About Us

Plains Justice is an public interest environmental law center working for environmental justice and sustainable communities in the Northern Plains region of the U.S., including eastern Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska and Iowa. Our docket includes Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, Resource Conservation and Recovery Act and energy policy work.

Staff

J. Edward Brown, Esq. (Des Moines, IA): Water Quality Consultant

Jim is former Executive Officer of the Environmental Protection Division of the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. His long career at DNR includes extensive work on water quality enforcement and compliance monitoring. Jim now assists Plains Justice in our projects to enforce the Clean Water Act for Confined Animal Feeding Operations, and to improve regulation of coal combustion waste disposal sites in Iowa. He holds a J.D. from the University of Virginia. His volunteer service includes managing the Iowa Family Violence Center’s FreeStore in Des Moines.

Glenn Cannon (Waverly, IA): Clean Energy Ambassador

Glenn Cannon runs an innovative clean energy outreach to rural electric cooperatives and municipal utilities. Drawing on 17 years’ experience as General Manager of Waverly Light and Power, Glenn advises small utilities in the upper Midwest on how to improve efficiency, lower bills, and cut fossil fuel use through strategies implemented successfully in Waverly. Glenn is a past Chair of the American Public Power Association and a winner of the U.S. Department of Energy’s inaugural Wind Power Pioneer Award, among many other honors and awards from his distinguished career in public power. He also holds a number of biofuel patents.

Jane I. Duax (Davenport, IA): Environmental Caucus Organizer

Jane joined Plains Justice in October 2007 to organize environmental caucuses around Iowa in the run-up to the Iowa presidential caucuses in January 2008 and the new legislative session. Jane will be seeking input across the state, from Iowans of all backgrounds, about the most urgent environmental issues facing Iowa and the nation today, then bringing that grassroots voice to decisionmakers.

Carrie La Seur, Ph.D., J.D. (Mount Vernon, IA): Founder and President

A seventh generation Montanan, Carrie is an energy and environmental lawyer and a gubernatorial appointee to the Iowa Power Fund Board, charged with shaping the state’s energy plan and investing $100 million in public funds in clean energy by 2010. Carrie earned a doctorate in modern languages as a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford University, and a J.D. from Yale Law School. Following a clerkship with the Federal Court of Australia where she published a study of Australia’s implementation of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, Carrie has practiced in the upper Midwest since 2003.

Jana Linderman, Esq. (Cedar Rapids, IA): Staff Attorney

Jana is a North Dakota native and Georgetown Law graduate with a background in rural development policy work at the federal level. After providing pro bono assistance for most of 2007, Jana joined Plains Justice in August 2007 to work on rural advocacy and Dakotas projects in particular, serving the region where she grew up on a third generation family farm. Jana also serves on the board of the Women, Food and Agriculture Network.

Sue Patton (Cedar Rapids, IA): Office Administrator

Sue is recently retired from a career as a legal assistant for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Iowa. She brings a wealth of experience to the management of our young public interest environmental law center. Sue also volunteers for the Make a Wish Foundation.

Judith Whetstine, Esq. (Cedar Rapids, IA): Litigation Counsel, Development Director

A graduate of the University of Iowa College of Law, Judi served for over 29 years as a civil and criminal trial attorney for the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Northern District of Iowa and in the Northern District of California. Her experience includes supervising the entire office for the Northern District of Iowa. She advises on federal litigation and manages development efforts.

Board of Directors

Dianne Dillon-Ridgley (Iowa City, IA), Chair:

Since 1997, Dianne has been the U.N. Headquarters Representative of the World Y.W.C.A., Geneva, Switzerland. She is a Managing Director of the Global Water Partnership, Stockholm, outgoing chair of the board of River Network, and member of the boards of Interface, Inc. and Green Mountain Energy.

Donna Wong-Gibbons, Ph.D. (North Liberty, IA), Vice Chair:

Donna is a postdoctoral researcher in epidemiology at the University of Iowa. Her research focuses on environmental causes of cancer.

Rev. Benjamin Webb (Cedar Falls, IA), Secretary:

Ben is Rector of St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Cedar Falls and author of a book on spiritual, environmental and community renewal (Fugitive Faith (1998)). He is a leader of Iowa Interfaith Power and Light, an organization dedicated to advancing the moral perspective on global warming.

Eldena Bear Don’t Walk, Esq. (St. Ignatius, MT):

Eldena is a Montana Public Defender and a member of the Crow and Confederated Salish and Kootenai tribes. She was a 2003-04 Tribal Ambassador in the Americans for Indian Opportunity program.

Frank Hurtte (Davenport, IA):

Frank is a founding partner of River Heights Consulting, a business coach, author, consultant and speaker. He works with distribution organizations throughout North America. He is actively involved in The River Music Experience in Davenport.

Denise O’Brien (Atlantic, IA):

An organic farmer for 30 years and founder of the Women, Food and Agriculture Network, Denise was the Democratic candidate for Iowa Secretary of Agriculture in 2006.

Pat Spears (Fort Pierre, SD):

Pat is a leader of the clean energy organization Intertribal Council on Utility Policy, a private energy consultant, and a member of the Lower Brule Sioux tribe.

Mark Trechock (Dickinson, ND):

The Executive Director of Dakota Resource Council, North Dakota’s leading environmental advocacy organization, Mark has had a long career in advocacy on the Northern Plains and nonprofit management.

2007 Interns

Kinnera Bhoopal and Casey Kannenberg, both of the University of Iowa College of Law, worked full time for 8+ weeks as summer legal interns.

Michelle Penn, a senior at Cornell College in Mount Vernon, Iowa, worked full time at Plains Justice during the November block.

Nate Merrick, now a freshman at Oregon State University, was a development intern during summer 2007.

Nathan Handler, a Coe College student in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, provided technical support as an intern during his 2007 winter break.

A Few of Our Volunteers and Their Contributions:

Stephanie Clohesy (Cedar Falls, IA): Development assistance

Ian Dees (Milwaukee, WI): Web design

Cristina Galan (Areceibo, PR): Spanish translation

Elizabeth Hernandez (West Branch, IA): Spanish translation

Brian Severson (Iowa City, IA): Graphic design services

Dawn Suter (Iowa City, IA): Development and event organizing

Andrew Wildenberg, Ph.D. (Mount Vernon, IA): Information technology consulting services

Margaret Whiting (Cedar Falls, IA): Art exhibit organizer