Contact staff in the office at: 815/964-6666

Kerry Leigh
Executive Director
kleigh@naturalland.org

Jill Kennay
Assistant Director
jkennay@naturalland.org

Kim Johnsen
kjohnsen@naturalland.org

Zach Grycan
Director of Stewardship
zgrycan@naturalland.org

Jessica Formea
Administrative Assistant
jformea@naturalland.org

Tyler Pellegrini
Restoration Ecologist
tpellegrini@naturalland.org

Laura Helmich
Stewardship Technician
lhelmich@naturalland.org

Kent Wolfe
Facilities Maintenance Coordinator
2021 Summer Staff
AmeriCorps Members

Courtney Abate Bio
I graduated from Finger Lakes Community College (New York) in May of 2019 with an AAS in Natural Resources Conservation. This summer I hope to gain a better understanding of ecosystems that are diverse and new to me and experience working in land management. My goal following the AmeriCorps program is to utilize the knowledge and experiences I have gained to help me decide whether I will be continuing my education into a Bachelor’s degree or finding full time employment. The time I spent exploring outside when I was young inspired me to go to school for Natural Resources conservation. Studying botany and conservation techniques while earning my degree helped to further my inspiration to conserve and protect nature so that the wild can always be around for further generations.

Summer Macheel
I am from West Bend, Wisconsin but recently moved to Milwaukee. I am currently a rising sophomore at UW-Milwaukee at Waukesha County. I am pursuing a degree in environmental science while working to complete my general education credits. After I get my associate’s degree I hope to transfer to UW-Stevens Point and further my education. I would like to explore more fields within environmental science, I am deciding between majoring in water, soil, or mycology. Through the AmeriCorps program, I am gaining resume-building work experience and skills to apply to this field. I have known since I was nine years old that I wanted to work outside and I thank my mom for encouraging this passion of mine by taking me hiking, kayaking, camping, and fishing.
Rockford Promise Scholars – Interns

Kasey Aucutt
