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WASHTENAW COUNTY CONSERVATION DISTRICT
  • About Us
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          • Composters
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        • Tree & Shrub Planting Guide
        • Common Tree Diseases & Pests
        • Crop Tree Management
        • Fruit Tree Planting & Care
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        • Pruning Forest Trees
        • Timber Sales
        • Urban Trees
      • Insects >
        • Animal & Insect Repellents
      • Invasive Species & Control
      • Native Plants >
        • Planting Native Plants
        • Seeding Wildflowers
      • Recycling
      • Water >
        • Groundwater >
          • Groundwater Protection - Agriculture
        • Pond Construction >
          • Pond Management
        • Rain Gardens
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        • Stormwater Runoff & Management
        • Stream Bank Erosion and Control
        • Wells >
          • Water Testing
          • Water Screening Events
        • Wetlands >
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        • Wildlife >
          • Brush Piles
          • Clearcutting
          • Den Trees
      • Tree of Heaven
  • Get Involved
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Meet the Board of Directors

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Jill Dohner, Chair


Jill has been serving on the WCCD  board for over 8 years. Jill owns Rustic Roots Farm where she tends honeybees, laying chickens, a fruit orchard and garden, and does woodworking. Jill has lived in the county for over 20 years and has worked with other conservation groups including tree planting organizations and brings a background of forestry, agriculture, and background working with a diversity of farmers. Jill is excited to start her third term as a board director as the WCCD heads into a greater future with the passing of the millage and expanded programming and outreach expertise.

Jill has assisted the Conservation District with growing over these past years, re-invigorating beginning and existing farmers to implement conservation practices. She is excited for what the WCCD can accomplish in Washtenaw County through expanding tree and native plant offerings, encouraging planting of school gardens, offering a wide variety of workshops geared to those with a ¼ acre of land to 100 acres of land, and much more. 

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Shannon Brines, Vice-Chair
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​Shannon Brines grew up in SE Michigan on a small diversified farm that included woody perennial crops.  He officially established Brines Farm in 2004 and began selling year-round at farmers markets and offered one of Michigan’s first fresh produce winter CSA share programs. Shannon was selected as a member of the US delegation to participate in Terra Madre 2008 in Turin, Italy, a world slow food meeting focused on increasing small-scale, traditional and sustainable food production.

Shannon is an applied geographer at the University of Michigan interested in land use, agriculture, food systems, public health and sustainable design. Shannon currently serves as the chair of Slow Food Huron Valley Board, vice-chair of the Washtenaw county Food Policy Council, a member of the University of Michigan Sustainable Food Program Advisory Board.

Shannon and his wife, Erin Mittendorf, live on (and steward!) over 80 acres of farmland in northern Washtenaw County where they have been undertaking restoration agriculture techniques since 2012.  With ever expanding interests in biodiversity, agroecology, and perennials, Brines Farm has planted tens of thousands of trees and perennial plants.  Brines Farm LLC is a State of Michigan licensed and inspected tree and shrub nursery grower and is USDA Certified Organic.

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Howard Sias is a lifelong resident of Lima township. He has been a crop farmer and grown corn, soybeans, wheat, rye, hay and also managed livestock. Howard’s family farm has been in the family for over 100 years. Howard serves on many local boards and committees including: 9 years on the Washtenaw Farm Service Agency County Committee, 21 years on the Lima Township Planning Commission and has been on the board of directors for the Washtenaw Conservation District for almost 20 years. 
Howard Sias, Director


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Matt Nolan, Treasurer

Matt grew up in a Midwestern family that spent the bulk of their free time hiking, biking, camping, fishing, and enjoying the fruits of conserved land.  This led him to pursue degrees in Conservation Biology and Environmental Studies at the University of Wisconsin (go Badgers), and to spend his early professional life working at a conservancy that promoted and monitored easements throughout the state.  He ultimately found his calling as a teacher, and has spent most of the past 15 years working in that field as a naturalist, outdoor educator, garden educator, and classroom teacher in Washington, California, Nevada, Wisconsin, Portugal, and Michigan. 

He has primarily sought to use gardening and other direct experiences and service projects (e.g. raising and releasing salmon via the Michigan DNR) to build appreciation for and knowledge of the natural world in young people, and to “plant the seeds” of conservation in their lives.  He was honored to accept the Tree Conservationist of the Year Award in 2019 on behalf of Emerson School for the work they have done there to establish a Food Forest and Permaculture-style garden on a previously degraded corner of the property. 

​Matt is excited to work to use the results of the 2021 Resource Assessment to support and promote conservation in the county.  When not teaching or learning the ropes at WCCD, he is likely to be found working hard with his wife Jyl and 3 young boys (Finnegan, River, and Aldo) on their blossoming food forest and garden in Dexter Township, or out enjoying the many beautiful natural areas that Washtenaw County has to offer.  

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Hannah Weber, Secretary
Hannah Rose Weber serves as an Associate Director. She is a co-founder of the Green Things Farm Collective, a small-scale community farm with a deep commitment to organic no-till and other conservation practices, located on conserved land in Ann Arbor Township. With an upbringing deeply tied to the woods and farms of Northern Michigan, and a background in photography and writing, Hannah found her way to a career in small-scale farming through her love of food and art making.

​She cut her teeth by way of intensive training in organic farm management through Michigan State’s Student Organic Farm, and after running The Land Loom as a sole proprietor for five years, joined forces with Green Things Farm and Ann Arbor Seed Co. Hannah currently serves on ALPAC and is excited to be serving as an Associate Director of WCCD in order to share her perspective as a first generation farmer and to have a greater impact on land and natural resource conservation in Washtenaw County .

Support Conservation in Washtenaw: Serve as a WCCD Board Director!

A five-member board of directors governs the Washtenaw County Conservation District. Members are elected by residents of the District at its annual meeting. Directors serve four-year terms, are non-salaried, and receive a meeting allowance and reimbursement for mileage and actual expenses.

The Board is responsible for the development and implementation of all District programs, financial management, organizational oversight and directs long-term strategic planning. The Board meets monthly to hear reports from staff, plan programs and activities, approve bills and financial plans.


The Board of Directors is currently seeking candidates to to run for the  next election, scheduled for Thursday, January 19, 2023.
To be eligible to run for the next election, a nomination petition signed by 5 Washtenaw residents must be submitted by Friday, November 18th by 4:30 p.m. to megan@washtenawcd.org or 705 N. Zeeb Rd, Suite 201, Ann Arbor, MI 48103. Interested candidates should review the following:
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Director Information and Interest Form
Nominating petition

​The WCCD is always seeking volunteers interested in serving as Associate Directors. Associate Directors are non-voting members of the WCCD leadership team and are appointed by the Board of Directors. To learn more, check out the link below:
ASSociate director information and interest form

Previous Directors
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​​​Matt Koenn
Board Director from 2004-2021


Matt's family has been farming for many years. Matt's grandfather, Herman,  started out farming south of Ann Arbor, and rented land on Jerusalem Road in the 1950’s. In 1959, the family purchased its current farm in Sylvan Township. The family raised a small herd of dairy cattle up until 1995 as well as a rotation of corn, soy and wheat.

The Koenn family has been a large part of the leadership with the Conservation District for many years. Charlie Koenn, Matt’s father, was a board director in the 1980s. Matt was elected to the Conservation District’s Board of Directors in 2003 and has been the board Chairman since 2015. Matt raises Angus cattle, mainly on  grass. Matt has a longstanding commitment to conservation practices on the farm, including almost exclusively no-till practices. 

The Herman L. Koenn Preserve was created through the Washtenaw County Parks and Recreation Commission and sits adjacent to the DNR managed Goose Lake Recreation Area. The Koenn’s farm property is also protected in a conservation easement adjacent to the nature preserve.

​When he’s not farming or helping out at the district, Matt’s enjoys snowmobiles, golfing, hunting and fishing. His son, Ryan, is a nurse at the University of Michigan Health System and his wife, Kim, works at the St. Joseph Mercy Health System in Chelsea. 
Washtenaw County Conservation District
(734) 302-8715
info@washtenawcd.org

​ 705 N. Zeeb Rd. Ann Arbor, MI 48103
Copyright 2020
  • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Annual Reports
    • 2022 Strategic Plan
    • Board Meetings
    • Board of Directors >
      • 2023 Director Elections
    • Staff >
      • Career Opportunities
      • Internship Opportunity
    • Resource Assessment >
      • 2021 Results
      • 2016 Results
    • 2020 Millage
    • FOIA Requests
    • Annual Meeting >
      • 2022 WCCD Awardees
    • Conservation Update Newsletter
  • Store
  • Resources
    • School & Community Habitat Grant
    • Rain barrels & Composters >
      • Rain Barrels Information
      • Rain Barrel Common Questions
    • Tool and Equipment Rental >
      • Reserve Tools & Equipment
      • Hand Tool Rentals
      • Herbicide Application Tool Rentals
      • Tool Rental Calendar
      • Equipment Rental Calendar
    • Contractor Lists
    • Hunter Access Program
  • Events
    • Native Plant Expo & Marketplace >
      • 2023 Spring Native Plant Sale >
        • 2023 Spring Milkweed Giveaway
      • 2023 NPEM Speaker Series
      • 2023 NPEM Sponsorship
      • 2023 NPEM Vendor Application
    • Tree & Shrub Distributions >
      • 2023 Spring Tree & Shrub Sale
    • Coffee & Conservation
    • Public Meetings Calendar
  • Conservation Planning
    • NRCS Farm Bill Programs
    • MAEAP
    • MiFarmLink Inquiry
    • Farmer Cost-Share Opportunities
    • MI Farmland Preservation
    • Invasive Species
  • Education
    • Workshops & Programs >
      • Community Conservation Education
      • Conservation Agriculture Education
      • Conservation Stewards Program
    • Online resources >
      • Agriculture >
        • Farmland Preservation
        • Soils >
          • Washtenaw County Soils
          • Soil Sampling >
            • Soil Sampling Article
            • Homeowner Soil Testing
            • Agricultural Soil Testing
        • Windbreaks
        • Composting >
          • Composters
      • Forestry >
        • Community Trees
        • Tree & Shrub Planting Guide
        • Common Tree Diseases & Pests
        • Crop Tree Management
        • Fruit Tree Planting & Care
        • Likelihood of Deer Damage
        • Other Forestry Links
        • Pruning Forest Trees
        • Timber Sales
        • Urban Trees
      • Insects >
        • Animal & Insect Repellents
      • Invasive Species & Control
      • Native Plants >
        • Planting Native Plants
        • Seeding Wildflowers
      • Recycling
      • Water >
        • Groundwater >
          • Groundwater Protection - Agriculture
        • Pond Construction >
          • Pond Management
        • Rain Gardens
        • Shoreline Property
        • Stormwater Runoff & Management
        • Stream Bank Erosion and Control
        • Wells >
          • Water Testing
          • Water Screening Events
        • Wetlands >
          • Wetland Mitigation Banking
        • Wildlife >
          • Brush Piles
          • Clearcutting
          • Den Trees
      • Tree of Heaven
  • Get Involved
    • Spring Tree & Shrub Event Volunteering
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