KCC Board Elections 2024
The KCC board may consist of between 8 to 13 directors. KCC elects half of their board every year. Directors may serve no more than three consecutive 2-year terms. We presently have five Directors who are continuing in their second year of their current 2-year term through 2024, and those include: Gerry Seavo James, Rachel Norton, Rachel Young, Emma Coakley and Janae Lewis. (KCC’s current board page here).
This means that the KCC membership must elect at least three additional candidates and no more than eight additional candidates (which can include write-ins) this year for the 2024 board, to serve for a 2-year term..
We are presenting you with a slate of six qualified candidates. Please read their bios below. (This slate includes three current incumbent Directors, and three new candidates). We may also consider up to two write-in nominations if you choose to suggest names (write-ins are not automatically elected, but instead would be considered by the board for an appointment once vetted). KCC Partner Organizations are eligible to recommend candidates for the KCC board. Ballots must be submitted by current members in good standing. (If you have not renewed your membership, you may do so here).
Please read the six candidate bios that follow, and then VOTE using the blue button below.
PLEASE NOTE: if you have any problems in casting a vote for more than one candidate, please submit ballots for each candidate separately. If you continue to have issues in selecting multiple candidates please contact us.
Joyce Bender
(Incumbent) Joyce managed the Kentucky State Nature Preserves for 31 years and retired in 2017. She continues to assist with natural areas management and to educate the public about being good stewards. During Joyce’s career, she reviewed legislation and reported on potential impacts for natural resources relating to her agency mission. “I was always grateful for KCC’s work to protect Kentucky’s natural heritage and continue to appreciate the efforts undertaken by this vital organization. I am honored to be considered for board membership.
Nat Colten
(Incumbent) Nat Colten is an agroecologist, community builder and multi-instrumentalist, singer/songwriter rooted in Franklin County. His work at Kentucky State University as the Community Sustainability Coordinator is focused on developing outreach programs that improve quality of life in marginalized and limited resource communities through sustainability education and resource development. His research interests include integrated crop-livestock systems and management of grass dominated ecosystems with domestic livestock. Through his work and music, Nat advocates for land management practices that optimize multifunctionality. He enjoys creative projects of all kinds, playing outside, and interacting with new people and places.
Emmanuel Fields
Emmanuel is the Stewardship Coordinator at Bluegrass Land Conservancy and emerging filmmaker.
Dr. Sherry Jones
Sherry is a professor in EKU’s Recreation and Park Administration department, As a kid, Sherry loved going on family outings to the Blue Ridge Mountains and visiting South Carolina State Parks. Her involvement with the Sierra Club deepened her love of the outdoors and was the impetus for her backcountry hiking/backpacking adventures. Over the next 20+ years, her outdoor network has broadened and has allowed her to enjoy adventures throughout the USA. RRG is one of her most beloved and frequent hiking areas. Sherry’s passion is to share these amazing trails with others. When not on the trail: Sherry’s planning her next adventure with her partner and fur-baby. They spend their time exploring in their camper van, sightseeing, learning about ancestral, sacred and indigenous homelands, as well as Peoples who have been forcibly removed from their land.
Colin McAllister
My name is Colin and I am a resident of Frankfort, KY. In my professional life, I am a Security Developer at a Cyber Security firm called Arctic Wolf and am also pursuing my Master's Degree in Cyber Security from SANS Technology Institute. Prior to entering the tech world, I received a Bachelor's in Music Education and served as a musician in the US Army for 7 years, during which time I lived in Las Vegas, South Carolina, Virginia, Tennessee, and Hawaii. After leaving the Army, I worked as both a wedding and car photographer while I completed by Bachelor's in Computer Science online at Auburn University. As a passionate advocate for environmental stewardship and renewable energy, I am inspired to contribute my knowledge and experience to the Kentucky Conservation Committee. My commitment to sustainable practices is rooted in my hometown of Las Vegas, where pioneering water conservation and revolutionary solar power initiatives have shaped my understanding of effective environmental management. Having recently equipped my home with solar panels and embraced electric transportation, I am actively engaged in reducing my carbon footprint. My time living in Hawaii also deepened my appreciation for nature's fragility, witnessing firsthand the impacts of energy consumption and waste production on some of the world's most pristine environments. This experience instilled in me a strong determination to advocate for environmentally friendly policies in the state of Kentucky. I am eager to bring my diverse perspective and experience from across the country to support and advance the Kentucky Conservation Committee's mission of fostering a sustainable future for all Kentuckians.
Anna Marie Pavlik Rosen
(Incumbent) Anna Marie Pavlik Rosen is an artist and mechanical engineer, retired from 3M who moved to Frankfort from Austin, Texas ten years ago. Growing concern for the survival of natural areas and a need to understand the relationship of people to their environment have encouraged Anna Marie to explore nature related themes in her art. Anna Marie recently completed a four-year term on the board of directors of Frankfort’s municipal utility, the Frankfort Plant Board.