Staff and Board
Rich Jaworski
Museum Director
Rich@cablemuseum.org
Rich was born in a suburb of Chicago. When he was ten years old, his family moved to a farm in the Central Wisconsin area where he grew up. There, he gained an appreciation for the natural world on 500 acres of fields, forests, and lakes. He later moved to the Southwest to go to college where he enjoyed volunteering and working in the mountains of northern New Mexico. He began his career in the museum field by working at the Maxwell Museum of Anthropology on the University of New Mexico campus in Albuquerque where he went to school. His museum career stretches over 30 years in a variety of roles including exhibit design and fabrication, program development, operations, and leadership. He currently lives in Lake Nebagamon where he has owned a small house on 37 acres of land that he considers paradise. He enjoys family time with his three children and five grandchildren, hiking, skiing, fishing, biking, and rollerblading.
Jenny Shanks
Operations Manager
info@cablemuseum.org
Jenny was born and raised in Baraboo, Wisconsin and spent much of her childhood exploring the Baraboo Hills. This is where she first developed her passion for conservation and the natural world. Jenny received her Bachelor’s degree in Natural Resources – Ecological Restoration from Northland College and spent several of her summers working with The Prairie Enthusiasts in southern Wisconsin. Though grassland ecosystems will always hold a special place in her heart, the Northwoods called her back! Jenny served as an AmeriCorps Farm to School Specialist in the Hayward School District, where she taught nature and garden-based lessons to K-12 students. Jenny is happy to now be supporting all the amazing programming CNHM has to offer. In her free time, Jenny enjoys being active, gardening, brewing kombucha, watercolor painting, searching for native wildflowers, and observing wildlife of all kinds (especially loons). She loves sharing outdoor experiences with her loved ones and is looking forward to being an active member in the Cable/Hayward community.
Elora Repman
Marketing and Development Manager
elora@cablemuseum.org
Elora is from Birchwood, Wisconsin. She was fortunate to have grown up in an expansive outdoor classroom at a Boy Scout Camp on Long Lake. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Graphic Communications and Arts Administration from the University of Eau Claire. Her experiences with 4-H and the Northern Star Council have underscored the significance of marketing and development in her work. In addition to her professional pursuits, she has a passion for horseback riding and various artistic endeavors. Elora has a particular affinity for raw, natural materials and is continually seeking new challenges to embrace. She is thrilled to have joined the Cable Natural History Museum team as the Marketing and Development Manager, and eagerly looks forward to what lies ahead.
Emily Stone
Naturalist / Education Director
emily@cablemuseum.org
Emily loves to cross country ski, mountain bike, garden, and paddle (especially in the Boundary Waters). She was drawn to this area by the unique opportunities presented by Northland College in Ashland, WI, where she majored in Outdoor Education-Natural History with a minor in Geology. Emily then traveled around the country to naturalist jobs in Canyonlands National Park, Acadia National Park, California, Minnesota, and even a month of wolf-watching in Yellowstone National Park. She earned her Field Naturalist Masters from the University of Vermont. Emily has been with the Museum since 2011. “What is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?” –Mary Oliver Emily Stone teaches kids of all ages about nature in beautiful places. She creates the Museum’s program schedule, oversees school field trips and MuseumMobile visits, and designs Museum exhibits. Emily is also an award-winning writer who pens a Natural Connections column for more than 15 local newspapers. She has compiled the best of those articles into two Natural Connections books. The second of those books Natural Connections 2: Dreaming of an Elfin Skimmer, won second place in the Outdoor Writers Association of America 2020 Excellence in Craft Contest.
Haley Selen
Naturalist
haley@cablemuseum.org
Haley grew up in the Minneapolis suburbs and received a BA in Biology and Environmental Studies from St. Olaf College. Following a passion for animal care, she completed internships in zoos before finding her niche as a naturalist. She loves bringing people closer to the nature in their own backyards, especially when she can share the stage with a live raptor. In her free time, Haley enjoys hiking, cross-country skiing, training cats, and cozying up with a good book or knitting project.
Mollie Kreb-Mertig
Curator/Naturalist
mollie@cablemuseum.org
Mollie enjoys fumbling in the woods, practicing wild foraging and herbalism, taxidermy, creating art and practicing folk skills, and building memories with her husband, daughter, and beloved dog. She is an active member of the American Alliance of Museums, Association of Science and Technology Centers, Society for the Preservation of Natural History Collections, North American Mycological Association, and Wisconsin Mycological Society. She currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Cable Community Farm and leads a partner project between the Museum and Farm to address local food security.Mollie grew up in the Central Sands of Stevens Point, WI. She received a Bachelor’s degree in Outdoor Education-Natural History and Interpretation at Northland College. While pursuing her degree, Mollie had the opportunity to foster a deep connection with some of the many treasured outdoor spaces of the Northwoods. Mollie had formerly interned with the Museum for two summers and had fallen for the organization and its unique forested location before joining the team permanently in 2018.
Heaven Walker
Educator/Naturalist
Heaven was born and raised in Ottumwa, Iowa amongst the hills of the Southern Iowa Drift Plain. She spent a large part of her childhood playing outside, exploring the woods, fishing in farm ponds, and wandering through the creeks looking for fossils. While in college, Heaven spent her summers interning in the conservation field, predominately as a seasonal Naturalist. She has worked as a seasonal Naturalist in Iowa, the coastal islands of South Carolina, and with Custer State Park in South Dakota. She fostered her fascination for environmental studies and natural history at William Penn University, where she graduated with her Bachelor’s degree in Biology. In her free time, Heaven can typically be found hiking or exploring new areas with her dog, kayaking, trail running, reading a book, or working on a drawing. Though she will always have a deep passion for the prairies of her home state, Heaven is beyond excited to live in the Northwoods of Wisconsin and get to share her passion for the outdoors with the people there.
Board of Directors
Gina Blayney
Chair
Gina spent most of her career leading an education nonprofit with a mission focused on financial literacy, career readiness and entrepreneurship for students K-12th grades. She has extensive experience with partnership development, marketing and fundraising. Education, youth development and the environment are all issues she cares deeply about. She retired this past summer 2020 and is now able to enjoy the Northwoods during the week rather than just on weekends and plan to split their time between Minneapolis and the Hayward/Cable region. They have four daughters, spouses and three grandchildren who love the Northwoods, too.Gina grew up in central Illinois but spent many summers in northern Wisconsin camping, canoeing, kayaking and sailing. Those days inspired a deep love of nature and the great outdoors. She and her husband, Jim, own a home on Spider Lake where they spend cherished time with family and friends throughout the year.
Jane Henderson
Vice Chair
Prior to joining the Toro Company in 2015 as a Divisional training manager, Jane worked at the University of Wisconsin-Stout for 30 years. The last part of her University career, Jane served as Learning Technology Service Director. She was instrumental in the implementation of the University’s Student laptop program and supporting faculty development. At Toro, she supports dealer channel education and training and recently traveled to Nicaragua and Eastern Africa for company philanthropy work. Prior to moving to Hudson for a career change, Jane actively participated in several non-profit organizations including the Menomonie Free Clinic, Menomonie Youth Hockey Association and church activities. Jane enjoys all of the seasonal activities that the Northwoods provides including skiing, fishing, snowshoeing, hiking, biking and making ashes in the fireplace! The most recent addition to her activities is visiting CNHM with her grandbabies and seeing the joy and wonder as they explore and experience the Cable gem! Jane is married to Greg Henderson and resides in Hudson, Wisconsin with a cabin on Lake Namakagon. She has two grown sons who grew up enjoying summer weeks on Lake Namakagon. Paul, their oldest son, is married to Danielle and has two daughters, Charlotte, 4 years and Vivian 2 years. They reside in Medina, MN. Jeff, their youngest son, resides in Minneapolis. Lake Namakagon and the Cable area is central to their family’s celebrations, traditions and activities enjoyed together.
Ron Anderson
Treasurer
Ron was born and raised in Chetek Wisconsin where he learned his love of nature from a neighbor “Bob”, who lived completely “off the grid”, growing his own food, no electricity, an old bike for transportation. Ron graduated from Hudson High School and UW Madison with a degree in applied math. Two graduate degrees later he entered the work force and ended up in Finance.
Ron has been married to Patty for 43 years. They have two grown sons and 3 grandchildren, 2 in Madison and one in St Petersburg FL. Ron is an active volunteer and has served on the boards of River Alliance and Friends of Wisconsin Public TV. Ron is an avid road biker, paddler, x/c skier and golfer. He has recently taken up fat biking which can be ridden in all conditions.
Maureen Palmer
Secretary
Maureen’s family came up to the Cable area for the first time in summer 1994 and fell in love with the area. Her parents, Pete & Colleen McIntyre, ended up retiring here in 1998. She and Brad recently purchased Redbery Books in Cable. Her 22-year career as a public librarian is the foundation for which she hopes to continue the Redbery story. Brad is not ready to retire from his position with Kraemer North America in Plain, so he tries to get up here as many weekends as possible. They both look forward to eventually retiring and living up here permanently. Maureen’s past volunteer experience includes many years of involvement with public schools including eight years on the Reedsburg School Board, secretary of the Reedsburg/Sauk County Rotary Club and various church committees. She looks forward to working with the Cable Natural History Museum board to explore new opportunities and promote all of the amazing programs and activities the Museum offers.Maureen and her husband Brad met at Iowa State University in Ames, where she received a degree in Social Work and Brad in Civil Engineering. They raised their three daughters Jennifer, Amy and Lisa, mainly in Reedsburg (southern Wisconsin). Jennifer, her husband Josh, grandsons Easton and Sullivan live in the Twin Cities area. Amy lives in Reedsburg and is the Marketing & Sales Director for Knuckleheads in Wisconsin Dells. Lisa, her husband Ande and granddaughter Brynn also live in the Twin Cities area.
Joe Brady
Joe was born in St. Paul, MN and educated in the North St. Paul school system, graduating in 1962. He received his B. S. in Forestry from the U. MN in 1966 and a Masters in Forestry majoring in watershed management in 1971. He accepted a position with the Panama Canal Company in 1971 and retired in 1998 as the chief hydrologist and watershed manager. Joe was on active duty with the U. S. Army from 1966 – 1969 and continued in the active reserve for another 20 years.
In retirement, his volunteering includes the the Cable Lions Club, Cable Natural History Museum, and Florida State Park System. Hobbies include fishing and wood pile management.
Jack Carlson
Jack, and his wife Kathy have lived in Ashland and Bayfield County for over 40 years. They moved to the area in 1975, after Jack graduated from Marquette University Law School. He has been engaged in private practice in Washburn since 1978, and established a satellite office in Cable in 1982. Having lived on Lake Superior and Lake Owen during this time, Jack has acquired a keen interest in the outdoors, and all that nature has to offer to residents and tourists who frequent the area. Jack has been a director of the Museum for decades, and he and Kathy have taken an active role in assisting in fund raising activities for the Museum.
Mimi Crandall
Mimi Crandall moved to the Cable / Drummond area with her husband Jim in 1977. Almost a native, but not quite. Two children, Jesse and Suzannah were born and grew up here. They, too, were actively involved in Museum programs. Both have pursued careers in the environmental sciences. After retiring as an administrator from WITC, Mimi joined the CNHM Board. She is active in the the ski, biking, running and hiking community, an avid gardener and is known as “the Flower Lady’ around town. Her creativity leads her to paint in all mediums and create unique and colorful environments for many area event venues.
Matthew Delaney
Matt’s family has had roots in the region since 1941, when his great-grandparents purchased an ice-house on Little Spider Lake. The property has served as a homebase wherever Matt’s life took him and is also where he garnered a deep appreciation for the natural world. Matt now lives in Minneapolis, MN with his wife and two young boys and is more attached than ever to the area. Matt is an avid Birkie skier, Chequamegon Fat Tire Biker, and Logroller (even competing in the Lumberjack World Championships!). He enjoys trail work in the woods, spending time on the lake, and fly fishing on the Namekagon and other surrounding rivers. In Minneapolis, Matt works as a financial advisor with Boulay Financial Advisors where he serves private business owners, corporate executives, and families; helping them reach their financial and business goals. Outside of Boulay, Matt is involved with the Loppet Foundation helping to further its mission of connecting people to the outdoors, and is engaged in his wife’s business, Key Log Rolling, where he works on financial and operational matters. Matt looks forward to sharing his passion for the natural environment of the region and using his background to serve the mission of the Cable Natural History Museum for many future generations to come. Born and raised in Houston TX, Matt has lived in locations both nationally and internationally, but has always called Northwest Wisconsin home.
Kristin Dew
Kris graduated from the Minneapolis College of Art and Design. Her career was in the family retail business in Barrington, Il., while doing free-lance design work focusing on creating wedding gowns and theatre costumes. She now enjoys outdoor photography, cooking and Up North adventures with family and friends. Tom and Kris are involved in many wildlife/conservation organizations, such as Ruffed Grouse Society, Boone and Crockett Club and Bear Den Studies. “Being third generation in the area, I respect and treasure this gift everyday. It is my pleasure to share the history and blessings of the Northwoods with the Cable Natural History Museum generations.” Kris Hines was born in Elgin, Illinois. Her great aunt and uncle, Myrtle and Ted Moody, built Moody’s Resort on Spider Lake in 1923. Summers were spent enjoying the woods and water at the family cabin. Kris and her husband, Tom, built their own lake home in 2000 just a short boat ride away.
Malu Dums
Malu has lived in multiple states in the US, as well as across the oceans in India and England. She has a BA in biology from Dartmouth College, and an MD from Mayo Clinic. She began a medical residency at MD Anderson Cancer Center but changed course to stay home with her first son when he was born in 2007. Fast forward a bit, and she continues to home-educate her two sons into middle and high school, is active in the community serving as Vice President of the board of directors of the Hayward Center for Individualized Learning, a public charter school, as well as on the board of NorthWoods Strings, a non-profit music organization. Malu believes strongly in the power of education to make a difference in our lives. She is honored to share in the vision of expanding opportunities for people to meaningfully connect with the natural world, and in doing so, perhaps we can all be reminded of the beautiful gift and responsibility that we have as humans on this planet.Malu Govindan Dums moved to the area in 2011 with her husband, who was born and raised in Seeley, WI. Her family’s connection to the Cable Natural History Museum is deep – beginning with her husband’s parents who have always supported the museum, and then continuing through her two boys who were one and three when the Museum became a favorite destination.
Mark Gillman
Mark attended UW-La Crosse before entering the business world. He started his career with a national retailing firm, serving in numerous roles including Vice President of Operations and Director of Real Estate. He retired in March of 2018. Mark’s wife, Jodi Pfaff Gillman, has been a fixture in the Cable area since she was 8 years old and now serves on the Lake Owen Association Board. She taught Mark how to water ski while they were dating in high school. Their son, Joshua, has also become an avid fisherman and outdoorsman and is continuing his business as an arborist in the Cable area. Mark and Jodi currently live on Lake Owen and in Naples, Florida, where Mark enjoys fishing, water and snow skiing, sculling, SUP, snow shoeing, hiking and other outdoor activities. Their three children, spouses, and new granddaughter all love the Northwoods and visit often.Mark was born in the suburbs of Chicago and spent his formative years in the Twin Cities. His father introduced him to fishing and the outdoors at a very early age. By age 10, Mark was rarely found in the house and usually at one of the local lakes or rivers spending the day fishing. By age 13, he was guiding fishing trips on Lake Minnetonka. Mark’s family vacationed in the Northwoods of Wisconsin and Minnesota every summer. His parents eventually owned a lake home in Boulder Junction, WI for over 20 years.
Larry Hanson
Larry moved to Barnes as a full time resident in 2006 after spending the previous 30 years in Medford, Wisconsin teaching chemistry at Medford Senior High School. His family built a cabin in the Barnes area in 1985 where they spent many weekends each year. Larry and his wife, Teri, enjoyed the area enough to purchase property on which to build a retirement home ‘someday’. That someday arrived in 2006 when they realized a life dream and moved north to retire. Shortly after moving to Barnes, Larry was asked to help the Museum move out of the phone company building into the new building. Larry was impressed by the mission of the museum, the passion of the staff and the enthusiasm of the volunteers and decided the Museum was a valuable volunteer opportunity. In 2012 Larry joined the Museum Board and continues to work on exhibits, special projects and is chair of the Personnel Committee.Larry grew up on a farm south of Chetek and spent his free time playing in the creek below the barn and roaming in the woods behind the house. He cannot recall a time in his life when he did not want to be outside exploring and learning about nature. Thanks to his dad, he had guidance, training and the opportunity to learn to hunt, fish and enjoy the natural world.
Joanne Henry
Joanne’s grounding in investor relations and markets is the foundation for work that delivers high client ROI. After starting her career at Wells Fargo, she has been an officer, owner and/or co-founder of four successful public relations agencies. Clients have included both individuals and Fortune 500 firms in a broad range of markets. Joanne is active as an advisor and in direct client work in PR for Good including marketing, reputation and crisis work, executive coaching and social/media relations. A member of the International Association of Business Communicators, she was appointed chair of the Global Trends Task Force in 2020. She’s also a speaker, writer and podcaster on trust, reputation, and social impact. She is active in the nonprofit community as a board member, volunteer and advocate with interests in social justice, access to education and the arts, and mental health. She holds a B.A. degree from the University of St. Thomas in Saint Paul and resides in Minneapolis, Minnesota.Joanne Henry, SCMP, is a nationally recognized leader in strategic communications. She is certified at the highest level of communications by the Global Communications Certification Council (GCCC). She is principal in her own consulting firm, PR for Good. Joanne’s 30 year track record of success in public relations and marketing includes product launches and issues communications reaching global audiences. Media placements include the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Slate, the London Observer and national network television and print media. Crisis and reputation work includes management of organizational threats through recovery.
Elizabeth Holland
“As a lifelong urban and suburban person, if someone had told me that in my mid-60s, I would be living in a rural town in NW Wisconsin, I would have told them they were nuts. Well, here I am and loving it. Cable is truly a gem in the woods, unique in so many ways. Much of the flavor, spirit and culture of Cable is directly related to Cable Natural History Museum at the epicenter. I want to help keep CNHM strong and a beacon that welcomes all: residents and visitors, young and old, friends and families.”Elizabeth and her husband, Mike Choate, moved to Cable full-time in December 2016 to reinvent themselves as small business owners after retiring from their careers in Chicago. Elizabeth and Mike own and operate Start Line Inn and Start Line Services, Bike and XC Ski Service Center in Cable. Before moving to the area, Elizabeth’s career was as a Diagnostic Radiologist, specializing in Breast Imaging. She has 2 young-adult children, both living in Los Angeles.
Liz Johnson
A native of St. Paul, MN, the Bennett family have been enjoying the Cable and Hayward areas for some 50 years. Her and husband, Quentin, recently retired to the area and plan to spend time enjoying all the Northwoods has to offer. They especially love the people who live here and have vacation homes nearby. They are what make this area so special. Liz enjoyed a business career in the financial services industry in MN and was also an adjunct professor for the University of St. Thomas, teaching marketing for their MBA program. Since leaving the business world, her work has taken the form of volunteering in fundraising for large non-profit organizations. “It is my hope that these experiences will bring value to the Cable Natural History Museum and assist in achieving the Museum’s goals for today and tomorrow.” “It is a privilege to serve on the CNHM board of directors and ultimately, the residents and visitors who visit this beautiful gem in the Northwoods.”
Ed Johnston
After 32 years in the corporate world, Ed had the good fortune to retire and run away to the north woods in October of 2012 and hasn’t looked back! Privileged to now live here every day, he’s reminded over and over again of how important the Museum is to everyone in our amazing community – young and old, rich and not so rich – and how lucky he is to play even a small role in its ongoing success.
Bill McKinney
Bill McKinney and his wife Beda grew up in the area. They built McKinney Realty.
Rick Sundberg
He graduated from the University of Minnesota-Duluth with a Business Degree and has been in the banking business for over 30 years in Hayward. His current position is as Vice President with Chippewa Valley Bank and he manages the Hayward, Cable and Drummond branches. Rick and his wife Wendie, a nurse and Hayward native, currently live in Hayward and spend much of their leisure time golfing. Rick brings volunteer board experience to the Museum Board as he previously presided over the Hayward Golf Club Board of Directors for 20 plus years.Rick was born and raised in Ashland. He spent many hours on and in Lake Superior as a youth, much of that time as First Mate for his Dad as they trolled for hire out of Bayfield.
Jennifer (Jen) Zaspel, Ph.D.
Jen is the Vice President and Academic Dean for the Milwaukee Public Museum where she oversees the Museum’s Collections, Research, Education, Exhibits, Planetarium, and IDEA departments. She earned a B.S. from the University of Minnesota (2001), a M.S. from the University of Minnesota (2004), and a Ph.D. from the University of Florida (2008) before holding faculty positions at the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh (2010-2012) and Purdue University (2012-2017). Dr. Zaspel’s research focuses broadly on the diversity and evolution of insects and the biodiversity of the tropics. Jen grew up in northern Minnesota where she harnessed her passion for the great outdoors spending summers hiking and camping and winters ice fishing, skating, and cross country skiing. Jen now lives in Milwaukee with her husband, twin daughters, two dogs, and a cat.