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Left to Right: (back row) Derek Haars, Greg Simmons, Patrick Mader, Patrick Schaefer, Tom Spooner, Nort Johnson, Dustin Dienst
(Front row) Erica Jakes, Karen Zeller, Abby Malmanger
Interested in being part of the Board of Directors? Learn more and apply below.
Dustin Dienst
President
Dustin is the Fire Chief / Emergency Manager for the City of Faribault. He has an AAS in Natural Resources and is a Licensed Master Electrician, Licensed Firefighter, and Licensed EMT. He has been visiting RBNC since he was a child and has been a longtime member. He has experience with nonprofit boards as member and chair and would bring a variety of skills to the Board some of which include: physical plant (buildings & grounds), and wildlife and natural resources management.
Sarah Hammer
Vice President
Sarah was raised in Dover MN, but spent most of her time in West Concord MN, on her family's farm where her family has lived for over 100 years. She spent her childhood outdoors, riding bikes, causing mischief while exploring the great outdoors and spent time camping on her family farm in West Concord.
Sarah in her adult years lived in various states but always called MN her home. She attended South Dakota State University for Social Work and Psychology and later moved back to Faribault with her husband, Gary, and their 6 kids along with their 2 dogs and a stubborn cat. Sarah works at Benedictine Community in Owatonna as their Short-Term Social Services. In her spare time she enjoys running/ hiking through River Bend and listening to True Crime Pod Casts.
Karen Zeller
Treasurer
Karen is the retired CEO of Cedar House, Inc., a mental health center covering southern Minnesota. Prior to that, she was an education for over 20 years. She has two Masters' Degrees and a Doctorate in Education Administration. She and her husband, Simon, have five children and nine grandchildren. Her children have enjoyed the nature center and now her grandchildren are enthusiastically experiencing nature through River Bend. She has been an outdoor enthusiast all her life and is especially proud of River Bend and what it offers to Faribault and the surrounding communities. She enjoys being a part of the Board of Directors and the ability to give back to RBNC for all the experiences it provides for people of all ages.
Abby Malmanger
Secretary
Abby is a Dentist at Southern Heights Dental Group and grew up in Faribault exploring at RBNC which helped her develop a passion for the outdoors. She enjoys connecting with people and wants to help others experience nature and support conservation.
Tom Spooner
City Council Liaison
Cindy DeSormeau
Cindy is a Dental Hygienist with Southern Heights Dental Group and Realtor with Legacy House / eXp Realty. She enjoys RBNC as an avid trail user and enjoys projects and helping see them through including fundraising and recruiting volunteers.
Tom DeMatteo
Tom Is Chief Legal Officer, General Counsel and Secretary for ABC Bus Companies, Inc. He is responsible for all legal affairs for the company. Tom spends all his free time hiking and has hiked in every state park in Minnesota. He looks forward to helping River Bend continue to enhance all of its educational and out reach programs.
Patrick Mader
Packy grew up on a farm near the town of St. Bonifacius on the western edge of Hennepin County. Forty-one acres of the lowlands on his farm have been restored as wetlands and with native plants in recent years as part of an exhaustive project. Always having an appreciation of nature, Packy constantly played and worked outdoors—including time as a farmhand on the property which is now Gale Woods in the Three Rivers Park District. He has canoed the entire length of the BWCA and from Lake Itasca to St. Paul as part of his adventures. A retired elementary teacher, Packy often brought classes to River Bend and completed a Minnesota Master Naturalist class on site.
Erica Jakes
Erica was born and raised in Faribault, MN. She spent her childhood chasing animals around her parents hobby farm, then later running around in River Bend for Faribault High School Cross Country practices. Erica graduated from Gustavus Adolphus College in St Peter, MN in 2017 with a degree in Geography & Geographic Information Systems. After graduation, Erica moved back to Faribault with her husband, Tyler, and their dog and cat. Erica works in the Accounting office at Harry Brown’s Family Automotive in Faribault, and enjoys knitting and watching The Office in her free time.
Patrick Schaefer
Patrick Schaefer joined the RBNC Board of Directors during the summer of 2021. Patrick grew up in Eau Claire, WI and moved to MN in 2002 to attend St. John's University. He has worked at Shattuck-St. Mary's since the fall of 2006 and is currently in his fifth year serving as Upper School Director. Patrick and his family, wife Amanda, Aubrey (10), Wesley (8), frequently visit RBNC and enjoy spending time hiking and biking the trails. This past winter, the whole family took up cross country skiing and found RBNC as the perfect place to escape and practice this new hobby.
Greg Simmons
Greg is the Science Department Chair at Shattuck-St. Mary’s School, has a Master’s degree in natural sciences and environmental education, and an educational doctorate degree. His area of expertise is environmental justice practices and the implementation of environmental education. He and his family enjoy the trails at RBNC and he hopes to bring his passions for environmental conservation, preservation, advocacy, and climate change to the Board.
Nort Johnson
Nort Johnson is a native of Faribault, Minnesota and currently serves as President and CEO of the Faribault Chamber of Commerce & Tourism. Johnson attended two Minnesota colleges and began a career in publishing management and marketing in southern Minnesota, spending eleven of those years at the Schwan Food Company. During that time, he also held a city council seat, and became involved in economic development at many levels. Volunteer work in Nort’s past has included non-profit boards for Junior Achievement, United Way, Economic Development Corps, Paradise Center for the Arts and several trade related professional groups. After 25 years in North Dakota, Nort found his way back to Faribault and says he’s “blessed” to use his experiences to help grow and promote his hometown. He and Shelly’s blended family includes 7 grown children and 9 grandchildren.
Courtney Cavallier
Courtney Cavellier has lived in Faribault with her family since 2004. She grew up spending time in the woods and out on the ocean in Massachusetts. Her husband, Matthew, was one of the initial planners for the 25K and 50K races included in the Maple Syrup Fun Run each May. They have two sons, Peter and Joseph. For the past twenty years, she has been an administrator and teacher at Shattuck-St. Mary’s School. During that time, she also served for four years on the Faribault School Board, was an active member of the Roosevelt Elementary School PTO, and served on the Strategic Planning Committee for River Bend. She began her career as a teacher for students with reading difficulties in a small boarding school in rural New York and then in a large K-8 public school in the Boston Metro area. Courtney holds a B.A. from Wesleyan University in Connecticut and an Ed.M. from Harvard University, and she is currently working on an Ed.D. at the University of St. Thomas. She is excited to work together with the team of River Bend Nature Center to achieve their strategic vision.
Ibrahim Khalif
Ibrahim Khalif, Executive Director of the Faribault Youth Empowerment Center, is a dedicated advocate for immigrant and refugee youth. Arriving in Faribault as a refugee at 14 and graduating from Faribault High School and South Central College. He is committed to promoting diversity in environmental stewardship and plays a crucial role in both community and environmental leadership. In his free time, Ibrahim enjoys swimming during the winter and walking along the trails of River Bend Nature Center in the summer.