Twin Cities leaders bring local insight and connections to Nature Everywhere Conference

The Twin Cities Advisory Council has been integral to the planning and development of the 2025 Nature Everywhere Conference. Composed of twenty distinguished leaders from Saint Paul and Minneapolis, Minnesota, and from across the country, the council has contributed invaluable local insights and recommendations. Members hail from diverse backgrounds and sectors, including environmental education, public health, government, outdoor recreation, nonprofits and more.

Council members include:

Devin Brown

Devin Brown (she/her) is program manager at Mississippi River Connection and is responsible for the overall strategy and execution of the Mississippi Park Connection’s public programs. She’s responsible for the creation and implementation of recreational, educational and community-based initiatives within the park to enrich the life of the river and the lives of all people who experience the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area.

Monica Bryand

Monica Bryand (she/her) was born and raised in Saint Paul and has lived on the West Side of Saint Paul for over 40 years. She is a Latina who is passionate about so many issues including the environment. She has been a birder for close to 20 years and photographer for about 10 years. She appreciates the support given to her by other birders and photographers and will continue to absorb and grow with their influence.

Monica’s real interest in taking bird photos and sharing them is to let others see the beauty that is right in front of them (okay — maybe above them). She wants people to understand the connection of all things to the earth and how important it is to protect the habitats for all animals all over this planet. She wants kids to enjoy the amazing natural environments (parks, lakes, rivers) they have in the Twin Cities and across Minnesota. By letting kids experience nature, she hopes that they too will want to protect it for themselves and the next generation.

Shelley Buck

Shelley Buck (she/her) is president of Owámniyomni Okhódayapi, a Dakota-led nonprofit in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Buck is an enrolled member of the Prairie Island Indian Community and served 12 years on the Prairie Island Tribal Council, including six years as president.

Buck has a Bachelor of Science in business accounting from Indiana University, a Master of Art in sports management from Concordia University, and a Master of Jurisprudence in federal Indian law from the University of Tulsa.

Buck currently serves on the boards of the Minnesota Wild Foundation, Great River Passage Conservancy, Wakan Tipi Awanyankapi, and Macalester Indian Advisory Committee in Saint Paul; Meet Minneapolis, Metropolitan Council American Indian Advisory Board, and Minneapolis Park & Recreation American Indian Advisory Council in Minneapolis. She also held the position of Alternate Regional VP for the National Congress of American Indians.

Angela Gustafson

Angela Gustafson (she/her) is an energetic and formidable visionary, executor and connector, who leads the development of products and services that bring joy to others. She creates value through entrepreneurial mindset, project management, brand creation and management, storytelling, communications, strategic planning and sales. Known for grit, drive and unwavering authenticity, she has built a thriving and profitable CPG food brand (Gustola Granola), founded a summer youth cycling club (Mill City Cyclomaniacs) and authored an award-winning children’s book, Imagine a House: A Journey to Fascinating Houses Around the World.

Mary Henke-Haney

Mary Henke-Haney (she/her) is the natural resources education coordinator for Saint Paul Parks and Recreation. Her favorite kind of work is using community science projects to help folks discover and understand urban ecology. Before she worked in local government in her hometown of Saint Paul, she worked in a museum, schools, nature centers, and conservation organizations.

Seaarra Hetherington

Seaarra Hetherington (she/her) is an up-and-coming, inspiring entrepreneur in the field of holistic health and wellness. She’s an advocate for cycling, green spaces and women’s empowerment through community action. She’s the founder of Biking with Baddies and Betts on You. She believes lives can be transformed mentally and physically one cycle at a time.

Emily Kunze

Emily Kunze (they/them) is youth program lead at Dream of Wild Health. They are a proud descendant of the White Earth Nation and a lifelong resident of Minnesota’s Twin Cities. Emily has spent their career working with children of all ages, in various settings. They are passionate about connecting children to the natural world.

Luisana Méndez

Luisana Méndez (she/her) is a civil engineer and urban planner with over 15 years of experience leading public and private sector projects. Throughout her career, she has specialized in the administration, execution, and inspection of infrastructure projects, as well as in the coordination of urban development plans, municipal regulations, and territorial planning initiatives.

In addition to her technical expertise, Luisana is the Founder and Leader of Huellas Latinas, an organization dedicated to promoting outdoor engagement and well-being within the Latinx community. Under her leadership, Huellas Latinas has launched hiking challenges, environmental education events, and community programs that foster meaningful connections with nature and ensure inclusive access to outdoor spaces.

Driven by strategic planning, community engagement, and environmental stewardship, Luisana is committed to inspiring others to explore the outdoors and create lasting change through collaboration and leadership.

Gabby Menomin

Gabby Menomin (she/her) is an enrolled member of the Forest County Potawatomi Community (Bullhead clan) of northern Wisconsin and the environmental restoration manager at Wakan Tipi Awanyankapi. With a master’s degree in Tribal Natural Resource Management, Gabby is focused on plant relatives and how climate change is impacting them. She is passionate about the environment and centering Indigenous voices, values, and knowledge in the stewardship of the land. At Wakan Tipi Awanyankapi, Gabby leads projects such as the restoration and management of Wakan Tipi (Bruce Vento Nature Sanctuary) and the daylighting of Phalen Creek.

Christine Moir

Christine Moir (she/her) is development director at the Minneapolis Parks Foundation. In this role, she is broadening and effectively engaging the donor base, while planning fantastic events that showcase Minneapolis’s amazing parks system. A relative newcomer to Minneapolis, Christine has spent six years handling major and planned gifts, event planning and membership donations for a diverse selection of nonprofits in Chicago and Portland, Oregon.

When not spending time with her husband and children in one of Minneapolis’ parks, you can find Christine hiking, baking, or gardening while enjoying life with her amazing family.

Doug Moore

Doug Moore (he/him) is chief commercial officer of Haberman & Associates, a marketing communications agency based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Haberman’s mission is to tell the stories of pioneers making a difference in the world. 

In addition to his Children & Nature Network board role, Doug serves on the City of Minneapolis Arts Commission, and has helped deepen youth and adult connections to nature in prior board roles with Wilderness Inquiry and Mississippi Park Connection.

Doug graduated with a B.A. from Hamilton College. His career has taken him from large ad agencies BBDO and Saatchi & Saatchi in New York, to General Mills as their VP, Advertising & Media, to a role as expert Partner at Bain & Company. Doug left Bain to join his friends Fred and Sarah Haberman and more fully connect his passion to a deeper mission. Doug and his wife have two daughters, and live in Minneapolis with a dog and cat.

Katie Nyberg

Katie Nyberg (she/her) has 20 years of experience developing programs and events along the Mississippi River with a variety of educational partners. Currently, Katie leads the National Parks Friends Alliance, a network for leaders in philanthropic organizations that work in partnership with the National Park Service.

Katie was the founding executive director of Mississippi Park Connection and held that position until January 2023. In addition to establishing the “friends group” for the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area, Katie also increased private philanthropy and community engagement through programs, including Canoemobile, Paddle Share, River City Revue, and Illuminate the Lock.

Katie also served as the executive director of the Great River Passage Conservancy, leading advocacy and private fundraising efforts for capital projects along Saint Paul’s 17 miles of Mississippi River.

Megan O’Hara

Megan O’Hara (she/her) is co-chair of the Twin Cities Advisory Council and a communications professional with broad experience in communications and deep community engagement. She has led public/private partnerships to advance community health agendas, working closely with agencies, nonprofits and grassroots community advocates.

Megan was one of the founding chairs of the Children & Nature Network in Minnesota, bringing together public and private partners to advocate and advance policy and opportunity for all children to experience nature. She worked with municipal, county and state parks as well as nonprofits like Wilderness Inquiry to bring many more children outdoors and to open natural resource professions to individuals from diverse backgrounds and skills.

Erika Rivers

Erika Rivers (she/her) is the executive director of Wilderness Inquiry, a national nonprofit organization headquartered in the Twin Cities metropolitan area that serves more than 30,000 participants in day programs, near-nature overnight experiences, and extended adventures. Wilderness Inquiry’s mission is to connect people of all ages, backgrounds, identities, and abilities through shared outdoor adventures so that all people can equitably experience the benefits of time spent in nature. In her leadership role, Rivers oversees a $6.9 million annual budget and a staff of 90-100 full-time and seasonal employees.

Prior to joining Wilderness Inquiry, Rivers capped off a two-decade career as a conservation biologist by serving as the Director of the Parks and Trails Division at the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR). Rivers holds a Ph.D. in Conservation Biology and a B.A. in Journalism/Russian Studies — both from the University of Minnesota.

Asha Shoffner

Asha (she/her) is a queer trans-racial/national adoptee residing on the stolen homelands of the Dakota people, presently known as Saint Paul, Minnesota.

As an outdoor educator with Saint Paul Parks and Recreation, and convener of BIPOC Outdoors Twin Cities, Asha facilitates safe and empowering outdoor programs by listening to community, leveraging resources, and centering the wisdom, experience, and joy of those who are most marginalized.

Asha loves to be on the water or in the woods and is a self-proclaimed sunset chaser. She is the cat mom of Slay (short for Mouse Slayer), and the proud auntie of three nephews, whom she affectionately refers to as her Lil’ Homies.

Jesse Sixkiller

Jesse Sixkiller (he/him) is co-chair of the Twin Cities Advisory Council and an attorney by trade. Jesse has worked at international law firms and companies ranging from large public corporations to startups, and he is currently general counsel for a growing healthcare technology company. Jesse was previously vice chair of the Children & Nature Network Board of Directors and he continues to remain involved with the Network as a member of the Network’s Founders’ Council where he has assisted with the evaluation and selection of the annual Richard Louv Prize that is awarded at the Children & Nature Network’s Nature Everywhere Conference. Jesse is based in Minneapolis where he and his wife race around town with their four kids.

Lisa Skjefte

Lisa Skjefte (she/her), Red Lake Nation Anishinaabe, is deputy director. She was formerly the vice president of Community Engagement and Impact at the Minnesota Indian Women’s Resource Center (MIWRC). Prior to her work at MIWRC, Lisa worked at Children’s Minnesota where she specialized in systems change by partnering with and leading efforts to institutionalize health equity. While at Children’s Minnesota she co-created with the community two separate community and patient experience initiatives, The First Gift and the American Indian Volunteer Cohort. Lisa is also the co-founder of KWESTRONG, a grassroots movement centered around an annual Native Women’s Triathlon (RUN BIKE CANOE) at Bde Maka Ska in Minneapolis. Lisa holds a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from the University of Minnesota, and is currently finishing up her Master of Public Health (MPH) at the University of Minnesota.

Sheila Williams Ridge

Sheila Williams Ridge (she/her) is director of the University of Minnesota Child Development Laboratory School. She has a B.A. in Biology, an M.A. in Education and an Ed.D. in Education Leadership. Sheila teaches courses at the University of Minnesota and Hamline University including Nature-Based Learning in Early Childhood, A Sense of Wonder, Equity and Inclusion in Environmental Education, and Student Teaching Seminar in Early Childhood. She is also co-author of the book, Nature-Based Learning for Young Children: Anytime, Anywhere, on Any Budget, published by Redleaf Press, and several other publications on nature-based learning. She is passionate about encouraging nature-based play and the lasting developmental benefits of a relationship between children and nature.

National partners who are advancing nature everywhere in the Twin Cities:

Onika Abraham Lee

Onika Abraham (she/her) is executive director of Blue Sky Funders Forum, which convenes, inspires, and grows the community of funders supporting equitable access to meaningful outdoor experiences and connections to nature. Onika formerly led Farm School NYC, which offers adults comprehensive, professional training in sustainable agriculture that is grounded in social and food justice. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Georgetown University and an MBA from Baruch University. She was an inaugural 2019 Seeding Power Fellow and completed the Farm and Garden Apprenticeship at the Center for Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems (CASFS) at the University of California, Santa Cruz. Onika is a founding Board Member of Black Farmers Fund, Black Farmers United NYS, and Food for the Spirit, and she lives and gardens in beautiful Bedford Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, New York.

Lesford Duncan

Lesford Duncan, MPH (he/him), executive director of the Outdoor Foundation, is a collaborative leader in outdoor equity and youth development who has leveraged philanthropy, public leadership, and programmatic best practices to promote the resilience and well-being of children, families, and communities. Previously, he served as CEO of Greening Youth Foundation, Associate Executive Director at Outdoor Outreach, and in senior leadership roles in health and human services agencies. Lesford holds a B.S. in Biology from the University of Florida, MPH in Health Policy and Leadership from Loma Linda University, and is a Senior Atlantic Fellow for Health Equity.

The Children & Nature Network’s Nature Everywhere Conference brings together leaders from a broad range of disciplines, all committed to the health and well-being of children and communities. Click here to learn more and register for the 2025 Nature Everywhere Conference, which will take place May 13-16 at the Saint Paul RiverCentre in Saint Paul, Minnesota.

Check Out More News and Resources