Scott Strand, Executive Director

Scott Strand joined MCEA as executive director in December 2009.

Strand was an attorney at the Minnesota Attorney General's office for 17 years, rising from special assistant attorney general to deputy counsel. He left in 1999, joining the firm of Robins, Kaplan, Miller & Ciresi as general litigation partner where he worked for seven years. In 2006, he opened his own private practice and had done extensive pro bono work for MCEA before he was selected as the new executive director.

Jim Erkel, Land Use and Transportation Director

Jim helped to establish and directs MCEA’s Land Use and Transportation Program. Before coming to MCEA, he served as the Director of Land Protection for the Minnesota Chapter of The Nature Conservancy. Prior to that, he was a senior attorney practicing energy and environmental law for a natural-resource-based corporation in Los Angeles, California.  Jim's professional affiliations include the American Bar Association, the Minnesota State Bar Association, the Urban Land Institute, and the American Planning Association. He also helped to establish and served on the Boards of Directors of the Minnesota Land Trust and Envision Minnesota and served on the Board of Directors of the Land Stewardship Project.  Jim earned his J.D. from Loyola Law School, Los Angeles, and his B.A. from the UCLA.

 Beth Goodpaster, Clean Energy Program Director

Beth joined MCEA in February 2003. An attorney by background, Beth was previously in private practice with Leonard, Street and Deinard, primarily representing natural gas and electric energy suppliers. She also represented local government units and environmental nonprofits in energy matters when she practiced at the law firm of O’Neill, Grills & O’Neill.

Before she obtained her law degree, Beth worked with the Environmental Law and Policy Center of the Midwest and the Minnesota Public Interest Research Group. Beth earned her J.D. from the University of Minnesota Law School, and her B.A. in English, magna cum laude, from Macalester College. Email Beth or call her at (651) 287-4880.

 Leah Harms, Legal Secretary

 Leah joined MCEA in November of 2012. Leah graduated with high honors from the Minnesota School of Business with a bachelor's degree in Paralegal Studies. Leah has a passion for the environment and a desire to ensure our earth remains beautiful and sustainable for future generations to come. Leah brings to MCEA a high level of competence, enthusiasm, and compassion. She lives in Chaska with her significant other, Tim. Email Leah or call her at (651) 287-4868.

 Kathryn Hoffman, Staff Attorney

Kathryn joined MCEA in December 2010 as staff attorney and works to support energy, mining and water quality issues.   A 2006 graduate of the University of Minnesota Law School, Kathryn comes to MCEA with a background in litigation and nonprofit advocacy work. Kathryn brings a passion for how science, technology and law come together to make MCEA a strong advocate for environmental protections. In addition to her J.D., Kathryn also holds a Masters in Public Policy with a focus on science, technology and the environment from the Hubert H. Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs. Email Kathryn or call her at (651) 287-4863.

 Joan Johnson, Finance Director

Joan joined MCEA in May 2011 as our Finance Director. She brings a diverse set of business and nonprofit financial leadership skills to the organizations with experience in public accounting, banking, insurance, information techonology services and community health services. At MCEA her responsibilities include financial management and operations, accounting, budget, audit and financial reporting.

Joan is a CPA (license inactive) and has a B.A. degree in Accounting from Southwest Minnesota State University. She earned her M.B.A. from the University of Minnesota Carlson School of Management. Joan and her husband, Stuart, live in the Macalaster Groveland neighborhood of St. Paul. Joan volunteers as a board member with Open Cities Health Center in St. Paul and enjoys the opportunity to use her background to support community and environmental health programs. Email Joan or call her at (651) 287-4867.

 Christine Lee, Communications and Development Associate

Christine joined MCEA in May of 2011 as the Communications and Development Associate. She graduated from the University of Minnesota with a degree in Environmental Sciences, Policy and Management.

She has also experience with Friends of the Mississippi River, the Minnesota Environmental Partnership, Conservation Minnesota, Do It Green! Minnesota, and with two research projects at the University of Minnesota Department of Forest Resources: one focusing on woody biomass policy and one on nutrient flow within households. Email Christine or call her at (651) 287-4870.

 Karen Moss, Office Manager

Karen joined MCEA in April 2011 with more than 16 years of experience providing office management and administrative support in nonprofit organizations. She is responsible for administrative support to the staff and the Board of Directors, accounting and bookkeeping, human resource functions, office operations and information technology. Karen brings to MCEA a high level of organization and energy. She graduated Phi Theta Kappa from Inver Hills Community College with a major in Human Resource Management. Email Karen or call her at (651) 287-4860.

 Kevin Reuther, Legal Director

Kevin joined MCEA as a staff attorney in 2005. He became Legal Director in 2008.

Kevin spent his legal career as a public interest advocate. Prior to joining MCEA, he was an attorney with the Legal Aid Society of Minneapolis, where he worked on housing discrimination, public benefits for low income and disabled people, and predatory lending litigation. His work experience includes a year at the Hennepin County Public Defender and clerking for Judge Harriet Lansing on the Minnesota Court of Appeals. Kevin graduated from Harvard Law School. He has an M.A. in Political Science from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a B.A. from Concordia College-Moorhead in Political Science and German.

Kevin lives in Minneapolis with his partner, Gerry Tyrrell, and their kids, Dylan and Ada, and dog, Udo. Email Kevin or call him at (651) 287-4861.

Annie Sarver-Bodoh, Development Director

Annie is a longtime development officer in the Twin Cities with more than twenty years of fundraising experience.  Her areas of expertise include donor cultivation, corporate and foundation giving, special event management, and strategic planning.  Additionally, Annie has a long background in marketing communications including the development of brand architecture, key messaging, print and electronic communications.  She earned her B.A. from the University of Notre Dame. Email Annie or call her at (651) 287-4871.

Michael Schmidt, Water Quality Program Associate

Mike is an attorney who has participated in several major evaluations of environmental programs while at MCEA. He has authored comments on wastewater permits and water cleanup plans, helped write MCEA's petition to correct the state's Clean Water Act program, and assisted in defending state laws that protect clean water. Mike attended the University of Minnesota Law School, where he graduated cum laude. He interned at the U.S. Department of Justice Environment and Natural Resources Division in the Environmental Enforcement Section. Mike earned his undergraduate degree in political science at the University of Iowa, graduating with honors. Email Michael or call him at (651) 287-4866.

Kris Sigford, Water Quality Program Director

Kris is MCEA’s senior policy advocate with over 30 years of experience working on natural resource issues. Kris directs a comprehensive program aimed at improving water quality through full implementation of federal and state water quality law, adequate funding of water quality improvements, and innovative approaches to control agricultural sources of sediment and nutrients to freshwater systems and the Gulf of Mexico.  

Kody Thurnau, GIS Specialist
Kody joined MCEA in July of 2012 as the GIS Specialist. He received his Masters in Geographic Information Science from the University of Minnesota and a B.A. in Geography from the University of Minnesota – Duluth.

Prior to joining MCEA, Kody worked in transportation planning for the Metropolitan Interstate Council in Duluth, MN. He also worked for the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency in its Superfund Division working on projects such as U.S. Steel Superfund Site in Duluth, MN and the St. Louis River Area of Concern. Kody has also sat on the Minnesota Statewide Geospatial Advisory Council and served as the coordinator for the Northern Minnesota GIS Users Group.

He lives in St. Paul with his girlfriend and two year-old Vizsla, Oz. Email Kody or call him at (651) 287-4883.

Allison Wolf, Legislative Director

Allison Wolf joined MCEA as Legislative Director in October 2005. She served as Senate Counsel from 1983 to 1994 and has also worked for The Nature Conservancy, the Minnesota Justice Foundation, the US Office of Personnel Management, and as a legislative assistant in the US Senate.

A native of Northfield, Minnesota, Allison lives in Minneapolis with her two children, Claire and Eliot, and her husband, Jerry Wilhelm. She is a graduated of Carleton College and obtained a law degree from Washington University in St. Louis. Email Allison or call her at (651) 287-4882.