Join Clean Lakes Alliance and TEMPO Madison on Monday, January 30th from 4 – 6 p.m. to learn from women leading water and sustainability efforts in Wisconsin. This special edition of Clean Lakes 101 is part of our week of FREE Frozen Assets events.
This Clean Lakes 101 will feature a panel discussion with three women working in water and sustainability in our community, emceed by WKOW’s Alexis Clemons. The event is intended to celebrate women involved in projects related to water and sustainability and highlight their personal and professional stories.
Dana Hatch has 20 years of experience in analytical methodologies, research and development, and people leadership. Dana has been with Virent, a renewable fuels and chemical company, since 2007. In her current role, Dana leads the Virent teams responsible for research and analytical work. Prior to joining Virent, Dana spent four years in consumer product development at Spectrum Brands. She holds a BS degree in Chemistry from the University of Wisconsin. She is passionate about the environment and enjoying outdoor activities.
Laura Hicklin is the director of the Dane County Land & Water Resources Department. The Department has approximately 100 staff that grows to 160 during the summer months and is responsible for the Dane County Parks system of over 15,000 acres, water levels and aquatic plant growth on the Yahara Chain of Lakes, stormwater and erosion control standards, and conservation practices on agricultural lands. She holds a BS degree in International Agriculture & Natural Resources from the University of Wisconsin, is a certified public manager and a licensed real estate broker. In 2023, the Land & Water Resources Department will implement many of the top recommendations of the Renew the Blue report, including a feasibility study for a community manure treatment project.
Jane Elder has been actively engaged in communicating about and advocating for environmental protection over the course of her career. Recently retired after serving as Executive Director for the Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts & Letters, she consults on environmental and nonprofit strategy, is currently working on a book about environmental policy in the Great Lakes region, and is helping to organize a new trans-national leadership network focused on Great Lakes protection in the climate change era. Prior to joining the Academy staff, she led a consulting group which specialized in environmental strategies and nonprofit leadership. She was the founding director of the Biodiversity Project – a nonprofit communications organization dedicated to raising American public awareness about the diversity of life on Earth, and the urgent need to take action to protect it. Jane headed the Sierra Club Midwest office for many years, where she founded the Sierra Club’s Great Lakes program, and later served as Club’s national director of Ecoregion Programs. While leading the Great Lakes program she spearheaded efforts to update the U.S. Clean Air Act to control toxic air pollution that contaminates aquatic food webs, including the Great Lakes, and was active in the U.S. negotiations with Canada to strengthen the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement. She holds degrees from Michigan State University (BA, Communications), and University of Wisconsin, (MS, Land Resources), and was awarded distinguished alumni status by the Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies in 2019.
This event will be held at The Edgewater hotel – grand ballroom level 5 (1001 Wisconsin Pl, Madison, WI 53703). Registration is FREE and required for all attendees. All registered attendees will receive a complimentary beverage and parking at The Edgewater. Parking spots fill up quickly and may be limited depending on hotel capacity. Doors open at 3:30 p.m. and the program begins at 4 p.m. Networking and time to ask the presenters questions will begin at 5 p.m. Parking spots fill up quickly and may be limited depending on hotel capacity.
Clean Lakes 101 is a series of educational events open to the public and a great chance to learn more about the science behind the issues that affect our lakes. Each month we feature a different expert to make the science accessible and interesting to non-technical audiences. The series is produced in partnership with the UW-Madison Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies and UW-Extension Lakes, with presenting sponsors First Weber Foundation and Johnson Financial Group, hosting sponsor The Edgewater, supporting sponsor National Guardian Life Insurance Company, and media sponsor WKOW.