Your local Club is run by an elected group of volunteers.  If you are ever interested in learning more about Club leadership and how to get involved, contact our Membership Chair Dave Blouin. We’d love to meet you!

Ronda Conner - Executive Committee Co-Chair,  Beyond Coal team, Climate Crew, National and Chapter texting team, Chapter Amplify, Mailings and Digital teams

Environmental conservation has been a consistent passion of mine as long as I can remember.  As a child, I enjoyed learning about the world around me by spending countless hours camping, boating and being a student of the great outdoors.  I went on to obtain a degree from UW-Madison in the Biological Aspects of Conservation with a certificate from the Institute for Environmental Studies. I have been concerned about climate change for a long time which inspired me to become a member of the Sierra Club in 2006 and to seek more opportunities. I have been volunteering with the Sierra Club for the last 2.5 years and have been part of the Executive Committee for the past 2 years. I have also been working on the Beyond Coal team, Climate Crew, National and local texting team, Amplify team, Mailings team and now Digital team. I have been leading texting volunteers and graphics volunteers on volunteer nights.  I hope to continue to put my passion to work in the Executive Committee to connect people to the local issues in tangible ways that connect people to their power to effect change. 

 Liz Wessel – Executive Committee - Co-Treasurer, Land Equity and Access Team, Climate Crew, Chapter Fundraising Committee, Chapter Wildlife & Lands Team

Liz Wessel works as an independent contractor working with nonprofit organizations. Liz has been a Sierra Club member since 1984 and a volunteer with the John Muir Chapter and now the Four Lakes Group here in Wisconsin. As a member of the Land Equity and Access Team, she has been advocating for public transportation, expanding opportunities for new outdoor experiences and lowering or eliminating barriers to getting outdoors. Her passions are cooking and walking/hiking. Liz and her husband Bill enjoy berry picking, fly-fishing, picnicking and hiking together. 

Erik Pettersen – Executive Committee - Co-Treasurer, Climate Crew, Land Equity and Access Team, Chapter Transportation Team

I’m the current co-treasurer for the Four Lakes Group and have been involved in the John Muir Chapter Sierra Club. I’m passionate about the environment and have been an activist for a number of years. In particular, I was the treasurer of the Four Lakes Green Party for a few years and brought Ralph Nader here to Madison to speak during the 1996 Nader-for-President campaign where we actually came in second (ahead of Bob Dole!) in three wards in Madison!I’ve also been very active on the anti-mining front protesting the Ladysmith Mine as well as the Crandon Mine. I used to canvas door-to-door for Greenpeace back in the early ’90’s and have only ever owned one single car–a Honda Civic 1986 Hatchback which got 35MPG back when that was a lot! I love to bike everywhere and love to hike in the mountains and go backpacking through the wilderness. I’ve been to numerous national parks and enjoy traveling as green as possible. 

Don Ferber – Executive Committee, Climate Crew, Land Equity and Access Team, Newsletter, Festival Recycling, Chapter Executive Committee, Chapter Beyond Coal Team

As a long time outdoor enthusiast and life member since 1982, I especially enjoy restoration activities and biking. I find our disregard for people and the planet very troubling, and am a dedicated activist working to create a sustainable and equitable future. I appreciate the Sierra Club’s many terrific staff and volunteers who are active on many fronts, and that it provides many opportunities for involvement, and offers strong support for volunteers. I especially like working with our Beyond Coal team, and am gratified by the success we’ve had in stopping coal. In addition, I enjoy doing outreach, getting other people involved, reducing waste at festivals, and educating people about climate change and clean energy solutions. Reducing my personal energy consumption and carbon footprint is something I am conscious of too. 

Jake Johnson - Executive Committee, Tree Planting Projects

I have been a lifelong environmentalist and love volunteering in my community.  I have served on Fitchburg's Common Council, Park Commission, and Bicycle and Pedestrian Commission, and formerly served as president of the Board of Directors for Movin' Out, a not-for-profit that builds and sustains community-integrated housing for people with disabilities.  My passions are planting trees, working on parks, preserves, and public spaces, setting policy standards for trees and greenspace, and working with people in the community.  I am a music producer by trade as the owner of Paradyme Productions, a husband and the father of 2 teenage boys, and enjoy gardening, biking, and nature hikes.  I'm looking forward to serving the area and hope to bring more people and attention to issues surrounding climate change, specifically what we can all do locally to help our planet.

Patrick Stoffel - Executive Committee Co-Chair

I grew up on two small farms in Western Wisconsin, where we raised cows, pigs, chickens, and geese. We had a dog, a beautiful German Shepard, who was my best friend while growing up.  I remember my brother and I going out to explore the back acreages of our farms with Buster during the summers.  At night, I remember watching the stars – out in the country the clear skies and views were incredible. I was given a small telescope when I was 10, and Buster and I would spend nights looking at the stars and planets. Well, I looked at the stars, Buster was protecting me from rabbits and squirrels. These were some of the best times of my life.  I think it was during these times that I developed a love of animals, nature, astronomy, and the environment. In 2000 I quit a computer job and went back to school, deciding I didn’t want to sit in front of a screen for the rest of my life. I earned a B.S. in Biomedical Science from St. Cloud State in 2003, a M.S. in Space Science at the University of North Dakota – Grand Forks in 2009 and I graduated with a M.E. in Sustainable Systems Engineering from UW-Madison in 2016. Since 2008 I’ve been working for the State of Wisconsin with DWD - Unemployment Insurance. I have been looking to get more involved in volunteer work and advocacy for environmental, humanitarian, and science causes when the opportunity came to run for a position on the Executive Committee of the Four Lakes Chapter of the Sierra Club. I feel this will be a great way to contribute and work toward making the changes we need as a society toward sustainable and environmentally healthy living. I enjoy reading, travelling, riding motorcycle, gardening and studying. I have four cats – two of which were my mother’s who had to give them up when she went into a nursing home. I look forward to being of service.

Dave Blouin – Membership Chair, Chapter Mining Chair, Chapter Political Committee Chair

I served as Chair of the Four Lakes Group from 2010 to 2018 and have served as the Group Political Committee Chair for many years. My activism in the Sierra Club began in 1993 with the Crandon mine proposal and has continued to this day with the strip mining proposal in the Penokee Hills and other proposals.I also work on political issues at the state level as Chair of the John Muir Chapter Political Committee. I’m an avid hiker, skier, and camper in all seasons – especially winter camping. I’m proud of the work that we’re doing locally and I encourage visitors to our website to look around to learn more about the conservation work we do and the great outings we host.

Ryan Olson – Executive Committee, Beyond Coal and Gas to Clean Energy Team

I've been volunteering with the Sierra Club Four Lakes Group since 2022, when I finally realized it was time to put my money where my mouth was regarding climate change and advocating for environmentally-friendly policy. Prior to volunteering, I developed a love for the outdoors during my time as a Boy Scout in the mid-2000s. Being in nature is one of my favorite things to do, and I will continue to work toward a more renewable future.

Jennie Watson – Executive Committee