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WozniakLisa Wozniak, Executive Director, lisa@michiganlcv.org

I love Michigan because people who have never been here don't believe that it could possibly be this beautiful or that that Lakes could be so vast. I love Michigan because once you've been here and experienced the sugar-sand beaches and sand dunes, the forests, the rocky shores of Lake Superior and the incredible beauty of the Keewenaw Peninsula, the endless and perfect expanse of Lake Michigan while the sun is setting, you wonder why you've ever been anywhere else. And, I love Michigan because I always believed, as a kid growing up in the Mediterranean, that all seas were salty. Not this one.

Lisa comes to the Michigan League of Conservation Voters with a long history in both the environmental and political worlds. Between 1996 and 2005, Lisa served as the Great Lakes Regional Director for the national League of Conservation Voters, overseeing programs and projects in Michigan, Minnesota, Illinois, Iowa, Ohio and Wisconsin, with an enormous focus on keeping the Great Lakes Congressional caucus in check. Prior to that, Lisa cut her teeth on Lana Pollack's1994 heart-wrenching U.S. Senate campaign and on Alma Wheeler Smith's successful campaign for state Senate. Bitten by the political bug, Lisa was destined to deal with Michigan's current political challenges, which includes the world of term limits, reapportionment, and a bi-partisan log-jam.

Lisa is adept at working with a broad array of people and organizations and brings a strategic vantage point to almost any discussion. Although she may deny her expertise (and the years behind her), Lisa is thought of as a key leader within the conservation community in Michigan. With degrees in French and History of Art, Education and Social Work--all from the University of Michigan--Lisa's strong interdisciplinary background clearly influences Michigan LCV's approach to problem solving, collaborative campaigns, and political change.

Many may consider Lisa an extravert, but a deep, dark secret is that Lisa recharges by being alone!  Give her a good book, time to tend to the garden or do yoga, a run with her dog, and Lisa is good to go.... peaceful, calm, measured, attentive. And, meshed between the politics and the garden is Lisa's beautiful family: husband Kenny, hip young sons Zachariah and Benjamin, and lovely dog, Santosha.

Lisa serves on the board of a number of local, state and national organizations, including the Advisory Board of Growing Hope, the fundraising committee of Friends of the Rutherford Pool, and the boards of the Michigan Environmental Council, and the national League of Conservation Voters Education Fund .

BierzynskiPam Bierzynski, Director of Operations, pam@michiganlcv.org

I love Michigan. It’s that simple. I can’t explain why, I just do.

Pam’s official title is Director of Operations, but we’ve been thinking about changing it. So far, we’ve come up with “point guard,” “master juggler,” “production director,” “life manager,” “IT specialist,” or “Pam of all trades.” If it weren’t for Pam, we’d need a larger office to host more staff. It’s safe to say while you are reading this, she is probably busy trying to find a way to help our organization run more efficiently and effectively. Her duties include managing the Michigan LCV newsletter and assisting in all facets of our programs, development, and administration.



Since childhood, Pam has always loved the outdoors, whether playing soccer or camping with her family. Eventually, her deep appreciation for nature –combined with her skills on the soccer field – led her to Aquinas College (a school known for its beautiful forested campus). There she earned degrees in Geography and Sociology, and was awarded Geographer of the Year and Academic All-American honors on the soccer field. Upon completing her studies, Pam worked as a City Year Detroit Americorps member and as an Associate Financial Representative with Northwestern Mutual Financial Network before being recruited to join the Michigan LCV team. We’re happy to say, she’s ours now.



A hard-core vegetarian, Pam lives in Plymouth with her husband, Tim, an environmental consultant with AKT Peerless Environmental & Energy Services ,and her two cats, Harley and Tanqueray (currently both cats are unemployed). When she’s not daydreaming about riding motorcycles, Pam enjoys spending time outdoors experiencing nature through the lens of her camera. In her free time, she also assists KMS Photography LLC in Dearborn.

Ryan Werder, Campaigns Director, ryan@michiganlcv.orgphoto ryan werder

Ryan has lived in seven different cities and five different states and, while he can’t exactly call himself a Michigan native, he certainly does call Michigan home.  As a kid, he would look forward to summertime when he would head off to participate in, and years later ultimately lead, wilderness trips that would take him rock climbing, mountain biking, canoeing, or simply hiking in Northern Wisconsin (or just south of the UP, as he would more likely say now).



Ryan’s early exposure to the beauty of the Great Lakes region led him to remain deeply interested not only enjoying the outdoors, but protecting it, as well.  Immediately out of college, Ryan was fortunate enough to work and learn from one of America’s greatest conservationists, Congressman John Dingell, who passed the majority of America’s landmark environmental legislation over the past fifty years. In Rep. Dingell’s Michigan office, Ryan was responsible for operating across all political levels and for translating the debate in Washington into tangible assistance for the constituents of the area.

Ryan’s greatest passion during his time in the Congressman’s office, however, was the opportunity to work many exciting hours guiding and growing the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge.  For those of you have not yet had the chance to visit one of the most remarkable urban refuges in North America, and the only international one, please stop reading this bio immediately and head toward the Detroit River now.

 
Before diving headfirst into Michigan politics and conservation, Ryan was well occupied as a student at the University of Michigan.  On campus, he founded The Michigan Independent – a progressive monthly magazine that, within three months, attained a circulation of over 5000 students.  Ryan also was also responsible for the communications and policy work for the largest College Democrats chapter in the country.  Forecasting the future, his place of employment his senior year was the Michigan League of Conservation Voters. While in Ann Arbor, he also picked up his degree in Political Science.

 
Ryan’s current role at Michigan LCV as Political Director involves managing the annual Scorecard, endorsement and PAC recommendations to the Board, and overseeing the overall political operations of the organization.


Outside of work, Ryan can generally be found drinking an Oberon on his back porch or running around the region’s many expansive parks in funny shoes.  On the weekends, odds are he is either at Eastern Market, cooking something up that he bought there, or otherwise boosting Michigan’s economy by eating at any number of the state’s incredible restaurants.
 

Christine Green, Development Director, christine@michiganlcv.org

Christine grew up in Marshall, Michigan, on the banks of the Kalamazoo River. In the mid- 1960’s, before passage of the Clean Water Act, the Kalamazoo periodically turned a sickening milky green color – from poorly treated sewage, industrial wastes, and solvents dumped into the River upstream.   As a result, the Kalamazoo River was off limits for humans for most of Christine’s youth – and hardly any fish or wildlife lived there either.  Finally, in 1971, efforts began to clean up the Kalamazoo, thanks to growing public concern and the hard work of conservationists in Lansing*.
 
Christine obtained her undergraduate degree in 1974 from the University of Michigan, and worked at the Graduate Library and then the State Appellate Defender Office . In 1982,  At the age of 31, Christine enrolled in law school and graduated in 1985 (cum laude) from the University of Michigan.
 
Christine practiced law for 26 years, litigating civil rights, employment discrimination, whistleblower protection, personal injury and medical malpractice  cases. She has been a Michigan “Superlawer” since 2008 and has been included in “Best Lawyers in America” since 2006.  
 
In the years following law school, Christine developed a keen interest in land use planning and the control of urban and suburban sprawl.  Thanks to a call from Lana Pollack in 1998 asking for support for the first Washtenaw County ballot initiative for the purchase of development rights, Christine became involved in the Michigan Environmental Council and local environmental initiatives. Christine now serves as Chair of the Michigan Environmental Council board of directors, and serves on the Board of the Ecology Center. She has also served as a Scio Township Trustee since 2008.
 
In 2010 Christine ran for State Representative for the 52nd District. She lost (51-49%) but will forever be convinced that the best way to protect Michigan’s land, water and air is to elect smart, capable people to public office.
 
Christine has served as development director for Michigan LCV since January of 2012. Her fundraising philosophy is that every person should be given the privilege of contributing in some manner to the preservation of the natural world upon which we are all completely dependent.
 
Like most Michigan LCV staff members, Christine has had a life-time love affair with Northern Michigan and the Great Lakes. She and her husband Phil and their two dogs, Wilson and Hendrix, spend as much time as they can at their cabin on Torch Lake.       
 
*Residents of Marshall along the Kalamazoo River have been able to swim, canoe, and kayak until – tragically – the Kalamazoo was once again fouled in 2010 by a burst oil pipeline owned by Enbridge Oil Company.   This time, it will take even longer for the River to recover.  The fight continues.
 
We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give. Winston Churchill

Erica Bloom, Program Manager, erica@michiganlcv.orgphoto erica bloom

Erica works as the Program Manager for Michigan LCV, where she manages the Great Michigan Environmental Priority Agenda as well as civic and voter engagement programs.

She grew up in metro-Detroit and moved westward to Kalamazoo for college. Determined to continue her migration West, she left Michigan for Seattle and then Montana. There she worked doing environmental restoration for EarthCorps, and attended the University of Montana where she earned an M.S. in Environmental Studies with a focus on writing and environmental health and justice. But her love for Michigan brought her back to the Midwest where she now works to protect her state's air, land and water.

Erica feels most inspired walking among the Michigan dunes, the Northern woods, or in Detroit partaking in many of the new environmental initiatives in the city.

Wibke Rebecca Bettina Heymach, Moms Clean Air Force Organizer (Southeast Michigan), wibke@michiganlcv.org

Born and raised in Berlin, Germany, Wibke grew up politically in and around the Green Party, and was involved with them for years before moving to the United States. Since her name - Wibke - is a bit of a mouth full, people have grown accustomed to calling her “Vee” for short...for those of you who don't speak German, a “W” is pronounced like a “V”. Growing up Vee has always enjoyed the great outdoors; camping, canoeing, horse back riding, skiing and hiking all over Europe.

While finishing her degree in North-American history and politics at Freie Universitaet Berlin, she was offered an internship with the Macomb Democratic Party and so began her love-affair with Michigan. During her first visit in 2006 she fell head over heels for the beauty of the state and its people. Vee officially moved to Michigan in 2007 to complete her Masters degree in Industrial Relations at Wayne State University. She has lived in Ferndale ever since and enjoys Oakland County for its plethera of cities that offer diverse restaurants and bars, as well as great micro-breweries, galleries and events throughout the year. Vee also enjoys spending time in Detroit as it has often been compared to the industrial urban feel of her hometown, Berlin.

She has worked on various campaigns during her time in the U.S., and later on worked for the Michigan House of Representatives. Always interested in Union political work, Vee worked for the UFCW’s Legislative and Political Office before joining Michigan LCV as a Mom’s Clean Air Force Organizer. Having worked in the political field for many years, she is very excited to work for a single cause and utilize her organizing chops in a different approach to community organizing.

Making sure the communities we live in and that our children are raised in a healthy and pollution free place is a high priority for Vee. She is happy to work with mothers and caregivers to help raise awareness and mobilize citizens in support of the Clean Air Act.

photo melissa bernardiMelissa Bernardi, Field Director, melissa@michiganlcv.org

Melissa has been a Michigan resident since 2002. Though she’s never described herself as an environmentalist, she tries to live like one through actions like recycling and conserving water. She leaned about conservation in her native New Jersey from her father, who hunted deer. He would take her on walks in the woods where he would point out an abandoned bird’s nest or the matted down field grass where a deer bedded down the night before.

Melissa has tremendous organizing experience from serving as the regional field director in Oakland County for Organizing for America on the successful Barack Obama campaign. Her organizing experience also includes raising three sons, one husband, two dogs and a cat. She is excited to work on the 25% by 2025 Renewable Energy Standard ballot initiative because it blends her love of issue organizing with the challenge of a campaign.

In her spare time, Melissa tends her perennial beds and paints the natural Michigan landscapes that she will be protecting through her work here at Michigan LCV.

photo kim easterKim Easter, Leadership Coordinator, kim@michiganlcv.org

Kim Easter is a lifelong Michigan resident. Her love of Michigan’s natural beauty grew after meeting her husband, an ardent outdoorsman. They honeymooned in the Upper Peninsula and continue to enjoy family vacations in various Michigan settings.

With a degree in English from Yale University and a law degree from University of Michigan Law School, Kim brings a background in law, policy, and politics to MLCV. She has decades of experience bringing people together around issues and encouraging individuals to find their respective political voices. Her Lansing experience includes working in the legislative context and interacting with legislators, lobbyists, and interest groups. She believes that most folks want to become more engaged in the issues that matter to them. . .and with good information and support, every voter can make a difference!

Kim lives with her husband and two children in Ann Arbor. In her spare time she performs as a vocalist with local rock and jazz ensembles.