Advisory Committee Members
- Will Bement
- Shelly Binsfeld, Elk River
- Nick Bluhm, Minneapolis
- Charlie Brandt, Elk River
- Chris DuBose, North Branch
- Beto Garcia, Roseville
- Chris Magnotto, Rochester
- Christine Maxwell, Bemidji
- Spencer McGrew, Fergus Falls
- Carrie Ohly-Cusack, Ely
- Patrick Selter, Apple Valley
- Mike Sorensen, Minneapolis
- M. Mahmood Tajbakhsh, St. Paul
- Ryan Wersal, Mankato
- Amanda Weberg, Grand Marais
Committee Ex-Officio Members
AIS Advisory Committee Members
Shelly Binsfeld relishes nature on the trail and water as an avid runner and kayaker. Her lake home refreshes her soul. The closeness of nature has led Shelly to dive into learning about the aquatic habitat within her lake and volunteer as an AIS Detector and Orono Lake Association. In 2020 Shelly was elected to the Sherburne SWCD board, serving on the AIS and One Watershed One Plan committees. Shelly is also the owner of Rock Leaf Water Environmental, an emergency response and natural resource service company. She is a BWSR Wetland Professional In-Training.
Nick Bluhm is the Treasurer for the Association of Cass County Lakes (ACCL), a nonprofit organization of the lake associations in Cass County. ACCL has funded 100 Self-cleaning AIS Cleaning Signs with Tools, working with the SWCD of Cass County; 50 signs w/tools were installed at Federal, DNR and resort access locations in 2023 and the remainder will be installed in 2024. Each year, ACCL and Cass County jointly fund AIS Detector courses. Nick has worked as a DNR Watercraft Inspector at DNR public accesses and is an active AIS Detector. He is also a volunteer for the Three Rivers Park district and Dakota County parks.
Nick grew up in a rural farming area on the Minnesota River; he was an Eagle Scout and a BWCA Wilderness canoe guide. He has earned his certification as a Rescue Diver, Master Scuba Diver and Professional Divemaster. Nick has an MBA in Finance from Columbia University and a BS in Civil Engineering from Iowa State University.
I’m a lifelong angler, hunter and advocate for science-based management of our natural resources. This is rooted in my dad & grandpa making me their fishing partner, and taking me along in their pursuits as a child. Over the years, I’ve been an active member of MN Backcountry Hunters and Anglers (BHA), Minnesota Outdoor Heritage Alliance (MOHA), BWCAW Coalition and others. I have an AAS degree in business management, and have worked in boat dealership sales most of my life. Fishing boats are my livelihood. I’m knowledgeable in marine rigging and setup, plumbing, trailers, etc. and am intimately aware of the complex nature of AIS prevention on these rigs. A long-time bass tournament angler in the upper Midwest, my passion is for big open-water smallmouth. I’m fortunate that my wife also loves being outside, and we travel together as much as possible. Come fall our priorities become chasing elk, deer and antelope out West, often with our son in the backpack.
Chris was recently elected as a Chisago County Commissioner but has been active in local politics, service organizations, and water resource committees for over 20 years. He has always been interested in water as a lake and riverfront resident, floatplane pilot, and active boater on local waterways. He has been on the Lake Improvement District, Water Plan Policy Team, and was president of the Chisago Lakes Restoration Association, which helped restore the connections on the Chisago/Lindstrom/Center chain of lakes with navigable channels and bridges. He is currently serving on the One Watershed One Plan for the Lower St. Croix River Watershed. He knows firsthand some of the impacts of recent aquatic invasive species and wants to continue to be active doing what we can to control invasives and prevent further spread.
Beto Garcia brings to the board a 30 year career in hydrogeology and environmental consulting at prominent local engineering companies. His professional qualifications include having been a licensed Professional Geologist, Monitoring Well Contractor, and lake services provider. He is a licensed Coast Guard captain, and an avid racing sailor, fisherman, and power boater with decades of experience on inland lakes and rivers across Minnesota including Lake Superior. Mr. Garcia is also a lakefront owner, a member of the Lake Owasso Lake Association, and active member of several yacht clubs. His educational background includes a BA in Geology from Macalester College, post-graduate coursework at Macalester and the UofM, and a year-long internship at the Minnesota DNR Division of Waters. Mr. Garcia is currently an IT Systems Engineer and BioBase Mapping Ambassador involved in mapping aquatic vegetation and assisting on work to update the Twin Cities Fishing Guide.
My interest in working with the AISAC revolves around my enduring interest in sustaining and, where possible, improving on the water resources we enjoy as Minnesotans. My professional background is in electronics and appliance distribution, manufacturing and marketing. My current recreational interests on water include paddle sports, specifically kayaks, surf skis and standup paddle boards. I am member of the American Forestry Foundation and advocate for sustainable and biodiverse forests and waterfronts. Having come of age in Minnesota Lakes Country I’ve enjoyed the gamut of activities ranging from waterfowl hunting to waterskiing. Recognizing the challenges faced by Minnesota’s wetlands and watersheds compels my interest in making what contributions I might in improving the great gift of Minnesota’s waters. Our primary residence in Rochester, MN. Our lake cabin is in Lake Park, MN.
Christine Maxwell is a Minnesota transplant but has fully embraced the “lake-life” attitude that living in Bemidji, Minnesota offers. As the CFO of Northland Fishing Tackle, Christine has developed a passion for fishing, becoming a year-round avid angler. Spending much of her free time on the water either fishing, kayaking, or enjoying the waters outside her Mille Lacs cabin has made Maxwell aware of the threats of aquatic invasive species as well as passionate about preserving Minnesota’s water resources. Christine holds master’s degrees in engineering management and accounting and brings 15+ years of leadership, financial acumen, and policy writing to the AIS Advisory Committee.
Spencer McGrew up on Lake Fifteen near Rollag, MN fishing off the dock, endlessly trying to catch chipmunks with his brother using a cardboard box trap and spending the warm summer evenings reading the Conservation Volunteer. He studied history and geosciences at Minnesota State University Moorhead and received his M.A in Geography at the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks. His master’s thesis explored the economic impact of zebra mussels on lakeshore property values. Spencer is the Aquatic Invasive Species Specialist for Otter Tail County, where he’s led the county’s AIS Prevention Program since 2016. Spencer and his wife Michele and son Ashton (5) and cat, Otto, live in Fergus Falls. In his free time, he enjoys boating, reading history, and volunteering at the Western Minnesota Steam Threshers Reunion.
Carrie Ohly-Cusack spent the past ten years working on AIS prevention, beginning in 2015 as the Burntside Lake Association AIS Manager in Ely, MN. In 2020, she joined the AIS Boundary Waters Collaborative (ABC) as a Civic Organizer. The purpose of ABC is to develop the imagination, leadership, and infrastructure needed to organize sustainable partnerships between government and community with the capacity to address the complex public policy issue of aquatic invasive species in America’s premier water wilderness, the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW). Our focus is to prevent the spread of AIS into the two main watersheds that flow into the BWCAW. In 2022, she joined the board of Minnesota Lakes and Rivers Advocates (MLRA). MLR advocates for clean water policies across the state of Minnesota.
Since 1997, I have worked in the field of aquatic invasive species on both the prevention and management sides. As Vice President of Midwest Operations for PLM Lake and Land Management, I have resided in Minnesota since 2001 and have focused not only on current goals and outcomes, but also on research and development towards our future. Establishing partnerships and working side by side with research organizations who value scientifically proven, environmentally friendly, economical methods of effective and long-term solutions to the AIS challenges in our beautiful state is my goal. I aim to provide knowledge that helps customers make sound decisions, with an emphasis on ecological protection, and to oversee, participate, and ensure success in the work being done.
My partnerships include being a member of Minnesota Lakes and Rivers Advocates, the Midwest Aquatic Plant Management Society, and am a current advisory board member for the U of M’s Aquatic Invasive Species Research Centers (MAISRC). Outside of work, my family and I enjoy all the outdoor recreation and states natural resources that our state has to offer, as well as participating in hunting, year round fishing, and exploring state and national parks. Our natural resources are a priority for me, both personally and professionally.
Mike Sorensen is the Water Resources Lead for Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board. Mike developed an interest in lake ecology while growing up in Detroit Lakes. He received his B.A. in Environmental Science from University of Minnesota Morris and his M.S. in Water Resources Science from University of Minnesota Duluth. As a graduate student, Mike’s thesis research involved characterizing the dissolved oxygen requirements of the spiny water flea (Bythotrephes longimanus). Mike has experience overseeing a wide variety of AIS prevention, early detection, rapid response, and management activities in local government and academic settings. Mike lives in Eden Prairie and enjoys exploring the area’s parks, trails, and waterbodies with his wife and son.
M. Mahmood Tajbakhsh is an avid fisherman, hunter and outdoor recreation advocate from St. Paul, Minnesota. He spent his childhood and early youth in St. Paul enjoying fishing, canoeing, and other aquatic outdoor activities within the city limits. He spent most of his early adult life working in the non-profit sector in Southern Mexico, promoting and implementing community led sport fisheries sustainable development and environmental education programs. He has recently moved back to St. Paul and is working in local government in addition to advocating for public access and diversity in the outdoors through multiple organizations and personal activities.
Amanda Weberg loves working in the wonderful world of AIS prevention. Amanda earned her B.A. from UW-Superior in Biology, Chemistry, and German, ja. In college she conducted research on the Belize barrier coral reef and worked at the Lake Superior Research Institute (LSRI). She also worked at the Limnology Center in the Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences (CIRES) at the University of Colorado-Boulder and the Freshwater Mussel Conservation Center at Virginia Tech. Amanda has been the AIS specialist for Cook County SWCD since its beginning in 2015. She believes the Arrowhead Region of Minnesota is a beautiful and critical place to do AIS work. The waters in the Arrowhead are not yet impaired by human activity. It’s all our work to keep it that way.
Ryan is a native of Minnesota where he received his Bachelor and Master of Science degrees in Biology from Minnesota State University, Mankato. He moved to Mississippi in 2004 and received his PhD in Weed Science in 2010. While at Mississippi State University he took part in many research projects across the country on all aspects of aquatic plant ecology and management. After Mississippi State University Dr. Wersal accepted an Aquatic Plant Scientist position in Alpharetta, GA, where he oversaw the global research and development projects with respect to aquatic herbicides and algaecides. Currently, Dr. Wersal is an assistant professor of aquatic plant ecology at Minnesota State University where he teaches General Ecology, Lake Ecology, Wetlands, and Weed Science. His research focuses on invasive aquatic plant management, native plant impacts from management, aquatic plant ecology, and aquatic plant sampling techniques. He has worked on aquatic plant projects across the country with many different collaborators. Outside of his University duties, he is currently the Vice-President for the Aquatic Plant Management Society, an Associate Editor for the Journal of Aquatic Plant Management and Invasive Plant Science and Management, and serves on the editorial board for the Journal of Freshwater Ecology. He also serves on many committees for both the Aquatic Plant Management Society and the Weed Science Society of America.
AIS Advisory Committee Ex-Officio Members
Amy McGovern is the Aquatic Invasive Species Program Manager for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Midwest Region covering the Upper Mississippi River and Great Lakes. The Region's AIS Program consists of a comprehensive Risk Assessment Program, Great Lakes Early Detection Program, Asian Carp Program, Financial Assistance Program, and Great Lakes Sea Lamprey Control Program. Amy brings expertise from an interdisciplinary perspective and enjoys collaborating with other federal and state agencies and in cooperation with tribes, private industry, academia and others to prevent the establishment and spread of aquatic invasive species. The Regional AIS Program is part of the Midwest regional Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Program of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Dr. Nick Phelps is the Director of the Minnesota Aquatic Invasive Species Research Center (MAISRC). MAISRC is a collaborative and innovative program that brings together researchers, managers and stakeholders to identify research priorities, conduct research and inform decision-making and management for AIS in the Great Lakes region. In addition, Nick is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Fisheries, Wildlife and Conservation Biology at the University of Minnesota. His research group focuses on emerging threats to the health and sustainability of aquatic ecosystems, which lie at the intersection of humans, animals and the environment. This has included discovery and diagnostic development for emerging pathogens, environmental suitability and network modeling to predict invasions, risk assessment to prioritize management efforts, provided workshops and evaluation of AIS-HACCP strategies for aquaculture producers, etc. Nick has earned a BS in Aquatic Biology, an MS in Aquaculture/Fisheries and a PhD in Veterinary Medicine.
