Staff Members
Staff Members
Executive Director - she/her/hers
Heather followed her passion for environmental protection and justice to MCE in 2013. She earned a Bachelors in Environmental Studies and a law degree from Washington University in St. Louis. While there, she participated as a student and later as a student attorney in the Interdisciplinary Environmental Clinic. Before coming to MCE, she spent over three years practicing as a civil rights lawyer at a private firm in St. Louis. She was an inaugural fellow of the St. Louis New Leaders Council and has volunteered and served on the boards of several organizations, including The Green Center, the national council of Pax Christi USA, and the Central West End Association. She has also served as the Alderwoman of the 28th Ward in the City of St. Louis since 2017. She enjoys camping with her family, practicing yoga, and traveling. And she's proud to call Missouri home.
Executive Assistant - she/her/hers
Denise began her lifelong environmental non-profit career at Indiana's largest environmental organization, where she served as Administration Director, Assistant Development Director, and Managing Editor of Monitor, the statewide environmental magazine. Afterward, she served as Advancement Director for the Watershed Center Grand Traverse Bay in gorgeous northern Michigan. In St.Louis, Denise served as Director of Development at the Academy of Science. Denise graduated cum laude with a B.A. in journalism and English from Indiana University. She is the author of a book of poetry and the drummer for Swampcat Holler. Denise loves tending to her native garden and hiking.
Known & Grown Manager - she/her/hers
Jenn’s passions for the environment and St. Louis led her to join MCE as the Known & Grown Manager in July of 2019. Before coming to MCE, she worked as the Program Manager for the Green Dining Alliance, a program of earthday365. Jenn serves as a member of the City of St. Louis’s 100% Clean Energy Advisory Board and is a member of the US Green Building Council’s Green Schools Quest Committee. Jenn is a graduate of Washington University, a Focus St. Louis Emerging Leaders graduate, and a New Leaders Council fellow. Jenn enjoys working in her community garden, biking, exploring Missouri’s rivers and creekbeds, and spending time with her adorable cats.
River Advocate - he/him/his
For the past thirty years, Jim has combined his passion for wildlife, wild places and environmental issues with high quality video production. Transforming complex scientific concepts into compelling stories has become his hallmark, and the numerous awards and honors his work has received speak to the popularity of his programs with the general public. For over 20 years, Jim was a lead producer for the Missouri Department of Conservation’s Missouri Outdoors program. With over 100 story segments in the can, Jim evolved into long-form production, not only for the Missouri Department of Conservation, but other state and federal resource agencies as well. Jim has produced dozens of award winning documentary films concerning a wide range of natural history and environmental issues. In 2001, Jim stepped from behind the camera to found Missouri River Relief, a hands-on, on-the-river advocacy group devoted to physically cleaning up the wide Missouri. Thousands of volunteers have picked up hundreds of tons of trash on the lower Missouri as a result of this organization. Jim's river-adjacent Boone County property has served as the organizations boatyard and equipment headquarters for nearly 20 years.
Development Director - she/her/hers
Laura is thrilled to be part of MCE's passionate team, and is excited to build on the successful outreach strategies incorporated by staff and members over the decades. Laura's professional experience has covered a gamut of development and public relations initiatives, working for corporate, government, and non-profit entities on diverse environmental initiatives. She earned her Bachelors degree from Concordia University in Business Management and Communications. In 2011, she earned her MS in Sustainability at St. Louis University where her academic focus was on water management principles. Laura is inspired and energized by giving back, having served on many boards and committees in the St. Louis region. She is also very involved with her local church, specifically the food bank and tutoring program with an inner-city grade school. Laura is an avid hiker, biker, and gardener, and a life long lover of people and nature.
Local Food Coordinator - she/her/hers
Rae comes to MCE having worked on sustainable farms, with local non-profits, and as an environmental compliance Project Manager. Originally from St. Louis, Rae is connecting sustainable local farmers to new markets in the St. Louis area, with focus on public institutions. In her free time, she enjoys outdoor activities with her dog Woolly, especially gardening.
Food Justice Organizer - she/her/hers
Tosha joins MCE after working in social services for seven years, helping children, teaching, and creating programming. Tosha's passion for food justice and urban and rural farming stems from her work with local growers and other organizations, like New Roots. At New Roots, Tosha taught homeless children how to grow their own food and the importance of access to healthy foods. Along with her work and volunteer experience, she also serves on the board of City Greens Market. In her free time, you can find Tosha having fun and exploring local gardens with her seven-year-old son.
Melissa Vatterott
Food & Farm Policy Director - she/her/hers
Melissa graduated from Michigan State University College of Law in 2014, where she focused her studies in environmental and natural resource law. With a B.S. in environmental science and a minor in agricultural economics from the University of Missouri, Melissa has particular appreciation for soil conservation and environmental and agricultural policy. Since writing MCE’s St. Louis Regional Food Study published in 2014, Melissa works to support environmentally-responsible farming practices and local food systems across the state, which includes directing the St. Louis Food Policy Coalition.
Known & Grown Specialist - he/him/his
Chris Wimmer joined the Missouri Coalition for the Environment’s Food & Farm team as the Known & Grown Farm Specialist in July of 2019. Chris was born and raised in St. Louis and always dreamed of becoming a farmer. He received his BS in Agronomy from University of Missouri Columbia. Eager to combine his passion for environmental stewardship and growing food Chris founded The Farm at Kraut Run in 1995. The farm produced organic vegetables and meat sold locally through a Community Supported Agriculture program, farmers markets, and local restaurants. The farm’s hands-on educational field trips were designed to impress on visitors the importance of enhancing nature while producing food responsibly. In 2017 MCE sponsored a trip to the farm that introduced Chris to the effective environmental work they have been doing for the last 50 years. He is excited to join the newly formed Known and Grown Team, and to share his desire to expand the availability of locally grown, organic and humanely raised food.
Courtney Casteel
Communications Coordinator - she/her/hers
Courtney considers herself a deeply passionate individual, which shows in the work that she does. She is currently working to obtain her Masters in communications at Webster University, where she completed her Bachelors in management, marketing, and sustainability studies. She's also working on becoming certified in health and life coaching at the international Health Coach Institute. Prior to joining the MCE family, she has worked with the environmental nonprofits the Missouri Botanical Garden and earthday365. There, she helped to coordinate one of the largest Earth Day celebrations in the country, the St. Louis Earth Day Festival. Courtney truly enjoys working with nonprofits and furthers this commitment as a member of the Communications Committee of Nonprofit Marketers Network. In her free time, she indulges in reading about spirituality and metaphysical studies, doing yoga and meditation, appreciating nature, and loving on her cat, July.
David Behrens
Super Volunteer
David first became involved with MCE in the late 1970s circulating an MCE petition in St. Louis and Kansas City against of the Callaway Nuclear power plant. He returned to MCE in 2014 to work on several projects: reviewing MSD’s semi-annual reports on their compliance with the Consent Decree and working on MCE’s comments on the US Park Service’s revised management plan for the Ozark National Scenic Riverways. He is now the lead volunteer working on MCE's newest resources, The People's Guide to Environmental Action. David is a veteran of the United States Army and holds a BA in International Relations from American University in Washington, D.C. and an AS in Bio-Medical Engineering from Forest Park. Since his retirement in 2014, he has been volunteering one day each week in the MCE office working on everything from research to assistance with clerical work. He also heads up many of MCE's tabling efforts at community events. He is originally from Pittsburgh, PA, and has lived in Saint Louis for over four decades with his wife. He has two children and two grandchildren. He and his wife enjoy doing Laughter Yoga.
Jane Hrinya
Jane is a rising senior at Washington University in St. Louis and studies Environmental Policy and Anthropology. At WashU, she is involved with Student Sustainability Board, and works on projects such as reducing single-use plastics on campus. In her free time, she enjoys being outdoors and biking. Jane is excited to join the MCE team as an intern this summer!
Riley Voss
Food & Farm Intern
Riley is a current graduate student at Saint Louis University studying public health with concentrations in behavioral science and health education as well as epidemiology. She is passionate about food security and the subsequent health implications. As a Saint Louis native, she is excited to gain a deeper understanding of the policies that shape her hometown’s foodshed. In her free time, you can find her rollerblading in Forest Park and dining at local restaurants.
Arden Brewer
GIS Food System Intern
Arden is excited to join MCE as the GIS Food System Intern from Washington University in St. Louis, where she is currently a senior studying Environmental Biology and Political Science. She is from Overland Park, Kansas and has previously done work at the Overland Park Arboretum and Botanical Gardens as well as research in contribution to the Smithsonian ForestGeo Network. She is looking forward to gaining a better understanding of the St. Louis FoodShed through her work with MCE this summer. In her free time you can find Arden scouring local farmers markets and shops for ingredients to use in her cooking, hiking in one of Missouri’s beautiful state parks, or reading.Board Members
Kally Coleman
Board President
Kally rejoined the MCE board in the summer of 2015. She brings a breadth of non-profit environmental knowledge to MCE with her legacy as co-founder of the Friends of Ozarks Riverways, which works to foster awareness, appreciation, & respect for the history, culture, and natural splendor of the Ozark National Scenic Riverways. Living most her life along the Current River, Kally is an avid fisherman and spends much of her free time paddling and camping along Ozark streams. She also serves as a Board member of the Missouri Parks Association, previously served as a Board member of the Green Center, and was a former Board member of MCE in the early 2000s. We are lucky to have her back "on board!"
Eric Wilkinson
Board Vice President
Eric is an award winning Filmmaker and Media Developer at the Missouri Historical Society where he produces and creates videos, media, and interactive content for exhibits and other institutional needs. In 2017 he won an Emmy Award for his Missouri Historical Society produced documentary feature Show Me 66: Main Street Through Missouri. The film reframes the history of Route 66's birth and places the Missouri Ozarks as a central player in this story. Also in 2017 he won two Telly Awards and two Hermes Awards for his other works for the Missouri Historical Society. In 2014 his feature film Portrait of St. Louis at 250 Years was the cornerstone presentation for the St. Louis Filmmakers Showcase, screened at numerous venues, and was a key part of the Missouri History Museum's 250 in 250 exhibit. He has a life-long passion for environmental issues and enjoys paddling, camping, hiking, and, in his younger days, rock climbing.
Bernard Waxman
Board Treasurer
Bernard, "Buddy" Waxman is a retired professor of computer science from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. In that position, he served for six years as the chair of the Department of Computer Science and then as the acting dean of the School of Engineering before retiring. He has long been interested in environmental issues and has volunteered with the coalition as far back as the effort to stop the Callaway nuclear power plant. Because of their interest in renewable energy and energy efficiency, he and his wife have both solar heating and solar electricity on their home.
Steve Brewer
Board of Directors
Steve joined the board in early 2017. He has earned a BS in Social Studies and an MS in Park Administration. He has over thirty years experience in park management with Missouri State Parks, St. Louis County Parks, the city of Clayton Parks and the US Forest Service in Granby, Colorado. Steve also served in the US Army and the US Peace Corps-Afghanistan. He retired from the VA where he served as a budget analyst and finally as a national records officer. An avid canoeist, kayaker and self-acclaimed river rat.
David Garin
Board of Directors
David recently retired from the University of Missouri-St. Louis where he was Associate Professor of Chemistry and Director of the Center for Science and Technology. He coauthored the textbook, Chemistry: Its Role in Society and continues to write. He served as the first chairperson of Missouri’s Hazardous Waste Management Commission and worked at the EPA in Washington, D.C. David was a Congressional Science Fellow in 1980-81 working in Congressman Al Gore’s office on environmental issues. He has served on the Coalition Board for more than 20 years in various roles.
David Lobbig
Board of Directors
As Curator of Environmental Life at the Missouri History Museum, David is responsible for the acquisition, research, interpretation, and care of artifact collections relating to transportation, agriculture, energy use, and natural resource exploitation and stewardship. David has worked in museum facilities management, exhibit production, education, and collections preservation for over 30 years. Having joined the board in 2002, he has served on the Policy, Board Development, and Fundraising and Development Committees and the Smart Growth Action Team. He began serving as President in 2008.
Steve Mahfood
Board of Directors
Steve has a 40-year track record as an innovator and leader in the environmental, energy, and natural resource fields. He was appointed for 8 years by three successive governors as Cabinet Secretary to lead the Missouri Department of Natural Resources. During his tenure, he added over 60,000 acres to the state park system and led the development and construction of the first LEED Platinum state office. He also represented Missouri and the US by chairing the NAFTA-US Governmental Environmental Advisory Commission (GAC), serving on the EPA's Environmental Financial Advisory Board (EFAB) for 13 years, and he received the "United States Presidential Environmental Achievement Award" in 1989. His work was also the subject of a "60 Minutes" episode because of his leadership in negotiating the first agreement in US history for a corporate buy out of the houses of Missouri citizens whose children were being exposed to lead contamination and smelter emissions. Currently, he is advising the Nature Conservancy and many influential organizations on climate change, energy, environmental, natural resource and carbon management issues. Steve holds a Bachelors Degree in Environmental Science from Rutgers University and is a graduate of the Yale University Environmental and Management Leadership.
Arlene Sandler
Board of Directors
Arlene joined the Board in 1979. She was initially drawn to the organization to help the “construction work in progress” referendum relating to the Callaway nuclear power plant. Since then, she has worked on other nuclear campaigns as well as petition drives about land use and rivers. The Coalition attracted Arlene because it was the only activist organization around in the seventies. She still sees it as the best place for her volunteer energy. She recently retired from her position as librarian at Crossroads School.
Gwendolyn Verhoff
Board of Directors