Sharon Tinker grew up on a livestock and grain farm north of Manchester in Delaware County in northeast Iowa. She received a B.S. in chemical engineering from the University of Iowa and worked for ExxonMobil for 35 years. She moved from Houston, Texas to Ankeny when she retired in 2015 to get back to four seasons and rural America. She enjoys reading, volunteering, and watching the Iowa Cubs and Chicago Cubs. Sharon joined the Friends Board in July 2016 and is currently the secretary and government liaison. She planted 39 acres of pollinator habitat on her farm in northeast Iowa in 2015 to reduce soil loss and attract native wildlife and has become interested in sustainable agriculture.

Austin Steinkamp is originally from Woodward, Iowa and currently resides in Johnston, Iowa. He received his B.S. in Accounting from AIB College of Business and works at a local accounting firm called MHCS, PC. Austin’s hobbies include hunting, traveling, going to sporting events, and spending time with friends and family. Austin’s interest in the refuge comes from growing up on an acreage and being an avid pheasant hunter has piqued his interest in wildlife habitat. Austin joined the Friends Board in April of 2023 and is the Treasurer. He looks forward to learning and helping with the refuge.

VICE PRESIDENT, SECRETARY AND MEMBERSHIP

TREASURER

Jordan Oster has served on the Friends board since the Fall of 2018, fulfilling a public relations niche to inform the public and press about the great things happening at the Refuge. He lives in Des Moines and grew up in the suburbs. Born in North Dakota, Jordan had an early interest in bison, visiting his grandparents in Jamestown, ND, known as the “Buffalo City” for its large roadside bison statue. In his day job, Jordan is the Energy Program Director at the Iowa Environmental Council, a nonprofit policy and advocacy organization. The council is the state’s largest environmental coalition and includes The Friends of Neal Smith NWR as a member.

Jordan studied History and Politics at Drake University and also holds a Master of Public Administration from the school. During spare time, Jordan enjoys gardening, collecting, reading, exploring local nature, watching baseball and spending time with his wife and daughter. Jordan first visited the Refuge like many central-Iowa children do, on a school trip. He kept coming back and grew a deep appreciation for the tallgrass prairie ecosystem and the people and partners that make Neal Smith NWR a special Iowa destination. This last October, Jordan participated in the Refuge’s annual bison handling, when the herd is brought together for sampling and physical inspection. Jordan worked with fellow board member Rachel Ruden as part of the sample collection team that gathered nasal swabs, tail hair samples and blood draws from young bison. For Jordan, It’s been quite a journey from field trip, to handing bison samples, to board president.

PRESIDENT

Rachel Ruden grew up in central New Jersey surrounded by horses and urban wildlife. She received a B.S. in Animal Science from Cornell University, a V.M.D. from the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, and a PhD in Wildlife Ecology from Iowa State University. Her first visit to Neal Smith was while moving cross- country to Ames in 2016 and she has served as the attending veterinarian at the bison round-ups ever since. Rachel strongly supports the mission of both the Friends group and the Refuge to educate the public about Iowa’s natural history and take an active stake in restoring the tallgrass prairie. She has become an avid cyclist since moving to Iowa and can generally be found photographing wildlife in her off hours. Rachel joined the Friends board in early 2019 to assist with public relations. In July 2019, she started as the first wildlife veterinarian for the Iowa Department of Natural Resources.

PUBLIC RELATIONS

Amanda Yancy grew up in Norwalk, IA. She received a B.S. in Behavioral Science and M.S. in Organizational Performance from Bellevue University. She has worked in business operations across many different fields including medical offices, social services, and insurance. Amanda enjoys going for hikes with her husband and stepchildren, traveling, and staying inside to snuggle with her bunnies and dog. She started volunteering at the refuge during an Environmental Science class in 2017 and was hooked ever since. She enjoys volunteering for outreach events and working hands-on in the prairie. Amanda joined the Friends Board in 2021 and is the Friends Membership Coordinator.

Loren Lown worked for the Soil and Water Conservation Agency before joining Polk County Conservation. At Polk County Conservation, he spent most of his professional life as a restoration ecologist/manager of natural areas and parkland systems. Since retirement from Polk County Conservation in 2018, Loren has worked as a consultant for clients on newly acquired parkland and conducted botanical and avian biological surveys. He currently is a citizen advisor to several metropolitan planning organizations, civic commissions, and boards. Loren joined the Friends board in March 2023.