As a result of term limits enacted several years ago, two long time board members Karen Silseth and Sharon Dunwoody rotated off the board this month. One might say it will take four people to replace these two!
Dunwoody
Silseth
Proving herself so valuable, Sharon Dunwoody’s term was extended beyond the typical six years, because she served the last three years as Board Chair. Sharon’s leadership involved revisiting issues such as the board’s role, structure, and composition, and the foundation’s programmatic priorities as the foundation continued navigating its growth and development.
Karen Silseth servedon the board since 2014, and was instrumental in efforts to revisit and revise the board’s committee structure and programming priorities. This resulted in new charters for the committees, which in turn helped identify needed expertise and experience at the board level. Karen’s positive attitude and strong business sense will be missed.
To their credit, Sharon and Karen helped recruit an impressive new cohort of directors as we welcome: Dr. J. Baird Callicott, Dr. Clare Kazanski, Greg Pfluger, and Gail Hanson to the board of directors.
Many Leopold devotees will know Dr. Callicott’s work as University Distinguished Research Professor Emeritus and Regents Professor of Philosophy, ret., at the University of North Texas, because he is credited with teaching the world’s first course in environmental ethics at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point in 1971 and has published widely on Leopold and the Land Ethic.
As an ecosystem ecologist with The Nature Conservancy, and the great-granddaughter of Aldo Leopold (the granddaughter of Luna Leopold), Dr. Kazanski continues the tradition of bringing the Leopold family’s scientific excellence to the foundation’s leadership.
As the Leopold Foundation continues its evolution the foundation’s board now engages in governance and leadership matters that require increasing specialty. Who hasn’t become more dependent on technology during the COVID crises? As Chief Information Officer for the Agency and Life businesses of American Family Insurance, Greg Pfluger brings depth and expertise in information technology to the foundation’s leadership.
There is a popular phrase in the not-for-profit world, “More Money = More Mission” which is why we are excited to welcome Gail Hanson, the retired Chief Financial Officer of Aurora Health, to the foundation’s board so we can continue to efficiently steward all of your investments in the foundation’s effort to advance land ethics.
Check out our website to learn more about this impressive cohort of board members, and the board as whole below:
