Board of Directors

Lynn Manternach
Happily retired entrepreneur and Trees Forever Board Chair
MindFire Communications, retired – Le Claire, IA

Dr. Lynn Manternach co-founded MindFire Communications in 2007. She spent more than 13 years helping companies understand the most impactful aspects of their brand through stakeholder research. Lynn retired from MindFire at the end of 2020. Prior to MindFire, Lynn worked as a research analyst for an international media and research company, where she focused on understanding how consumers view brands. Lynn also worked in the television news industry, serving as news director at WOI-TV in Des Moines, and news program producer at KCRG-TV in Cedar Rapids. Lynn holds a Ph.D. and M.S. from Iowa State University and a B.A. from the University of Iowa. She also serves as the president of the Professional Advisory Board for the University of Iowa School of Journalism and Mass Communication. Lynn and her husband are busy with travel and making plans to see as many 80s and 90s bands as possible in the next few years. They have seen more than 425 concerts since 1981.

Teri Gibson
Immediate Past Chair
True North – Cedar Rapids, IA

Teri Gibson radiates enthusiasm and positive energy, something she vows to bring to the Board of Directors. She grew up in Washington, Iowa and remembers when straight line winds ripped through her community and she watched her dad and granddad shed tears over the loss of trees after the storm. Teri has spent 30+ years as a benefit advisor and is currently a partner with TrueNorth Companies. Teri attended Kirkwood Community College and Mount Mercy University and has held leadership positions on many nonprofit boards.

Doug Boe
US Bank – Marion, IA

Doug Boe hopes to bring his love of the outdoors and financial experience to Trees Forever. As a Senior Vice President of Commercial Lending at US Bank in Cedar Rapids, he travels across Northeast and North Central Iowa as a banking relationship manager responsible for all aspects of his client’s lending, depository, treasury management and international banking needs. A Minnesota native, Doug attended St. Thomas College in St. Paul.

Christine Hensley
Des Moines, IA

Probably best known in her role with the Des Moines City Council, Christine Hensley served six terms and was the longest-serving member. She helped lead recent renovations of downtown Des Moines and was co-chair of the Lauridsens Skate Park project. Ms. Hensley has been active on numerous boards, serving as president of the Iowa Student Loan board, the Neighborhood Finance Corporation, Bravo Greater Des Moines, the Des Moines Symphony, the Des Moines Area Regional Transit Authority (DART), the Iowa League of Cities (inducted into the Iowa League of Cities Hall of Fame), the YWCA and Rebuilding Together. She has also served on the boards of the Polk County Housing Trust Fund, the Greater Des Moines Partnership, the Greater Des Moines Public Art Foundation, Midwest Housing Equity Group, Junior Achievement, the Des Moines Art Center, the Iowa Bankers Association, Lutheran Hospital, the Des Moines Social Club, the Metropolitan Planning Organization and the Des Moines Civic Center.

Barry Sackett
Goosemann Law Firm – Sioux Falls, SD

A native of the Iowa Great Lakes region, Sackett is an attorney and Sioux Falls Managing Partner with Goosmann Law Firm. His broad business and legal expertise stems from years as a business owner, chief financial officer, in-house counsel, assistant county attorney and legal consultant. He has served in leadership positions on a variety of nonprofit boards, including the Bedell Family YMCA, Imagine Iowa Great Lakes and the Iowa Lakes Corridor Development Corporation. He is an avid runner, having completed multiple marathons and ultradistance races.

Bill Stamats
Stamats Communications – Cedar Rapids, IA

Born and raised in Cedar Rapids, Stamats is Executive Vice President at Stamats Communications, a digital and data-driven marketing company. A working artist who exhibits his work on an ongoing basis, Stamats has served as president of the board of the Cedar Rapids Museum of Art and also on the boards of Indian Creek Nature Center and the Cedar Rapids Opera Theatre. He was previously chairman of the Cedar Rapids Visual Arts Commission and vice chair of the Linn County Public Art Commission.

Lori Tomasek
Cedar Rapids Bank and Trust – Cedar Rapids, IA

Lori Tomasek is a First Vice President of Private Banking, for Cedar Rapids Bank and Trust. She has spent over 25 years in banking and financial services in the Cedar Rapids metro area, and values the relationships built with clients. Lori is very involved in the community, most recently serving on the Executive Leadership Team for Go Red for Women, American Heart Association Circle of Red Chair, and a board member for Friends of Czech Village. She graduated from Waldorf and Morningside Colleges. Raised on a farm close to Pilot Knob State Park in Winnebago County, she remembers when her family planted hundreds of trees on the rolling hills of their farms over the years. She and her husband chose their current Cedar Rapids home because of the treescape in their neighborhood. Sadly, most of it was destroyed during the August 10th Derecho. She looks forward to helping Trees Forever fulfill its mission.

Shirley Welte
Black Hills Energy – Grimes, IA

Shirley Welte is Vice-President of Iowa Operations for Black Hills Energy. She has more than 25 years of experience in electric and natural gas utilities. An Illinois native, Shirley relocated back to Iowa in 2019 after five years with Black Hills Energy in Cheyenne, Wyoming. She has served on numerous non-profit boards including education, economic development, and youth activities. Shirley currently resides in Johnston, Iowa, and is part owner in a family farm raising hardwoods, among other agricultural interests. Shirley earned degrees from Highland Community College, Aurora University and Benedictine University.

Jeff Jensen
Director of Community Programs

Jeff is Program Manager for the Working Watersheds: Buffers and Beyond program and is Field Coordinator for northwest Iowa. He has a bachelor’s degree in Communication Studies and has worked in the field of sustainable agriculture for the past 15 years. He has over thirteen years of experience working with landowners and farmers growing perennial crops and is active with several existing organizations and partners, including the Iowa Nut Growers Association. He grows nuts and berries on his farm, NutHaven, in north-central Iowa.

Elizabeth Daly
Bankers Trust, retired – Cedar Rapids, IA

A native of Beverly Farm, Massachusetts, Elizabeth has lived in Cedar Rapids for more than 25 years. Elizabeth began her career in the field of social and economic development, both in the U.S. and overseas, and moved into benefit planning when she moved to Cedar Rapids in 1988. She retired in 2011 as the Private Banking Manager at Bankers Trust. An active Rotarian, she is a member of the Day Break Rotary Club in Cedar Rapids where she has served on the International Committee for the past 18 years. She currently serves as the director of the Iowa Rotary Youth Exchange and as an Advisor to the Iowa Women’s Foundation.

Scott Peters
Peters Law Firm, retired – Council Bluffs, IA

Scott joined the Trees Forever Board of Directors in 1998.  He recently became a Trees Forever Foundation Trustee, helping us reach goals for our endowment.  He has provided challenge gifts for annual campaigns and hosted Legacy Society receptions.  Since touring the Bear Creek National Buffer Site north of Ames, Iowa, Scott has been an avid promoter of planting buffers for water quality and wildlife habitat.  A now-retired trial lawyer, Scott’s legal specialty was product liability. He considers serving on nonprofit and college boards his civic duty.  

Kimm Harris
Associate Professor of Practice
The University of Iowa – Iowa City, IA

Kimm Harris is an entrepreneur, educator, and proven leader. Her work inspires and motivates teams, companies, and individuals with her innate ability to spark a vision for the future — and lead the transformation of ideas into action.

Kimm is an Associate Professor of Practice, John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center, Tippie College of Business at the University of Iowa. She works with students and teams as an entrepreneurship instructor, in Iowa Startup Games, Idea Storm and Design Sprints. In addition, she has a consulting practice that includes, meeting facilitation, team building and innovation experiences

Harry Stine
Stine Seed Company – Adel, IA

Harry is president of Stine Seed Company and a renowned plant geneticist, and has been a longtime friend to Trees Forever. For more than 20 years, Harry has served as a board member and/or foundation trustee. In 2016, Harry was recognized as a Trees Forever President’s Award Winner. 

Robert Stevenson
Former Finance Committee Chair
LMS North America
1952-2012

A resident of North Liberty, Iowa, Robert was incredibly passionate about the Trees Forever mission, serving as both a board member and trustee for 20 years. Professionally, he served as finance manager of LMS North America for 25 years. Robert guided Trees Forever on financial matters by serving as the chair of the board of director’s finance committee, He also helped grow Trees Forever’s endowment while serving as a trustee and chair for the foundation. His family selected Trees Forever as the recipient of his memorial gifts.