restoring lands board
Board Members 2026
Our board members represent our mission through their dedicated service to the lands and waters of southeast Wisconsin.
Laurie Parsons, Board President
Laurie Parsons serves on Restoring Lands Development and Communications Committee and is a member of the Executive Committee. Her engineering career of more than 40 years has always had a special connection to protection of water and the environment. She resides in the Town of Hartford, Washington County and has spent a good part of her professional time in Milwaukee, developing and growing businesses. Formerly, Laurie was the director of strategy for the water business in Ramboll, an international engineering firm. Prior to that she was CEO of an environmental consulting firm in Milwaukee. Partially retired in 2025 she continues as a consultant with Ramboll advising on business growth strategies in the Americas, chairs the alumni visiting board for the UW Madison Civil and Environmental Engineering Department and serves as board member for an innovation company developing a new water treatment technology.
With her background and degrees in environmental science and engineering, Laurie brings experience, passion and excitement to the mission of protecting, connecting and restoring lands within the communities we serve. As an outdoor enthusiast you may find her with family and friends walking the trails, burning prairies on her own land, hunting morels, cross country skiing, cycling, and just about any activity that exists on, near or under water.
Alec Lothert, Vice President
Alec R Lothert is a Financial Advisor for Edward Jones. He is the Chair for the OWLT Development and Communications Committee.
After graduating with a degree in finance from Marquette, Alec moved to St. Louis to work for Edward Jones in their corporate headquarters. Upon completion of his development rotation, he relocated back to Wisconsin and opened up the second office in Hartford in 2007. In 2015, he became a limited partner with the firm.
Outside of work, Alec has been a member of the Medical Center Foundation of Hartford and is currently a member of the Hartford Lions.
Lilith Fowler, Treasurer
Lilith has spent her career working at the intersection of business and community, from fair trade to public markets to urban redevelopment. She grew up in San Francisco, but as a Milwaukee resident for the past 25 years, she has led community organizations that spearheaded the re-visioning and redevelopment of Milwaukee’s Menomonee Valley and Harbor District, bringing a strong environmental and community focus to both of those efforts. She has a BA from Pomona College and an MBA from Georgetown University.
Lilith now divides her time between Milwaukee and a beloved cabin in the Sierras, where she is excited to be learning new skills like handling a chainsaw and managing a controlled burn, and go hiking and backpacking with her husband and two children.
Paige Radke, Secretary
Paige Radke lives in Downtown Milwaukee with her husband, Ethan, and works for UMB Wealth Management, where she serves as the Investment Strategist for Wisconsin, Illinois, and Minnesota. She has a bachelor’s degree in economics from University of Wisconsin and a master’s in finance analysis with a certificate in investment management from University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Paige is passionate about preserving green spaces both to ensure people of all backgrounds can experience the benefits of spending time in nature and to bolster Wisconsin’s environmental resiliency. She joined the board for Restoring Lands after serving on the board for River Revitalization Foundation since 2019. Paige is also a member of the Rotary Club of Milwaukee where she sits on the Environment & Ecology Committee.
Damien Debuhr
Damien served on the River Revitalization Foundation board for two years, and is the Executive Director of Groundwork Milwaukee.
Rick Fox
Rick Fox is a resident of the Town of Cedarburg, where he lives with his wife Lisa and an assortment of critters. He received a bachelor’s degree in Honors Mathematics from the University of Michigan. Rick works for West Bend Insurance Company, where he serves as Senior Vice President-Chief Actuary & Chief Risk Officer. When the seasons permit, he enjoys commuting to work on his bicycle, allowing him to enjoy the scenic open spaces of the Ozaukee County – Washington County border area.
Cory Gritzmacher
Cory joined MNP as the Director of Restoration and Operation in 2017 but has been in the Green Industry for over 20 years. He graduated from MATC with a degree in Landscape Horticulture in 1998. Prior to his position at MNP he owned and operated Second Nature Landscape Company.
Cory has brought a wealth of knowledge and experience to MNP. He is a past president of the Wisconsin Arborist Association, an ISA Certified Arborist, and has served on a number of forestry-related committees over the past 20 years. Cory also is a board member of the Friends of Cedarburg Bog.
Cory enjoys family vacations to Colorado with his wife Andrea and two boys Caleb and Ryan.
Matthew Haas
Originally an RRF Board Member for many years, and the standing RRF Board President before the merger with OWLT.
Kathy Hudson
Ms. Hudson is the retired Chairman of the Board of Directors, President and Chief Executive Officer of Brady Corporation (“Brady”), a global manufacturer of identification solutions and specialty industrial products. Ms. Hudson became President and CEO of Brady in 1994 after spending twenty-four years with Eastman Kodak Company.
Her career at Kodak included positions in systems analysis, supply chain, finance, corporate communications, investor relations, information technology, litigation operations and general management as the Vice President of Professional, Printing and Publishing Imaging.
From 1994 until her retirement in 2004, Brady expanded from 8 countries to 23 and its revenues doubled and market capitalization tripled.
Ms. Hudson has served on the boards of directors of several public companies including: Apple Computer Corporation, Honeywell, Case Corporation, Charming Shoppes, Inc. CNH Global, Ericsson. and most recently International Flavors and Fragrances.
She is a past chair of the board of trustees of the Medical College of Wisconsin and current Chair of the Alverno College board of trustees. She also serves on the board of directors of Restoring Lands A Wisconsin Land Trust.
She graduated with a BS in Management from Indiana University. She was married to the late Robert O. Hudson. Their son Robert K. Hudson is an EMT and a talented classical pianist, sound designer and composer of electronic music. Ms. Hudson and her Golden retriever Ozzy live in Mequon.
Chris Jaekels
Chris Jaekels is a partner in the Milwaukee office of Amundsen Davis, LLC law firm. He has practiced environmental and land use law in Southeastern Wisconsin for over 25 years. He routinely represents and advises municipalities, non-profits, and public and private entities in these areas. He serves as Village Attorney in the Villages of Bayside, Wales, and Whitefish Bay. He is a member of the Board of Directors for the Wisconsin Policy Forum and Heiliger Huegel Ski Club, and serves on the Rotary Club of Milwaukee Environmental and Ecology Committee. He is a graduate of the University of St. Thomas and University of Wisconsin Law School.
Danitra Jones
Danitra Jones – Economic Development Coordinator, Northwest Side CDC
With more than 15 years of experience in the nonprofit sector, Danitra has a strongbackground in community engagement and economic empowerment, with 7 years with Northwest Side Development Corporation, Danitra brings a passion and commitment to uplifting underserved communities in her current role as an Economic Development Coordinator. In her current role as an Economic Development Coordinator, she works collaboratively with community partners and stakeholders to build and support economic growth and sustainability in the city of Milwaukee.
Ghassan Korban
Mr. Korban, recently joined Veolia North America as the Vice President of Large
Projects and Structuring. He works out of the Milwaukee office focusing on client
relations and quality of operations.
Prior to returning to Milwaukee, Mr. Korban led the Sewerage and Water Board of New Orleans as its Executive Director from September 2018 to May of 2025. The
Board of Directors chose Mr. Korban to be this utility’s first permanent head since
August 2017 because of his extensive background in Water utility and infrastructure management with a proven track record of innovation and collaboration. A civil engineer, Mr. Korban has also served the City of Milwaukee for 31 years – the final eight as director of its Department of Public Works – Throughout his career Ghassan made Transparency innovation, collaboration and customer service oriented strategies as main pillars to his leadership style.
During his career in Milwaukee, he managed the planning, design and construction of the city’s first modern streetcar system. He also coordinated the construction of the supporting infrastructure for the new Milwaukee Bucks Basketball Arena. He also
negotiated a regional water sale deal to the City of Waukesha. In New Orleans,
Ghassan’s major accomplishments were bringing transparency to the utility,
launching the Smart Meter Program, and the planning, and construction of the Power Complex- an integral part of protecting the City of New Orleans against major flooding.
Mr. Korban holds a bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering and a Master’s degree in
Construction Management from Marquette University. He is now working in the
Milwaukee office which is also home to his four children and five grandchildren
Dr. Jennifer MacKinnon
Jennifer Mackinnon, MD, MM has been on the Restoring Lands/OWLT Board since 2021 and has an interest in how the environment affects our health. She is involved in the American College of Physicians Wisconsin Chapter, Health and Public Policy Environmental Workgroup that advocates for protections against environmental toxins that can cause health risks. She is an Associate Professor at the Medical College of Wisconsin and General Internal Medicine Physician there.
Judy Rupnow
Judy Rupnow’s love of open and natural spaces started from growing up on a farm in a small town in southeastern Wisconsin. Judy channeled that appreciation into her career, leisure, and volunteer activities. She is a natural dot connector and relationship strategist, as well as travel enthusiast and lover of all things outdoors.
Judy came to Restoring Lands in 2007 as a conservation easement monitor taking on the organization’s first agricultural easement. She continues to monitor it, along with three additional easements, and enjoys helping manage relationships with the landowners. Prior to joining the board in 2021, she served on the organization’s Communications and Development Committee. Currently, she serves on the executive committee and chairs the Land Conservation Committee.
Now retired, Judy’s career started in the non-profit sector in fundraising and special events. She then spent more than two decades with Morgan Myers, a marketing communications firm, creating relationship programs in the agriculture and food industries. During her tenure she worked on programs such as building trust between farmers and consumers, creating an agricultural leadership program, strengthening relationships among members of the food value chain, developing agricultural sustainability programs, as well as working with environmental organizations to bridge gaps with the agricultural industry. Her skill set includes strategic planning, change management, market research, brand development, media training, crisis communications and business to business marketing. During her tenure she led teams serving McDonalds, American Farm Bureau Federation, The Nature Conservancy of Wisconsin, Red Star Yeast, and Nationwide Agribusiness, among others.
Besides volunteering with Restoring Lands, Judy and husband Craig spend time hiking, biking, camping and, their favorite, traveling domestically and internationally. “I believe the best way to make connections is through travel. Whether connecting with other cultures internationally or connecting with a unique environment in one of our National Parks, travel brings us all a better understanding of one another and this earth we call home.”
Tony Young
Since May 2013, Tony Young has been an Ozaukee County Conservation Warden with Wisconsin DNR/Law Enforcement. He works at enforcing the DNR laws on Restoring Lands’ properties, working closely with the Stewardship team regarding hunting issues or other DNR violations on the preserves. He works with other environmental/conservation groups to best serve the public in protecting our natural resources. Some of these include Grafton Youth Hunting Association, Great Lakes Sports Fishermen, Port Washington Environmental Planning Committee, etc.
Aside from his career in conservation, he loves to recreate in the outdoors. “Fishing, wilderness camping, paddling, and hiking are some of my favorite things to do.”
