Annual Meeting
Dave Zuhlke
Born and raised in Waukesha, Wisconsin, I received my Bachelor’s degree from UW-Whitewater in geography and regional analysis. I spent most of my career working as a cartographer, geospatial analyst and project manager at the National Geospatial Intelligence Agency in St. Louis, Missouri. After retirement my wife Jane and I moved to the Egg Harbor area in 2013. I have been a Ridges member for 15 years and actively volunteer at events such as the Festival of Nature and Natural Christmas, and work on the Wednesday Crew. One of my best experiences was being a part of the dedicated crew of volunteers that built the Hidden Brook Boardwalk.
I am seeking election to my second 3-year term on The Ridges Board of Directors. After being elected to my first term in August 2019, I chaired the Board’s Governance Committee and currently serve as Board president. I am excited to be a member of the Board during a time when The Ridges is expanding its education programs, continuing critical citizen science and orchid restoration programs and acquiring and protecting additional land and habitat. I believe that The Ridges has a very bright future and I would be honored to be a member of the Board for a second term.
Bill Wolff
I am a former high school teacher from the northern suburbs of Chicago. After retirement we moved to Door County in 2005. I have been associated with The Ridges since that time. My first opportunity was as a member of the Wednesday crew on which I still participate. I have also volunteered as a hike leader which I still do and as a front desk volunteer. I served as a Board member from 2013 to 2018 and am currently completing an appointed two year term replacing a former Board member. As a Board member I have served as Chair of the Governance Committee and am presently a member of that committee.
I am running because I feel that The Ridges is at a point in their history when the future looks very bright and the potential for growth and service is at its highest. I hope that my history will provide a link to the many efforts that have gone on to get us to this point. My promise is to work hard to help us continue on the path before us and to represent our membership in a way that will always be viewed with a positive attitude.
Deb Fitzgerald
Originally from Massachusetts, I earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from DePaul University in Chicago and a Master of Fine Arts degree in Creative Writing from Vermont College. I moved to Door County permanently in 1999, working as a freelance writer for both local and large-city newspapers and eventually took a permanent position as a reporter with the Door County Advocate. During my tenure there, I earned a hands-on Fellowship at the Institute of Journalism and Natural Resources to study Great Lakes environmental issues which allowed me to successfully engage in environmental reporting. I took a managing editor position with a Minnesota newspaper before being tapped for the editor position at the Peninsula Pulse in 2020.
I would consider it an honor and privilege to serve The Ridges and its staff members as a steward and board member, helping to oversee the protection and management of such a beautiful, vulnerable and rare natural resource.
Chuck Germain
I earned my Bachelor of Business Administration degree in accounting and finance from the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee. I began my career in public accounting, spending seven years at KPMG before moving on to Allen-Bradley/Rockwell Automation. I held a number of senior level finance positions at Rockwell Automation with a significant portion of my time spent in international finance roles. After twenty-eight years at Rockwell Automation I took a position as Corporate Financial Officer for a mid-market, private equity owned hydraulics manufacturing company in Milwaukee. After seven years as CFO I elected to retire when the company moved its corporate headquarters to Traverse City.
Since my retirement in 2016 I have spent the majority of my time in Door County, where we have owned for 25 years. I am currently the chair of the finance committee at Stella Maris. Since my retirement I have been a member of the Wednesday Crew at The Ridges. I have always been involved in “silent sports” and volunteer at a number of the events that are held in Door County.
Sher Rockway
With a biology major and general science minor from Illinois State University, I began my teaching career in 1971. Additionally in 1986, I became the K-12 Science Coordinator for Indian Prairie #204 in Naperville/Aurora, IL. In that role, I provided leadership to the district K-12 teachers in designing, implementing, and assessing science curriculum to align with state and national science standards. I earned a Ph.D. in Science Education from the University of Iowa. From 2002 to retiring in 2004, I taught in the high school classroom full-time.
My husband Todd and I have been full time residents of Door County since 2017 and Ridges members since that time. We had been coming to Door County since 2001 and often hiked or snow shoed in the Ridges. I serve on the Development Committee and volunteer with Orchid Research and the Wednesday Crew. We have participated in the Festivals of Nature and frequently use the trails at the Nature Center as well as Logan’s Creek.
As a potential Board member, I would like to contribute to The Ridges Sanctuary mission, especially in the area of education, while also supporting additional opportunities for research and advocating for partnering with other environmental and educational organizations.