Ken Bradley
State Director

Ken in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area

Ken developed his passion for Minnesota's 10,000 lakes as a child fishing with his family.
Prior to joining Clean Water Action, he spent six years working at Fresh Energy overseeing energy justice work and other energy policy issues. He was employed for ten years working as an actor and standup comic, including writing and producing for Comedy Central. His first campaign was in 1994. Since then he has worked on numerous electoral and policy campaigns at the local, state and federal level. In 2008, he gratefully joined Clean Water Action as their State Director.
He enjoys spending time with his spouse Crystal, son Isaac; as well as cooking, gardening, camping, canoeing, fishing, and playing cards.
E-mail Ken

Mary Brady
Administrative Director

Mary was born and raised in Minneapolis; even though she was a city dweller she loved to get away to experience Minnesota's lakes, rivers and forests. She was active in Girl Scouts and spent many years at horse camp. Her Grandparents made fishing lures for living and she spent many hours in the summer testing them out.
After a decade in the corporate world, Mary came to CWA as a field canvasser and never looked back. She worked two years in the field canvass then moved to the phones for twelve years, six of those as the Canvass Director. Under Mary's direction the phone canvass set numerous organization and network records for fundraising. She has been the Administrative Director since 2003.
She spends her free time spoiling her grandson Alex, quilting, gardening, quilting, reading and quilting. She really likes quilting!
E-mail Mary

Emily Clack
Field Canvass Manager

Emily Clack hails from Grandy, Minnesota, which is located along the Great Northern railroad between St. Paul and Duluth.
She joined Clean Water Action in 2007 as a field canvasser and now manages staff. She is a passionate voice for educating and mobilizing people for progressive issues. Her greatest passion is for helping to address global warming.
She's knocked on the doors of neighborhoods in our nation's capitol and New Jersey empowering people to help create positive public policy change!
In her free time she enjoys viewing manatees, eating gnocchi, and playing an exciting round of bingo. How about that!
E-mail Emily

Teresa Clark
Field Canvass Director

A native of the Pacific Northwest, Teresa moved to Minneapolis in January, 2009 to continue her organizing career with Clean Water Action. She attended the University of Washington where a seminar on environmental justice sparked her interest in grassroots politics. After graduating she canvassed with Washington Community Action Network. She's canvassed across the country on labor, social and environmental justice campaigns, including health care and immigration reform. She is thrilled to continue the fight for justice here in the Midwest! Teresa's other passion is performing vocal music from the Renaissance.
E-mail Teresa

Josh Davis
Information Technology Associate

Josh holding a "Phoenicopterus ruber"

Josh hails from beautiful Sugar Camp, Wisconsin. Before coming to Clean Water Action, he spent five years organizing Sierra Club members to protect forests and wildlife. Josh has also organized on housing issues in Minneapolis.
He joined Clean Water Action in April 2007 as the Political Information Technology Associate − organizing information to guide our group's political strategy. He provides voter analysis and mapping for Minnesota and other key states.
He watches birds, collects things and tries to focus on family. He can play every music format from 78 RPM records to 8 tracks to digital files, prefers manual tools to anything electronic and does not own a cell phone.
Josh's email signature always includes "Have a great day."
E-mail Josh

Christine Fetterley
Project Manager

Christine dining out

Christine was born and raised in Minnesota; she split her early years between rural Howard Lake and Minneapolis.
A lifelong political junkie and feminist, she majored in Mass Communications and Women's Studies at St. Cloud State University. During that time she also fundraised for political parties and progressive organizations.
After coming to CWA in January 2006, she has served in numerous capacities, finding her niche in 2007 as a Project Manager. She has done just about every type of canvassing there is − in fact, she regularly dreams about it.
Christine enjoys Rock 'n' Roll, non-fiction and eating food that other people prepare.
E-mail Christine

Jenna Garland
1Sky Organizer

Jenna grew up in the North Metro area of Atlanta, GA, where she enjoyed a mix of regular interaction with livestock and trips to the High Museum of Art.
She studied Anthropology at the University of Georgia, where she developed her passion for the environment as well as her love of music and radio. During her time in Athens, Jenna became interested in organizing as a profession after working with several student groups and engaging in advocacy for the cycling community. Jenna joined the staff of Clean Water Action in October of 2008, after travelling the country with Green Corps, working on several environmental and social justice campaigns.
She now lives in Northeast Minneapolis, spending her time with her boyfriend, reading fiction, in yoga classes and cooking vegetables.

E-mail Jenna

Tom Garrett
Phone Manager

Tom grew up on the East Coast, from Newfoundland to Miami, and has worked all over the U.S.
He has a distinctive perspective on the effects of Clean Water Action's issues. His early grassroots experiences include working on senior citizen issues, capital punishment and the three-strikes felon law in the Southeastern United States. In Minnesota, Tom has championed local Latino issues, helping to amplify their voices.
He has been with Clean Water Action since 2005; raising public awareness, training future leaders and fighting to protect our natural environment.
E-mail Tom

Darrell Gerber
Program Coordinator

Darrell was raised among the high-desert sagebrush of a northwest Colorado cattle ranch.
He studied Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering at Colorado State University, North Carolina State University and Georgia Institute of Technology. He attended the Humphrey Institute at the University of Minnesota to study Energy Policy in 2005 and 2006.
He joined Clean Water Action in May of 2007 as Program Coordinator focusing on Energy and Water issues. His work primarily concentrates on Global Warming, the Great Lakes and the Clean Water Restoration Act.
He is a resident of the Kingfield Neighborhood in Minneapolis where he lives with his spouse Ashley. They play in a band together.
E-mail Darrell

Jo Gordon
Membership Administration Assistant

Jo might be called a "Jo of all trades." She's managed fast paced restaurants and bars, been employed in the medical outcomes industry and worked as a computer programmer and software developer.
Jo was drawn to Clean Water Action in 2004 because of her desire to do some good in this world. She provides assistance to staff and members, and is critical in keeping our organization running every day.
When she is not at Clean Water Action, she continues to help others. During her free time she tutors fourth through twelfth graders in English, and works with the International Diabetes Center on a project using graphical reporting tools in diabetes management.
E-mail Jo

Christian Heinitz
Phone Manager

Christian grew up in the small rural town of Blue Earth, Minnesota. In 2005, he moved to the Twin Cities to attend the University of Minnesota. There he pursued an English major, focusing on creative writing. While in school he became active in peace activism and social justice.
He joined Clean Water Action in 2005, realizing he could actually be paid to do work he believed in. After two years as a staff caller and trainer, he's become our newest Phone Manager.
Last year Christian had the opportunity to study Italian language, art and literature in Florence, Italy. He enjoys traveling at every opportunity, reading, the outdoors, music and art.
E-mail Christian

Kevin Hippert
Project Manager

Kevin grew up all over Minnesota, including St. Paul, Bloomington and Owatonna.
After graduating high school, he visited Europe and then arrived in the Twin Cities to attend Minneapolis Community & Technical College. He went on to receive his B.A. in American History at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities campus.
In between getting married and taking his last class at the U of M, he started working for Clean Water Action in the summer of 2006, where he works as a Project Manager. Kevin has been taken part in numerous successful environmental campaigns.
Kevin and his spouse, Sarah, live in Minneapolis with their exuberant dog, Arlo.
E-mail Kevin

Julie Jansen
Rural Communities Program Organizer

Julie was born, raised and still lives in rural Renville County, Minnesota. Her husband Jeff and she have six wonderful children ages 15 to 27. They also have one beautiful granddaughter.
Julie has been a citizen activist with Clean Water Action of Minnesota since 1995. In 1998, she joined the Clean Water Action staff as an organizer for the Feedlot Pollution Prevention Project. She is currently the Rural Communities Organizer.
In her spare time, Julie is the Youth Camp Director for the Renville County Farmers Union, Sunday School Teacher and Youth Director for the United Methodist Church in Bird Island. She focuses her remaining spare time on spoiling her granddaughter.
E-mail Julie

Sara Johnson
Grassroots Program Director

Sara grew up in Maryland where she devoured the Washington Post and developed an interest in politics. Prior to joining us she has traveled, studied and resided in California, Wyoming and Utah.
Sara began at Clean Water Action as a field canvasser in June 2003.
She has been a Manager and Coordinator supervising dozens of staff on several projects using the latest technology. She is now the Grassroots Project Director overseeing field and phone outreach on a variety of policy and electoral projects.
Sara lives in Minneapolis with her partner, Ian, where she enjoys plotting trips to Central America, reading cheap mystery novels and learning Spanish.
E-mail Sara

Andrea Kiepe Jacob
Organizing Coordinator

Andrea at a folk-art park in rural Wisconsin

Andrea grew up on a small family farm in rural Missouri, where she spent her summers playing in the creek and woods. She moved up North to attend St. Olaf College, where she completed a double major in Biology and East Asian Environmental Studies.
After college, she started working for Clean Water Action as a canvasser and eventually became Organizing Coordinator. She organized with local residents in the Clean Energy Now coalition, which successfully pushed for the clean up of three of Minnesota's dirtiest coals plants. She has developed and inspired numerous leaders, several of whom now serve as Board Members for Clean Water Action.
Andrea enjoys cooking spicy food, science fiction and growing vegetables.
E-mail Andrea

Mike Kirros
Information Systems Coordinator

Mike prefers to let his equipment get the glory

Mike has worked for Clean Water Action since 1997, beginning as a Field Canvasser. He has also done political campaign and finance work for Clean Water Action in addition to his information system duties.
He is in charge of all things computer in the Minneapolis office, including network administration, database administration and help desk. Sometimes staffers ask him to stand next to computers that are acting up, which seems to fix them, almost miraculously.
E-mail Mike

Kim LaBo
Program Organizer

Kim grew up at the junction of the east and west branches of the Rum River in Princeton, Minnesota.
Since arriving at CWA in 2006, Kim has worked to rid the planet of all things toxic. Our chemical crusader will travel to your home, church, PTA meeting and other gatherings to educate you on the prevalence of toxic chemicals in everyday products.
Kim's other interests − besides telling people you shouldn't eat or drink from that plastic − are annual women's weekends, women's book club and other gatherings that don't include men.
E-mail Kim

Rosie Loeffler-Kemp
North East Minnesota Regional Organizer

Rosie in front of the Duluth Historic Aerial Lift Bridge

Rosie was raised in the rural Northwest Minnesota town of Hallock. She graduated from St. Cloud State with a Social Work major.
She began her activism career in 1984 as a Field Canvasser. Rosie worked with our canvass network for eight years, mostly as a Field Canvass Director. Since 1995, she's been CWA's organizer based in Duluth. Her inspiration comes from her friend Paul Wellstone.
She serves on many boards including League of Women Voters and is State President of the Minnesota Parent Teacher Association (PTA).
She and her high school sweetheart, Ken, have four children: Rachel, Hannah, Seth and Mariah. Rosie loves to cook, camp, read and volunteer with her children.
E-mail Rosie

JJ McDonald
Member Relations Director

JJ rocking out

JJ was born in New Jersey and grew up in Kansas where she was the oldest of five siblings. She studied art and classics at Colorado College, located in Colorado Springs.
She decided to move to Minneapolis after visiting the city on a cross-country road trip. JJ started working with Clean Water Action in January 2007. Before that, she was a phone canvasser at the Progressive Action Network. She is critical part of developing new leaders for our organization in the 21st century.
She lives with her partner, Steve, in Northeast Minneapolis. Outside of work she is an artist, a movie buff and an amateur tap dancer.
E-mail JJ

Greg Mizer
Office Manager

Greg being attacked by the World's Largest "Booming" Prairie Chicken, Rothsay, MN

Greg grew up in Sandstone, Minnesota and moved to the Twin Cities to attend Culinary Arts School. After playing with knives and other dangerous restaurant equipment, he decided to work for Citizen Action Membership Center.
Greg is the first voice you hear when you contact Clean Water Action. He is a vital part of our operations and he keeps us steered in the right direction.
He joined Clean Water Action Administration Department in 2001 and has been kicking butt and taking names ever since.
When he is not at CWA he enjoys working on his house, cooking, and visiting strange roadside attractions.
E-mail Greg

Terrance Noble
Phone Manager

Terrance grew up in the tropical island of Barbados − a flat coral island with excellent beaches, rolling hills, many deep ridges and gullies and an interesting distribution of flora and fauna.
In 1995, he moved to the Twin Cities to attend the University of Minnesota. There he pursued a Business Administration Major. In addition to school, he became active in the arts and focused on music and youth development in the public schools.
In 2001, he joined the Clean Water Action because of his interest in environmental and social issues. He has worked as a staff caller and trainer and is now a Phone Manager.
He enjoys listening to music, camping and traveling and is exploring western clinical herbalism.
E-mail Terrance

Robert Quam
Phone Manager

Robert began his career with Clean Water Action in 1991, making him one of our longest serving veterans.
He began his post-graduate life as a reporter for WWTC-AM, the Twin Cities' first all-news radio. He produced the morning news block, and eventually covered the Minneapolis and St. Paul City Hall, State Capital beats. The next stop was as News Director at KROC in Rochester, Minnesota. Then he served as the Communications Director for the state Republican Party.
Bob serves as a Phone Manager, shepherding the newest generation of membership outreach staff.
He retains his fondness for conservative politics and revels in the fact that his 28-year-old son Ben also votes Republican.
E-mail Robert

Liz Strohmayer
Phone Manager

Liz grew up in northern Minnesota, just west of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area. This is where she developed a strong sense of caring for the environment.
She is attending Hamline University and will graduate in May, 2008. Hamline provided the opportunity to follow her passion for environmental and social justice issues. She became involved in the Social Justice and Women's studies programs. Her love for the environment drew her to Clean Water Action, where she has been since 2006.
She enjoys camping, hiking, canoeing, music, anthropology and African drumming. She is currently working in collaboration with several local musicians, as well as her own projects.
E-mail Liz

Emily Tate
Phone Canvass Director

Emily grew up in Atlanta, Georgia − a city closely linked to the civil rights movement.
She moved to Minnesota to attend the Aveda Institute. While she remains a licensed cosmetologist, she gets more satisfaction by building Clean Water Action membership and political clout than by making others look beautiful. She sees beauty in political action and she has been doing exactly that since joining us in 2004!
Emily is an important member of our base building team. She helps retain and recruit members, as well as empowering them to take action and influence positive policy outcomes; from reducing pollution to protecting our waters.
Emily has been trained to work on the trapeze and she dreams of running away with the circus.
E-mail Emily

Becca Thieret
Field Manager

Becca is from the small river town of Winona, Minnesota, which is nestled between limestone bluffs that rise 500 feet and the mighty Mississippi River.
She has been working at Clean Water Action since April, 2007. Before working at Clean Water Action, she was an art student and worked in retail. She enjoys being on the front lines of the fight for clean water, stopping and reducing global warming and creating a healthier American lifestyle. She is one of our bright young rising stars.
She enjoys reading, music, traveling (generally with a tent) and is a huge fan of documentaries.
E-mail Becca

Deanna White
Program Director

Deanna with George McGovern

Deanna White is a relocated South Dakota girl who joined Clean Water Action in January 2008 as Program Director. She brings with her an extensive background in political and community organizing. Most recently, she ran the Brandon Valley Area Chamber of Commerce. Prior to that, she spent eight years with the Sierra Club beginning as a community organizer in Las Vegas, serving as National Deputy Political Director in Washington DC and returning to South Dakota as a Senior Regional Representative. She began her career as a campaign organizer with the South Dakota Democratic Party in 1992.
Deanna loves reading, traveling, Cary Grant movies, sushi and her boyfriend Nate − not necessarily in that order.
E-mail Deanna

Marie Zellar
National Deputy Director

Marie Zellar is both a Hoosier and a Texan who came to Minnesota in 1993. She developed her passion for the environment and her sense of political outrage spending summers in the piney oak woods of southeast Texas, which were being decimated by a lethal combination of clear-cutting and good ol' boy politics.
Since 1993, Marie has worked for Clean Water Action as State Organizer, State Director, Regional Director and now as National Deputy Director. Prior to this she served as Grassroots Director for the Hoosier Environmental Council in Indiana. She graduated from Indiana University's highly esteemed School of Public and Environmental Affairs.
Marie lives in a little house in Northeast Minneapolis where she gardens, hosts bonfires for her friends and makes art out of stuff.
E-mail Marie