Staff

Shannon is Program Associate at the Great Lakes Protection Fund and is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the Fund’s grant-making program. She is responsible for interacting with existing and potential grantees, coordinating grant requests, reviewing reports, maintaining the Fund’s grants management system, and drafting recommendations for staff and board action.

Prior to joining the Fund, Shannon spent over ten years working as an environmental scientist and project manager for several large environmental and engineering consulting firms. She has an environmental science degree and a Masters in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, both from the University of Kansas.

Bob is Director of Finance & Administration at the Great Lakes Protection Fund, the nation’s first ecosystem endowment. He leads the staff team that is responsible for finance, investment, accounting, facilities, human resources management, and support of program activities.

Bob has held senior positions with a trade association and a multi-site social service agency, and with consulting and telecommunications firms in the private sector. He has extensive experience in corporate finance, treasury, investment and risk management. He is co-founder of the CFO Roundtable, a networking group of senior financial managers of nonprofit organizations in the Chicago metropolitan area. He earned his Bachelor’s degree at Michigan State University, and his Master’s in Management from the Kellogg School at Northwestern University.

Amy is the Fund’s Communications Administrator. She has worked with Fund staff in many capacities including oversight roles in office management, information technology and communications. Currently she is focusing on developing, maintaining, and improving the Fund’s website.

Amy’s background includes experience in environmental consulting, cartography, administration and theatre management. She has worked for a variety of organizations including Hey and Associates, Inc., Northwestern University, and the Steppenwolf Theatre. She holds a BFA from Stephens College and is proud to have grown up near the shores of Lake Michigan.   

Mariela Lawrence is the Office Administrator at the Great Lakes Protection Fund. She handles a wide variety of responsibilities related to administrative operations, information management, event management, and communications.

Prior to joining the Fund, Mariela served as a concierge for Jones Lang LaSalle, providing corporate and personal support services to clients in major cities around the country. She also held the Director of Tenant Services position with Jones Lang LaSalle in their commercial property management division.

Janis is Office Manager at the Great Lakes Protection Fund. Janis works closely with all Fund staff to provide a wide variety of duties related to office management, event management, and administrative operations.

Prior to her work at the Fund, Janis held management positions at a variety of non-profit organizations, including the North Suburban YMCA and Remains Theatre. Most recently, Janis supervised administrative services at the corporate headquarters of a nationwide firm of engineers and architects. Janis earned a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre/Drama from Lawrence University in Appleton, Wisconsin.

David is Vice President of Programs at the Great Lakes Protection Fund. He leads the staff team that designs the Fund’s initiatives, develops and reviews project proposals, and manages the Fund’s portfolio of supported projects.

David has also held senior positions with The Nature Conservancy, USEPA, and state environmental protection agencies. He has negotiated international conservation agreements, testified as an expert witness in environmental litigation, designed new conservation and environmental protection programs, and drafted environmental laws and regulations. His environmental science degree was earned at Miami University. His Masters in Business Administration was awarded with High Honors from the University of Chicago.

Russ Van Herik is the Executive Director of the Great Lakes Protection Fund. He is responsible for ensuring that the Board of Directors has an optimal array of ideas, money, talent, strategies and operational capacity to accomplish the Fund’s mission. He is fond of quoting one of the Great Lakes Governors who described the mission of the Protection Fund this way:  “Your job is straightforward—figure out what the biggest Great Lakes problems are going to be, and solve them.”

He grew up in Minnesota, received a BA in English and History from Beloit College, a law degree from the University of Wisconsin, and a Captain’s license from the Coast Guard. In addition to law practice in civil, criminal and environmental litigation, he was a senior instructor for the Outward Bound Schools, and he held executive positions with The Nature Conservancy in Washington DC, Wisconsin, Minnesota, and California.