Ryan J. Postema, Executive Director
Ryan is a Michigan native, born and raised in the Grand Rapids area. He attended Michigan State University and graduated in 2001 with a B.S. in Fisheries and Wildlife. He has more than twenty years of experience in land conservation and natural resources management. Ryan joined Chikaming Open Lands in 2013 as Land Protection Specialist, and was named Executive Director of the organization in 2016. As such, he oversees all operations and activities of the organization. Prior to joining COL, he spent eight years with Cardno (formerly JFNew), an international engineering and environmental consulting firm, implementing and managing ecosystem restoration and natural resources management projects throughout the Midwest. Currently, Ryan serves as Treasurer of the Board of the Berrien County Conservation District and as Vice President of the Board of Heart of the Lakes, Michigan's state association of land trusts and partner organizations.
A resident of Weesaw Township, in his free time he enjoys birding, gardening, and managing his 15 acre property which includes farmland, forest, and wetlands.
Contact Ryan at rpostema@chikamingopenlands.org.
Mandy Allred, Stewardship Field Technician
Mandy originates from Berrien Springs, Michigan and recently graduated from Michigan State University with a B.S. in Fisheries and Wildlife. Mandy has always been into nature and the outdoors. She grew up loving animals (especially frogs!), so this career path is a natural fit for her. When she’s not working, Mandy is probably hiking or hangin’ in a hammock. Her favorite animal is the praying mantis.
Dan Engel, Stewardship Manager
Dan hails from Grand Ledge, Michigan. He began visiting southwest Michigan over a decade ago, and moved to Sawyer to raise his two children near family. His passion for the outdoors began early while he waded in the local creek and chased deer in the neighborhood woods. He nurtured this passion by studying biology at Calvin College and earning a master’s in conservation ecology at the University of Michigan. Dan’s work experience has varied from a conservation crew with the City of Ann Arbor to a wetland research team with the US Geological Survey, from teaching high school math and science in Honduras to teacher aiding at a K-12 school in Milwaukee. Through all these adventures, his mission has remained the same: to use sound science to protect natural areas for the benefit of people and wildlife, and to pass on that ethic to others.
In his free time, Dan enjoys hunting, hiking, bird watching, kayaking, running, and playing soccer. Even better is sharing these experiences with his family!
Contact Dan at dengel@chikamingopenlands.org.
Grace Fredenburg, Education & Outreach Coordinator
Grace originates from the Chicagoland area. After graduating from the University of Saint Francis in Joliet IL with a B.S. in Recreation, Sport, Tourism, and Management and a minor in Leadership Studies, she transplanted to Northwest Indiana to join the Indiana Dunes Learning Center as a naturalist. Most recently, she served as a senior site-based program facilitator for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metropolitan Chicago, servicing Northwest Indiana. Whether teaching middle school students the importance of water quality in South Bend or providing 1:1 mentoring activities to youth in Chicago, Grace's passion lies in providing memorable experiences for those participating in her programs.
Outside work, Grace enjoys running, kayaking, camping, hiking with her dog Missy and cat Shadow, painting, and spending time at the beach.
Contact Grace at gball@chikamingopenlands.org
Donavin Harte, Stewardship Field Technician
Donavin hails from South Haven, Michigan. He is pursuing a B.S. in Biology with a minor in Environmental Studies in Sustainability at Western Michigan University and will be a senior in the fall. Donavin has always had an interest in plants and animals and attributes his passion for the outdoors to growing up in the Pokagon Potawatomi tribe, where he learned the importance of being a caretaker of the natural world. In his free time, Donavin enjoys being outdoors and likes hiking, kayaking, and walking his dog, Piper. His favorite animal is the eastern box turtle.
Joshua King, Outreach Intern
Joshua is an Indiana native and currently attends Indiana University South Bend, where he's completing double majors in Sustainability and General Studies with minors in Business Administration and Earth and Space Science, respectively. Prior to undergraduate study, Joshua served in the United States Marine Corps from 2017-2021 as a field artillery land surveyor and meteorologist. Throughout his professional career, Joshua developed ten years of work experience in food service, construction, landscaping, manufacturing, fabrication, welding, shipping and receiving, and management. Joshua volunteers with university club organizations like Sustainability Club and Botany Club removing invasive species and introducing native species on campus. He also volunteers his time with organizations like the non-profit Cultivate Food Rescue which rescues excess food from local sources to feed the hungry in three counties. He enjoys time in his garden and with his dog.
Marisa Rempala, Communications Specialist
Marisa was born and raised in Michigan City, Indiana and is a lifelong lover of Lake Michigan and the surrounding environment. She was inspired to pursue work in land conservation because of her favorite activity: hiking the dunes. She received her B.S. in Tourism Management from Purdue University Northwest. During her senior year, she worked as an events and program coordinating intern at Gabis Arboretum in Valparaiso, Indiana. Most recently, she spent a year serving an AmeriCorps term at Indiana Dunes National Park, where she assisted with volunteer program management.
When she's not working, Marisa is probably curled up with a book, hiking, cooking, or hanging out with her cat Wren.
Contact Marisa at mrempala@chikamingopenlands.org.
Alex Schrader, Stewardship Field Supervisor
Born and raised in Union Pier Michigan, Alex has a love for the Southwest Michigan area and all the nature found within. He graduated from River Valley High School and went on to get an associate in mathematics and science from Southwestern Michigan Community College. He now lives in Bridgman, Michigan with his wife and three dogs. A fan of all things science and nature, his hobbies include gardening, mountain biking, hiking, birdwatching, and camping. Alex's goal is to help preserve and maintain the natural resources in southwest Michigan for all to enjoy.
Contact Alex at aschrader@chikamingopenlands.org
Jen Thompson, Development and Marketing Manager
Jen retreated to Southwest Michigan after 22 years in Chicago, where she worked in development and communications for Loyola University Chicago, Loyola University Health System, Chicago Shakespeare Theater and Rush University Medical Center. She received her B.A. in Art History from Loyola University Chicago.
She discovered this corner of Michigan in the summer of 2011, when she rented a cottage in Union Pier on the weekends. Jen bought a home in the area in the summer of 2012, and hasn't looked back since. She has previously served on the Board of Directors of the Harbor Country Chamber of Commerce, including as president from 2019-2021. Jen enjoys cooking, travel, reading, running barrels on her horse Beau, and trekking the beautiful beaches, dunes and preserves in the area with her dog Scout.
Contact Jen at jthompson@chikamingopenlands.org
