Joel Charles, MD, MPH

Joel Charles is a full spectrum family physician practicing in rural southwest Wisconsin where he serves as medical director for the Kickapoo Valley Medical Clinic. From the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health he received his MD and Master of Public Health degrees, the latter focusing on climate and health. He attended both those programs as a recipient of the Jack Kent Cooke Graduate Scholarship. He completed his residency at Sutter Santa Rosa Family Medicine Residency. Upon returning to Wisconsin he helped found and became president of Wisconsin Health Professionals for Climate Action, a fast-growing group of health professionals committed to advocating for equitable solutions to the climate crisis.

Dekila Chungyalpa

Dekila Chungyalpa, Director of the Loka Initiative, Center for Healthy Minds and Healthy Minds Innovations

Dekila is the founder and director of the Loka Initiative. She is an accomplished environmental program director, with 20+ years of experience in designing and implementing global conservation and climate strategies and projects. Known as an innovator in the environmental field, Dekila has expertise in faith-led environmental and climate partnerships, biodiversity landscape and river basin strategy design, and community-based conservation.

She began her career in 2001 working on community-based conservation in the Eastern Himalayas and went on to work on climate adaptation and free flowing rivers in the Mekong region for the World Wildlife Fund in 2004. In 2008, she helped establish Khoryug, an association of over 50 Tibetan Buddhist monasteries and nunneries implementing environmental projects across the Himalayas under the auspices of His Holiness the Karmapa. In 2009, Dekila founded and led WWF Sacred Earth, a 5-year pilot program that built partnerships with faith leaders and religious institutions towards conservation and climate results in the Amazon, East Africa, Himalayas, Mekong, and the United States.

She received the prestigious Yale McCluskey Award in 2014 for her work and moved to the Yale School of Environmental Studies as an associate research scientist, where she researched, lectured and designed the prototype for what is now the Loka Initiative. Dekila is originally from the Himalayan state of Sikkim in India and is of Bhutia origin.

Kelly DeMarco, OTR/L, NBC-HWC

Kelly DeMarco, OTR/L, NBC-HWC

Kelly DeMarco is an occupational therapist, rehabilitation services manager and green team leader working for Horizon Home Care & Hospice in SE Wisconsin.  She is also a board certified health and wellness coach specializing in climate coaching and founder of kellyGREENcoaching, LLC.  She is an active member of Wisconsin Climate Health, Occupational Therapy for Environmental Action, WSBC’s Wisconsin Women in Sustainability, and the Climate Coaching Alliance.  Kelly is a TEDx speaker and contributing writer to Solve Climate Change Now: Do What You Love for a Healthy Planet by Don Maruska and Climate Change Coaching: The Power of Connection to Create Climate Action by Charly Cox and Sarah Flynn.  She lives with her family on a hobby farm in Cascade, Wisconsin where they explore permaculture and regenerative land management. 

Rod Erickson, MD

Rod Erickson, MD

Rod Erickson practiced full spectrum family medicine in rural communities and staffing critical access hospitals from 1984 through 2022, when he transitioned to a more limited practice. He has been an advocate for environmental health since the early 70’s and for rural health since 1984. When not practicing he can be found outside biking, hiking, kayaking or cross-country skiing. His greatest concern is what kind of world we’ll leave for his grandchildren. 

Mary Evers Statz

Mary Evers Statz, Director Energy Mgt & Sustainability, UW Health

Mary is the Director of Energy Management & Sustainability at the UW Health systems, which includes seven hospitals and more than 80 clinics in south central Wisconsin and northern Illinois. In this role, Mary focuses on the corporate vision and strategy behind making UW Health a more environmentally, socially, and economically responsible organization. Additionally, Mary holds a master’s degree in Sustainable Management from the University of Wisconsin–Oshkosh, and brings 25 years of design, construction, and facility management experience. 

Jamie Ferschinger

Jamie Ferschinger

Jamie Ferschinger has been the Director of Environmental Health and Community Wellness at Sixteenth Street Community Health Centers in Milwaukee since 2018. She leads a variety of programs, related to lead poisoning reduction, health equity, environmental justice, and community empowerment on the southside of Milwaukee. Prior to working at Sixteenth Street, Jamie was the Energy Efficiency Project Manager - Sustainability Coordinator within the City of Milwaukee Environmental Collaboration Office. She also held various positions at the Urban Ecology Center, where she worked for 11 years. She currently serves as board member for Preserve our Parks working to preserve access to public spaces and uphold the Public Trust Doctrine, as well as, on Teens Grow Greens helping to empower and build leadership amongst Milwaukee teens, and on Fund Milwaukee working to support locally owned, main street businesses that focus on economic and sustainable development.

Keviea Guiden

Keviea Guiden, Energy Burden Organizer, Citizen Action of Wisconsin

Keviea Guiden was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, raised in the Hillside Projects. She attended MPS schools and furthered her education at the MATC downtown campus where she acquired two degrees. Keviea has been a civically engaged grassroots organizer since 2018. She is a strong advocate for families in the 53206 zip code as well as surrounding neighborhoods throughout Milwaukee. Keviea has accomplished many goals as a Community Organizer. She created a free mask program in 2020 once COVID hit, she distributed over 5,000 reusable facial masks. Since then she attended a virtual tour with Nuns On The Bus. Keviea has been featured in a Documentary Short called Dress Rehearsal about progressive organizers, CNN, Washington Post, Mother Jones Magazine,Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and on German News channels. Keviea is currently a member of the Wisconsin Women’s Network, NAACP (Milwaukee chapter) and Wisconsin Democratic Party. Within the last six months Keviea has earned the following medals for being a Team Player,Producer,Fast Learner,Problem Solver,Achiever,and Effective Communicator. Keviea is devoted and invested in Milwaukee. She will continue to fight for energy burdens, clean water, social injustice, fair housing, liveable wages and thriving neighborhoods.

Amy Kalkbrenner, PhD, MPH

Dr. Kalkbrenner uses epidemiologic methods to study how exposures to environmental pollutants during pregnancy cause poor birth outcomes (such as preterm birth) or neurodevelopmental disorders (like autism).  She especially focuses on airborne exposures, such as traffic-related pollutants like fine particulate matter (PM2.5), the hundreds of airborne metals and volatile organic compounds known as air toxics or hazardous air pollutants, and tobacco smoke.  Dr. Kalkbrenner received her MPH from the University of California, Berkeley, her PhD in epidemiology from the University of North Carolina, and now serves as Associate Professor at the Zilber School of Public Health at the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee.

Brittany Keyes, PT, DPT, ATC

Brittany Keyes is a physical therapist who lives in Beloit, WI with her husband and two young children. She recently served as the Vice President of Beloit’s City Council where she became aware of the impacts of pollution on the more vulnerable members of her community. She is dedicated to service, volunteering on the board for the Rotary Club of Beloit and the board for Wisconsin Health Professionals for Climate Action. 

Cameron Kiersch, DNP, RN

Cameron Kiersch, DNP, RN

As an Assistant Professor of Nursing at Viterbo University, Kiersch holds a Doctor in Nursing Practice in Health Innovation and Leadership from the University of Minnesota. Dr. Kiersch is the chair of the Direct Entry Master of Science in Nursing program at Viterbo University in La Crosse, Wisconsin, where he has been a nurse educator since 2017. Dr. Kiersch utilizes a systems-thinking approach to prepare future nurses to lead interprofessional teams in their pursuit to solve complex problems like climate disruption and health inequity.  

Young Kim, BS

Young Kim, BS

Young is the Executive Director of Groundwork Milwaukee, a nonprofit organization that brings about sustained regeneration, improvement, and management of the physical environment by developing community-based partnerships that empower people, businesses, and organizations to promote environmental, economic, and social well-being

Katie Tredinnick

Katie Tredinnick

Katie is a DVM/MPH student at UW–Madison.

Bryan Webster

Bryan Webster

Dr. Webster is a family medicine practitioner at Wildwood Clinic in Madison Wisconsin.  He currently serves as vice president on the Wildwood board of directors and is passionate about reducing environmental impact in health care. 

Christy Wilson Mendenhall

Christy Wilson Mendenhall, PhD

Christy Wilson-Mendenhall is an Associate Scientist at the Center for Healthy Minds, University of Wisconsin–Madison. After receiving her Ph.D. at Emory University, she conducted postdoctoral research in the Interdisciplinary Affective Science Lab at Northeastern University and Massachusetts General Hospital. In collaboration with many others, she engages in interdisciplinary research focused on conceptualizing and assessing emotional skillsets to understand when and how such skills may contribute to well-being, resilience, and healing. 

*Abby Novinska-Lois, Executive Director, Wisconsin Health Professionals for Climate Action and MPH Candidate

Abby received her bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science with a certificate in Environmental Studies from the UW–Madison, where she chaired various justice and sustainability organizations, such as REthink Wisconsin & Students for Social Welfare. After graduating, she worked to reduce pesticide use in Wisconsin agriculture and has multiple publications on pollinators and integrated pest management solutions. While working closely with growers around the state, she realized many barriers to scientific communication, which sometimes lead to significant health harms (i.e. pesticide exposure). Recognizing the health of the environment and her community were inseparable, she pursued a Graphic Design Certificate and became a Communications Specialist at the Wisconsin Environmental Health Network and an Outreach Specialist for the Global Health Institute. In 2020, Abby helped the Wisconsin Health Professionals for Climate Action become a nonprofit and as our first Executive Director has led strategic plan development, working teams, programming, fundraising, communications, and more. She is also currently pursuing a master's degree in public health. In her free time, Abby loves painting, gardening, hiking, and camping.

Dafna Berman, LCSW, MSW,
Froedtert & the Medical College of Wisconsin

Dafna Berman is a clinical social worker and works as a psychotherapist at Froedtert & the Medical College of WI Community Physicians. Her practice focuses on chronic behavioral health conditions related to interpersonal trauma. She received her MSW from Washington University in St. Louis and her MBA from UW–Milwaukee, Healthcare Management concentration. Dafna is the Board President of NASW-WI (National Association of Social Workers, Wisconsin Chapter). She also served on an expert panel with the National Office of NASW to update the Association’s Mental Health Policy Statement, included in the “Social Work Speaks” publication. 

Dick Dart, MD, MACP, FCCP, FAHA, FASN, FASH,
Emeritus Research Clinician, Marshfield Clinic Research Institute

Richard is board certified in Internal Medicine and Nephrology, practiced as a full-time clinical nephrologist at Marshfield Clinic for 34 years, and now is Emeritus Research Clinician at the Marshfield Clinic Research Institute in the Center for Precision Medicine. He is Co-Chair of the Wisconsin Chapter of the American College of Physicians (ACP) Health and Public Policy Committee and is a member of the Wisconsin Medical Society Council on Legislation. He is a former president of the Wisconsin Medical Society.  

Alex Dudek, RN, MPH Candidate

Alex Dudek (they/them) is a nurse in the Trauma ICU at UW Health as well as a Master of Public Health student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Their interests include the clinical impacts of climate change and the role of nurses in advancing climate justice work. Alex is also a Fellow with the Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments focusing on the impact of affordable clean energy on health equity.  

Claire Gervais, MD

Joel Hill, MPAS, PA-C, Assistant Professor at the UW-Madison Physician Assistant (PA) Program

Joel Hill, MPAS, PA-C, is an assistant professor at the UW-Madison Physician Assistant (PA) Program, where he started in 2010. He served in the United States Air Force from 1985 to 2006, where he practiced in family medicine and urgent care from 1996 until his retirement in 2006. From 2006 to 2010 he worked as a PA in general and thoracic surgery in Rapid City, South Dakota.

Hill currently serves as the director of Distance Education for the UW–Madison’s PA Program. Other roles at the PA Program include mentoring distance education students, and coordinating courses and developing curriculum for prevention and pharmacology. He developed the program’s international curricula, managing the international course and facilitating the annual interprofessional service-learning trip to central Belize. He was also selected to coordinate the online “Global Health Field Work Fundamentals: Engagement, Ethics, Policy and Methods” course for the Global Health Institute.

Additionally, Hill is on the advisory board for Wisconsin Without Borders, which recognizes the work of students, faculty, staff and community partners demonstrating excellence in collaboration between the university and local and global communities. He is also a member of the Global Health Interprofessional Education Committee and the School of Medicine and Public Health Student Safety Travel Review Committee. He currently practices primary and urgent care at the Access Community Health-Wingra Family Medicine Clinic in Madison, Wisconsin.

Andy Ringquist, MSN, RN, CDE 

Andy (he, him, his) has degrees in nursing, nursing education and landscape architecture. He is interested in the intersectional issues of human health, conservation, ecological restoration and farming. Current work in public health offers him the opportunity to raise awareness about climate change, its impact on the environment and its threats to healthy populations.  

Ginny Stoffel, PhD, OT, FAOTA, Professor Emeritus,
UW-Milwaukee

Ginny (she, her, hers) is an occupational therapist and an Associate Professor Emeritus at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. She represents the United States and the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) to the World Federation of Occupational Therapists (WFOT), where she learns with and from her global colleagues about sustainability, justice and climate impacts on people’s everyday life (occupations), wellbeing and quality of life. Her research and practice emphasis has been on lived experiences of mental health and substance use, recovery, and the continuum from ill health to flourishing. 

Carla Wright, MD, Internal Medicine,
Milwaukee Health Services, Inc.

Carla practices Family Medicine, Internal Medicine, and Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation at the Milwaukee Health Services 

Jack Kampf, PharmD, Advocate Aurora 

Jack is a Clinical Pharmacist with Advocate Aurora Health in the Pharmacy Integrated Clinical Services Department.  Jack completed his Health System Administration Residency with Aurora Health Care from 2009-2011.  Having served as a manager/director for 8 years post residency, Jack now focuses on direct patient care and quality improvement initiatives 

Karene Boos, PT, JD, DPT,
Clinical Associate Professor, Carroll University 

Karene is a Clinical Associate Professor of Physical Therapy at Carroll University where she teaches in the Professional Practice and Interprofessional Education (IPE) Course tracks. She serves as the current chairperson for the Carroll University IPE Council and is a member of the Carroll University Council for Institutional Inclusion. Karene’s primary research involves IPE curriculum development and the impact of interprofessional education on health profession students. Karene is a member of the American Physical Therapy Association serving on student mental health and DEI working groups. Karene is passionate about educating and engaging with students in social responsibility considerations, and in fulfilling health professional roles as community educators, advocates, and volunteers. She has worked as a clinical physical therapist in a variety of settings including skilled nursing, home health, and with the Wisconsin Department of Corrections. Karene is also active internationally, specifically in Tanzania, where she served as a US Fulbright Scholar (2017-2018) and maintains a relationship with Bugando Medical Center. She also runs a human rights NGO protecting and supporting children with albinism in Tanzania.

Jon Temte, MD, PhD, MS, Professor,
Associate Dean for Public Health and Community Engagement, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health 

Temte has dedicated his career to creating connections between primary care medicine and public health practice. A professor in the Department of Family Medicine and Community Health and a family medicine physician at the Access Community Health Centers, Temte has served as a clinician, teacher and researcher for 25 years. He has PhD training in zoology, evolutionary physiology and marine mammal biology. His extensive body of research includes investigation of the relationships between communities, primary care and respiratory viruses.

Temte is chair of the Wisconsin Council on Immunization Practices, and serves as medical director for Public Health Madison & Dane County. On the national level, Temte is serving an appointment to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Board of Scientific Counselors. In addition to helping craft national vaccine recommendations, Temte has also led extensive public health research and policy at the community level in Wisconsin. Temte also oversees the Office of Rural Health and the Area Health Education Center, as well as the Center for Urban Population Health, which is a partnership with the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Aurora Health Care and the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Temte and his team have earned multiple CDC grants for an ongoing study tracking absenteeism in the Oregon School District as a warning system for influenza outbreaks in the broader community. In 2018, Temte received the American Academy of Family Physicians Public Health Award for his career commitment to the enhancement of public health in the United States and beyond.

Lisa Cottrell, PhD, CBSM, DBSM, Advocate Aurora

Lisa is a clinical health psychologist specializing in the behavioral and psychological treatment of sleep disorders for adults, adolescents and children at AdvocateAurora Health Care. Dr. Cottrell is a diplomate of the American Board of Sleep Medicine as well as the Society for Behavioral Sleep Medicine and she completed post-doctoral training in an AASM mini-fellowship at Stanford University Medical School Sleep Medicine Clinic. She has been a member of Wisconsin Health Professionals for Climate Action since its inaugural conference and is committed to providing professional and community-based education about the health effects of climate change as well as taking action to fight for policies to address the climate crisis. 

Susan Bietila, RN 

Susan is a retired registered nurse and long-time artist in Milwaukee. She has used the power of art and illustration as a political force. As part of a movement opposing the Crandon Mine in Wisconsin, her art was featured at the Riverwest Art Center in Milwaukee and through a traveling  24-foot mural.