St Paul, Minn. – The National Parks of Lake Superior Foundation (NPLSF) is pleased to announce the appointment of two new directors to its 10-member board. Sarah Henely of Minneapolis, Minn. and Jeff Henquinet of Houghton, Mich. bring a wealth of experience and a passion for preserving the public lands surrounding Lake Superior. Both will serve a three-year term on the board of directors.
“I’m thrilled to add Jeff and Sarah to the board of directors of NPLSF,” said Tom Irvine, NPLSF chairman. “Both bring a passion for our parks, a desire to serve, and professional expertise to advance our goals.”
Sarah Henely obtained a bachelor's degree in family social science from the University of Minnesota–Twin Cities. With more than 14 years of development experience in the Twin Cities nonprofit community, she has led fundraising efforts for the Center for Victims of Torture, Scholarship America, and the Animal Humane Society. Sarah currently works at the YWCA Minneapolis as its director of individual giving.
Growing up in a small rural town in northwestern Minnesota, Sarah and her family frequently went on camping trips along the north shore of Lake Superior. Eventually, her parents relocated to Duluth, Minn., and Sarah visits them often for hiking and snowshoeing adventures at state and national parks. On any given weekend, you can find her lacing up her hiking boots and enjoying the outdoors.
“I have spent a lot of time in two of the five national parks the foundation serves: Apostle Island National Lakeshore and Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore,” she said. "I applied to join the NPLSF board because, in conversations with other board members, I was inspired by the great work the foundation does to nurture and maintain the five national parks of Lake Superior.”
Jeff Henquinet has a doctoral degree from Michigan State University in fisheries and wildlife and a bachelor's degree in biology from the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse. He also has a J.D. degree from Lewis & Clark Law School. Jeff currently serves as the center manager of the Ecosystem Science Center at Michigan Technological University. In his previous role as principal of Henquinet Consulting, Jeff provided grant and project management services, environmental and safety compliance assistance, environmental planning and policy analysis of public lands.
Jeff grew up in the Twin Cities and is a longtime fan of Lake Superior. As a youth, Jeff took regular trips to Duluth and the north shore of Minnesota and northern Wisconsin. His first time on Lake Superior was during a biology field school in college when he and his classmates conducted sampling around the Apostle Islands. Since then, he has crossed the big lake multiple times on freight ships while conducting research to prevent the spread of aquatic invasive species in the Great Lakes.
“My family and I live on the Keweenaw peninsula and spend a great deal of our time in and along the shores of Lake Superior hiking, swimming, kayaking, and taking photos,” Jeff said. “I have visited all of the national parks on Lake Superior and had the privilege of working at Isle Royale National Park as an environmental protection specialist.”
Jeff joined the NPLSF board to “help provide opportunities for others to have similar connections to the big lake and its national parks.”
To learn more about NPLSF's board members, mission, programs, and initiatives visit nplsf.org.
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About NPLSF
The National Parks of Lake Superior Foundation (NPLSF) exists to provide financial support for projects and programs that preserve the five Lake Superior national parks' natural resources and cultural heritage. Funded through grants and private donations, NPLSF projects and programs ensure that these great parks and historic sites are maintained for the enjoyment of visitors today and generations of visitors to come.