Chris Danou currently works as Director of Government Relations for Gathering Waters, Wisconsin’s state land trust organization. Prior to joining Gathering Waters in 2017, Chris served from 2009-2017 as Representative to the Assembly from Western Wisconsin, representing all of or parts of Buffalo, Jackson, Pepin, Pierce and Jackson counties. In the Assembly, he served as Vice-Chair of the Natural Resources Committee and as ranking member of the Agriculture and Insurance Committees. Chris also served as a member of the Wisconsin Environmental Education Board, the Congressional Sportsmen’s Caucus and on the UW-Steven’s Point College of Natural Resources Advisory Committee. He has also worked as a DNR Park Ranger and for The Nature Conservancy in Door County. Chris has a bachelor’s degree in history/international relations from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a master’s degree in Natural Resources Management from the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point.
Tom Nickols is a principal at Bernstein Private Wealth Management in Chicago, where he has worked for more than 20 years. Prior to his work at Bernstein, he was a consultant with Ernst and Young and also worked in management for IBM. He serves on a number of not-for-profit boards, including the Indianapolis Zoo. Tom has a bachelor’s degree in business with a minor in biology from Drake University. He has a special interest in ornithology and has assisted the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service with banding birds.