Foundation Board of Directors | Wisconsin Conservation Hall of Fame

The Foundation Board consists of volunteer Directors that govern the affairs of the WCHF Foundation, Inc. to celebrate and advance Wisconsin’s conservation legacy by sharing the stories and achievements of Wisconsin Conservation Hall of Fame Inductees. The Foundation Board has all operational, policy, business, and fiduciary responsibilities for the WCHF Foundation, Inc.

The WCHF Foundation Board meets regularly via zoom. Voting Member Organization Representatives and Affiliate Members are welcome to attend and observe Foundation Board meetings. To attend a meeting or request an item be placed on the agenda, please contact WCHF. You will receive information about upcoming meeting dates and a link to attend. Members of the public who would like to make a comment or inquiry of the Foundation Board may do so by contacting WCHF.

2026 Foundation Board Members

Michael Engleson, Treasurer (2024-2026)

Mike started with Wisconsin Lakes in 2009 as Communications Director and became the organization’s Executive Director and Lobbyist in 2012. He has extensive experience with nonprofit organizations as staff or as a board member, including the River Alliance of Wisconsin, 1,000 Friends of Wisconsin, the Tenant Resource Center of Wisconsin, the Wisconsin Community Fund, and Prairie Music & Arts. A graduate of Lawrence University and the University of Wisconsin Law School he enjoys time out on the water as well as both listening to and making music. Mike is son of WCHF Inductee, David C Engleson.

Richard (Dick) Hemp (2023-2025)

Richard is retired Senior Vice President of Sales, Maytag Corporation. Held various leadership roles in sales, marketing, business development and general management over his 37 year career with Maytag. Thereafter, he did business consulting and was a guest instructor of strategic marketing at the University of Nevada. Richard is a regent emeritus, former chair of the Luther College Board of Regents and former interim president of Luther College. He recently served as a trustee on the Board of Vesterheim National Norwegian American Museum & Folk Art School. A BA graduate of Luther College and USMCR veteran, Richard is son of WCHF Inductee, Richard A. Hemp. He resides in Reno, Nevada with his wife, Joanne.

Julie Van Stappen, Secretary (2025-2027)

Julie recently retired from Apostle Islands National Lakeshore as the park’s Resource Stewardship Director, leading the park’s natural and cultural resource management, research, planning, and compliance programs. During her over 40 years with the National Park Service and 35 years with Apostle Islands National Lakeshore, she had the great fortune to work with a wide variety of talented and passionate collaborators to protect and conserve National Park areas, especially Apostle Islands and Lake Superior. Julie received her B.S. from U.W. Oshkosh in Geology and M.S. from U.W. Stevens Point in Natural Resources. Julie and her husband John live on an old glacial beach ridge near the shores of Lake Superior west of Washburn, Wisconsin.

Marion Lovell (2026-2029)

Marion Lovell’s career includes more than 20 years helping others prepare financially for retirement. She currently serves as a Relationship Manager with Empower Retirement. Her journey into conservation began close to home—through her local Izaak Walton League of America (IWLA) chapter—when her daughter joined the Benton High School Clay Target Team. What began as supporting her child’s passion soon grew into Marion’s own commitment to conservation, youth engagement, and outdoor education.

Now entering her tenth year as head coach of the Benton High School Clay Target Team, Marion has helped foster confidence, safety, and stewardship among young shooters. Her support of the Outdoor Heritage Education Center each year helps recruit, retain, and reactivate thousands of anglers and shooting sports enthusiasts. Volunteering with IWLA, she has served as membership coordinator and is beginning her fourth consecutive year as chapter president. Recently elected as a Wisconsin Division officer, she serves as Board Secretary and an IWLA National Director. Locally and nationally, Marion is dedicated to strengthening communication and collaboration between chapter members, national staff, other conservation stakeholders, and state, federal and tribal natural resources agencies.

Marion is passionate about preserving the health, beauty, and accessibility of Wisconsin’s natural resources for current and future generations. She is especially dedicated to growing the number of women in conservation leadership roles, believing that diversity of voices is key to increasing and sustaining positive, meaningful impact. In addition to their family’s to-do list of outdoor pursuits, conservation and coaching work, Marion and her husband Eric share their giving spirit each holiday season by volunteering as Santa and Mrs. Claus at community events.

Carl Schwartz (2026-2029)

Carl Schwartz is one of four editors for the forthcoming second Wisconsin Breeding Bird Atlas and serves on the project’s Steering Committee. From 2009 to 2014, he served as the founding director of Bird City Wisconsin (BCW) and from 2015 to 2019 chaired its Steering Committee. BCW helped launch the hemisphere-wide Bird City Network, led by the American Bird Conservancy and Environment for the Americas, which now recognizes communities in 13 states, as well as Colombia, Mexico, and Brazil.

He is a past president of the Wisconsin Society for Ornithology (2012-’14) and currently edits its monthly newsletter, The Badger Birder, returning to a job he held from 2014 to 2023. He has served on the Lake Michigan Bird Observatory’s Board of Directors since it was organized in 2014. He chaired the board until Oct. 5, 2017, when it reorganized after the Observatory incorporated. His current term expires Dec. 31, 2025. Carl also is past president of the Friends of the Cedarburg Bog and a member of the American Bird Conservancy, National Audubon Society, The Nature Conservancy, International Crane Foundation, Southeastern Wisconsin Invasive Species Consortium, Wisconsin Wetlands Association, Gathering Waters, and four land trusts: Door County, Glacial Lakes, Restoring Lands, and The Ridges.

He is program chair for the Noel J. Cutright Bird Club in Newburg and helps lead the Ozaukee Washington Birding Coalition. Carl retired in 2009 as senior editor for national and international news at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, where he had worked since graduating from the University of Illinois in 1971. He is married to Barbara Dembski Schwartz; they have two sons — one a special education teacher in Milwaukee, the other a software engineer for ResearchGate in Berlin, Germany.

Tricia Gorby (2026-2029)

Tricia Gorby is the Assistant Dean and Director of the Natural Resources Institute at UW–Madison Division of Extension, providing strategic leadership for a team of more than 120 staff and faculty across Wisconsin who deliver research and outreach programs in forestry, water, wildlife management, geosciences, and land conservation.

A southeastern Wisconsin native and proud UW–Madison alum, she earned her undergraduate degree in Zoology and Conservation before completing her M.S. and Ph.D. in Forest Management and Ecology at Iowa State University. Her career includes leadership roles with the Division of Extension and the Wisconsin DNR, with work spanning oak regeneration, private lands management, and maple syrup production. Current research and outreach projects include the Tallgrass Prairie and Oak Savanna Fire Science Consortium and the Indigenous Food Systems Resilience Project. Outside of work, Tricia enjoys hiking Wisconsin’s trails and fishing its lakes and rivers with her two kids.

https://naturalresources.extension.wisc.edu/

Marco Mascitti, Immediate Past President (2023-2025, 2026)

Marco is a graduate of UW-Stevens Point in the Wildlife Ecology major, as well as from UW-Whitewater with the Graduate Business Foundations Certificate. His career as a Thrivent Financial Advisor is centered around helping people consider their legacies. He has been continuously inspired by those who help create an impact that can last generations. Marco has been involved in the WCHF for several years and especially embraces the stories, history, and recognition that the organization serves to the Wisconsin conservation community. Marco is active in conservation volunteer work and also serves on the board of the Wisconsin Wildlife Federation and the Monroe Street Merchants Association in his hometown of Madison. Marco’s favorite outdoor activities include snowshoeing, camping, hiking and fishing with friends, family and his wife Dacia.