player in our regional river clean-ups, and a strong advocate of green infrastructure. Roland served on the St. Louis Earth Day Symposium Planning Committee for 5 years.
Roland received his BS in Civil Engineering from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale and he has 25 years of regulatory affairs and permit writing experience while at MSD. Roland facilitated MSD achieving the 2019 American Public Works St. Louis Chapter Management Innovation Award, 2018 and 2015 Water Environment Federation Stormwater Phase II Awards, and the 2014 Sarah Stein Award for site scale green infrastructure at his daughter’s school.
Roland lives in Smithton, Illinois with his wife and two daughters. Their family enjoys taking trips, bike riding, and kayaking. Roland is on the Board of Directors at the River des Peres Watershed Coalition.
John McElwain
Board Member
Board Member since 2016
John McElwain is school counselor, auxiliary programs coordinator, and summer camp director at The College School. He recently obtained his M.Ed. in Counseling from UMSL. John brings his passion for the environment and sustainable living in everything he does. Formerly, he owned Terrene restaurant in the Central West End. His restaurant was know for being environmentally conscious; from the recycled materials he used in it’s design, to the locally sourced food diners enjoyed at Terrene. He carried his passion for composting, recycling, and sustainability to The College School where he wrote the school’s application for the U.S. Department of Education’s Green Ribbon School Award that the school received in 2012.
Elysia Musumeci
Board Member, Chair External Affairs Committee
Board Member since 2018
Elysia is the Sustainability Education and Outreach Coordinator at Brightside St. Louis, the city’s oldest and most comprehensive not-for-profit cleaning and greening group. She organizes Brightside’s various cleaning and beautification programs that engage and encourage city residents to make their communities more sustainable. She also oversees the City of St. Louis’ recycling education and outreach program, Saint Louis City Recycles. Earning an award for Nextdoor Hero, Elysia is dedicated to connecting residents to community resources and carries her passion for sustainability and recycling everywhere she goes.
Elysia earned her Bachelor of Science in Biology from Rockhurst University and a Master of Science in Environmental Science Management from Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville.
