Board and Staff
Board of Trustees
Our Board of Trustees range from the director of a regional government council to an organic farmer. Board members represent a variety of professional fields and communities, but they all share one passion -- conservation.
Amy O’Leary, Troy - Board President
Gary Kravitz, Farmington Hills - Board Vice-President
Andrea LaFontaine, Birmingham - Board Secretary
Robert Ignasiak, Orchard Lake - Board Treasurer
Mike Alaimo, Farmington - Trustee
Lauren Brosch, Shelby Twp - Trustee
David Fischer, Rochester - Trustee
Jean Persely, Armada - Trustee
Bruce Robinson, Metamora - Trustee
Gerard Santoro, Mt. Clemens- Trustee
Peter Vanderkaay, Ferndale - Trustee
Andy Zale, Oakland Township - Trustee
Staff
Executive Director, Chris Bunch
cbunch@sixriversrlc.org
Chris Bunch is an experienced land protection professional with long-time service to the conservation field in professional and volunteer capacities. He has served as Executive Director of the Medina Summit Land Conservancy in Medina, OH. During his tenure, he lead the organization through a merger process where it became part of the much larger Western Reserve Land Conservancy and where he served as Field Director covering Medina and Summit counties. He has served as an appointee to numerous local and state boards and commissions, including the Lake County, Michigan Brownfields Authority, the Oil and Gas Rules committee for the State of Ohio and numerous local planning, regulatory, and advisory committees.
His earlier background includes serving as the Executive Director of the Michigan Outdoors Habitat Brokerage, a non-profit conservation real estate company, and he spent time as a statewide leader with the Michigan United Conservation Clubs. In 2007 he and his wife Maureen returned to family property in northern Michigan, renovating and transforming a cottage into a year-round home, protecting the 160 property with a conservation easement granted to Land Conservancy of West Michigan. During that time he worked for a local lumber company owned by the same family for over 85 years, where his grandfather had worked 75 years previously. He also operated a consulting business in the conservation field, undertaking projects such as contract land protection work for the Land Conservancy of West Michigan, and land acquisition planning for the Erie Metro Parks in Erie County, OH. He joined the SRLC staff in April of 2011, moving to Rochester Hills with his wife Maureen.
Deputy Director & donor relations manager, Kristen Myers
kmyers@sixriversrlc.org
Kristen Myers joined Six Rivers in June 2018 as Development Director, raising over $500,000 in her first year. Most recently she became Deputy Director and Donor Relations Manager. She has an extensive background in trails and greenways management. Prior to joining Six Rivers, she served as Trail Manager for the Paint Creek Trailways Commission for 15 years. During her tenure, she was the staff liaison for five local communities and regional government agencies.
Kristen specializes in public relations, event planning & coordination, grant writing, website development, and community outreach initiatives. She has served as Chair of the Oakland County Trail, Water, and Land Alliance (TWLA) for over 8 years, and was awarded the 2012 TWLA Service Award for “demonstrating significant and consistent support of improving the quality of life in Oakland County through strong leadership and legislative efforts”.
Kristen holds a B.A. in Political Science from Oakland University and is a member of the Grant Professionals Association, American Association of Fundraising Professionals, the American Planning Association – Michigan Chapter, Michigan Recreation & Parks Association, and the Michigan Trails & Greenways Alliance.
Kristen and her husband, Michael, have two adult daughters. In her spare time, she likes to walk in nature with her dog, Daisy Mae, hike various parks & trails, go camping, kayak, read, travel, and teach herself new computer software programs.
Stewardship director, Ian Ableson
iableson@sixriversrlc.org
Ian has a background in various natural resource fields, including research, naturalistic study, and education. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from University of Michigan. During his time at UM, he was in a research position in an entomology lab studying the surprisingly fascinating relationships between ants and aphids. He has also worked as a museum docent for the University of Michigan Museum of Natural History (including a stint as a planetarium operator) and as an interpretive naturalist for the Huron-Clinton Metroparks.
In his most recent position prior to joining Six Rivers, he served as an education specialist for the Organization for Bat Conservation, during which he presented live nocturnal animal programs for schools and libraries all over the state. Ian is therefore particularly familiar with Michigan's often overlooked night creatures, including bats, owls, flying squirrels, and skunks. He spends a lot of his spare time reading and writing—preferably outside whenever the Michigan weather will allow it.
Land Protection Manager, Brian Marzolf
bmarzolf@sixriversrlc.org
Brian Marzolf has an extensive background in developing parks, greenways and recreational facilities; strategic and master planning; parks operations; trail development and community events. He specializes in community relations, financial management, project development and administration. Brian is a confident leader with a proven track record of collaboration, creativity and success.
He most recently served as the Interim Trail Manager for the Paint Creek Trail Commission. Prior to that, he served as the Director of the City of Auburn Hills Parks & Recreation Department for 30 years, retiring in early 2019. His grant-writing skills helped secure over $5 million in funding to acquire and develop the parks system in Auburn Hills while his leadership and commitment to developing relationships and partnerships with local organizations and the business community helped to improve the overall quality of life.
Brian was presented with the Community Partner Award for 2018 from the Oakland County Trail, Water & Land Alliance (TWLA) for his continued commitment to working and collaborating with surrounding communities for the overall benefit of the region. He holds a BS in Parks & Recreation Management from Eastern Michigan University and a Master’s Degree in Administration from Central Michigan University
Brian and his wife Tina have two adult children and he enjoys spending time with his family, playing golf, biking the trails in the area and being outdoors.
Administrative Manager, Ellen Witz
ewitz@sixriversrlc.org
Prior to joining Six Rivers, Ellen worked in municipal Planning & Zoning for 20 years in both Oakland Township and Washington Township. Most recently she was the Office Manager and Financial Secretary for Dinosaur Hill Nature Preserve. Ellen specializes in office management, customer service, event planning, website development, and planning/zoning issues. She has served as a past member of the Oakland County NoHaz committee, the North Oakland Cable Consortium, the Community Media Network and various other community groups.
Ellen, her husband Jeff and daughter, enjoy bird watching, fishing and traveling to new places.
Community Engagement Coordinator, Hollie Coleman
Hollie is an Oakland University graduate with a B.S.in Biology. Having grown up in a suburb in SE Michigan, her love of nature was founded primarily by watching animal planet as a kid, but also, by noticing beauty in the unlikeliest of places: the mourning doves nesting in the gutters, the cattails beneath the overpass, the red maples lining the sidewalks. After graduating, she performed field research for the Ocean Mammal Institute researching the impact of noise pollution on humpback whale behavior and worked at a local garden center where she found passion in helping people create green spaces in their own backyards! She's worked with Lake St. Clair CISMA since 2021 as an Invasive Species Technician and a Field Coordinator primarily monitoring and managing invasive species and coordinating field work. She hopes to inspire people to go out and see the nature near them.
In her spare time she likes reading, crocheting, and travelling.
Lake St. Clair CISMA Director, Amanda ruffini
aruffini@sixriversrlc.org
Amanda is a University of Denver Graduate with a Master's in Natural Resource Management. Prior to joining CISMA, she worked for Oakland County in the Natural Resource Department, working on maintaining high quality natural areas in OC Parks, invasive species management, and restoration projects. She has also previously interned with the South Australian Research and Development Institute to develop a GIS protocol for mapping aquatic vegetation in the coastal zone. She spends her free time foraging or hiking in Oakland county and volunteering as a steward for MNA. Now a part of LSC CISMA, she will be spending her time developing and coordinating invasive species management projects.
Six Rivers Mascot - Radar
Radar is the newest member of Six Rivers! A handsome Griffon, Radar enhances office morale, and is a grouse hunting partner for Executive Director Bunch!
