Hidden away in Southern Illinois is one of Nature's masterpieces.
Hidden away in Southern Illinois is one of Nature's masterpieces.
Welcome to our 'Meet the Board' page where you can get to know our current board members. Learn more about the dedicated volunteers who focus on protecting your Cache River Watershed, below!
Tony Gerard
Tony Gerard, a native of Joppa, Illinois, earned his Bachelor's degree in Biology with a minor in Earth Science from Morehead State University in Kentucky. After teaching high school in central Illinois for five years, he returned to southern Illinois and completed a Master's degree in Zoology at SIU Carbondale. Tony has since served as a science instructor at Shawnee College.
A lifelong outdoor enthusiast, Tony enjoys nature photography, with a particular interest in reptiles and amphibians. He frequently collaborates with fellow board member Lori Armstrong on public educational programs featuring live animals. Tony also has a passion for history, especially the 18th-century frontier, and has worked in film and television, including appearances on the History Channel and in the movie "Last of the Mohicans"—though you’ll have to look quickly to spot him!
Anne Parmley
I am a retired teacher with B.A. and M.A. degrees from Michigan State University. Growing up on a farm in Michigan, I developed a lifelong passion for outdoor activities, including gardening, birding, butterfly watching, and hiking. I am also a certified Master Naturalist.
I serve as the Membership Chairman, Pollinator Garden Chairman, and Newsletter Editor for Friends of the Cache River Watershed. I am the President of the Metropolis Garden Club, the Bees, Birds, & Butterflies Chairman for the Garden Clubs of Illinois, District VII, and a founding member of the Massac Nature Study Society. Additionally, I am a member of the Shawnee Chapter of the Illinois Audubon Society and a butterfly enthusiast.
Kimberly Rohling (Former Board Member, Active Volunteer)
Kimberly Rohling is the Energy and Environmental Stewardship Extension Program Coordinator for the University of Illinois Extension, serving Alexander, Johnson, Massac, Union, and Pulaski counties. In 2019, she earned her Professional Science Master's in Zoology with a concentration in Wildlife Administration and Management from Southern Illinois University Carbondale, where she conducted research on the demography, home range, and habitat selection of state-threatened ornate box turtles.
Kim's passion for the Cache River began during her seasonal work with the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) as a Conservation Education Representative and Conservation Worker. Before joining IDNR, she was an AmeriCorps Member at Cypress Creek National Wildlife Refuge, where she assisted with swamp ecology canoe tours, biological surveys, and bottomland forest restoration. Kim holds a Bachelor’s degree in Oceanography and Environmental Studies from Eckerd College, earned in 2008.
Shawn Gossman
Shawn Gossman, known as "Hiking with Shawn," is a Southern Illinois native who shares his passion for hiking and outdoor recreation through his filming and blogging, focusing on the Shawnee National Forest and Southern Illinois state parks. Nature played a pivotal role in Shawn's life, even leading him to meet his wife, Michelle. Whenever possible, he enjoys hiking, cycling, kayaking, and camping in the area.
Shawn serves as the president of Friends of the Tunnel Hill State Trail and is a board member of Southernmost Illinois Tourism. He has also served on the boards of the River to River Trail Society and Friends of the Shawnee National Forest. Shawn holds two master’s degrees, works in the casino surveillance industry, and offers a paid guided hiking and biking service in Southern Illinois.
Jonathan Voelz
Jonathan Voelz grew up in a small railroad town near Chicago, where he was active in environmental initiatives and led an effort to preserve a wetland area. Although the wetland project wasn’t fully successful, it led to the discovery and preservation of a nearby undisturbed prairie.
At SIU, Jonathan majored in Forest Recreation Resource Management and Outdoor Recreation, and he also competed in Orienteering. After graduation, he returned to the Chicago area to work as a ranger with the county forest preserve district. Later, he pursued a Master’s in Geography, which included an internship with a bi-county soil and water conservation district, where he prepared land use reports for board approval.
Sharon Voelz
Sharon Voelz, a native of Saline County, attended SIU, majoring in Retail Management and participating in Orienteering. She has always enjoyed outdoor activities with her family, along with cooking, sewing, and reading. After graduation, she moved to the Chicago area, where she worked in retail management and as a traffic manager at a local radio station.
Sharon later returned to southern Illinois with Jonathan, where she operated a home daycare business before re-entering the workforce. She worked for the Shawnee Development Council in various roles, including Johnson County Coordinator, Workforce Innovation Opportunity Act case manager, and Assistant to the agency director until her retirement.