Guest Blogger

Ben Valentine is a founding member of the Friends of Marott Woods Nature Preserve and is active in several other conservation organizations. He leads a series of NUVO interviews with Indiana's environmental leaders, and he cherishes showing his son all the wonders of nature he grew up loving.

Communications Intern

Olivia O'Neal is a student at Franklin College majoring in Multimedia Journalism and minoring in Environmental Science. She is happiest in the middle of nowhere and loves backpacking, hiking, paddle boarding, kayaking and any other outdoor activities.

Guest Blogger

DJ Connors, a Central Indiana native and late-to-life hunter, combines a lifelong appreciation for wildlife and the outdoors with a deep passion for exploring the natural beauty of the area he has called home for most of his life. As a husband and father of three, he is committed to ensuring his children have the same opportunities to connect with nature and appreciate the outdoors in their community. DJ’s unique journey into hunting emphasizes sustainability, responsible stewardship, and the importance of preserving these experiences for future generations.

Guest Blogger

James Todd is a 67-year-old retiree who enjoys hiking, camping, and kayaking. He is a proud supporter of Central Indiana Land Trust.

Guest Blogger

Julie Dart is a Master Naturalist and retired writer and editor. She and her husband, Jeff Swiatek, are the proud parents of two adult sons and enjoy removing invasive plant species on CILTI volunteer work days.

Guest Blogger

A lifelong Hoosier with a strong interest in the outdoors, animals and plants, Megan feels lucky to be able to support CILTI in important conservation work.

Guest Blogger

Lee Casebere, a longtime CILTI supporter, is a naturalist, ecologist, and nature photographer. He is the retired assistant director of Indiana DNR’s Division of Nature Preserves.

Guest Blogger

Marc and Leah Milne both teach at the University of Indianapolis.

Guest Blogger

Bridget is our first ever Communications and Outreach Intern. She is a graduate of Marian University, where she combined English, studio art, and environmental sciences in her degree studies. As treasurer for Just Earth, the university's environmental club, she helped plan events encouraging a responsible relationship between people, nature, and animals.

Guest Blogger

Jordan England is a lifelong Shelby County resident who graduated from Waldron Jr. Sr. High School (just a few miles from Meltzer Woods!). After earning her B.S. degree in Retail Management from Purdue University, she returned to Waldron to start a family with her husband, Brian. Together they have 3 young children and enjoy sharing with them their love of the community. Jordan is the Grants and Nonprofit Relations Director at Blue River Community Foundation, managing BRCF’s grant program, providing support to local nonprofits, and promoting catalytic philanthropy in Shelby County.

Guest Blogger

Emily Wood is a Central Indiana Land Trust member. She has a degree in Wildlife Biology from Ball State University and was formerly the executive director for the Indiana Wildlife Federation. Emily is an avid angler, hiker, photographer and conservation advocate.

Guest Blogger

Michael Homoya was a botanist and plant ecologist for the Indiana Department of Natural Resources Natural Heritage Program for 37 years prior to his retirement in 2019.

Guest Blogger

Mary Ellen Lennon is assistant professor of history at Marion University.

Guest Blogger

Ed Pope is a retired engineer from Rolls-Royce and a CILTI member since 2002.

President and CEO

As CILTI’s President and CEO, Cliff keeps CILTI’s focus on good science and stewardship. He’s mindful that the natural places you love took thousands of years to evolve and could be destroyed in a single day, and that knowledge drives his dedication to their protection.

Phone: 317.525.3329

Chief Operating Officer

Among her many key duties as Assistant Director, Stacy has the critical task of tracking our budget, making sure we channel donations for maximum efficiency. When her workday’s done, Stacy loves to spend time with her two young boys—and when not traveling, she’s likely planning the next travel adventure.

Phone: 317.441.0535

Board Chair

Vice Chair

Ryan C. Fuhrmann, CFA, is President and founder of Fuhrmann Capital LLC, an Indiana-based investment management firm focused on portfolio management. Ryan’s interest in land conservation centers around a desire to help preserve natural habitats for wildlife and the subsequent benefits it brings to people and the environment.

Treasurer

Secretary

Board member John Bacone retired in 2019 after 40 years as the Director of the Division of Nature Preserves with Indiana DNR. 

Board Member

Board Member

Board Member

Board Member

Ellen Jacquart was one of our organization’s founders. She spent her career managing natural areas in Indiana, working for the Department of Natural Resources, U.S. Forest Service, and The Nature Conservancy of Indiana before retiring in 2016.

Board Member

Joanna Nixon is the owner of Nixon Consulting, an Indianapolis-based strategy and project management firm focused on the nonprofit sector. She currently serves as the Philanthropic Advisor for the Efroymson Family Fund. Prior to opening her consulting practice in 2000, Joanna was vice-president for grantmaking at Central Indiana Community Foundation (CICF). Joanna has more than 25 years of experience in the nonprofit and arts and culture sector. She is passionate about the environment and loves bringing big ideas to life and creating high-quality arts and culture programs and experiences. Joanna enjoys outdoor adventures, including competing in fitness obstacle course races and hiking with her high energy Australian Cattle Dog, Jackson.

Board Member

Board member

Board Member

Board Member

Board Member

Board Member

Before retiring, CILTI board member Karen Wade worked for Eli Lilly & Co. In retirement she volunteers for a number of organizations, including the Indiana Master Naturalist program, Johnson County Native Plant Partnership CISMA, Meadowstone Therapeutic Riding Center, and Leadership Johnson County.

Board Member

Development Systems Manager

Born and raised in Central Illinois, David spent many days as a child wandering around the river, forest and lakes there. He works behind the scenes as a key member of our fundraising team. When not working, David loves to be outdoors hiking, fly fishing, kayaking or woodworking.

Phone: 217.778.9316

Birdscape Coordinator

Phone: 317.502.8496

Stewardship Specialist

Max is our newest member of the stewardship team, having served as a seasonal staffer the past few years. He previously worked with the DNR Division of Nature Preserves and the Indiana Heritage Data Center.

Phone: 317.525.3329

Stewardship Director

Jamison leads our stewardship team in caring for the land that is so important to you. He comes to our team after eight years as Bicycle and Pedestrian Coordinator for the city of Indianapolis, where his work had a positive impact from both health and environmental perspectives.

Phone: 406.546.7244

Media Relations

An award-winning communicator and recognized leader in Central Indiana’s public relations community, Jen helps us tell our story in the media. She is the founder of JTPR, which she and her husband John Thomas own together. She is accredited in public relations (APR) from the Public Relations Society of America, and loves to camp and hike in perfect weather conditions.

Phone: 317-441-2487

Communications Director

Shawndra’s earliest writing projects centered around the natural world, starting when a bird inspired her to write her first “book” in elementary school. Now she is in charge of sharing our story and connecting you to our work. Through our print and online materials, she hopes to inspire your participation in protecting special places for future generations.

Phone: 317.370.2464

Land Protection Director

Stephanie grew up spending part of each summer roaming the woods, beaches and sand dunes of Lake Michigan—an experience that gave her a lifelong love of the outdoors.

Phone: 317.631.5263

Team Coordinator

A native of Granger, Indiana, Melissa brings a strong academic administrative background to her role at CILTI. She keeps the team organized and efficient, so we can focus on saving more nature for future generations.

Phone: 773.350.9308

Stewardship Specialist

Phillip enjoys nature’s wonders from an up-close-and-personal perspective as he works to restore the natural places you love. As an AmeriCorps member in Asheville, NC, he had his first full immersion in relatively undisturbed land while reconstructing wilderness trails in National Parks and National Forests.

Phone: 574.286.9344