Board of Directors
Dr. Barry Hartup, President
Barry joined the International Crane Foundation in 2000 as the Director of Conservation Medicine. He has a Master’s degree in Conservation Biology, a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and a Ph.D. in Wildlife Health from Cornell University. Building upon fond memories of time spent at Devils Lake State Park on college field trips, Barry can often be found bicycling throughout the Range while enjoying its wildlife, beautiful vistas, and welcoming communities.
Jennell Ballering Vice President
Jennell is a retired Madison Public librarian who, along with her husband Mark, spends many weekends at their property in Freedom Township. They have a small cabin there where they enjoy the scenery while watching birds during the day and wait for the bats to appear in the evening. Living part time in the country has given them the opportunity to engage in natural history study and land conservation management, including converting a brome field into tall grass prairie and reviving oaks in our woods by thinning trees and conducting woodland burns
Dr. Robert Rolley Treasurer
Robert grew up in southern California. He obtained his B.S. in Wildlife and Fisheries Biology from the University of California-Davis, his M.S. in Wildlife Ecology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and his Ph.D. in Wildlife Ecology from Oklahoma State University-Stillwater. He worked 9 years with the Indiana Department of Natural Resources and 25 years with the Wisconsin DNR. Robert moved to the Baraboo area about 10 years ago and since his retirement in 2017 has enjoyed kayaking, photography and assisting local NGOs with land management activities.
Dr. David Olson, Secretary
David grew up in Minneapolis and moved to Wisconsin in 1991 to attend the University of Wisconsin-Madison where his degree work involved Zoology and Conservation. Most recently he has been teaching Introductory Biology courses with the UW-Colleges, David is now at UW-Baraboo where he had the honor of teaching the first class in the new science building. He and his students are important partners with BRPA in our efforts to restore the campus white oak woodland site while also caring for the outdoor classroom that they helped build.
Jill Ellinwood
Jill has lived on the edge of Devil’s Lake State Park property in the heart of the Baraboo Range for the past 28 years, developing a great love for walking the woods and fields. It is a reliable source of solace and wellbeing for her. She is a mental health professional but a naturalist at heart. The experience of wandering the same lands over and over again falling in love with the geological formations, the history both recent and long past, the flora and fauna, the spring ephemerals, the moths, the frogs, the fungi and so on. She endeavors to grasp the embodiment of how it all fits together "since this treasured land needs our respect and stewardship in this moment and for our planet’s future."
Jerome Mercer
Jerome has lived in Wisconsin since 1969 when he arrived from Tallahassee, Florida, to attend graduate school at UW-Madison. Since 1975 He has practiced law in the Baraboo firm now known as Cross, Jenks, Mercer & Maffei LLP. Jerome and his wife Karen, a recently retired RN, enjoy kayaking the Baraboo River, biking the Baraboo Bluffs, and when there is snow, cross country skiing at Mirror Lake State Park.
Ralph Middlecamp
Third year President of the National Society for St. Vincent de Paul and retired Executive Director of St. Vincent de Paul Madison, Ralph frequently retreats to the Baraboo Bluffs to recharge and relax on the landscape, where he spends time managing his forested property. Ralph is the keeper of our history on the happy hill as our longest serving board member.
Larry Phelps
Larry moved to the Baraboo Hills with his wife Jan in 1972 after finishing a graduate degree at UW-Madison. He is a biology professor emeritus of the UW-Baraboo where he taught for 33 years. Along with Master of the Bluffs a.k.a. Ken Lange, Larry has been involved with evaluating and establishing "baseline" data for the flora and fauna on many of BRPA's conservation easement properties. He enjoys gardening and cooking maple syrup on the farm.
Jane Hawley Stevens
Jane recently re-joined the board having served from 1994- 2012. Jane moved to the bluffs in 1991 to continue to grow her herbal wellness line, Four Elements Organic Herbals, on a 130 acre certified organic hilltop farm. Her mission is to connect people to their well-being through Nature. She teaches on this subject locally and nationally and is happy to incorporate this BRPA service into her mission. She was named the 2020 Organic Farmer of the Year.
Arnie Utzinger
Arnie grew up on a farm just south of Baraboo, and spent many summer days biking over to Devil's Lake with a gang of his country grade school classmates for lots of swimming plus play along the close-by trails. After dental school at Marquette University he then happily returned to his hometown for a 42 year stint at Dental Associates of Baraboo. His retirement years now include countless hours of hikes at Devil's Lake and the surrounding bluffs of the Baraboo Range. Yes, even an occasional swim to rekindle those childhood memories.
Amy Workman
Amy Workman is a lifelong learner and educator dedicated to connecting youth and adults with science and the natural world. She is nearing 20 years experience as a public school teacher and environmental educator in formal and non-formal settings, including nature centers, parks, and schools. She recently took over as Director for Upham Woods Outdoor Learning Center and has worked summers as a naturalist at Devils Lake State Park and served on the Wisconsin Association for Environmental Education Board of Directors. She and her husband enjoy trail running, fat tire biking, rock climbing, canoeing, morel mushroom hunting, and bird watching in the Baraboo Range.