Wisconsin's Green Fire Staff
Meleesa Johnson
Executive Director
Email: mjohnson@wigreenfire.org
Paul Heinen
Policy Director
Email: pheinen@wigreenfire.org | wigreenfire@gmail.com
EXPERIENCE: Paul joined Wisconsin's Green Fire in October of 2018. He works closely with Green Fire’s work groups and volunteer members to share their expertise and knowledge with policy makers and their staff and other conservation and environmental groups statewide. Paul started his career as a legislative aide to the Chair of the Senate Natural Resources and Energy Committee. He was the Legislative Liaison for the Department of Natural Resources for over 34 years. He has worked to pass hundreds of new laws including the Acid Rain law, Recycling Program, the first Groundwater bill in the United States, the Stewardship Program, numerous deer and wildlife management program changes and air quality standards for the state. He has also directed legislative affairs for the Nature Conservancy of Wisconsin. Continuing his work with many former colleagues in and around state government is one of the most satisfying parts of his job.
PERSONAL: Paul is married to his artist wife Kathleen and spends time at art shows and galleries with her, marveling at people who have talent. His daughter Priya, who turned out to be interested in all sports, allowed him to see the state’s venues for basketball, softball, soccer, and tennis. There are a lot of venues. His golden retriever Harper and black cat Barlioz welcome him when he returns home.
Nancy Larson
Senior Water Resources Specialist
Email: nlarson@wigreenfire.org
EXPERIENCE: Nancy Larson has been with Wisconsin’s Green Fire since it formed in 2017. She currently focuses on special projects, having served as Assistant Director until 2021. Nancy retired from Wisconsin DNR after 27 years with the state of Wisconsin. Her background in aquatic ecology and interest in communications led her to positions including Deputy Director of the Bureau of Watershed Management, Northern Water Program Leader, and UW-Extension Natural Resource Educator. Prior to that, she worked for the state of Minnesota and EPA contractors. Nancy spent a good portion of her career working to protect the greatest lake in the world– Lake Superior. She was recognized for her work with partnerships in 2003 with the DNR’s Rebecca Wallace award.
EDUCATION: Nancy has a B.A. from St. Olaf College and M.S. from the University of Minnesota in biology.
PERSONAL: Nancy lives in Drummond where she splits her time between being in town and at her cabin in the woods built by her late husband John Spangberg (also retired DNR), where she indulges her love of writing.
Mike Meyer
Senior Scientist
Email: mmeyer@wigreenfire.org
EXPERIENCE: Mike joined WGF as Senior Scientist in 2022. He works closely with the Science Council in developing and organizing WGF's research projects. Previously, he worked as a Research Scientist with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources until retirement in 2015. Mike’s research emphasis was wildlife toxicology but also oversaw projects on lakeshore protection and restoration, climate change impacts on wildlife, and common loon conservation. Mike has also served on the Wisconsin Green Fire Board and co-chaired the WGF Climate Work Group.
EDUCATION: Mike received his PhD in Wildlife Ecology from the University of Wisconsin in 1989.
PERSONAL: Mike lives in Manitowish Waters and owns and operates Nova Ecological Services which specializes in lakeshore projects in the Northern Highlands Lake District.
Carolyn Pralle
Communications and Outreach Coordinator
Email: cpralle@wigreenfire.org
EXPERIENCE: Carolyn Pralle joined WGF in May 2023 as the Communications and Outreach Coordinator. She previously served as the Land Conservationist technician for the Adams County Land & Water Conservation Department. Carolyn has a dual background in environmental science and communications. She has worked in the private sector as a wetland biologist and in academia and nonprofits as a wildlife biologist researcher specializing in coastal ecology and herpetology. She has technical science communication experience from leading the University of Rhode Island Graduate Writing Center and as an author for SciCommBites. She has won awards for her creative work including a yearlong international Thomas J. Watson fellowship and various prizes for her poetry, essays, podcast, and short documentary film.
EDUCATION: Carolyn holds an M.S. in biological and environmental sciences from the University of Rhode Island (URI) in 2021 and a B.A. in environmental science from Wheaton College (Massachusetts) in 2014. She also received graduate certificates in Science Writing and Rhetoric and the Diversity and Inclusion Badge Program from URI.
PERSONAL: Carolyn lives in Wisconsin Rapids with her husband, son, and two indoor cats. She loves poetry, gardening, and scuba diving.
Erica LeMoine
Philanthropy and Membership Coordinator
EXPERIENCE: Erica joined WGF in August 2024. She previously worked as Northland College’s Sigurd Olson Environmental Institute LoonWatch and Citizen Science Coordinator. Erica has extensive experience in administering programs and grants, fundraising, donor stewardship, volunteer coordination, and implementing educational training. She is also experienced in water quality monitoring, biological monitoring, and naturalist interpretation from her roles at Minnesota Waters, the University of Georgia Marine Extension Service, Georgia Department of Natural Resources, and the Lodge on Little St. Simon’s Island.
EDUCATION: Erica earned her Baccalaureate Degree in Geography at the University of Wisconsin – Eau Claire.
PERSONAL: Erica grew up in southern Wisconsin drumlin country surrounded by dairy farmer friends. She enjoys hiking, journaling, gardening, birding, trying new recipes from near and far, and Lake Superior driftwood and rock picking. She would love recommendations about how to quell the mutant squirrels and bunnies that seem to enjoy the animal repellants, hot pepper and smelly soap that are supposed to deter them from her garden.
Farm Sustainability Rewards Project Staff
Ben Becker
Agricultural Projects Coordinator - Farm Sustainability Rewards Project
Email: bbecker@wigreenfire.org
EXPERIENCE: Ben joined Wisconsin’s Green Fire in 2024 as the Agricultural Projects Coordinator. His experience includes research and project work at the intersections of agriculture, sustainability, food security, and the economic resilience of local and regional food systems. Prior to joining Green Fire, he worked for over a decade as an administrator, project manager, instructor, writer and cooperator for the Williamson Street Grocery Cooperative where he championed corporate sustainability efforts. As a graduate student, Ben completed capstone work with Grassland 2.0 through UW-Madison Extension, and has also performed conservation planning work focused on Wisconsin’s watersheds.
EDUCATION: Ben is a proud graduate of the UW-Madison’s Nelson Institute where he received a Professional Masters of Science in Environmental Conservation. He holds an MBA in Sustainable Business with a focus on Natural and Organic Resources from Marylhurst University, and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Iowa. Ben is also a certified Project Management Professional.
PERSONAL: Ben resides in Madison, Wisconsin where he enjoys hiking, photography, hunting, beekeeping, and volunteering at the UW-Arboretum in his spare time.
Fred Clark
Project Director - Farm Sustainability Rewards Project
EXPERIENCE: After a 30+ year career in Wisconsin conservation, Fred was the first Executive Director of Wisconsin's Green Fire. Fred was previously the director of The Forest Stewards Guild – a national organization dedicated to sustainable forestry and forest science. He has worked as a forest ecologist for Wisconsin Chapter of The Nature Conservancy, as a forester for the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, and as a consulting forester and owner of a forestry contracting business. He was appointed by both Governor Doyle and Governor Walker to the Wisconsin Council on Forestry from 2004 – 2014. He served three terms as a Representative to the Wisconsin State Assembly between 2009-2014 representing Sauk and Columbia Counties, and he has served on the Assembly Committees on Forestry and the Environment, and the Committee on Natural Resources.
EDUCATION: Fred received a B.S. from Michigan State University in 1985, and an M.S. in Forest Science from the University of Wisconsin – Madison in 1992.
PERSONAL: Fred lives in Bayfield, Wisconsin. His son Joe is a graduate of the UW-Stevens Point in the Conservation Law Enforcement program. He enjoys hunting, sailing, maple sugaring, and volunteering.
Jim VandenBrook
Project Co-Executive - Farm Sustainability Rewards Project
Email: jvandenbrook@wigreenfire.org
EXPERIENCE: Jimmy VandenBrook, a life-long resident of Wisconsin, served as the Executive Director of the Wisconsin Land and Water Conservation Association from 2012 until his retirement in 2018. Since his retirement, Jimmy has been working with Wisconsin’s Green Fire on agricultural conservation issues. He served as Water Quality Section Chief with DATCP from 1986 to 2012 developing and implementing rules to improve agricultural resource management including: regulation of pesticides to protect groundwater quality and improved agricultural management of nutrients to protect groundwater and surface water.
Prior to his role at DATCP, Jimmy was a county conservationist in Vernon and Trempealeau counties. He worked with farmers on the Farmland Preservation program and DNR’s Priority Watershed Program to reduce farm runoff. He was also a member of the Dane County Regional Planning Commission, a member of the Wisconsin Land Information Board. He is a current member of the Wisconsin Institute on Climate Change Impacts – Ag Working Group and served on the Natural Resources Board in 2023 for a short period.
EDUCATION: Jimmy has a degree in Soil Science-Natural Resources from UW–Madison.
PERSONAL: Jimmy lives in Mount Horeb and is an avid cross-country skier. He completed his 40th American Birkebeiner in February 2024.
Jimmy is Project Co-Executive alongside Sara Walling of Clean Wisconsin.
