Board Members

Staff & Board

Board Members

Sally Mattison
Sally MattisonPresident, Elected 2023
- Board Member, Elected 2021- Sally is a lead teacher at Dodge Nature Preschool and also volunteers as a teacher/naturalist at Dodge Nature Center. She holds a Master of Education and is licensed in early childhood and elementary education. She is also a MN Master Naturalist, and has worked professionally in teaching, communications, and nonprofits. In her free time, she loves spending as much time as possible hiking, canoeing, biking, camping, and exploring the outdoors with her husband and two school-age kids. Whether writing a column for parks and recreation directors, coordinating adopt-a-park efforts, or integrating environmental awareness into her lessons, she has always loved weaving her passion for nature into all she does. As a lifelong resident of the Upper Midwest, she is excited to apply her skills and experiences to support educators and advance environmental education throughout Minnesota.
Maggie Karschnia
Maggie KarschniaBoard Treasurer, Elected 2023
- Board Member, Elected 2019-Maggie Karschnia is an Extension Educator for the UMN Water Resources Center and the Minnesota Sea Grant, focusing on urban stormwater and community resiliency. Maggie has a bachelor's degree in Conservation from UW-River Falls and a master's degree in natural resources & environmental education from Hamline. Throughout the years, she’s had a wide variety of environmental professional experiences, such as throwing on scuba gear and completing aquatic plant surveys for the Wisconsin DNR, putting on flame-retardant clothing and burning prairies for the Minnesota DNR, swerving for moose en route to remote park areas in Alaska State Parks, and saving land, one property at a time, at the Minnesota Land Trust. Wherever the road has led her, Maggie has incorporated environmental education into her role and is proud to serve on the MAEE board.
Julia Luger
Julia LugerVice President, Elected 2023
- Board Member, Elected 2021- Julia is a Minnesota native who loves connecting people to the outdoors. Julia attended the University of Minnesota Duluth for her undergraduate degree in Biology and her Post Baccalaureate certificate in Environmental Education. Julia has worked at Wildlife Forever, Wolf Ridge ELC., Hawk Ridge Bird Observatory, North Star Council's Base Camp, the Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies in Homer, AK and NatureBridge in Yosemite National Park, CA.
Deanne Trottier
Deanne TrottierSecretary, Elected 2023
- Board Member, Elected 2022- Deanne works at Eagle View Elementary School in Pequot Lakes doing what she calls her dream job. She holds a Bachelor's of Arts in Elementary Education degree and a Master's of Education degree in Diverse Learner, as well as certificates in Leave No Trace, Master Naturalist and equity and diversity. After 30+ years of classroom teaching in South Dakota, Colorado and Minnesota, she started a new environmentally focused STEM (E-STEM) program for all K-4 Eagle View students. Her passion for teaching and learning outdoors started at an early age while on canoeing, backpacking and camping trips with her family. She and her husband Pat have continued those traditions while raising their five children. When she is not teaching, you can find Deanne reading, practicing yoga or exploring woods and water trails in her kayak, hiking boots, skis or snowshoes.
Jamie Madson
Jamie MadsonBoard Member, Elected 2020
Jamie grew up in St. Michael, MN snowmobiling, fishing, hockey and canoeing the BWCA. He earned an elementary education degree at the University of Minnesota Duluth and a Master’s of Education in Learning Technology. Since 1995, he has served as a teacher at Rockford Middle School. Over the past eight years, he has helped convert the school to The Center for Environmental Studies (RMS-CES) and fostered partnerships with the University of Minnesota Raptor Center, Deep Portage Conservation Center, Three Rivers Park District, and 25:2 Solutions. Jamie is passionate about promoting environmental education, mentoring teachers and incorporating the outdoors into the curriculum. In his spare time, Jamie enjoys spending time on the North Shore, hiking, snowshoeing, and fishing. He married his high school sweetheart, Amy Jo, and they have three daughters.
Marte Kitson
Marte KitsonBoard Member, Elected 2022
Marte Kitson is an Extension Educator in the University of Minnesota Sea Grant program, and is a part of the Center for Great Lakes Literacy. Marte focuses on facilitating interactions between scientists and educators, and she supports educators to increase place-based learning, stewardship, and environmental literacy. Marte has a bachelor's degree in psychology and sociology from Gustavus Adolphus College, and a master of science degree in biology from the University of Minnesota Duluth. Marte has sampled zooplankton in many Minnesota lakes and Lake Superior, conducted aquatic vegetation surveys in wetlands in every Great Lake, snorkeled in the Clearwater River in Idaho and its tributaries to conduct salmonid surveys, set gill nets in high mountain lakes, electro fished in northern Wisconsin rivers, and generally had a good time of it. Marte loves camping, canoeing, hiking, and teaching her daughter these ways of life.
Breanna Trygg
Breanna TryggBoard Member, Elected 2022
Breanna grew up in Minnesota, spending time in the woods and waters as much as possible, especially at her family’s cabin in Voyageurs National Park. Breanna attended University of Puget Sound for her undergraduate degree, and has a Masters in Organizational Leadership from Pinchot University. She began her career at the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, then served as Program Director at Pacific Education Institute. In 2015 she started Trygg Consulting, LLC, and worked with nonprofits, government, education organizations, and multi-stakeholder initiatives to build their capacity to do great work. Breanna is currently the Education and Outreach Director at Voyageurs Conservancy.
Heidi Ferris
Heidi FerrisBoard Member, Elected 2023
Heidi is the founder of Growing Green Hearts, LLC to help people of all ages to play, learn, and love nature. As a community connector and 22+ years of teaching, she designs and implements innovative community projects with libraries, cities, faith groups, watershed districts, and schools. She is the author of six children’s books for children. With her playful spirit and teaching expertise; communities are boosting their science literacy while experiencing on-site solutions for solutions for: climate change, local health, biodiversity and land acknowledgement. Heidi holds a MA in Natural Science and Education and is currently a doctoral candidate in Educational Leadership focusing her research on lifting up diverse voices and native prairie planting projects. Heidi can be found on the water in all seasons with her husband, daughters, and friends in a kayak, sailboat, or Nordic skiing.
Jess Paulson
Jess PaulsonBoard Member, Elected 2023
Jess grew up with a passion for the outdoors, camping, fishing, & hunting, with her family. She holds a BS in Environmental Science with an emphasis in Outdoor Education, and an MS in Education. She has worked in roles helping to band raptors, tromping in the swamp during summer camps, and taught about native fish. Being a USFWS wildland firefighter for over 10 years also sparked a passion for habitat restoration & prescribed fire education. Since 2015 she has been a science advisor at the Jane Goodall Environmental Sciences Academy, a public 6th-12th grade project-based learning charter school. She is excited to apply her experiences & knowledge in conservation efforts & outreach programming to the MAEE board. She enjoys canoeing with her husband & counting tree frogs with her son.
Alyssa Janilla
Alyssa JanillaBoard Member, Elected 2023
Alyssa is a substitute teacher and special education paraprofessional at River Grove: A Marine Area Community School. She enjoys designing and leading ecological-themed outdoor adventure clubs at River Grove. Alyssa has her BS in Horticulture from the University of Wisconsin – River Falls. She has completed internships in public horticulture at the Smithsonian Institution and at the Polly Hill Arboretum. Alyssa has worked at several local nurseries, including Gertens, where she enjoyed providing horticultural education and assisting customers to choose the right plant for the right place! In 2013, she started her own garden maintenance and landscape design business to install new plantings and maintain existing garden beds. Alyssa loves stand-up paddle boarding Minnesota’s beautiful waterways and exploring national parks and public lands on road trips.
Shelly Muñoz
Shelly MuñozBoard Member, Elected 2023
Shelly is an award-winning science educator, 20+ year veteran of the classroom, staff development instructor, and STEM/Education Consultant. Her numerous recognitions include “Teacher of the Year” twice and “California Golden Bell” award winner twice. She has been privileged to teach science from 5th- 10th grades and has been chosen for many prestigious opportunities such as Space Camp for Educators, Farm to STEM ( Ag Dept) Sustainability Ambassador ( Honeywell ) Zero G's ( Northrop Grumman) NASA Ambassador and MAVEN ambassador, just to name a few. Currently, she is an advisor for NASA eClips and several STEM organizations.

Staff

John Million
    John MillionEXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
    John Million became MAEE's Executive Director in 2021. Prior to MAEE, John worked for the Adirondack Mountain Club (ADK), an environmental education/outdoor recreation nonprofit based in Lake Placid, NY. The last fourteen years of his tenure, Million was the Deputy Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer for the 30,000 member, $4.5 million ADK. He managed the primary visitor center/program complex for the Adirondack Park and coordinated strategic planning, marketing and communications, human resources, budgeting, and operations across multiple locations. He established school outreach and outdoor stewardship programs and worked with government agencies, volunteers, committees, donors, and a board of directors; all while maximizing internal business income, achieving membership growth, and increasing fundraising returns.

     

    Annie Santos, Attorney
    Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP
    Minneapolis, MN

    Contact maeeinfo@gmail.com if you want to see past board meeting agendas or minutes

     


     

    General contact information

    Minnesota Association for Environmental Education
    Mailing address: 3815 American Blvd. E Bloomington, MN 55425-1600
    E-mail: maeeinfo@gmail.com (please email before calling)
    Phone: 612-354-MAEE (6233)