It’s time to vote for the next group of people who will be joining the Great Waters Group Executive Committee. They will help shape the work of the Group over the next two years. We have six open spots and six candidates, so when you vote please be sure to vote to fill all six slots. This year you have the option of filling out and mailing back the paper ballot printed in the Winter 2020 newsletter or you can vote electronically at this link: https://forms.gle/W1WKV85o8AF8uBQv5.  

You’ll need to have your member number handy. You can find that by going to https://myaccount.sierraclub.org. Before voting, please read through the statements from our candidates. The deadline to vote is Dec. 16.

Bill Baurecht

Bill has led national lodge, service, base camp, family, and grandparents/grandkids outings. A certified national outings leader, he and his wife, Helen, have co-led numerous national hiking and service outings. They were named Outstanding Leadership Team recipients for leading 2019 trips in two of the eight national outings regions. He is a retired English professor, academic administrator and former GWG program chair.

Veronica Bell

Veronica loves hiking, camping and enjoying the outdoors in the beautiful state of Wisconsin. She joined the GWG Executive Committee and wants to continue to serve as an ExCom member to help others have the opportunity to participate in local and regional Sierra Club outings as well. Veronica wants to help ensure that everyone has the chance to enjoy the benefits of getting out in nature.

Dan Buckler

Dan just celebrated his 15-year Sierra Club anniversary and has been leading interpretive, recreational and stewardship outings for the Great  Waters Group since 2014. Since early 2019, he has dedicated time toward a partnership with Havenwoods State Forest on the north side of Milwaukee where he leads monthly workdays. He is a previous Executive Committee member and is on the board of Nearby Nature and other environmental and service organizations.

Crystal Hoecherl

Crystal has preferred the outdoors since childhood and even climbed trees to read. She says she still sleeps better in her tent than anywhere else, even when it’s cold. After learning firsthand how pollution devastates health, she has become even more interested in protecting the environment. She enjoys Sierra Club outings and has served as the Great Waters Group secretary, vice chair and chair.

Kali Hoefert

Kali has lived in Milwaukee her entire life, but she’s no stranger to outdoor spaces. She grew up exploring and utilizing the park systems and green spaces all around her. She graduated from Milwaukee High School of the Arts in 2017 as a visual arts major and started work at Hawthorn Glen Outdoor Education Center shortly before graduation as a part of its land steward crew. She is a natural resources educator
for the Wisconsin DNR.

Linda Frank

With Linda on board, the ExCom will have the inside scoop on what’s happening with the Milwaukee City/County Task Force on Climate and Economic Equity. The GWG will have an opportunity to weigh in on the process and help her to represent the Sierra Club in her role on the task force. She can also provide updates on the work of the Milwaukee Equity & Climate Alliance (MECA). The values of the Sierra Club and GWG are also aligned with her work as president of the Milwaukee Area Land Conservancy, which ensures the preservation and restoration of precious natural landscapes acquired through fee title or conservation easement.