Iowa Wildlife Center

Executive Director, Marlene Ehresman

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, right, 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, 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 (ICL) 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. In 2009, she completed the ICL's intensive 9-month Executive Director Leadership Program. She has taken nonprofit courses in volunteer management, board development and results-based administration.

Marlene has dual degrees in Fisheries and Wildlife Biology and Environmental Studies from Iowa State University.

With just one staff member, the IWC is so very dependent on the commitment of volunteers to make it all work. Our dedicated Board of Directors & Steering Committee provide vision and leadership. Many other volunteers provide help and expertise in a variety of areas such as care and transport of rescues, land stewardship, building construction and maintenance, and day-to-day business. You can help - Volunteer Today!

Enjoy this slideshow of some of our volunteers in action.