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Meet Our Staff
 Michael Brown – Executive Director
Michael has a Bachelor's Degree
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 restoration of a rare tallgrass savanna remnant as Steward of Springdale Cemetery Savanna for Peoria Wilds from 1995-2010. He has served on the board of Peoria Wilds since 2001 and served 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 McLean County Greenways Committee, and on the Board of Directors of the Illinois Recycling Association and the Parklands Foundation. |
 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 is 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. |
 Larissa Armstrong - Program Assistant
Larissa is a Bloomington/Normal native with a B.A. in Comparative Religion, a B.S. in Politics and Government, and most recently she completed her Masters Degree in Global Affairs, with a focus on environmental issues, from Rutgers University. Her education, upbringing, and travel experiences have helped her fully understand that the world is a vast and dynamic place, and that despite all the differences any of us, or any other thing in existence may have, we cannot do what we do unless we take notice of what ails our planet, and take the time to do something/anything about it. With a desire to have a career in environmental advocacy and/or education, Larissa was hired in the fall of 2010 to provide assistance with a wide variety of programs at the Ecology Action Center, and she couldn’t be happier about it. |
 Ruth Ann Lipic - Radon Program Coordinator
Ruth Ann Lipic, RN, MS, CHES has a BSN from St. Louis University and MS from Illinois State University in Health Education. She has been extensively involved in community health initiatives as a Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES). She has coordinated the local radon awareness program with help from the McLean County Radon Task Force which she chairs since 1996. Lipic has facilitated continuing education programs for the Illinois state radon licensees for 8 years working closely with Illinois Emergency Management Agency. As a survivor of an impaired driving crash, her volunteer efforts for 20 years were directed toward safe, sober driving as a spokesman for MADD, IL state MADD chairperson, victim advocate and national board member. Lipic volunteered 15 years as chairperson for the Holiday Tour of Homes fundraiser for Homes of Hope, Inc. Currently she serves on the Board of Directors for East Central Illinois Area Agency for Aging. Lipic was awarded the YWCA Woman of Distinction in 2003 and Health Educator of the Year in 2010 by the Cornbelt Health Education Association. |
 Dane Rasmussen – Program Assistant
Dane graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Superior with a Bachelors of Science in Environmental Sustainability and a minor in First Nations studies. He has also studied Engineering at Michigan Technological University and Ecopsychology Finlandia University. He is a passionate outdoorsman who enjoys high adventure activities like rock climbing, white water canoeing, and cross country skiing with his wife and two sons. Dane joined the EAC in the fall of 2011 to develop a greenhouse gas inventory plan for Bloomington and Normal. He is also one of our afterschool educators on solid waste and the water system. |
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