NAISMA’s Staff members provide a dynamic range of skills, experience and expertise toward invasive species management programs across North America.

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Belle Bergner

Belle Bergner

Executive Director
Belle oversees the management and financial stability of the organization, identifies new and creative ways to fulfill NAISMA’s mission, ensures that activities align with the Board of Directors’ goals and organization strategic plan, and supports the organization culture.

David Diaz

Director of Development
David works with individuals, foundations, and corporations to help ensure that the important mission of NAISMA is funded and sustained.
Elizabeth

Elizabeth Brown

Director of Government Relations and Professional Development
Elizabeth leads NAISMA’s science policy and advocacy efforts, as well as overseeing certification and professional development programs. She serves as the key liaison between NAISMA and many allied groups and is the lead coordinator for National Invasive Species Awareness Week (NISAW).

Kim Kelly

Director of Marketing, Membership & Communications
Kim joined NAISMA in 2019 to grow membership and marketing efforts. Since that time, she’s redesigned the member and partner options, implemented marketing strategy across the association, launched members-only networking via the First Fridays series, and grown membership nearly 300%. Kim has more than 13 years experience in non-profit and association management. She loves mission-focused work and helping organizations craft their messages through writing and design. In 2016, Kim was named a Forty Under 40 recipient by the Association Forum and USAE for her contributions to the association industry. Kim earned the American Society of Association Executive’s (ASAE) Certified Association Executive credential (CAE) in 2016 and launched her consulting business, Kim Kelly Consulting, in 2017. When Kim isn’t helping organizations grow, you’ll find her in the suburbs of Chicago teaching her sons about seed collection in her native Midwest prairie garden. She’s a tennis player, runner, crocheter, and chardonnay drinker.

Krista Lutzke

PlayCleanGo Program Manager

As the PlayCleanGo manager Krista aims to include recreationists in the conversation of invasive species prevention and share the easy ways each of them can become land stewards in their own right.

Before becoming the PlayCleanGo Program Manager she served as Conservationist with the Door County Soil & Water Conservation Department where she fostered multijurisdictional partnerships, the introduction of local invasive species policies and cost-share programs, and providing invasive species education and outreach. Krista’s natural resources career began with the Wisconsin DNR in the Natural Heritage Conservation Bureau protecting and monitoring rare and endangered species through invasive species management and later as the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative’s Phragmites australis Project Coordinator.

Krista holds degrees in Landscape/Horticulture and Environmental Policy and is a Wisconsin certified Plant Health Specialist.

Molly Bodde

Event and Outreach Manager

Molly joined us in January of 2020 and brings with her experience in both aquatic invasive species and an administrative background in the public sector. She started her journey in invasive species work in the summer of 2018 as watercraft inspector on Lake Michigan. Molly has an MS in Sustainable Management from UW-Oshkosh, and a BS in Environmental Sciences from UW-Madison.

Molly is settled in the Driftless region of Wisconsin where she is helping with the operation of her partner’s sustainable produce farm.

Tina Casagrand

Communications Manager
Tina combines her lifelong love of ecology and writing to edit NAISMA’s blog, website, and other program literature. She also helps coordinate the committee on Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility. She has worked with NAISMA since 2019.

John Stabinger

Website, LMS, and Marketing Admin
John supports and develops NAISMA’s web properties, online learning systems and digital marketing.

Elaine Meier

Administrative Support Specialist
Elaine is the newest member to join NAISMA staff she does everything from survey design, membership relations, and administrative support for the Weed Free Products program. She worked for Wisconsin state government for many years and now transitioned to pursue her passion to protect the environment.
 
Elaine has an MS in Sustainable Management from UW-Green Bay and a BA in Sociology from UW-Madison.
 
Elaine enjoys biking, running, walking and skiing – basically anything in the outdoors. She lives on Lake Monona with her family and volunteers as a lake monitor to help protect the Yahara Chain of Lakes.

Shay Cole

Accounting Asst. & Store Coordinator
Shay provides support with NAISMA’s accounting and PlayCleanGo Store coordination.
Vanesa Padilla

Vanesa Padilla

Program Assistant

Vanesa works on a little bit of everything at NAISMA! From record keeping, program communications, product shipping, and bookkeeping, Vanesa keeps us all together on one ship.

Vanesa was born in Palm Springs, California and raised in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Vanesa is a student at Alverno College, studying Business Management. She is interested in pursuing a MBA and enjoys reading in her free time.

NAISMA is an Equal Opportunity Employer

NAISMA does not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy and gender identity), national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, retaliation, parental status, military service, or other non-merit factor.