Jesse Stock (he/him), Executive Director
Meet Jesse Stock, a native Ohioan from the foothills of Appalachia, whose passion for the outdoors and the natural world runs deep. With over 20 years of experience in the nonprofit sector, Jesse excels in program management, grant-making, fundraising, and volunteer engagement. His dedication to community involvement is rooted in a belief in the transformative power of shared experiences.
Outside of work, Jesse cherishes moments with his wife of 23 years, Robin, and their two adult children. He finds joy in playing and refereeing soccer, as well as embarking on long bike rides. His favorite pastime? Strolling Lake Michigan beaches with his wife, seeking treasures and cleaning up discarded items that wash ashore.
Kayla Kirkpatrick (she/her), Program Specialist
A northwest Ohio native, Kayla was born and raised in Toledo. She graduated from Bowling Green State University in April 2023 with a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Policy and Analysis, with a specialization in Environmental Law. She looks forward to using her knowledge to protect the environment and promote wellness for the earth.
Kayla worked as Partners for Clean Streams’ summer program intern in 2022, and has volunteered as a Clean Your Streams site captain for three years. She is looking forward to providing more support to an organization that has made major impacts for her local community.
Recently, Kayla has had the opportunity to visit Australia, Costa Rica, Ireland, Scotland, and England. Seeing the way that other countries handled environmental problems compared to the U.S. inspired her to want to bring back what she learned during her travels. She also enjoys learning about the history of the Great Black Swamp and has done some surveying work in Wood County. She continues to look for ways she can protect the environment personally and professionally.
Katarina Kieffer (she/her), Water Monitoring Coordinator
Kat is a native of northwest Ohio, but spent time living in Buffalo, Nashville, and Houston before returning home to the wonders of the Great Lakes and the Great Black Swamp. She has a BA in Political Science from Houghton College and a BS in Geology/Hydrogeology from BGSU and is a current master’s student in Geology at BGSU. Her research interests include mitigating nutrient runoff from agricultural sources, biogeochemical processes in wetlands, and wetlands restoration.
Kat is also an Ohio Certified Volunteer Naturalist (OCVN) through the Wood County Park District. She is passionate about place-based education and citizen science and hopes to spend her career improving water quality in the Lake Erie watershed by building coalitions around science-based interventions.
She lives in Bowling Green, where she, her three kids, and two dogs spend as much time as possible outside exploring new parks as well as old favorites. They especially enjoy camping, archery, snowshoeing, biking, exploring the Oak Openings sand dunes, and visiting the Lake Erie beaches all year round.
Mary Winkle (she/her), Communications and Outreach Specialist
Mary earned her Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science with a specialization in Sustainable Management from Bowling Green State University in 2022. Growing up in the Northwest Ohio region, her academic and professional careers have been influenced by being surrounded by the Oak Openings Preserve and the Lake Erie Islands.
She has a strong passion for the conservation and preservation of the Lake Erie ecosystems and looks forward to putting her time and effort into ensuring clean, clear and safe waters. After spending nearly every summer growing up on Lake Erie’s Put-In-Bay, she has developed a deep appreciation for the area and the importance of keeping our waterways clean and sustainable.
Mary enjoys spending time in familiar and new outdoor spaces and continuing to expand her knowledge on environmental topics.
Antonia Beltz (she/her), Program Intern
Welcome to our new summer intern, Antonia! Antonia earned her bachelor’s in Environmental Policy and Analysis at Bowling Green State University in 2023. She is currently working towards her master’s degree in public administration also at BGSU and is expected to graduate in spring 2025.
Antonia has spent her time volunteering and researching for nonprofit organizations during her time as a student and hopes to continue environmental advocacy post-graduation. She looks forward to broadening her horizon with PCS and helping to keep the local waterways as clean as possible. Learning more about nonprofit organizations and visiting the local natural areas has been one of the best experiences for her while joining our team.