Tim Wagner
Tim Wagner’s love of the outdoors and all its wonders is directly connected to his Iowa farm roots, where he first learned to appreciate the beauty of the Monarch and the tug on the lure in that deep pool. That awareness would eventually lead him to a full time career in conservation and environmental protection. This included more than two decades in Utah working on climate protection and energy policy, stewardship of the West’s vast public lands, water and air quality, and eventually back to Iowa where he recently retired from the Izaak Walton League in his advocacy for regenerative agriculture practices and policies to protect Iowa’s precious soils and water. He lives in Decorah, Iowa with his wife, Shawna where he enjoys the coldwater streams of northeast Iowa, the local bike trails, and canoeing the rivers of the Driftless.
STEVE HOPKINS
Steve is a Program Manager and Energy Coach with Clean Energy Districts of
Iowa (CEDI) in Decorah where he helps farmers and small businesses apply for energy
efficiency and renewable energy grants through the Rural Energy for America Program
(REAP).
In May of 2024 he retired from the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) as
Nonpoint Source Program Coordinator, where he managed programs that supported
watershed projects and other water quality projects to improve Iowa’s lakes, rivers, and
streams. Steve had been with Iowa DNR for 24 years, had served as the Nonpoint
Source Coordinator for 17 years, and has worked in natural resource protection for over
40 years.
He also farmed for 20 years and started up one of the first dairy farms in Iowa to use
prescribed rotational grazing practices. He began his career as a soil conservation
intern with the Soil Conservation Service (now called Natural Resources Conservation
Service) in Allamakee County, Iowa. He has a B.A. in Human Ecology from Luther
College in Decorah, Iowa, an M.S. in Land Resources from the University of Wisconsin-
Madison, and he completed the Iowa Certified Public Management (CPM) Program at
Drake University.
DAVID KEMP
David Kemp grew up on a farm in NE ND. He is a lifelong fisherman now pretty much a fly fisherman & spin fisherman. He has a BS in Biology & medical degrees from U of North Dakota & Iowa. He did his Pediatric residency at U of Iowa & practiced Pediatrics in Dubuque for 35 years. David is retired except for seasonal farm work on his son’s organic farm in MN. David is married & enjoys being a grandfather. David loves the Driftless Area generally & considers it a rare environment of much value personally & for public uses. In addition to fishing, Dave enjoys hiking, canoeing & nature study. David is a gun owner but do little if any hunting. David believes in conservation, clean water & involving the generations that are following his in outdoor activities. David has some ability to “talk farming” & appreciate farmers who are motivated to maintain healthy soils.
MIKE BIDERMAN
Mike Biderman is a personal injury attorney who lives and practices law in Iowa City. After earning his undergraduate and law degrees at the University of Iowa, Mike moved to Fairbanks, Alaska where he served as a public defender for over six years and had the privilege of experiencing numerous Alaskan outdoor adventures. Mike moved back to Iowa City in 2011 with his wife Carolyn Buckingham. Since moving back to Iowa, Mike & Carolyn spend much of their free time at their off-grid cabin in rural Allamakee County near a Coldwater stream, where they share their love of the outdoors with their two young children.
Dave Jones
Dave is a retired business executive who now has more time to fly fish and support efforts to protect the
ecosystems that include Iowa’s trout streams. He is a founding member and current treasurer of the
Iowa Coldwater Conservancy (ICC). Dave is past board president and member of the Muscatine County
Conservation Board and is still a current member of the Muscatine County Conservation Foundation. He
has served as a board member for the Hawkeye Fly Fishing Association. Dave continues to serve on
several other non-profit and for-profit boards.
Tom Murray
Tom Murray has lived in the Decorah area for over thirty-five years. He is a founding member and current President of the Iowa Coldwater Conservancy (ICC). In addition to ICC, Tom also continues to volunteer on conservation projects with the Iowa Driftless Chapter of Trout Unlimited, the Hawkeye Fly Fishing Association and the Winneshiek County Conservation Board.
KAYLA BOURQUIN
Kayla has spent a lifetime exploring the Driftless Region and has called all four corners of it home. An avid outdoors enthusiast, Kayla has paddled the entire Upper Iowa River and is working her way through the Turkey River. She also enjoys camping and loves to hike. Dabbling in fly fishing, Kayla often gets happily sidetracked by birdlife, insects, and native plants. Kayla shares these adventures with her husband and a dog who’s always up for the path less traveled. Passionate about the connections between ecological and human health, Kayla is dedicated to preserving cold water resources and the natural beauty of the Driftless Region for future generations.
LIZ SIEPKER
Liz has a passion for many outdoor pursuits and preserving them for the enjoyment of future generations. Liz understands that ecological health is directly connected to human health and continues to be a lifelong steward of the natural world that supports all of humanity. Liz believes that through collaboration and open dialogue the Driftless region and its natural resources can remain an ecological gemstone that pays homage to its former inhabitants and those yet to embrace its beauty.
BILL SILVERMAN
Dr. William Silverman is an Emeritus Professor of Medicine at the University of Iowa. He has been active in advocating for healthcare reform and access, as well as colon cancer screening, as the former Iowa Governor for the American College of Gastroenterology. As a long time educator and clinician, he is very interested in the vitality of the Driftless cold water streams and their effect on human health.