Who We Are

Alessandra Rolffs has her PhD in English, Creative Writing with an emphasis in ecoliterature. With her husband, she grows vegetables, herbs and cut flowers at Hoot Blossom Farm on Washington Island. Raised in California, Alessandra has lived in the midwest for more than a decade and yet, the changing seasons still surprise and delight her every year.

As Gathering Ground’s first executive director, Alessandra is excited to be a part of Gathering Ground’s growing educational and community programs. When she is not working in her garden or at Gathering Ground, you can find her throwing rocks into the lake with her two sons.

Russell was recovering from completing an MA in philosophy from the University of Chicago when he discovered that he needed to be outdoors more to feel fulfilled. He taught high school for over ten years. In addition to managing the farm at Gathering Ground, Russell runs Washington Island’s Hoot Blossom Farm with his wife, Alessandra.

Russell is passionate about growing good food and pondering how humans can live within the ecological bounds of the earth.

Larry and his spouse, Sydney Hans, are part-time but all-season residents of Washington Island. Larry has had no direct involvement with agriculture since earning his corn farming merit badge in scouts decades ago. He’s only lived in cities and suburbs but comes from a long line of farmers in Appalachian Ohio and hopefully learned a few things from his dad, who was a professor of agronomy for 30 years at the University of Maryland.

Larry does have experience working with nonprofit organizations, having served on the boards of the National Writing Project, the Court Theatre at the University of Chicago, Music of the Baroque, Chicago Children’s Choir (now Uniting Voices Chicago), the Chicago Area Council of the Boy Scouts of America and the Board of Visitors of the University of Maryland School of Public Policy.

After beginning his career as a litigation attorney at Chicago’s Kirkland & Ellis, Larry became an expert on Internet and telecommunications law and policy. He has worked both for companies and civil society and served in government for eight years as the Assistant Secretary of Commerce and Administrator of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration and three years at the Federal Communications Commission as Chief of the Common Carrier Bureau.

Miranda Dahlke lives on Washington Island and is the middle and high school science teacher at Washington Island School. Dahlke has been an instrumental part of Washington Island, earning thousands of dollars in grants from Samsung as a part of their Solve for Tomorrow initiative. In 2019, Washington Island won the state competition as Dahlke’s students tackled the town’s wastewater concerns. The school’s involvement in the program allowed Dahlke to participate in a special teacher cohort with Samsung. With her husband, Jake, she runs WIS-CO coffee shop.

Karen Yancey is a conservationist and journalist. She is the executive director of the Geneva Lake Conservancy, spearheading the protection of almost 1,000 acres of land. Under her leadership, the organization earned the Wisconsin Land Trust of the Year award in 2020. She served for 16 years on the Door County Land Trust board of directors and led its Washington Island Project Committee from 2000-2010. Ms. Yancey has also worked as a reporter for the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, Chicago Tribune and Gannett Wisconsin Media.  She currently serves as the President of the Washington Island Observer and as a member of the Washington Island Literary Festival Committee. She and her family have enjoyed spending summers at their Washington Island farmhouse for almost 30 years, where she loves to work in her garden, read on the front porch or kayak with her husband to Rock Island.

Zuzka is a community member. She moved across the world from Slovakia in 2007 to be with her husband Kraig. She loves her family and living on Washington Island. She has been gardening all her life and continues to do so in her new home on Washington Island.

Zuzka’s priority is the Island community and its sustainability.  She loves what this Island has to offer to young families. She hopes to make a difference, and to make this an even better place for everyone.

Casey Dahl is an experienced farmer and tree enthusiast, especially fond of chestnut and apple trees. A graduate of Michael Fields, he has been working with trees for more than 15 years in a variety of settings, including planting his own chestnut and hazelnut orchard, Feral Farm, in Southern Wisconsin. He works at Island Orchard Cider, managing their orchard on the Island.

Ed is a business lawyer retired from Harley-Davidson Motor Company. During his 17 years at Harley-Davidson, Ed filled a number of roles in the Legal Department including Managing Director of International Legal Affairs and Vice-President, General Counsel of Harley-Davidson Motor Company. Prior to joining Harley-Davidson, Ed was a Partner in the Business Law Department at Foley & Lardner. He recently concluded four years as Managing Director of Urban Ecology Center. Ed is active in a number of community organizations in Milwaukee. He is Board President of MKE Urban Stables, and a Board Member and past Board President of Woodland Pattern Book Center. He is a member and Past President of Rotary Club of Milwaukee, a past Board President of Urban Ecology Center, a past Board President of Tamarack Waldorf School, and a past Board member of COA Youth and Family Centers. Ed is also a Board member of The Academy for Systems Change.Originally from Staten Island, New York, Ed has called Wisconsin home for over 30 years. He has a B.A. from Columbia College, Columbia University and a J.D. from Vanderbilt University School of Law.Ed is married to Brooke Krishok and has two daughters, a son, two stepdaughters, a granddaughter, and two grandsons. He enjoys baseball, time on Washington Island, nature walks, city walks, food and conversation.