Meet Our Staff

Michael Brown – Executive Director

Michael has a BA in Biology from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale. He has a diverse background in environmental work including management of a 320-acre interpretive park for the Peoria Park District, service as a Peace Corps volunteer at Pirin National Park in Bulgaria, work in environmental health with the Peoria City/County Health Department, recruitment and training of volunteers in ecological monitoring for the Illinois EcoWatch, and the ongoing restoration of a rare tallgrass savanna remnant as Steward of Springdale Cemetery Savanna for Peoria Wilds. He has served on the board of Peoria Wilds since 2001 and as its President from 2005-2010. Michael is a 2006 recipient of Peoria's 40 Leaders Under Forty Award. He acts as Solid Waste Coordinator for McLean County and currently serves as Chair of the Mackinaw River Ecosystem Partnership, Chair of the McLean County Greenways Committee, and on the board of the Illinois Recycling Association.

Kris Hall – Assistant Director

Kris joined the EAC team as Assistant Director in the spring of 2010. Previously, she worked for over 20 years as the Education Coordinator at Miller Park Zoo, where she taught thousands of children and families about fascinating animals. But those animals cannot thrive on a planet with eroding resources and habitats, so now Kris’s focus will be teaching people about making choices that will lead to a healthier world for everyone!

The daughter of an Air Force family, Kris grew up living all over the world. Her love of travel has spread to her husband Mike and son Dave, and they have been to Australia, Costa Rica, Botswana, South Africa, and many national parks here in the U.S.

Kris has a Bachelor’s Degree from DePauw University, where she majored in Zoology and English.

Mikki Bell – Environmental Educator

Mikki Bell has worked with the Ecology Action Center and its predecessor, Operation Recycle, for more than 15 years. As a teacher in the Unit 5 school district for over 20 years, she has organized environmental clubs and directed service learning projects. Mikki started volunteering with her junior high students at the Normal paper recycling drives and joined the EAC Board of Directors during the 1990s. She now serves as coordinator for summer camps and has developed many of the after school and Scout programs. Her work with the EAC is visible in many of the beautiful murals in the Hewett House which were co-created by her students and volunteers.