Who We Are

The Southwest Michigan Land Conservancy is governed by a board of directors, representative of the nine-county region we serve. 

Board of Directors

2012-2013

George E. Burgoyne, Jr., President

Brian Bosgraaf,  Vice-President

Mary Houser, Treasurer

Susan Houseman, Secretary

Jim Birkes

Larry J. Case

W. Jack Keiser

Donna Perry Keller

Philip Micklin

Robert L. O'Boyle

Betty Lee Ongley

Todd Sanford

Richard H. Shaw

Janice Varney

Staff

Executive Director - Peter D. Ter Louw, terlouw@swmlc.org
Peter has a B.S. in biology and a minor in chemistry from Hope College in Holland, Michigan.  He received a master of landscape architecture from the University of Michigan School of Natural Resources, with an emphasis on ecological design and restoration.  After graduate school, Peter returned to his home in New Jersey and worked with the Passaic River Coalition, initiating and creating the land conservation and acquisition program.  Under his leadership as project manager and later as assistant executive director, this nonprofit watershed association secured over $2.5 million in government and foundation land acquisition grants.  Peter also worked with county and municipal governments to develop collaborative regional land protection and funding programs to protect fragile natural resources and open space.  Peter took over as executive director of the Southwest Michigan Land Conservancy in March 2002.  With the help of staff, a board of directors, and volunteers, he implements land conservation strategies in the nine counties of southwest Michigan.  Since coming on board in 2002, the Southwest Michigan Land Conservancy has protected over 8,000 acres through conservation easements and acquisitions that include wetlands, marshlands, prairies, and agriculture.

 Director of Land Protection - Emily Wilke, ewilke@swmlc.org
Emily is a Michigan native and grew up on Grosse Ile. She developed a passion for conservation while at Calvin College in Grand Rapids and through courses at AuSable Institute, majoring in biology with an environmental studies minor.  Emily worked for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service(FWS) in both Colorado and Michigan.  While working with the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge, a project of the FWS, she pursued a graduate degree from the University of Michigan’s School of Natural Resources and Environment that focused on ecosystem management with an emphasis in conservation.  In August 2006, she received her master’s degree.  Emily and her husband, Brook, reside on a small farm in Barry County.  Brook has a Ph.D. in agroecology and works through Michigan State University when he is not running their family farm or taking care of their two boys, Charlie and Wendell, and newborn daughter Lily. 

Land Protection Specialist - Geoffrey D. Cripe, GCripe@swmlc.org
Geoff grew up in Goshen, Indiana, and is a 2004 graduate of Indiana University. He holds a B.S. in Public Management from IU's School of Public and Environmental Affairs.  Geoff worked in the Tidewater region of Virginia for three years as a land use planner but found his true calling while serving on a committee that administered a municipal agricultural and forestal preservation program.  His interest in this program and other permanent open space and agricultural conservation easement programs in Virginia prompted his decision to change careers and return to the Midwest to be closer to family.  After initially volunteering for a short time with SWMLC, he was hired full-time in 2008.  Geoff loves to compose music (all genres) on his keyboard, and he is a diehard IU men's basketball fan.  He serves on the Friends of the St. Joe River board of directors and on the City of Kalamazoo Planning Commission.  Geoff resides in Kalamazoo with his wife Sarah who teaches at Greenwood Elementary in Kalamazoo. 
 

Conservation and Stewardship Director - Nate Fuller, fuller@swmlc.org
Nate joined SWMLC as its first Stewardship Specialist in the summer of 2001.  He works with volunteers and seasonal staff to protect and enhance the diversity, stability, and beauty of SWMLC's preserves and other important natural areas in southwest Michigan.  Nate received his B.S. in biology from Northland College, an environmental liberal arts college in Ashland, Wisconsin.  He worked for several years as a naturalist and volunteer coordinator for Sarett Nature Center in Benton Harbor.  He has also worked in Chicago as an education program coordinator for The Nature Conservancy and as a volunteer for the North Branch Restoration Project.  Nate is a former board member of The Stewardship Network and current board member of the Natural Areas Association, Stewards of Kleinstuck, and Long Haul Productions.  He lives in Kalamazoo with his wife Erin and son Theo. They can often be found birding and botanizing at nearby natural areas.

Communications Director - Pamela Weaver Larson, PWLarson@swmlc.org
Born and raised in the Midwest, Pam moved to New Orleans after receiving her teaching degree in secondary education from Western Michigan University (French major, linguistics minor). While she didn't pursue teaching in New Orleans, Pam put her writing, editing, and language skills to work for Kresge Hearing Research Laboratory publications. From there, she segued into advertising, marketing, public relations, public TV, and radio.  After 14 years in the Deep South, Pam returned to Kalamazoo and was hired in April 1997 as SWMLC's second full-time employee.  She creates the newsletter, Landscapes, and manages the website and social media.  Pam and her husband Lee are founding members of the Kalamazoo Area chapter of Wild Ones and are active in many local nature/environmental organizations as well as in their township of Oshtemo, where Lee serves as trustee .  They maintain their property as a Monarch Waystation and an NWF Certified Backyard Wildlife Habitat and are restoring their four acres to native plants.  Pam is an Advanced Master Gardener through Michigan State University Extension and writes for national publications.

 Program Assistant - Kristin Schinske, kschinske@swmlc.org

A southwest Michigan native, having grown up in Sister Lakes, Kristin is excited to be working to conserve and improve the lands and waters of “her own backyard.”  Though Kristin has always had an appreciation for nature, she had dreamt of being a writer and planned to study journalism in college — but, after taking a few natural resource courses, she soon realized she wanted to explore the conservation field.  Kristin earned her bachelor’s degree from Western Michigan University in 2010, double majoring in geography and environmental studies.  Kristin worked for Western Michigan University’s Natural Areas Program for two years where she was involved in everything from coordinating volunteers and growing native plants to writing land management plans, GIS mapping, and web design.  Kristin began working on SWMLC’s stewardship crew in August of 2011, and was eventually hired full time to continue stewardship work, as well as assist the executive director in fundraising and administrative tasks.  She also writes our stewardship blog, Notes From the Field.  Kristin loves to be outdoors, and feels blessed that she is able to combine her love for nature and passion for writing to protect and educate others about the beautiful southwest Michigan landscape.