Staff and Collaborators

Joe Brekke

Joe is a Master Teacher and Student Adviser in English at Ames High School. He works with students to develop multimedia presentations of their projects and provides coaching, feedback, and development for other teachers.

Mike Todd

Mike teaches science at Ames High School, where he's been since 2006.  His innovative teaching methods engage his students in student-driven, community-based Environmental Impact Projects that work to transform the environment, community member mindsets, and the students. 

Chad Zmolek

Chad is a 17 year veteran at Ames High School, where he teaches economics, sociology, and government. Chad holds an M.S. in water resources from Iowa State University.

Melissa Miller

As associate director of the Iowa Water Center, Melissa builds relationships across Iowa to bridge gaps between research and practice for local water resource management. She holds an M.S. in

community development with a focus in natural resource management.

Pat Sauer

Pat has directed the Iowa Stormwater Education Partnership since 2005.

She has over 15 years of experience providing training and technical support on urban stormwater management in Iowa. She also organizes and conducts a wide range of stormwater training programs statewide.

Mary Skopec

Mary is the executive director of the Iowa Lakeside Laboratory Regents Resource Center, a position she took in 2016 after 16 years with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. At Lakeside, Mary has a multitude of duties, from research to administrative. She focuses on expanding the academic curriculum and increasing student reach at Lakeside’s immersive laboratory campus.