Board Officers & Directors 

President: Sarah Goulet

Past President: Jim Schroeder

Vice President: Dave Bell

Treasurer: Dave Lonzarich

Secretary: Kate Hale Wilson

Directors: Tim Hirsch, Jim Hoeppner, Eli Gottfried

Board Member Bios

Sarah Goulet Originally from New Jersey, Sarah has lived in Eau Claire’s Third Ward for over three decades. Her house is located near Putnam Park and over the years snapping turtles, owls and, of course, white tail deer have frequented her yard.  The beloved flora and fauna of Putnam Park sparked her love of the park.  An accountant, Sarah loves to crunch numbers--she served as our treasurer from the group's beginning in 2019 through summer 2023.  She also enjoys baking, organic gardening, and walks with her dog in Eau Claire, and especially through Putnam Park.  

Jim Schroeder grew up in Mondovi. While a student at UW Eau Claire, he both wrestled and ran cross country--exercising often in Putnam Park for both sports.  That was his introduction to this great natural area.  After additional studies at UW-Madison, he moved back to Eau Claire in 1983. He continued to enjoy running in Putnam Park to relieve the stress of leading companies; now he resides on City View Drive overlooking the Park.  Jim has always had canine companions and enjoys walking with them in the Park; in fact, he met his second wife while they were both walking their dogs in Putnam Park.  Jim served as President of Friends since its inception through 2023, and says "I have enjoyed establishing this group with the help of a strong Board of Directors and volunteers."

Dave Bell 

Dave Lonzarich Originally from San Mateo, California, David Lonzarich made his way to Eau Claire Wisconsin via Washington, Montana and Arkansas. David has been a faculty member in the UWEC Department of Biology for 30 years, teaching and doing research in areas of fish biology and aquatic ecology. His on-going projects include studies on the evolution and behavior of fishes, and the biology of deep-water mosses in Wisconsin lakes. Through his research and teaching, David has learned a great deal about the animals that live in the park and in Little Niagara Creek.

Kate Hale Wilson  Kate has lived in the Third Ward since the summer of 1990. "I spent a lot of time in the Park when my kids were younger, and loved biking through with my son riding along in the bike trailer. Now I especially love seeing photos of aerial views of the Third Ward, and noticing how the Park wraps around us in a rich green curve." Retired from the UWEC English Department, she still misses the view from her sixth floor office in Hibbard Hall where glimpses of eagles in flight between the Park and the river were a frequent delight.  After retiring in 2011, Kate joined Citizens’ Climate Lobby and has co-led the Eau Claire chapter since it formed in 2012.  

Tim Hirsch Since 1984, Tim has lived next door to the water, plants, and animals of Putnam Park.  For an additional fourteen, he and his family lived one block away and used the park as a playground and retreat all year round.  He witnessed the eagles first nesting in the park in 1999. During his working years, Tim was an English teacher, mostly at the University of Wisconsin Eau Claire.  As a younger man, Tim enjoyed moving—basketball, skiing, biking, hiking, building stuff.  Now he gravitates more to reading, music,  and exploring topics in local history.  Tim has lived in Wisconsin for all but three years of his life.  During his lifetime, the population of the state has almost doubled.  He believes that the need for places like Putnam Park has become ever more important.    

Jim Hoeppner has had a long relationship with Putnam Park. As a child he played in the woods with friends, enjoying the rope swings and forts. Now, he say "I enjoy the serenity that it brings. The eagles' nest in the tree tops which I can see from my deck, and walks through the park, help brew a better mood in me. My house borders the park and my hope is that others will enjoy the park as much as I do. Putnam Park is one of the reasons that I have returned to beautiful Eau Claire after 30 years away."  Jim says that his experiences of the Park now remind him of Wordsworth's "Lines Above Tintern Abbey" 

 . . . well pleased to recognise

in nature and the language of the sense

the anchor of my purest thoughts, the nurse, 

The guide, the guardian of my heart, and soul

Of all my moral being.

Eli Gottfried is an agronomist and professional soil scientist who teaches and practices methods of soil conservation and agricultural sustainability. His resume includes a Masters degree in Environmental and Public Health from UWEC.

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Joe Rohrer is retired from the UWEC Department of Biology where he conducted research in the area of plant taxonomy, the science dedicated to discovering, organizing, and interpreting plant diversity. One of his on-going projects was creating inventories of the bryophytes and vascular plants of Putnam Park and Eau Claire County. Now you know why he is our group's Facebook expert on plants--we're grateful for the photos he contributes, and the possibility of Putnam Park botany tours once he steps down from his board duties in July 2023.