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 GOVERNMENTAL LIAISON

TREASURER

Sue Tew-Warming grew up on an old farmstead in Des Moines – giving her the best of city and farm life. Family trips to Estes Park, Colorado lead Sue to the love of the mountains and the outdoors. In 1994 she got a job on a dude ranch and moved to Estes. For the next 10 years, she worked on resorts in the Rockies and received her B.S. in Organizational Management from Colorado State University. She began working with ‘high risk’ youth as a volunteer in Colorado and it was her full-time career when she returned to Des Moines. She became a licensed social worker and completed her M.Ed. at Lesley University in Cambridge, MA. Sue started 2 Consulting, Inc. and the Heartland Wellbeing Institute in 2005 with the intent on connecting, educating, and creating opportunities. Her business includes project management, professional development and workshops. Looking for a location to offer workshops to connect people with nature led Sue to the Refuge in 2015. She joined the Friends Board in 2018 as Volunteer Coordinator and hopes to encourage others to experience, explore and support this amazing space.

PRESIDENT
VOLUNTEER COORDINATOR

Jordan Oster grew up in the Des Moines area. His interest in bison and prairies began when spending time with his grandparents in Jamestown, North Dakota, which is home to the world’s largest “buffalo” monument. Jordan began visiting the Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge as a child and enjoys driving the refuge auto tour. He holds bachelor’s and a Master of Public Administration degree from Drake University. Jordan has worked with numerous state and national issue campaigns, political campaigns, nonprofit groups, and on public relations and marketing efforts for top businesses and brands. He is the Energy Outreach Coordinator at the Iowa Environmental Council.

PUBLIC RELATIONS

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.