The five member states of the UMRBA (Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, and Wisconsin) are represented by gubernatorial appointees. Generally, the Governor’s designee is from a state agency with substantial responsibilities for water resource management. This person is responsible for coordinating with other state agencies and providing for their direct involvement when necessary. The Governor may appoint alternate representatives from a variety of state agencies to facilitate internal state coordination and assure that a broad range of state authorities and perspectives are considered in the deliberations of the Association.
Chair: Wade Strickland, Wisconsin
Vice Chair: Chris Wieberg, Missouri
Illinois —
Rick Pohlman, DNR (primary representative)
Dave Glover, DNR (alternate)
Iowa —
Kirk Hansen, DNR (primary representative)
Deanna Triplett, EDA (representative)
Jake Hansen, DALS (representative)
Sam Hiscocks, DOT (representative)
Joel Martin, IUB (representative)
Minnesota —
Grant Wilson, DNR (primary representative)
Dana Vanderbosch, PCA (second alternate)
Margaret Wagner, DoA (second alternate)
Patrick Phenow, DOT (second alternate)
Missouri —
Chris Wieberg, DNR (primary representative)
Erin Fanning, DNR (alternate)
Chris Klenklen, DOA (alternate)
Matt Vitello, DOC (alternate)
Levi Woods, DOT (alternate)
Wisconsin —
Wade Strickland, DNR (primary representative)
TBD, DATCP (alternate)
Federal Liaisons
UMRBA’s federal liaisons are valuable and active participants in many of its meetings and activities. Their participation allows UMRBA to effectively serve as a regional forum for the states and their federal agency counterparts to discuss major policy and management issues. The federal liaisons are non-voting members and are not official members of UMRBA, which speaks on behalf of the states alone.
Department of Agriculture —
[Vacant], Natural Resource Conservation Service
Department of the Army —
MG Kimberly Peeples, Mississippi Valley Division Commander
Brian Chewning, Mississippi Valley Division
Department of the Interior —
Sabrina Chandler, USFWS Refuges
Mark Gaikowski, USGS UMESC
Department of Homeland Security —
Ken Hinterlong, FEMA Region 5
Laurie Bestgen, FEMA Region 7
[Vacant], U.S. Coast Guard
Department of Transportation —
Travis Black, MARAD
Environmental Protection Agency —
[Vacant]
