Mike Bauer received his Bachelor of Science in Education from Iowa State University and then went on to earn his Master of Science Degree in Education from Kansas State University in 1966. Mike began his 30-year career with Lockheed Martin in 1969. While with Lockheed Martin he developed and implemented Payroll and Human Resources Systems. He has also worked with the National Park Service at the St. Croix National Scenic River. Since 2001 Mike has been a Seasonal Park Ranger for Interpretation programs. He has been involved with Polk County’s Master Naturalist Program as well as the Master Gardeners Program. Michael is a lifetime Member of Friends of Interstate State Park, for which he served as president of for 6 years. He is presently the Financial Secretary of the Knights of Columbus and he is a member and former president of the Natural Alternative Food Co-op.
Liz Kepplinger, a Wisconsin native, was a helpful spark of energy and enthusiasm that catapulted Friends of Wisconsin State Parks into its largest fund-raising endeavor ever in 2006. She provided extremely vital support and materials to the Board of Directors as a volunteer and was the recipient of a Community Shares of Wisconsin Backyard Hero award as a result. Residing in Oregon, WI, she is an avid park user, gardener, and outdoor enthusiast who was also more than happy to assist with the indoor aspects of office administration and groundwork for this campaign. She loves to cross country ski, camp, and play outside with her kids, and truly sees our future protection of natural resources through their eyes and ears.
Bill Lunney has chaired and been on the Board of numerous conservation organizations, including the Dane County Parks Commission, the Natural Resources Foundation of Wisconsin, the Wisconsin Chapter of the Nature Conservancy, and co-founder of the Friends of Capitol Springs State Park. He was recently honored by the Natural Heritage Land Trust with its Lifetime Achievement Award for his work in conservation. Dane County also recently honored him by naming the county’s Land Stewardship Fund in his honor. Trained in the law, Bill is the semi-retired President of a computer business and a part-time computer instructor at Madison Area Technical College. He currently resides on Lake Waubesa with his wife, Judie.
Linda Lynch, a Wisconsin native, holds a B.S. in Chemistry and Math from the University of Wisconsin – LaCrosse. Linda worked for the WDNR in the air and hazardous waste programs and in environmental consulting for almost 20 years before venturing into electric/gas operations and maintenance. She owns a small farm near Ridgeway, Wisconsin and is an avid quilter and master gardener. She is currently the President of the Friends of the Military Ridge State Trail and has been active in the Friends organization since its incorporation in 1987.
Todd Montgomery has been a board member since 1996 and served as President of the FWSP Board from 1996-2003. He resides in Milwaukee with his wife and family and is a current and past member of numerous community organizations, including the Navy League of Wisconsin, Rotary Club of Milwaukee, and the DNR Blue Ribbon Task Force on the future of the State’s Parks. Todd is also currently a Board member for the USO of Wisconsin and Chair of the Sponsorship Committee of the Commissioning Committee for the USS Freedom LCS1. He is the current President of the Friends of Lakeshore State Park.
Rick Patzke earned a B.A. in news-editorial journalism at UW-Madison in 1987 and began his journalism career as a reporter and photorapher in Fort Morgan, CO. Rick is now the Chief Operating Officer of USA Curling, the national governing body for this Olympic winter sport. Previously he worked as a Press Officer for the U.S. Olympic Committee at the 1998, 2002 and 2006 Olympic Winter Games. Rick is a member of the Friends of Hartman Creek State Park and has served on its Board of Directors since approximately 1993 and as president from 2002-06. He has been involved in many projects at Hartman Creek, among them producing the annual park summer newspaper for the last several years. Rick lives with his wife and three children in the countryside near Waupaca, adjacent to Hartman Creek State Park.
Waldo Peterson is a local member of the Friends of Mirror Lake and president of the Mirror Lake Association. He is a retired Lt. Colonel of the U.S. Army and former president of Insurance and Financial Services of WI. He received a B.S. from the University of Illinois and is certified by the American College as a Chartered Life Underwriter and Chartered Financial Consultant. He served on the Governor's State Park Centennial Commission, serves on the Seth Peterson Cottage Conservancy’s Board of Directors, and is a member of the Citizens Advisory Committee for Hunting in State Parks. Waldo is the 1998 Recipient of the Department of Natural Resources Special Appreciation Award and is involved with the Friends of Mirror Lake State Park and the Mirror Lake Association.
Jan Primus is currently the President of the Friends of Mirror Lake State Park. She has been camping at Mirror Lake State Park since the early 1980s and has been part of the Friends group for the past 5 years. Jan is a tax consultant at Suby VanHaden & Associates in Madison and has worked there for the past 15 years. Before that, she was the Director of Operations for the Graduate School of Banking at UW-Madison for 18 years. Jan is very active at Bethel Area Lutheran Church in Madison and is currently the Secretary for the Bethel Community Foundation.
Michael Raymaker is currently co-chairing the second and most successful campaign for the Heritage Hill Foundation. The campaign will draw $2.5 million at its completion. He was originally on the planning committee to establish Heritage Hill State Park and assisted with forming the Heritage Hill Foundation. He has since served in all officer positions. Over the years the Foundation has provided in excess of $5 million in donations to the property and currently holds a principle just over $5 million. Mike also served on the board of the Green Bay Botanical Garden, Brown County Historical Society, the Green Bay Community Foundation, and was an endowment trustee for Cerebral Palsy, Inc. Recently, the Wisconsin DNR presented an Appreciation Award to him for advocacy work. He recently retired from Smith Barney where he worked for 35 years. He is married with two adult children and an Irish setter.
Jack Travis is a founding FWSP member and has served as the Vice President since the beginning. He is the President of the Newport Wilderness Society and serves on its Executive committee. He is the former president of the Friends of Lapham Peak and a retired Geology professor at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. He is the former President/Ceo of Geo Environmental Consultants and currently resides in Ellison Bay.
John Wald recently retired after contributing 33 ½ years of service to the DNR at the Pike Lake Unit of the Kettle Moraine State Forest. He currently resides in Hartford with his wife, April, and son, Christopher. He serves on the board of the Hartford Lions and is involved with the Friends of Pike Lake (which he helped found as the Superintendent at the Forest). In his spare time, John enjoys golfing and the outdoors, and loves bike rides on railroad grades (especially state trails). John is also involved with the Friends of Horicon Marsh.
Jon Warren retired in 2000 after decades of employment at the DNR. He was a State Park Manager for 10 years at High Cliff State Park and then moved on to a position as a DNR Area Director for the Madison area, where he managed parks and other areas in Dane, Jefferson, and Rock County for 10 years. Most recently, before retiring Jon was the Administrative Section Chief of the Bureau of Forestry, where he worked with topics ranging from personnel to IT to budget issues to training. He has lived in Fitchburg with his wife since 1978 and has 3 children and 3 adult grandchildren.
Mike Willman served over 35 years with the State of Wisconsin. Mike began his career at Point Beach State Forest in Two Rivers, moved on to Pattison State Park in Superior, Wyalusing State Park in Bagley, and then Council Grounds State Park in Merrill, where he also oversaw Rib Mountain State Park. At Council Grounds, Mike was a driving force in initiating the Volunteer Campground Host Program, soliciting local advertisers to pay for the cost of publishing the Park Visitor, providing year-round candlelight skiing and walking events, obtaining a substantial Wisconsin Public Service grant for solar lighting, and conducting an annual visitor appreciation day. He has spent the last several years as a City Council member in Merrill and is now the Chair. He is now enjoying his retirement in Merrill with his wife and is still involved with the Friends of Council Grounds State Park.
