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Northeastern Minnesotans for Wilderness (NMW)*
P.O. Box 625
Ely, MN 55731
218-365-7808
*NMW is the fiscal sponsor for Campaign to Save the Boundary Waters and Sustainable Ely

General inquiries: info@savetheboundarywaters.org

You can update your contact information or recurring gifts on our supporter portal page.

join our team

NORTHEASTERN MINNESOTANS FOR WILDERNESS BOARD

Dodd Cosgrove, Secretary
Mia Divecha
Adam Fetcher
Lawson Gerdes
Hunt Greene
Diane Hofstede
Bill Hohengarten
Tadd Johnson
Ann McNally
Heather Meier
David Miller, Treasurer
Jon Nelson, Co-chair
Jen Pearson
Steve Piragis
Becky Rom, Vice-chair
Paul Schurke
Stephen Snyder
Jeff Soderstrom, Co-Chair
Jason Zabokrtsky
Read Board Bios

CAMPAIGN STAFF

Ingrid Lyons
Interim Executive Director
Ingrid has been with the Campaign since 2015, first as Arrowhead Regional Organizer from 2015 to 2017 and Development Director from 2018 to the fall of 2021. She took one year off to attend the Humphrey School of Public Affairs at the University of Minnesota where she received her Masters certificate in Nonprofit Management and Governance. The Boundary Waters has played an integral role in fostering her love of wild places, as her family has had a small property off the Echo Trail for over 20 years. Ingrid is also an enthusiastic hiker, artist, and dog mom.

Alex Falconer
Campaign Manager
A born and raised (and will never leave for any reason) Minnesotan, Alex has been in the outdoors, Northwoods, Northshore, Boundary Waters and beyond since before he could walk. He has the extreme pleasure of now introducing his children to the Boundary Waters and watching them dip their paddles, drink from a lake, and listen to the loons and wolves. Alex has worked on electoral, grassroots and issue advocacy campaigns for the past decade and looks forward to dedicating all his time and attention outside of his family to preserving the Boundary Waters for generations to come. Alex studied biology at St. Olaf College.

Samantha Chadwick
Associate Director
Sam inherited her love of the Boundary Waters from her family -- her grandpa took multiple canoe trips for many summers and passed on that tradition. Prior to joining the Campaign to Save the Boundary Waters in 2014, Sam worked on grassroots efforts to advance environmental conservation and social justice in Minnesota for many years, including leading the nonprofit organization Environment Minnesota. She studied biology and botany at Gustavus Adolphus College. Sam loves spending time outdoors with her young kids!

Matt Norton
Policy & Science Director
Before joining the Campaign, Matt worked as campaign director with Minnesota Environmental Partnership, and as forestry and wildlife advocate and staff attorney for the Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy. Matt is an avid wilderness hiker, paddler, hunter and angler, and enjoys few things more than introducing people to the BWCA.

Sydney Jordan
State Director
Sydney is experienced in political campaigns and is excited to do everything possible to save the Boundary Waters. She has worked with campaigns on every level from school board to the president but most recently helped lead the successful Jacob Frey for Mayor campaign. She is a graduate of the University of Minnesota, where she got her start as an organizer for MPIRG. She lives in Northeast Minneapolis and when not trying to save the world she likes to explore from the seat of a bike or in the chapters of a good book.

Jeremy Drucker
Senior Advisor
Jeremy is a born and raised Minnesotan, who first experienced the power of the natural world canoeing Canada’s Bloodvein River before falling in love with the Boundary Waters. Jeremy has worked in strategic communications in New York City and Minnesota. Prior to joining the Campaign to Save the Boundary Waters he served in Governor Mark Dayton’s administration in multiple capacities.

Megan Wind
Creative Content Manager
Megan was born and raised in Minnesota and took many trips to the North throughout her life. This fueled her love for the outdoors and passion for paddling, hiking, camping, rock climbing and snowboarding. She graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2016 with a B.A. in Strategic Communications with a minor in Design. Megan is passionate about storytelling, protecting the environment and planning adventures in the Wilderness.

Levi Lexvold
Regional Organizer & Ely Office Manager
Levi was introduced to the Boundary Waters in 2009 when he moved to Ely, Minnesota to study Wilderness Management at Vermilion Community College. While attending Vermilion Levi lived on the shore of Fall Lake -- just a short paddle from the Wilderness boundary -- where he developed his passion for canoeing and the BWCAW. In the summer of 2013 Levi was part of a canoe expedition that began on Birch Lake (just downstream from proposed mining projects) and ended at Churchill, MB on Hudson Bay. The trip took 63 days and covered just over 1000 miles. Levi has also studied Natural Resource Conservation at the University of Idaho and worked as a wilderness ranger and wilderness guide. He runs the Campaign’s national headquarters in Ely and outreach efforts in Northern Minnesota.

Lisa Pugh
Science & Policy Associate
Born and raised in Minnesota, Lisa holds a degree in Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology from the University of Minnesota. Foundational to her love of wilderness and the need to protect it with scientific and fact-based policy are her 600+ days of backcountry experience as the leader of unsupported and educational wilderness expeditions in and around the Boundary Waters. For Lisa, defense of wilderness with logic and reason lives alongside countless memories of minds and hearts opening to the incomparable beauty, serenity, and self-discovery inherent in the challenge and adventure of a canoe or dog sled trip through the remote north country.   

Carter Sample
Development Manager
Carter is a Southerner by birth and a Minnesotan at heart. Growing up in Little Rock, Arkansas he heard frequent stories from his grandfather and mom about their outdoor adventures to the Boundary Waters going back to the 1970s. Fate eventually brought Carter to Minnesota in 2011 and he joined the generations before him in his love for the BWCA. For the last decade Carter has worked in faith communities to develop engagement in local and international relief work. He is excited to bring his experience of community engagement and development to preserve a place that has been an important part of his family for three generations.

Libby London
Digital Content and Strategy Manager
Growing up swimming in the lakes of Minneapolis and Northern MN, Libby fell in love with the natural beauty of our region. Before joining the campaign, she led fundraising and digital strategy at a local food advocacy nonprofit and ran an organic farming education nonprofit where she focused on community engagement and communications. She studied Art and Sustainability at the University of Minnesota and is currently in a graduate program at the Humphrey School of Public Affairs.

Director of Finance & Administration
Niki attributes her appreciation for wide open spaces to having grown up in Montana. She has been with the Campaign almost since its inception, first as a contractor and most recently as an employee. She brings over 20 years of nonprofit accounting experience and has worked with a wide variety of organizations.   

Regional Organizer
Growing up in Alaska, Roberto enjoyed the ocean as his front yard and the mountains as the back yard. From kayaking, hiking, camping and most importantly skiing the Chugach Range, Roberto learned the importance of preserving these wild places. He studied Environmental Studies & Sustainability at Northern Arizona University and began his career as an organizer and environmental advocate. He worked across the country with U.S PIRG and Environment America, eventually landing in Minnesota where he's now dedicated to protecting this unique and irreplaceable Wilderness.

Regional Organizer
Originally hailing from the Rocky Mountain state of Colorado, Amanda developed a deep love and obsession for the outdoors early on. She is experienced in science communication, research, outreach, and teaching and holds a B.S and MA degree in Physical Geography. She fell in love with the Boundary Waters long before ever stepping foot in the woods, and had her first experience in the wilderness just before joining the Campaign. After canoeing in the beautifully still water, hearing the loons call at night, and catching her first 20-inch largemouth bass, she remains even more dedicated to protecting this special place. Outside of work, Amanda enjoys spending time with her cat, hiking, playing ice hockey, and occupying the front row of a concert.

Lucy Trotter
Administrative Coordinator
Lucy grew up taking frequent trips to both the North Shore and the Ely area, and spent the last five summers working at YMCA Family Camps on Burntside and Bear Island Lakes, which has given her the opportunity to explore the Boundary Waters with family and friends. She loves to hike, walk, bike, canoe, hammock, entertain her two nieces, and curl up with a good book. From coaching youth soccer, volunteering with the Union Park District Council and the Advocates for Human Rights, she has always been community minded and passionate about helping others. Lucy graduated from the University of Minnesota with a Bachelor’s Degree in Statistics, and minors in Spanish and Technical Writing. Protecting the Boundary Waters means more to Lucy than simply preserving the space, but also ensuring barriers are removed so that it is a place for all.
Northern Regional Organizer
Maddie grew up at 9,000 ft elevation on Colorado’s Eastern Slope, where her passion and love for the outdoors was fostered. At 15, she was introduced to the BWCA and Quetico Provincial Park through a 10 day Girl Scout Destination trip, which led her to fall deeply in love with canoe country. She returned as a Girl Scout guide for 5 seasons and then worked at a local Ely outfitter as a guide and manager. In the off seasons, she attended Colorado State University, where she graduated with a BS Global Natural Resources Tourism, BA French Language, and a minor in Conservation Biology. Prior to becoming a staff member, Maddie volunteered for Save the Boundary Waters, served as an Ambassador, and participated in a Kids for the Boundary Waters D.C Fly-In.

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