NLI Board of Trustees and Affiliations

Judy’s love of nature began at an early age through trips to northern Wisconsin, since her Grandfather and Mom loved to fish. While they spent their days on the lake, she and her sister spent it in the woods – exploring every nook and cranny. In sixth grade, her class spent a few days at Camp Lorado Taft exploring the land around Blackhawk Statue. Old roots run deep.

She has been fortunate to hold four uniquely different jobs in her work life, retiring as Deputy County Administrator in 2004. Highlights of her county work included coordinating the county’s Balanced Growth Initiative and the Green Communities Environmental Vision. Once retired, she consulted for two years with the county Economic Development office and then went on to create Marketworks, a small business specializing in print marketing, photography and event planning.

In 2016 she was elected to a second term as a Forest Preserves of Winnebago County Commissioner, and she also serves as an Associate Director of the Winnebago County Soil and Water Conservation District.

Judy previously served on the NLI board and is a past President. In addition to being the Vice President Judy is currently the Chair of the Resource Development Committee, and also serves on the Executive, Finance and Board Development Committees. Judy coordinates NLI’s silent auctions, and chairs the biennial Party on the Prairie fundraiser. Judy feels that the work of NLI is extremely important to the sustainability of the region.

John is a landscape architect who has worked with the private and public sectors for decades and brings a scope of knowledge and understanding about how a natural environment can be enjoyable and encourage healing of the mind and body.

John is the Chair of NLI’s Land Conservation Committee and serves on the Executive and Resource Development Committees, as well as the Working Lands Sub Committee.

Nancy Holm holds a B.S. in Accountancy from Northern Illinois University, as well as a CPA certification. Significant recent work experience includes 10 years as Owner/President of Benefits Administrative Services (BAS), which provided Claims Processing and Benefit Administration Services for medical, dental, disability, FSA, COBRA; and provided eligibility and billing consolidations. BAS’s Profile: 30 client companies, 36 employees, $2 million revenue.

Prior work experience includes progressive management responsibility and accountability incorporate benefits administration and compensation. Nancy also worked in public accounting (CPA at Big 6 firm) with lead audit responsibility.

Nancy enjoys planting and working in her acre yard, filled with flowers, perennials, bushes, trees, and raised vegetable/herb gardens. Her yard was one of 8 featured in the Council of Rockford Gardeners 2019 Garden Walk.

As Treasurer of Natural Land Institute, Nancy is also Chair of the Finance Committee.

     Trey was born into an agricultural family in Roscoe IL. His parents owned a flower nursery, a landscape company, and a farm, all of which he was intimately involved in from a young age. From growing perennials and annuals and building beautiful outdoor spaces, to milking the dairy goats, slopping the pigs, and mending the cattle fences, Trey’s passion has always lied in working with his hands to improve the land around him. Trey’s family still employes high intensity rotational grazing techniques on their farm today and work closely with the Natural Land Institute, grazing areas of the Lost Flora Fen to improve the soil quality and aid in greater biodiversity. It was this working relationship that initiated Trey’s appreciation for the work that the Natural Land Institute does in preserving and maintaining good natural habitats while also producing high quality and healthy food on that land.
Trey lives in Rockton on a five-acre hobby farm with his wife and three children where they raise pasture pork and chickens. Trey is a Financial Advisor at Savant Wealth Management and is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® professional.

Growing up in Rockford, Jeanne Bergstrom spent a lot of her childhood outside with her family and friends. Many summer days were spent biking or walking to area parks to roam the woods or explore the water. An interest in gardening and native plants was nurtured by Jeanne’s parents through home gardens both vegetable, ornamental and native.

After earning a BS in Biology and Chemistry from NIU with a teaching certificate, she worked several jobs including stay at home Mom. Most of Jeanne’s career was Office Manager for the small business Cad Cam Systems/Azimuth CNC, which sold manufacturing software and high precision machining services.

After retirement in 2020, Jeanne was free to return to her core interest, working with native plant communities and helping to strengthen land conservation and restoration. Volunteering at NLI was a perfect fit to accomplish meaningful work that was satisfying, enjoyable and has lasting consequences.

April is a lifelong nature enthusiast who grew up in Rockford, Illinois, where her passion for the outdoors was nurtured by family. Some of her fondest childhood memories include nature walks with her mother, gathering edible spring flowers with her grandmother, and exploring the world of wildlife and plants with her grandfather. After spending 20 years in Central Illinois, April is excited to be back in Northern Illinois, reconnecting with both family and the natural world.

April holds a BFA in Theatre from Illinois Wesleyan University and spent nearly two decades living her passion at Conklin’s Barn II Dinner Theatre. During her time in the countryside, she found joy in observing seasonal changes and the beauty of nature unfolding in her own garden.

April returned to Rockford in 2022 and served as the Director of Education and Growth through Dec. 2024 at Burpee Museum of Natural History and is now the Operations Director of Discovery Center Museum. She is committed to the museum’s mission of fostering a lifelong love of learning. Drawing from her own experiences, April is dedicated to creating opportunities for the community to connect with and learn from nature through both preservation and interpretation.

Ray was born and raised on a farm and played out in the open when he was a child. He realized the most beautiful land for animals especially, was that which was being destroyed by development or used for recreation.

He has always felt a desire to keep land as a safe place for animals and this has motivated him to support and be actively involved in an organization like Natural Land Institute that protects natural land to provide wildlife habitat.

Ray likes the mission of NLI to preserve and protect natural areas so animals will have places they need to live. He is a past NLI President and has provided advice related to legal matters over the years. Currently, Ray serves on the Land Conservation Committee and Working Lands Sub-Committee.

Adam has been a Broker with Dickerson & Nieman Realtors (as 2024) for 19 years and an 11 year member of their President’s Club which is an award to the top tier of sales agents for the company.

He was born and raised in Rockford, graduating Guilford High School in 2001. He attended the University of Wyoming achieving his Bachelor’s in Advertising and Marketing.

Throughout the years he has been a member of Pheasants Forever, Ducks Unlimited, and the United Sportsmen’s Youth Foundation whose mission is “Teaching Kids about Conservation”. He grew up a hunter and is a conservationist and steward of his land for his children, son Mason and daughter Ellie.

He is familiar with land values and contracts and willing to volunteer for projects and causes he believes in. Adam has a passion for the outdoors and land in general and wants to leave something for his children and grandchildren to enjoy.

This is Adams second time serving on the board. He first served on the NLI board between 2017 and 2023, as well as the Land Conservation Committee, of which he continues to serve on. He was happy to rejoin the board in 2024.

I was born and raised in Oakland County, Michigan.  Graduated with a BS degree from Michigan State University in 1976.  Upon given the opportunity from my father to start a formal Quality Control and Engineering Department at Specialty Screw Corporation, I moved to Rockford, Illinois in 1980 to begin a career in the fastener industry, and eventually, becoming president and majority owner of the family business in 1995.

I have been an active member in the Rotary Club of Rockford since 1987, a former board of trustee and treasurer at the Natural Land Institute for nine years, and a current board member of the Rockford Park District Foundation.  Having lived in Michigan for over twenty five years gave me a true sense of the outdoors and the essence of land preservation and recreation.  I’m a big supporter of conservation of God’s given natural resources and hold to the motto the three R’s; “Re-use, Reduce and Recycle”, and “Think Globally, Act Locally.”  In my spare time I golf, tennis, swim, bike and snow ski.

It should be noted that even though I was born and raised in Michigan, I have roots in Northern Illinois where both my parents were raised on dairy farms; my father in Genoa and my mother in Hampshire.  There, as a child I would visit during the holidays and an occasional summer vacation with my cousins to truly experience working on a dairy farm.

My wife, Gin, and I have been married for 38 years with three children, all in the family business and three granddaughters.

Russ serves on NLI’s Finance Committee.

Howard has had lifelong experiences in our natural environment. He spent his childhood car camping with his family and then more immersed experiences through boy scouts. Howard spent many vacations and holiday weekends at a cabin in northern Wisconsin fishing, swimming and exploring nature with his family. His love of the outdoors led to a pursuit of a forestry and soil science bachelor’s degree from the University of Wisconsin at Stevens Point. Howard worked for 3 summers with the US Forest Service in Colorado and Wyoming and spent time hiking and backpacking in wilderness areas.

One thing led to another and Howard pursued teaching high school biology and environmental science. Howard takes great pride in co-developing an advanced environmental science course that included two 4-day field trips that gave students hands-on experiences learning about wetlands, forestry, soils, wildlife and literature. 

Howard retired in 2020 after 31 years of teaching and currently keeps busy participating in stewardship opportunities with NLI and BCCD. He enjoys gardening, canoeing, kayaking, biking, hiking, and exploring our National Parks with his wife.

Howard serves on the Resource Development Committee and the Community Outreach & Engagement Committee.

Sarah Lorenz grew up in Wisconsin and her love for the natural world was fostered by annual camping trips and hikes through the Driftless Area. After completing her Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Studies at University of Wisconsin-Madison, Sarah moved to the Rockford area, where she has been ever since.

She has had the opportunity to work with several environmentally-minded organizations in northern Illinois, including the Rockford Park District, Angelic Organics Learning Center (now Farmer’s Rising), Klehm Arboretum & Botanic Garden, and McHenry County Conservation District. Sarah now serves as Communications Coordinator with the Forest Preserves of Winnebago County.

After working with the Natural Land Institute in a professional capacity, she is excited to join the NLI Board and support their mission to preserve and protect natural areas in northern Illinois. You can find Sarah hiking or paddling with her husband Randy, or in their growing backyard.

Sarah serves on NLI’s Community Outreach & Engagement Committee, as well as the Board.

Todd went to Eastern Illinois and Northern Illinois Universities and graduated with a B.S. in Geography. He said, “I did a summer internship at Kane County Forest Preserve District and met Jon Duerr and Dick Young who signed and gave me a plants of Kane County Book and from there started my enthusiasm for native plants. It was a few months later that I got hired as a 6-month intern at Byron Forest Preserve District, then got hired full time later that year in 1995. A few years later I became the Naturalist, Land Manager, and eventually the Executive Director from 2007 to when I retired April of 2025. I tried my best, as we all in this field do ,to protect as much land as we can, learn what we can and foster new ideas to better steward our nature areas.”

Todd is father to three “beautiful daughters, loves to travel, loves people/conversation, fishing, hunting, camping, kayaking, canoeing, pickleball, wine, food, sports Cubs/Bears, hiking, and enjoy life’s many beauties such as that first beer after a hot day, a hug and greeting from a friend, or picturesque view from wherever I’m standing.”

He says, “I look forward to bringing my expertise/experience, love for land, and open-mindedness to the NLI Board, and hope to bring value to what I have always considered a great organization.”

Nancy Williamson retired June 2018 after serving 19 years with Illinois Department of Natural Resources as a Regional Watershed Coordinator and was “Green Cities” Campaign Manager for the Illinois Wildlife Action Plan, and Conservation 2000 grant administrator for twelve years, working with private sector Ecosystem Partnerships in Northern Illinois.  She served for seven years as co-chair of the Chicago Wilderness Green Infrastructure Team, and founded the Sustainable Watershed Action Team, which worked with private grant funding to advance green infrastructure planning, watershed planning, and resource-sensitive development with multiple local jurisdictions across northern Illinois.

Nancy served for five years on the board and as President of the McHenry County Conservation District, and 15 years on the McHenry County Conservation Foundation and on two referendum committees, ultimately bringing $141.5 million in open space funding to McHenry County, IL.

Nancy was a recipient of the 2010 United States Department of Interior “Partners in Conservation” Award for her work with Chicago Wilderness Green Infrastructure and received the award again in 2012 for her role in helping establish Hackmatack National Wildlife Refuge. She currently serves as Board treasurer for Friends of Hackmatack NWR. She is an accomplished graphic artist/illustrator and helps many not-for-profits with free or cost effective graphic design, including interpretive signage at NLI’s Nygren Wetland Preserve.

Nancy is Chair of NLI’s Personnel Committee and serves on the Executive and Land Conservation Committees, as well as the DEI Task Force.

Paul is a lifelong resident of Rockford. Although the home he has always lived in is inside Rockford’s city limits, it is located on a four acre lot that includes a two acre prairie. Quietly sitting in that prairie, gazing at the birds and sky, and just thinking was a summer joy. As a youth, Paul’s family was friends with Owen Gromme (renowned wildlife painter from Baraboo, WI). Mr. Gromme and his daughter helped the entire family learn to rehabilitate orphaned and injured birds. Family vacations were, typically, road trips to national parks. Paul’s parents and siblings are long-time supporters of many environmental organizations, particularly the Nature Conservancy, which later motivated family members to become committed supporters of the Natural Land Institute. When retirement from the engineering career and the end of another significant volunteer commitment ended, the transition to NLI was a natural fit. 
Paul was President of NLI from 2019 – 2025. He served on all of NLI’s committees: Executive, Land Conservation, Finance, Personnel, Governance, Resource Development, Education/Marketing & Membership which is now Community Outreach & Engagement, as well as the Working Lands Sub Committee and DEI Task Force. He is NLI’s inaugural Trustee Emeritus and will continue serving on committees as time allows. Paul knows that it is imperative that we protect unblemished natural areas and the creatures that depend on those areas for their survival.