Jen Filipiak

Education

B.S. in Biology/Ecology, Northern Michigan University

M.S. in Wildlife Ecology, Southern Illinois University at Carbondale

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Primary Responsibilities

Oversees the administration, programs, and strategic direction of DALC, including:

• Managing staff and annual budgets

• Fundraising

• Working with landowners and organizational partners to preserve and protect special places in the Driftless region

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Jen also serves as the Chair of the Administrative Council for the USDA’s Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program in North Central region.

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Past Jobs & Experience

Prior to joining DALC in 2019, Jen was the Midwest Regional Director for the American Farmland Trust, where she worked collaboratively with farmers, farmer organizations and government agencies to overcome barriers to conservation practice adoption and advance common ground solutions for agriculture and the environment. While at AFT, she developed their national “Women for the Land” initiative which addresses the obstacles that women landowners, particularly those who do not farm but lease their land to farmers, face in accessing conservation programs and resources. Jen brings more than 20 years of project management experience in conservation and sustainable agriculture, having previously worked with organizations such as the Illinois Stewardship Alliance, The Nature Conservancy of Iowa, and the Lake County (Illinois) Forest Preserve District.

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Favorite thing about the Driftless Area

"There’s so much to love, how can I pick just one thing?  One of my favorite places is the view from “sunset rock” – a giant rock outcrop in my pasture that looks out over the hills and valleys of Grant County.  It’s a great place to sit with a hot or cold beverage and watch the sun set.  A second favorite place is the mountain bike trail at Blue Mounds State Park – it’s one of the most challenging trails in Wisconsin!"

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Hobbies & Interests

Jen loves riding her bike in the Driftless area – both mountain biking and road – where the reward for challenging hills and rocks are spectacular views and serene scenery.  Jen and her husband Pete have a small farm in Lafayette County where they are enjoying the challenges of restoring fences and old barns.  They plan to rotationally graze their land once the fencing is fixed and are also restoring a small prairie remnant.