Our Board of Directors

Dave Evenson worked for the Wisconsin DNR as a Wildlife Management Supervisor with the
Northwest Sands as part of his territory. In 1990 he founded the Wisconsin Sharp-tailed Grouse Society
and remains active in that organization and other barrens Friends groups. He is a fan and researcher of
Gordon MacQuarrie, a mid- twentieth century outdoor writer, best know for his Old Duck Hunter
Association stories. MacQuarrie was himself a friend of the Northwest, with a cabin near Barnes.
Under the auspices of Barnes Area Historical Association he has compiled and edited four books of
MacQuarrie's writings. He lives in Cumberland, WI with his wife, and enjoys gardening, picking
berries and wild rice, making maple syrup and fishing on ice and water.

Jane Anklam is a retired from her former roles as the Horticulture and Agriculture Educator with the UW-Extension in Douglas County, and as the Northwoods Land Conservation Manager for Landmark Conservancy.

Monica Zachay is a seasoned nonprofit leader with nearly 20 years of experience in program development, grant strategy, and cross-sector collaboration. She currently serves as the Foundations and Grant Manager for Minnesota Adult and Teen Challenge, where she secures critical funding to support life-changing addiction recovery programs across the state.

Previously, Monica was the inaugural Executive Director of North Woods and Waters of the St. Croix Heritage Area, where she led regional efforts to build identity, foster partnerships, and pursue National Heritage Area designation for the St. Croix watershed spanning Minnesota and Wisconsin.

Before that, she spent more than a decade at the Wild Rivers Conservancy, ultimately serving as Director of Programs and coordinating conservation efforts throughout the St. Croix watershed.

Monica holds a B.S. in Natural Resources from the University of Minnesota and a Master of Public Affairs from the University of Missouri. She is passionate about mission-driven work, and in her personal time enjoys gardening, traveling, and exploring the rivers and trails of Minnesota with her husband.

Brian Finstad was raised in the Northwest Sands in Gordon Wisconsin and is the President of the Friends of the Bird Sanctuary - one of the barrens habitat wildlife areas of the Northwest Sands. Passionate about local history, Brian also is the President of the Gordon-Wascott Historical Society and serves on the Board of Directors of the Douglas County Historical Society. Brian lives in Superior, WI with his husband Robert and son, Eli.

Mike has been active in applying GIS (geographic information systems) to ecological and environmental challenges for over 30 years.  He “retired” in 2019 after 25 years at Esri.  He is helping with mapping the Auto Trail, and developing the website. Mike also consults to land trusts and other conservation organizations in applying GIS to address their objectives.  Prior to that he worked for Wisconsin DNR as Great Lakes Habitat Coordinator. Mike began his career in various roles in product management, sales, and software development for several commercial companies. He and his wife have two adult children and live in Eagan, MN, They enjoy good food, travel and spending time with family.

Dave Peters was a journalist for more than 40 years, working as an editor for the St. Cloud Times, the Everett (Wash.) Herald, the St. Paul Pioneer Press, the Minneapolis Star Tribune and Minnesota Public Radio News. After retiring, he wrote “Sand and Fire,” a natural and human history of the Namekagon Barrens Wildlife Area in Burnett County, published by the Wisconsin Historical Society in 2023. For decades, he has been coming to the family cabin near Danbury in the middle of the Northwest Sands to pick berries, watch birds, take photos, fish, canoe and walk the barrens. He is active in the Friends of the Namekagon Barrens Wildlife Area and he lives in St. Paul, Minn., with his wife, Lisa, a native plants enthusiast.