IWC Staff
Marlene Ehresman, Executive Director
![Mar+T.V.[1].jpg](/images/upload/IWCPeople/Staff/Mar+T.V.[1].jpg)
Over the past three decades, Marlene has served many volunteer organizations, supervised a teen center, co-founded two nonprofits, raised a family, finished her undergraduate degree, worked for a leading prairie restorationist and worked for a leading conservation organization. The turkey vulture in the photo, left, was the creature that planted the wildlife rescue and rehabilitation seed of interest in Marlene's head in the late '70s.
Most recently, from 1997 until August 2009 she was on staff of the Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation where she coordinated special projects that demanded working with vendors, managed a land project database, wrote some magazine articles and authored a publication (see http://www.inhf.org/neotropbook.html), supervised interns, developed landowner relations, and represented INHF on state and regional committees. Marlene completed the Grantsmanship Center's grant-writing training and provided grant-writing assistance to staff. As part of the INHF prescribed fire crew, she acquired her S-130/S-190 certification from the National Wildfire Coordinating Group.
Never quite content to rest on her past accomplishments, Marlene completed the institute for Conservation Leadership's Individual Leadership Program in 1989 to improve her leadership skills and to improve her knowledge of her home community she graduated from Leadership Ames 1999. She has taken nonprofit courses in volunteer management, board development and results-based administration. Marlene is currently enrolled in the Institute for Conservation Leadership's intensive 9-month Executive Director Leadership Program.
Marlene has dual degrees in Fisheries and Wildlife Biology and Environmental Studies from Iowa State. (For more information, see Founders) Photo above: © Bruce Ehresman; Photo right: © Don Poggensee, Wind Rider Images/permission by INHF
Colleen Hamilton, Communications Coordinator
Colleen Hamilton, a long-time resident of Ames, joined the Iowa Wildlife Center (IWC) March 28, 2011, as the Center's communication coordinator. She has a B.A. in journalism and mass communication from Iowa State University, and extensive experience as a freelance writer and editor for various local businesses, organizations and media. Colleen was most recently the editor of the weekly Story County newspaper, The Sun, which helped her become better acquainted with Story County, its exceptional residents and the many wonderful opportunities available here. She told the IWC board and Marlene, "I'm really excited to be bringing my communication skills, love for central Iowa communities and passion for animals to the IWC."