Jonathon Nagel – Executive Director: moved to Hancock in 2022 after falling in love with the area on a trip to Isle Royale. Previously Jonathon worked in municipal planning for the City of Fort Collins Colorado where he focused on sustainable materials management, environmental policy and green building. He is an alumni of Colorado State University with a degree in political science with focuses on development and business. Today he is a real estate investor who focuses on the restoration of historic buildings and volunteers his time to improve the world around him.
Sara Fehringer – Treasurer: lives in Torch Lake township outside of Dollar Bay. She works at Chickadees part time where she initiated recycling for the store. She helped CCRI secure a $1,300 grant from Walmart for a reusable bag giveaway. Joined CCRI to have a greater impact on recycling within the community.
“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed it’s the only thing that ever has.” – Margaret Mead
Ruth Gleckler – Secretary: moved to the Copper Country in 1981. While exploring the area, she became familiar with “the dump” outside of Ahmeek. There was pretty interesting stuff to be found in “the dump” that could be saved and used. Around 1986 she joined with other community members to form the Copper Country Citizens for Recycling. Besides working with TASCO from L’Anse, the group wrote a grant for the oil recycling collection that continues at the Houghton County Transfer Station. Now retired, she hopes to continue working for a sustainable future using the 4Rs: Reduce-Reuse-Recycle and Rethink. Sustainability is defined as meeting current needs without sacrificing the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
Doug McKenzie – Board Member: retired after 33 years as a family physician in Hancock January 2022, a member of CCRI shortly thereafter. “Think globally, act locally,” he’s been an environmental advocate his whole adult life. A vegetarian since the 1980s, avid recycler, composter, enjoys silent sports, drives fuel efficient hybrid cars, takes “military showers,” heats his house with locally sourced wood, has always recycled as much as possible. His mission is to get fellow humans to care about protecting our shared planet, and offer resources to make it easier to do the right thing.
Zack Osborn – Board Member: a chemist who ran a small student farm and composting program at the University of California, San Diego and hopes to recreate the model here in the U.P. He also teaches and runs an interdisciplinary K-8 garden program. His interest in food waste recovery and recycling via new and improved techniques allowing year-round composting.