It takes a team. Here’s ours.
Management Team
Christine Happ Olson
Executive Director, since 2003
Chris came to Four Mounds with a background in historic preservation and non-profit management. She’s got a passion for helping young people, local foods and expanding our partnerships across the community.
[email protected] 563-557-7292
Kevin Botsford
Office Manager/Bookkeeper, since 2013
After retiring as our community’s postmaster, Kevin joined Four Mounds in a part-time role. He’s launched us into the 21st Century with automation of systems and cloud-based services to help us keep up with the changing world.
[email protected] 563-557-7292
Jay Potter
Conservation Manager, since 1999
Jay grew up across the road and has been coming up to Four Mounds since he was child, and was known to have even sat in on a board meeting at age thirteen. He has an inherent interest of history, ecology and preservation. He loves nothing more than to perform research for projects and challenges as needs arise.
[email protected] 563-543-0924
Marie FitzGerald
Inn Manager, since 1997
Marie brought an experience of running her own inn to Four Mounds and possesses a passion for taking care of people. She goes above and beyond to treat our guests like family and is one of the reasons people come back to see us, year after year.
[email protected] 563-556-1908
Ron Fritz
HEART Manager/Job Coach, since 1999
Ron brought a background of home building to Four Mounds before he started working with youth. He’s led youth programming for almost 20 years and is known for his patient and calm approach working with young people from our HEART Program.
Elizabeth Lange
Adventure Camp Director, since 2016
Elizabeth is a senior at St. Ambrose University in elementary education and joined us as a camp leader in 2016. She comes back in 2018 to direct the camp and enjoys engaging kids in creek stomping, canoeing and other activities. In her freetime, Elizabeth enjoys kayaking and volleyball.
563-581-6342
Nick Kringle
Website Manager, since 2010
Nick loves bringing his passion and experience in non-profit web and information technologies to help Four Mounds make an impact in the Dubuque community.
Board of Trustees
John Gronen
President
Grandson of the Four Mounds’ original donors to the City, John has a long passion and institutional memory for Four Mounds, helping to form the organization back in 1987. John and his wife Mary built their own restoration and development company, Gronen Restoration/Gronen Properties, as they concurrently worked to restore Four Mounds and build the foundation.
Mary Mulgrew Gronen
Vice-chair
Mary has served Four Mounds Foundation nearly since its start as a volunteer and soon after as a board member in 1995. Mary is co-principal at Gronen Restoration/Gronen Properties.
Renee Hesselman
Treasurer
Renee is a partner at Honkamp Krueger and brings a background in tax, accounting, and business experience. Renee has served Four Mounds since 2008.
Ben Bartels
At-large member
Ben is an assistant professor in the Criminal Justice department at the University of Dubuque. Ben serves as counsel for our board and has been with us since 2016.
Scott Dittmer
At-large member
Scott is principal at Dittmer Recycling, Inc. and Blue Sky Solar. He has served on our board since 2011.
David Resnick
City of Dubuque’s appointed representative
David is an instructor of Music at Clarke University and serves as one of Dubuque’s at-large city council members. He has been the liaison between Four Mounds and the City since 2016.
Family Class Respresentatives, since 1987
- Jim Gronen
- Liz Adams
Volunteer Teams
Winter Farmers Market
Paula Connors serves as a volunteer market coordinator, which has been under Four Mounds umbrella since 2008. She serves with other dedicated volunteers to make the market a viable venture for Dubuque. Paula’s passionate about connecting farmers and community and building a local foods movement.
Seth Sample of the Four Mounds Ropes Course
For over 25 years, we’ve had an premier Challenge Ropes Course due to our private/public partnership with Team Building Blocks. In 2017, Dan Block passed the baton to Seth Sample, who now manages the course. Seth also has a tree doctor business, Full Circle Restoration, and volunteers his time helping us manage the health of our stand of trees. We are grateful for our partnerships with Team Building Blocks and Full Circle Restoration.
www.teambuildingblocks.com
563-556-0985
AmeriCorps NCCC- Oak 3, North Central Region
Led by Team Leader Kathleen Gilligan in 2017, this team of eight young people helped Four Mounds and Mount Saint Francis in May and June 2017 with ecological restoration and infrastructure improvement. We were excited to reach out to our nearby neighbors, the Sisters of Saint Francis, to host this group of hard working members, in the tradition of the Civilian Conservation Corps.
Four Mounds Women’s Fellowship
This dedicated group of fun-loving and hard-working women put on two events annually that help raise friends and funds for Four Mounds mission of preservation, education and service.