Richard Spain, President
Born and raised on the North Shore of Chicago, Rick was more familiar with the rural towns and resorts of Wisconsin until friends introduced him to Southwest Michigan in the 1980s. Nearly 40 years later, the decision to buy a small former fruit farm in Harbert has proved to be a perfect choice; a relaxing counterpart to his busy law practice in Chicago. Rick received his undergraduate degree from Lawrence University in Appleton, Wisconsin; he then went on to get his J.D degree from Case Western Reserve University and an LL.M.-Taxation degree from John Marshall Law School in Chicago. He is dedicated to the mission of Chikaming Open Lands, and donated a conservation easement to COL on 14 acres of the Harbert property. Rick has long been involved in various charitable organizations in Chicago, currently serving as Board President of The Old Masters Society at The Art Institute.
Emily Coolidge, Vice President
Emily has spent her summers in Lakeside since 1971. Growing up her family moved quite often, and Lakeside was a consistent place in her life and a place where she feels deeply connected. Emily graduated from DePauw University and worked in fundraising and development for Ravinia and The Three Arts Club of Chicago. Emily, her husband, and her four daughters have continued the tradition of moving around; in 2012, compelled to lay down roots for her own family, they purchased a home in Buchanan, Michigan. Emily is a 200-hour Certified Yoga Teacher and has been teaching yoga and meditation since 2014. With her deep connection to Southwest Michigan, Emily is committed to COL’s mission of preserving and protecting the natural beauty of the area.
Chris Pfauser, Secretary
Chris and his husband, Rob Gow, had been visiting New Buffalo for more than five years before they found just the right second home on the Galien River Marsh back in 2002. After living in Chicago and Evanston, IL for over 20 years, in 2008 they made New Buffalo their full-time home to enjoy the wildlife and the local communities of SW Michigan. Chris grew up in Wisconsin where he graduated from the University of Wisconsin with a BA in Communications. He has been working in information technology and management consulting for more than 30 years with ISG, AT Kearney, EDS and Deloitte, while also working with Rob, who runs their real estate business affiliated with Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Chicago. He has been a member of other boards including University of Wisconsin Alumni Club of Chicago, Vital Bridges, and the Victory Fund Campaign Board. Chris enjoys walking the beach with their two Labrador Retrievers, kayaking, hiking, boating and travelling the world.
Ted Flint, Treasurer
Ted was born and raised in the Chicago area and spent 40 years working in banking and investment management in Chicago before retiring in 2021. Ted and his wife, Sharon, bought their first home in Harbert in 2012, getting involved with COL in 2014 and again in 2021, helping to create the Harbert Road preserves. Ted and Sharon moved to Michigan full-time in early 2023 after purchasing a new home in New Buffalo Township. Ted has his undergraduate and MBA from the University of Illinois and is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA). Ted is committed to COL’s mission of preserving the wildlife and natural areas of SW Michigan and enjoys riding his bicycle around the area.
Ellen Alberding, Director
Kate Bensen, Director
Kate Bensen discovered and fell in love with Harbor Country in 2005. After renting in the area for several years, in 2011 she moved into her newly built home in Bridgman. In 2020 she happily became a Michigan resident. She received her AB in Economics from the University of Chicago and her JD from Loyola University of Chicago School of Law. After practicing law for many years as a public and corporate finance partner at Schiff Hardin LLP (now ArentFox Schiff), Kate embarked on a new chapter and retired as CEO of the Chicago Network in 2020. She is passionate about land conservation and enjoys hiking COL’s many preserves. Kate serves on the boards of nonprofits and a family owned manufacturing company. She and her husband have four young grandchildren.
Lee Bloom, Director
Lee Bloom and his wife, Lisa, call the Chicago suburb of Wilmette home but also cherish their connection to Southwest Michigan with a residence in The Preserve community of New Buffalo. Lee holds an MBA degree with concentrations in Finance and Accounting and a BSBA degree in Accounting from Washington University in St. Louis. Lee's professional expertise lies in financial advising, particularly with Employee Stock Ownership Plans (ESOPs), a service he provides through his firm, Aldine Advisors LLC. His work also includes litigation support and expert witness services related to ESOPs. Prior to establishing his own firm, Lee spent over 22 years at Duff & Phelps Inc. Beyond his professional life, Lee and Lisa actively enjoy the natural beauty of Michigan through activities such as biking, hiking the Chikaming Open Lands trails, and kayaking on the Galien River. They are also enthusiastic about the culinary offerings of Granor Farms. Their son, Max, lives in Utah. Currently, Lee is also pursuing his interest in aviation by working towards his Private Pilot certification.
Robin Carroll, Director
Mary K. Kelly, Director
Mary K. has spent most summers of her life in Southwest Michigan. She and her husband put down permanent roots in the area in 1999 with the purchase of a home in Harbert. Mary K. first worked with Chikaming Open Lands in 2014 and 2021 as part of a successful preservation effort to create the Harbert Road Preserves. A graduate of Loyola University School of Law, Mary K. was a trial lawyer in Chicago for over thirty years. Upon her retirement as a partner at Perkins Coie, LLP, she has continued to practice law on a pro bono basis with The Pro Bono Network, Legal Aid Chicago, and the Illinois High School Mock Trial Competition. Mary K. and her husband are the proud parents of four grown daughters and seven grandchildren.
Brooke Long, Director
Brooke grew up in a small lakeside town in mid-eastern Michigan. She went to engineering school at the University of Michigan, where she met her husband, Stephen. After graduating, she spent 13 years working in finance in New York City and London. Brooke and her husband bought a cabin in the woods near Lake Michigan in 2019 and learned about Chikaming Open Lands from her neighbors soon after. Brooke is passionate about balancing development with conservation and preserving land for future generations.
Mary Strahota, Director
Mary is originally from a rural area in Southwest Wisconsin and has always loved the outdoors. After graduating from University of Wisconsin with a BA in Psychology, Mary moved to Chicago where she spent 35 years in sales and sales management for large insurance companies. In 1980, she came with her bicycle to ride in the Apple Cider Century, and has now participated in 37 ACC rides. The beauty of the area was so appealing that Mary bought a weekend home in Sawyer in 2001, and has made it her permanent residence since retiring in 2016. She would love to see the beauty and natural habitats in our area preserved for future generations to enjoy. Mary is still an avid cyclist along with enjoying her garden, hiking, cross-country skiing, traveling, and studying literature.
Mark Seaman, Director
Mark is a life-long Michigander. Raised in Alpena, a small northern Michigan town, Mark has since spent most of his life in Southwest Michigan and currently resides in St. Joseph with his wife, Kate. He received a BS in Geology from the University of Michigan and is a Licensed Professional Geologist. Mark has always been an avid outdoors person and has worked in the environmental consulting field for over 30 years managing contamination cleanup, risk evaluation, and Brownfields redevelopment. He is currently president of Point Blue, an environmental and natural resources consulting firm located in St. Joseph. Mark is committed to COL objectives and has provided due diligence activities for many of its property acquisitions. Mark enjoys gardening, hunting, fishing, and time with his family at their cabin in northern Michigan.
Robert Wagner, Director
Robert was raised in Delaware, Ohio, and came to Michigan when pursuing his postgraduate degree in counseling after a two-year stint of teaching in Saudi Arabia. As a Licensed Professional Counselor, Robert has over 35 years of experience working with children, adults and families in both a school setting and private practice. He received his degrees from Earlham College, Ohio Wesleyan University and Central Michigan University, and trained at the Milton H. Erickson Foundation, the C. G. Jung Center, and with Dr. C. Michael Smith on traditional methods of spiritual and emotional healing. He is certified in Experiential Education, as a consultant with The National Institute for Trauma and Loss in Children, and a member of the American Counseling Association. An enthusiastic outdoorsman, Robert has hiked and backpacked in dozens of countries, yet finds Harbor Country a great home base. He is excited to work with COL as an organization, leading SW Berrien County into a dynamic relationship with the diverse life around us.
Donna Wetzler, Director
Having grown up in the Chicago suburbs, Donna was introduced to Southwest Michigan when one of her law colleagues invited her and her husband to a house party in Lakeside in the late ‘70s. She and her husband were smitten and rented each summer for the next thirteen years from Eleanor Wilson (for whom Wilson Woods, COL’s first nature preserve, is named), before buying a house in Harbert in 1992. Donna was one of the first women to graduate from Yale in 1972, and received her law degree from Harvard Law school in 1975. She spent 26 years at the law firm of Gardner Carton and Douglas (now Drinker Biddle) before becoming the first General Counsel of Children’s Memorial Hospital (now Lurie Children’s) in 2002. She retired in 2015 and now is happy to spend more time in Michigan. Donna served on the Board of the Acorn Center for the Performing Arts in Three Oaks from 2016-2018.
