Trees Forever Staff
To reach a helpful staff member, dial 1-800-369-1269 plus the individual extension below
John Bright
Marketing and Communications Manager
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John comes from a long background of non-profit communications work with the Humane Society, Habitat for Humanity and AmeriCorps. He got his first taste of working alongside Trees Forever during tree plantings in partnership with the local Habitat for Humanity chapter. John works out of the Marion, Iowa office and is responsible for much of the social media and communications you see coming from Trees Forever. He graduated with his bachelor’s degree from Iowa State University and enjoys sharing the accomplishments of Trees Forever and its supporters.
Gina Buelow
Central Iowa Field Coordinator
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Gina graduated from the University of Iowa with a BS in Environmental Science and continued her education at Missouri State University, receiving an MS in Biology. As an impassioned conservationist, she is enthusiastic to help create and maintain biodiverse urban ecosystems with Trees Forever. Along with a variety of outdoor activities− including mushroom foraging and insect collecting− Gina enjoys caring for her pet reptiles and amphibians.
Melanie Diveley
Operations and Organizational Effectiveness Manager
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Melanie graduated from Mount Mercy University with a double Bachelor’s in Human Resource Management and Business Administration. Before joining the Trees Forever team Melanie spent her career in banking operations and city government. She is excited to be a part of the Trees Forever team as the Operations and Organizational Effectiveness Manager. Melanie assists team members with perfecting processes, organizational improvements as well as Human Resource Management. In her free time Melanie enjoys spending time with her family, reading, and being in nature.
Emily Ehley
Field Coordinator, Central and Southern Illinois
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Emily Ehley has a BA in Environmental Education from Warren Wilson College. She has spent the majority of her career so far helping children and adults find joy in exploring the natural world around them. In her free time, she tends her garden and practices tree ID while hiking with her dogs. She is a Certified Interpretive Guide and a Master Naturalist. She is excited to meet the many people and trees of Southern Illinois through her position with Trees Forever.
Jerry Fannon
Chief Financial Officer
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Jerry brings many years of experience to Trees Forever. He has a B.B.A. in Accounting from the University of Iowa. After 12 years in public accounting, he went on to become the CFO for three different banks in three states. Since returning to Iowa Jerry has been consulting with several local businesses while functioning as their CFO. Jerry’s duties with Trees Forever are to ensure that organization remains fiscally responsible and that employee policies are up-to-date. Jerry has been a H.S. basketball & soccer referee as well as college soccer referee for over 25 years, and is an avid University of Iowa Hawkeye fan. He also enjoys spending time with his four grandchildren.
Tracy Feldmann
Database and Website Coordinator
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Tracy is a graduate of Kirkwood Community College with a degree focused on database and systems management. She maintains the Trees Forever website and creates the digital infrastructure to keep Trees Forever running smoothly. In her spare time she enjoys crafting unique garments and purses with fabrics, yarns and upcycled items. She lives near a walnut forest preserve with her family where she keeps a pollinator garden and raises monarch butterflies.
Debbie Fluegel
Program Manager, Illinois
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Debbie has a B.S. in Marine Biology from the University of Maine. She manages Trees Forever’s Illinois Buffer Partnership and it Pollinator Habitat Conservation programs for both Iowa and Illinois. Debbie’s favorite part of her job? “Meeting new people and visiting a lot of unique areas in Illinois that most people don’t have the opportunity to visit.” Debbie is a member of the Environmental Education Association of Illinois, the Illinois Forestry Association, the Soil & Water Conservation Society and the Association for Temperate Agroforestry.
Dina Haveric
ReLeaf Outreach and Communications Manager
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Dina graduated from Purdue University with a Bachelor of Science in Natural Resources & Environmental Science and a minor in Environmental & Ecological Engineering. She recently completed an AmeriCorps service with Green Iowa AmeriCorps Land and Water Stewards. In her free time she enjoys foraging for mushrooms, spending time with her dog, and trying new recipes.
Andrew Hirst
Des Moines Program Coordinator
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From Waverly, Iowa, Andrew received a B.A. in Political Science and Environmental Policy from the University of Iowa. After returning from serving as a Forestry Extension agent in Peace Corps Zambia, he moved to Des Moines to continue working in agriculture and the non-profit field. Joining Trees Forever as the Des Moines Program Coordinator in May 2022, he works with Growing Futures and volunteer groups to plant trees across the Des Moines metro. When not planning or planting, he is gardening, beekeeping, or biking around Iowa.
Jeff Jensen
Director of Community Programs
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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.
Anna Long
Development Coordinator
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Anna graduated from Central College in Pella, Iowa with a major In Communications and a minor in English. She has always wanted to get involved in fundraising for non-profit organizations and her time at Central only reinforced that goal. At Trees Forever, Anna enjoys being able to cultivate relationships with donors and loves working closely with the Trees Forever staff and volunteers. She prefers to spend her free time reading and lounging outside with her dog, Boji.
Peter Lundgren
Southeastern Iowa Field Coordinator
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Peter earned an M.A. in TESOL from the University of Barcelona, Spain, and a B.A. in Liberal Arts from Iowa State University. He spent his early career working in the north of Spain, and the last ten years, working at the University of Iowa. Along the way, he had the opportunity to participate in a community garden group which sparked his interest in the development of green spaces. As a Trees Forever Field Coordinator, Peter is excited to put his interests into practice helping communities plant trees and bring their projects to life.
Nick McGrath
East Central Iowa Field Coordinator
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Nick graduated from the University of Northern Iowa with a Bachelor’s of Music Education degree. His time spent teaching and coaching fueled a passion for helping others and he is excited to put that to use for Iowa communities. He previously worked as the Community Disaster Recovery Coordinator, a joint position between Trees Forever and the Iowa DNR, assisting Iowans in replanting efforts following the August 10, 2020 derecho. Nick lives in Cedar Rapids where he enjoys all manner of outdoor activities and spending time with his family.
Kiley Miller
President & CEO
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Kiley Miller is the President & CEO of Trees Forever, a position he accepted in February 2021. Previously he led economic development organizations in rural Iowa. Mr. Miller has been a print journalist and served in the United States Army. A native of Mount Pleasant, Iowa, Kiley now lives with his wife, Carry, in the Cedar Rapids metro area. They have two adult children and one in high school. Kiley is passionate about the Trees Forever mission and is leading the next five-year strategic plan in collaboration with the Board of Directors and Foundation Trustees.
Enzo Nagao
Growing Futures Program Coordinator
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A native of Naperville, Illinois, Enzo graduated from Coe College in 2020 with a double B.A. in English and Music. Enzo joined Trees Forever in September of 2021 as the Cedar Rapids Program Coordinator for the Growing Futures Program, and enjoys working with local teens and volunteers to restore the city’s tree canopy. In his spare time, Enzo enjoys writing science fiction and fantasy novels.
Lexy Nelson
Des Moines Program Coordinator
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Lexy joined the Trees Forever family as a Des Moines Program Coordinator in August 2022. She graduated from Iowa State with a B.S. in Forestry and a minor in sustainability. Her passion for the planet and connecting people to the environment has led her to the Des Moines program coordinator position, where she has the opportunity to work with Growing Futures and volunteers across the metro to expand the urban canopy. In her free time, she enjoys spending her time outside in any facet or with her animals.
Dixie Noska
Administrative Coordinator
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Dixie is Trees Forever’s Program & Board Administrative Coordinator serving in the Marion office. She was born and raised in Cedar Rapids, Iowa into a large family of eight sisters and six brothers. She has always had a passion for volunteering her time to different non-profit organizations over the years, many of which hold a special places in her heart. She enjoys spending time with her husband, family and friends, and her two kitten fur babies.
Shannon Ramsay
Founder & Trustee
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Shannon founded Trees Forever as a volunteer in 1989, and served as President & CEO until 2021. Recognized both nationally and locally for her leadership, Shannon is the 2021 recipient of the Lifetime Stewardship Award from the Arbor Day Foundation and the Nonprofit Leader of the Year from the Greater Cedar Rapids Community Foundation. Ms. Ramsay is leading the ReLeaf Cedar Rapids planning team and is a Trustee of the Trees Forever Foundation.
Lisa Renfer
Administrative Coordinator
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Lisa updates and maintains Trees Forever’s member and partner database. Prior to her time at Trees Forever, she worked nine years at Orchestra Iowa as a Patron Associate and also did the billing and payments for the Orchestra Iowa School. She has two daughters and enjoys taking walks.
Brad Riphagen
Field Coordinator, Southwest and Western Iowa
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Brad has a B.A. in Biology and an M.S. in Land Resources with a focus on prairie restoration and soils. He has been a Trees Forever Field Coordinator since 1995 and worked in almost all the program areas, including community tree plantings, Visioning, and buffer/watershed work. He has a strong interest in reduction of stormwater runoff especially in urban areas through the use of infiltration practices such as rain gardens and bio-retention basins. Brad is also a Certified Arborist with the International Society of Arboriculture.
Deb Roman
Program Support Coordinator
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Deb is best known as the voice of Trees Forever, as she is most often the person answering telephone at our main office in Marion. Deb supports all the necessary administrative processes for hundreds of grant applications, awards and reports. Deb grew up on a farm west of Cedar Rapids, Iowa and graduated from Kirkwood Community College. She has a special place in her heart for her pets, the outdoors, and she thrives on hard work and helping others.
Andrew Rust
Northeastern Iowa Field Coordinator
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Andrew earned his Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Science from the University of Northern Iowa. He recently completed two years of AmeriCorps service with Green Iowa AmeriCorps Land and Water Stewards, serving on UNI’s campus at the Center for Energy and Environmental Education (CEEE) and Tallgrass Prairie Center respectively. He holds several certifications in grant writing, wildland firefighting, and pesticide applicator training. In his personal time, you’ll often find Andrew enjoying one of several disc golf courses in the Cedar Falls/Waterloo area or enjoying other manners of exercise.
Megan Schneider
Director of Programs in the Des Moines Area
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Megan put down roots in Des Moines after earning a B.A. in Writing from Drake University and a M.Ed. in Educational Leadership from the University of Washington in Seattle. She embarked on a career in higher education and the nonprofit sector, most recently working in resource and community development roles for Greater Des Moines Habitat for Humanity. Megan joined the Trees Forever team in November of 2022, after serving as a TreeKeeper and community supporter for five years. She is an aspiring backyard berry farmer, self-identified bookworm, and mom to two beloved dogs.
Molly Stuelke
Director of ReLeaf Cedar Rapids
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Molly fell in love with Trees Forever when she became a TreeKeeper and is excited to make new connections as the Director of ReLeaf Cedar Rapids. She has spent a majority of her career working in various Parks and Recreation positions but the best part of all her jobs have been the relationships she’s built with families and volunteers. She enjoys spending her free time getting into trouble with her husband and kids.
Ben Vaughan
ReLeaf Project Leader
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Ben graduated from the University of Iowa In December 2021 with a degree in environmental policy and a minor in economics. He served as an AmeriCorps member at Trees Forever before coming on full time as a project leader. Ben largely works on the watering and planting of Re-Leaf plan trees. Outside of work, Ben enjoys cooking, spending time in nature, and playing guitar.
Trees Forever and Iowa DNR Partnership Staff
Shaila Claibourn
A transplant from Kansas, Shaila is a passionate advocate for community and nature. She graduated from Iowa State University with a B.S. in Anthropology and Environmental Studies. She enjoys paddling, gardening, and adventuring with her pup. Following a service term with Green Iowa AmeriCorps, she is excited to continue to work in conservation organizing tree distributions in towns across Iowa as the Urban and Community Forestry Technician.
