Board of Directors

State Representative (Illinois)

Tony Lazzara is an associate consultant and project manager at Davey Resource Group (DRG), with over five years of experience in ecology and botany. His passion for the outdoors has led him to develop expertise in plant identification, herbicide application, invasive species management, and advanced restoration techniques. With strong skills in team leadership and equipment operation, Tony’s deep understanding of Midwestern ecosystems positions him as a valuable asset in managing complex ecological initiatives and driving successful restoration projects.  

State Representative (Minnesota)

Nikki McDermond-Spies is an Environmental Specialist with Hakanson Anderson Associates. Nikki has over eight years of experience working on and managing ecological restoration projects in Minnesota and Iowa. She holds a BA in Biology from Luther College. Nikki currently works with a focus on wetland conservation and restoration. She has led a variety of projects that prioritize protecting and enhancing resilient natural landscapes in many different ecosystem types. She has a diverse background working with invasive species management, habitat restoration, water quality, and biological monitoring. Before focusing on ecological restoration Nikki did multiple internships in marine biology and has worked with the Conservations Corps of MN & IA and the IA DNR before moving to the private sector. She holds many certifications in her field including being a MN Wetland Professional in Training.

Dr. Keith Summerville received his undergraduate degree in environmental science from Westminster College, PA in 1995.  Keith spent over a year working as a field ecologist for the Nature Conservancy, Michigan Chapter before attending Miami University (Ohio) to complete his Ph.D. Keith has since been on the faculty and involved in various administrative and leadership roles at Drake University (Des Moines, Iowa) since 2002.  Keith is currently Levitt Distinguished Professor of Environmental Science and Director of the Jay N. Darling Institute for Rural Sustainability.  His teaching interests include restoration ecology, conservation biology, field zoology, and quantitative ecology.  His research focuses on developing sustainable management frameworks for forests and prairie systems in North America and western Rwanda.  He serves as the Editor-in-Chief for the Journal of the Lepidopterists’ Society and has been on the Board of the SER Midwest and Great Lakes Chapter since 2016.  He currently chairs the Board’s Development Committee.

Contact: keith.summerville@gmail.com

State Representative (Michigan)

Brian Majka is a Senior Restoration Ecologist with GEI Consultants in Allendale, Michigan. Brian has worked for over 20 years with the planning, design, and implementation of ecological restoration projects throughout the Great Lakes. He specializes in the integration of ecology and engineering, leading to the restoration of freshwater aquatic systems including streams, Great Lakes coastal wetlands, and inland lakes. He has helped develop and teach nature-based shoreline restoration programs, decision tools,  and technical resources for the states of Michigan, Ohio, and New York.  Brian has a bachelor’s degree in Natural Resources and Environmental Science from Purdue University.

Contact: bmajka@geiconsultants.com

State Representative (Indiana)

Jeremy Weber is a senior restoration specialist for Davey Resource Group (DRG). Jeremy has more than 20 years of experience in both the public and private sectors around the Midwest and Northern Rockies. He has worked in industry, universities, and state and county agencies on projects in arboriculture and landscaping, many ecological restoration projects,  prescribed burns, vegetation assessments, management of nature parks, community and resource planning, and adult education and youth development.

Contact: weberjs@hotmail.com

State Representative (Ohio)

Kevin Ptacek is a project manager for the ecological consulting services offered by Davey Resource Group’s Southern Ohio office. Kevin is experienced in creating site-specific integrated vegetation management (IVM) plans to ensure long-term control of invasive species and develops restoration planting plans primarily for stream and wetland restoration projects.

Contact: kevin.ptacek@metroparks.org

State Representative (Wisconsin)

Brad Herrick is the Ecologist and Research Program Manager at the University of Wisconsin-Madison Arboretum. He holds a BA in Biology from Luther College, MS in Environmental Science and Policy from the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay and is currently a PhD student in the Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies at UW-Madison. He has over 17 years of experience conducting and monitoring restoration projects. His favorite project has been collaborating with colleagues to maintain the biodiversity of the oldest restored prairie in the world, the Arboretum’s Curtis Prairie. Recently he has been studying the population dynamics and ecological impacts of a new group of non-native, invasive earthworms called “jumping worms”.

Contact: bradley.herrick@wisc.edu

Christian Lenhart has served on the SER Board since 2010 and has been President since 2020. He has contributed to many different chapter activities including co-authoring the book Ecological Restoration in the Midwest: Past, Present and Future and helped to promote indigenous engagement and learning activities through a chapter grant from SER Global. He also helped run SER’s Certified Ecological Restoration Practitioner (CERP) for one year. Originally from Defiance, Ohio He has degrees from Notre Dame, the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the University of Minnesota. Chris has been a research professor with the Biproduct & Biosystems Engineering (BBE) Department at the University of Minnesota since 2010. He also works with The Nature Conservancy’s Minnesota-ND-SD chapter as a restoration  scientist. Chris’s work has focused on treatment wetlands, stream restoration and water quality management, ranging from implementation of projects to research. He co-teaches two classes at the University of Minnesota in BBE and has over 25 academic publications. He has co-authored several widely-used management guides including the 2019 Aquatic Organism Passage Handbook for the Minnesota Department of Transportation. Chris lives with his family in Roseville, Minnesota and enjoys cross-country skiing and native landscaping.

Contact: lenh0010@umn.edu

Martha Holzheuer is the owner of Nature Niche, a nature-focused gift and supply store in Midland, MI.  She spent ~15 years working as a landscape ecologist and environmental consultant, specializing in threatened and endangered species protection, native plant design, invasive species management, wildlife habitat enhancement, and ecological restoration.  Before that, she taught woody plants field labs while securing dual Masters Degrees in Terrestrial Ecology and Landscape Architecture at the School of Natural Resources and Environment at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.  She’s a Certified Ecological Restoration Practitioner, Professional Landscape Architect registered in Michigan, Certified Ecologist, and Certified Arborist. She loves botanizing and gardening with native plants, nature photography and art, helping people connect with nature, strategizing to protect rare species, gift giving, and making people happy.

Contact: naturenichemi@gmail.com

Trevor Edmonson is Site Manager for The Nature Conservancy at the 8,000 acre Kankakee Sands Preserve In Indiana.  Before that he worked in the Chicago area for 7 years as Project Manager for The Wetlands Initiative.  He enjoys nature writing, macro photography, sheet lighting, and spending time with his wife and 2 kids.

Contact: trevor.edmonson@tnc.org.

At Large Representative

Most recently Fred Van Dyke has served as Executive Director of the Au Sable Institute from 2011-2020 (Michigan, USA), a private, faith-based organization in conservation and an international voice for the Christian community in conservation efforts. At Au Sable Fred developed conservation curricula for college students throughout North America, as well as research collaborations with government, industry, and Native American Tribal Nations. In academia, Fred served as Chair of the Department of Biology and Director of the Environmental Studies Program at Wheaton College (Illinois). At state, national, and international levels, Fred has been a wildlife biologist in Montana, a consultant to the US National Park Service, and a contributor to the United Nations Development Programme in ecological restoration. With industry, Fred has been a consultant to energy companies on both forest and wildlife conservation. His writings in conservation research, conservation education, and environmental ethics have been published in numerous journals and books, and his textbook, Conservation Biology (Springer 2020), now in its third edition, is used globally by students in the study of conservation. Currently Fred serves as the Director of Achievement Consulting, providing counsel and services in leadership and professional development, construction of academic curricular, strategic planning, and research design and publication. He is also an Associate Consultant of Greenpesa, a sustainability “think & do” firm providing practical solutions to the most intricate environmental & human development challenges of our time – energy, water, and food production.