Planning

Andrea, a Drake University graduate (BA & MPA), believes that the outdoors and greenspaces are a vital element to all vibrant communities- some just don’t realize how much their daily routines include a connection to nature. No two days are ever the same as she spends her time either helping small towns work together to create multiuse trails as links between schools, parks, and neighborhoods OR building coalitions among agencies and organizations to leverage natural spaces to address larger community priorities. When not finding ways to bring people and nature together, Andrea spends her time with her husband, Nate, and her two young daughters exploring National Parks and relaxing with friends.

Born on an Air Base in Frankfurt Germany and at the age of 5 moved to Iowa. It was in Davenport Iowa that I met my future in laws who were enrolled members of the Santee Sioux Tribe of Nebraska but had made their home in Davenport. Here my mother-in-law instilled in me my lifelong work and love of research into Dakota history. She asked me to find archives with her Dakota ancestors names on them. Using what I learned from my parents skill set in genealogy and how to find historical archives I was off and running.

As the Assistant Preservation Officer at the Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribes Historic Preservation Office, I bring years of Dakota History knowledge to our office. Background research is a daily aspect of my work with FSST THPO specifically while completing 106 federal reviews. Our office is responsible for the identification, evaluation, protection, and preservation of historic and archaeological resources throughout FSST’ entire Dakota traditional lands in the United States.

FSST THPO believes that place matters not only to our office but to our relatives throughout the United States and Canada. Our goal is always to educate those who want to learn about Dakota history and find positive and unique ways in reaching that goal.

Founder/Director, Group Creative Services

Teva Dawson began her career path of invention by designing her own major in Environmental Education from Drake University, which led to the creation of Des Moines’s first Community Garden Program and Greater Des Moines’ first Water Trails and Greenways Plan. Teva invested 20 years fostering regional government collaboration, implementing civic engagement and integrated planning with cities around the themes of parks, transportation, resiliency and health. Teva founded Group Creative Services in 2018 to advance the role of artists in addressing community needs.

Rick Dietz retired from the City of Ames Electric Services in 2015 and volunteers for many organizations including Prairie Rivers, Story County Conservation, the Story County Sheriff’s Dive Team, N-Compass and Project AWARE, the Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation, the Iowa Wildlife Center, STAR 1 Search and Rescue, and the Iowa Department of Natural Resources Rivers Program.

He Attended Iowa State University (majoring in Horticulture) after getting an Associate Degree in Electronic Engineering Technology. His interest in prairies began as a volunteer at the Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge. Rick is a member of the Panora Conservation Chapter of the Izaak Walton League and the Iowa Environmental Council, a Recipient of INHF’s Hagie Heritage Award (2020), the Olav Smedal Conservation Award, and an IOWATER Volunteer of the Year Award (both in 2006)His public service includes serving in the Army National Guard from 1988-1993.

Rick and his wife Carol Hansell, both Iowa natives, live just north of Ames where their home overlooks prairie, woodlands, and the Skunk River Valley.

Corinne Erickson is the Regional Planning Manager at the Siouxland Interstate Metropolitan Planning Council (SIMPCO), serving the Siouxland Tristate area. She graduated from the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) in 2021 with a Master’s degree in Urban Planning and Policy, specializing in Environmental Planning. Prior to that, she earned a B.A. in Environmental Studies from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.

Corinne currently serves on the Environmental Advisory Board for Sioux City and represents SIMPCO on Sioux City’s Active Transportation Advisory Committee. Through these roles, she strives to contribute to sustainable and resilient community planning.

Corinne lives in Sioux City with her husband, their two-year-old daughter, and two cats. She enjoys spending time with her family, exploring the outdoors, and gardening.

Ben is a native of Atlanta, GA and the founder of PARKS360, a tech start-up focusing on data-driven solutions for managers of parks, rivers, and other protected areas. He is also the Chief Research Officer for TERRAIN360 which provides 360-imagery solutions and asset management for natural resource managers and digital experiences for recreationists. Through both companies, Ben has collaborated on projects with the National Park Service, Iowa DNR, Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District and other federal/state/local agencies. When he has time, he is a Ph.D. Candidate in the Parks, Conservation, and Outdoor Recreation program at South Carolina's Clemson University. His research centers on multi-method approaches to understanding human dimensions of natural resources, focused on water-based recreation planning, design, and visitor use management. In particular, he focuses on river management of water trail systems and river access planning, design, and monitoring. He has experience with quantitative, qualitative, virtual reality, 360-spherical imagery, visitor estimation, and applied GIS methods for parks and protected area management. His research experience includes working with the National Park Service, South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, the US Fish and Wildlife Service, River Management Society, Iowa DNR, and others. He holds certifications as a Part 107 Drone Pilot, Wilderness First Responder and Swiftwater Rescue IV as well as speaks Spanish and German somewhat decently. Ben is most happy when he is with his wife and two children, drinking coffee around a fire, flying, or floating down a GA river and making burritos on sandbars.

Claire Hruby joined Drake University's Department of Environmental Science and Sustainability in 2023 after 20 years working for the Iowa DNR. Dr. Hruby and her students are working in multiple watersheds around the state to identify sources of pollution, evaluate risks, and target solutions.

Just minutes after 6:00 am on Monday, December 14, 1953, Garrie Raymond Kills A Hundred was born to Henry and Margaret in Pine Ridge, SD. Garrie took his first steps in life being raised on a ranch in Red Shirt Table outside of Hermosa. From the east side of the ranch, you could see the Badlands, from the west side you could see the fossils, rose quartz as well as the Black Hills. It was here where he learned how to work, how to live, and how to eat. He chose mining as his trade, working at the Home State Gold Mine in Lead, SD. He later transferred to the Midnight Mines on the Spokane Indian Reservation near Spokane, WA. After his father’s death in 1983, he traveled and worked for various companies trucking goods through the Rocky Mountains, before returning home to mine pipestone from a quarry in Pipestone, MN. When the Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribal Historic position became available, he applied in hopes that his work could help unite tribes. It is a position he’s held since 2015. The unification of tribes across the United States is paramount to finding solutions of the problems that have surfaced in our society.

Kevin Mason is a rural and environmental historian of the American Midwest. After earning his PhD at Iowa State University, he served as an Associate Professor of History at Waldorf University. Mason will join the University of Northern Iowa in fall 2025 as an Assistant Professor of History. Mason also runs the digital humanities project Notes on Iowa, serves on the Board of Directors for Humanities Iowa, and serves on the Board of Trustees for the State Historical Society of Iowa. An award-winning author, Mason's forthcoming book on Iowa's human and environmental history is due out on Michigan State University Press in 2026.

Molly Wuebker, OTD, OTR/L, ADAC is a human-centered design consultant and occupational therapist specializing in accessible outdoor recreation. As founder of Uncurbed and Iowa Liaison for the Great Plains ADA Center, she leads innovative initiatives that integrate accessibility, usability, and sustainability. Molly currently directs the Better River Trails Experience Project in partnership with the Iowa DNR, creating evidence-based tools and site designs for accessible, inclusive, and sustainable river trails. Her work also includes co-designing award-winning park planning checklists, launching adaptive sports programs, and conducting accessibility assessments across Iowa. Her practice is rooted in participatory research and guided by the principle: “nothing about us without us.”