2022-2023 Board of Directors
The Open Space Council is fortunate to have an incredible, dedicated team of professionals serving on the Board of Directors. The board meets 6 times per year; board members serve 3-year terms.
Nominations are now open for new Open Space STL board members – people can self-nominate themselves or a friend or colleague at the link below. We are particularly looking for people with experience in non-profits, real estate, marketing, and/or fundraising. Any passionate individual willing to commit their time and energy to environmental efforts in STL is encouraged to apply! All our committees, Land Conservation, Water Conservation, Governance, Marketing and Outreach, and Advocacy, have open spots and would love your help.
Click here to nominate yourself or a friend for our Board of Directors.
Read on to learn more about these dedicated individuals:
Gerald Brown
Gerald has worked for over 18 years in parks and recreation municipal management. He has been the Director of Parks and Recreation for the City of Sunset Hills since 2003. Gerald is a member of the National Recreation and Parks Association, Sunset Hills Rotary Club, Sunset Hills/Crestwood Chamber of Commerce and is the Regional Director of the Missouri Parks and Recreation Association. He enjoys coaching, playing golf, soccer, and other outdoor activities. Gerald has been a member of the Open Space Council Board of Directors since 2016.
Larry Cain
Larry received his Bachelor of Science Electrical Engineering from the University of Missouri at Rolla in 1982 and is currently an Electrical Engineer at Ameren Missouri. He is involved in many organizations such as the Conservation Federation of Missouri, Boy Scouts of America, St. Simon the Apostle Holy Name Society, and Missouri Stream Team as a Stream Team Leader for 28 years. Larry is a board member on the Missouri Stream Team Watershed Coalition and has been on the Open Space Council Water Committee from 2000 through 2010. Larry has a wide variety of interests, including hiking, fishing, boating, woodworking, and playing the piano. Larry joined the OSC Board of Directors again in May of 2017.
Susan ‘Flicky’ Christie – Secretary
Flicky is a retired Middle School Foreign Language Teacher and a substitute teacher for various other subjects. In 1976, Flicky and her husband, Dan, began a tree service business that is now proudly owned by their daughter and her husband, in which they raise trees, bedding plants, and vegetable plants. She is a passionate nature enthusiast and shares her home with 8 chickens. Growing up in Houston, Missouri, Flicky spent countless hours on the area’s rivers. While her husband worked as the Beautification Foreman and then an Arborist for the St. Louis County Parks Department in the 70’s, they got to live in both Creve Coeur and Queeny park. She is working on visiting as many National Parks as she can. Flicky has been a board member since 2012, working as part of the Marketing Committee, and has been the Secretary since 2014.
Donna Coble – Treasurer
Donna is a “semi-retired” non-profit consultant with a great passion for environmental justice in all corners of her life. She was the executive director of Forest ReLeaf of Missouri for 10 years, and spent many other years in nonprofit administration, including those related to social services and healthcare. She received her Masters in Public Administration from St. Louis University. Donna loves to spend time in nature through hiking, camping, floating, and traveling with her husband. She says that weeding her native plant garden is not only a great way to nourish our environment, but is also a great hands-on therapy hobby! Donna is a member of the Governance Committee and the Executive Committee, and is our newly established Treasurer.
Betsy Crites
Betsy is an Environmental Educator at Missouri Botanical Gardens where she manages youth and community programs. She is passionate about life-long learning, such as reading, traveling and cultural experiences. While at Truman State University, majoring in Biology, she spent a semester studying abroad in Tanzania and Kenya where she studied sustainability and wildlife conservation within Maasai group ranches. In her free time she enjoys outdoor recreation and is currently involved with the Meramec River Recreations Association and Route 66 Bridge Committee (Missouri State Parks Foundation). Betsy joined the Open Space Council Board of Directors in May of 2017.
Hal Davies
Hal is currently the VP of Finance and CFO at the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center and has over 30 years of experience in accounting and financial management. Native of St Louis (Bridgeton), Missouri, Hal obtained a BS in Accounting at UMSL, has his CPA Certificate, and graduated from the Executive MBA Program at Washington University with honors in 1995. He is past president and currently on the Board of the St Louis Chapter of the Financial Executives International. Hal has two daughters and three stepsons and currently resides in University City with his wife Monique. He believes strongly in preserving the natural habitat in Missouri for the benefit and enjoyment of current and future generations.
Jeff Davis
Jeff is the current Principal and Regional Leader of Planning for HOK, Inc. As a landscape architect, he is well versed in the need for land and water conservation. He is part of our board and also takes part in the St. Louis County Parks Foundation.
Darrel Gable
Currently, Darrel is Vice President at USI Insurance where he focuses on delivering employee benefit solutions and insurance consulting services for clients throughout the U.S.. He received his Bachelor of Science in Accounting from the University of Missouri-Columbia and his Masters of Business Administration from Webster University. He serves on the Board of Directors as well as other sub-committees at Lewer Life Insurance Company. He continues to be involved with the Saint Louis Catholic Youth Council as a basketball referee after coaching youth sports for several years. He has participated on several committees at St. Justin Martyr Catholic Church as well as Saint Louis University HIgh School. He enjoys playing golf, cooking Italian and wine tasting. Darrel and his wife, Karla, enjoy traveling, listening to live music and are proud parents of five children and grandparents of two wonderful granddaughters. He has been a member of the Open Space Council Board of Directors since 2022.
Matt Green
Matt is currently a partner at ISC Contracting and part of our Land Conservation Committee. In the past, he has worked as a board member of Gateway Trout Unlimited, with Volunteer Project Healing Waters, RMH Kids and Clays Committee, and the Facility Committee with St. Gerard Majella Church. In addition to his previous work experience, he is also a LEED Accredited Professional. In his free time, Matt enjoys all kinds of outdoor activities like fly fishing, rafting, canoeing, and hiking. Matt is a member of our Land Conservation Committee.
Kirk W. Lambrecht
Kirk Lambrecht is an Environmental Specialist for MSD Project Clear where he is responsible for coordinating a variety of regulatory activities within the Division of Environmental Compliance (Stormwater Program) that protect or improve water quality in local waterways. He is passionate about working with streams and rivers and has been fortunate enough throughout his career to have been involved with many projects focused on improving water quality and aquatic habitats. Kirk is originally from Wisconsin and graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point with a Bachelor’s Degree in Water Resources Management and he holds a Master’s Degree in Environmental Science from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. In his free time Kirk enjoys fly fishing for trout, camping, and being next to a cool water creek with his family and friends. Kirk is a member of our Water Conservation Committee.
Becky McMahon
Becky is a project ecologist at DJM Ecological Services and holds a Bachelor of Science in Conservation Biology. She believes strongly in working collaboratively to conserve our land. Becky has extensive field knowledge about Missouri’s natural communities, plants, and the drive to kill bush honeysuckle. Becky is committed to protecting and conserving our natural areas for future generations and sparking the same passion in the next generation of conservationists. She has been a member of the Open Space Council Board since 2014.
Gene Nickason
Gene is a retired executive from Konica/Minolta. He is an avid outdoor recreation enthusiast, including biking, canoeing, kayaking and hiking. Gene was an annual biker and fundraiser in the MS150. He has been an Operation Clean Stream volunteer for many years. Gene joined the board of directors in 2009.
Brian Peters
Brian is the current Director of Membership and Industry Programs at the Adhesive and Sealant Council, Inc where he delivers career education and community knowledge as a unified industry voice as they seek to strengthen members’ businesses. He received his Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Missouri State and his Masters of Business Administration from Fontbonne University. He volunteers with the Pat Tillman Foundation. He is passionate about anything outdoors, including cleaning up plastics along the Mississippi River and River Des Peres. Brian has been a member of the Open Space Council Board of Directors since 2022.
Aryn Rehbein
Aryn is a former Office Manager for Open Space Council, where she gained a great appreciation for the work done by OSC. She attended the University of Missouri, studying Political Science, and spent a semester at Monash University in Melbourne, Australia. Aryn is the mother of four busy kids and has spent seven years volunteering as a Girl Scout leader. She is passionate about exposing children, especially those who live in urban areas, to the outdoors. Aryn enjoys sewing, camping, hiking and road tripping. She joined the OSC Board of Directors in 2019.
Adam Rembert
Adam is the Restoration Assistant at the Litzsinger Road Ecology Center, where he helps with the ecological restoration efforts and research on site. He has also worked as a regular volunteer with restoration crew at Shaw Nature Reserve and with the plant conservation research team at the Missouri Botanical Garden’s Center for Conservation and Sustainable Development. He has a B.S. in Biology from Western Illinois University, with a focus in Botany. Outside of work, he enjoys hiking, cultivating unique plants, walking his cats and volunteering with other outdoor community restoration projects.
Brian Shaffer
Brian is the currency Deputy Director of St. Louis County Parks. Previously, he was the President of Missouri Park and Recreation Association, part of the Advisory Committee Chairman of the Municipal Park Grant Commission of St. Louis County, Former Board Member & Treasurer of Forest ReLeaf of Missouri; showing his passion and involvement in many environmental programs. Brian has a B.S. from the University of Missouri and is a certified park and Recreation Professional (CPRP). In his free time, Brian enjoys getting out to as many parks as possible and traveling with his wife and college-aged daughters. Brian is a member of the Water Conservation Committee.
Elizabeth Simons
Elizabeth is a Community Program Manager with Great Rivers Greenway and currently serves on the Live Well Ferguson events board and Americorps St. Louis Junior board. She also holds membership in the St. Louis Chapter of the American Planning Association and serves on the East West Gateway Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee. Elizabeth is passionate about preserving and maintaining the region’s outdoor recreation resources for generations to come. Elizabeth joined the OSC Board in 2014.
Dennis Wilhelmi
Dennis is a self-employed CPA, working to provide CFO consulting services to small-growing businesses in the area. He is a current member of the OSC Executive Committee and a past OSC Treasurer. He is passionate about efforts to conserve land and water and has been involved in many different projects. In his free time, Dennis likes to go fly fishing, waterfowl hunting, and hiking.
David A. Wilson – President
David has an extensive experience in environmental education and planning, from working as Executive Director at the Coalition for the Environment, from 1978- 1980, at Missouri Botanical Garden in the 1980s, and with East-West Gateway Council of Governments from 2002-2017, as an Environmental Planner. David is in his 17th year as an adjunct Professor of Sustainability at Webster University. He continues his community service, by volunteering for Operation Clean Stream. He is also currently Chair of the Meramec River Recreation Association and he Chairs the Missouri State Parks Foundation Committee for the Route 66 Bridge. David enjoys hiking the Ozark Trail, traveling, canoeing and rafting in his free time. David joined the Open Space Council Board in May of 2017. In 2017 David Wilson was recognized by the St. Louis Section of the American Planning Association with the Dwight Davis Award for Outstanding Service in Planning, especially for his leadership in the Regional Plan for Sustainable Development- OneSTL. David also received the William C. Shock Water Conservancy Award from the Open Space Council for his work since 2000 promoting watershed planning and healthy rivers in the St Louis Metropolitan Region.