Board of Directors
Joyce Wilks-Love (President) is a retired educator who served in the education community as a classroom teacher in School District #189 – East St. Louis, Illinois and as an administrator in the Alton Community Unit School District and St. Louis Public Schools. She received her B.S. degree from the University of Missouri, Columbia and her MA in Education Administration from Washington University. She has always prided herself in providing a quality education for the youngsters in the metropolitan St. Louis area. She is very excited about being on the board and hopes to be a vital force in helping to share the outdoors with youngsters in the inner city.
Irv Logan (Vice President) received his Bachelor of Science Degree in Communications, was one of the original founders of The Green Center, and has served multiple terms in several leadership positions on the Board, most recently as Vice President. He was a Community Specialist for the Missouri Department of Conservation from which he recently retired after a 22-year career of exemplary public service. Some of his many accomplishments include co-founding Gateway Greening and the Earthways Center for Resource Efficiency (both divisions of the Missouri Botanical Garden); the later attracts visitors from across the nation who are interested in studying the principles of sustainable development. Irv has also hosted a television program designed to educate our community about important conservation issues. He became involved with The Green Center when he set up an outdoor classroom in Ruth Park Woods for students in the U City School District.
Julie Sammer (Secretary) is currently an attorney for the Social Security Administration. Prior to moving to St. Louis, she received a B.A., M.B.A. and J.D., served as an assistant attorney general in the Texas Attorney General’s child support division, and later worked in a small private practice. Julie’s husband, Chris began a writer residency at The Green Center and it was through Chris’ association that Julie learned about The Green Center. She began coming to events—exhibition openings, fundraisers, and a board meeting—and has loved getting to know the people, mission, and grounds. She and her husband have enjoyed becoming St. Louisans over the past several years and really feel that it is their home for years to come. Julie has also therefore wanted to become more involved in the life of the community and is excited about the opportunity to sit on the board of The Green Center.
Scott Shippey (Treasurer)
Elizabeth Calvin
Peg Kaltenthaler
Ankoor Shah
John Solodar moved to St. Louis in 1968 after receiving his BA from Swarthmore College and PhD from Yale University. He moved to University City in 1969 and performed research in organic and catalytic chemistry for Monsanto until 1997. He has served on numerous advisory committees for the U City School District and on many advisory panels for the City of University City. John served on the U City Plan Commission (planning and zoning) for six years, four as chair, and is now the chairman of the Board of Adjustment where he has served for 12 years. John has been active at TGC since the early 2000s and rejoined the board in late 2013. He has also served on the board of St. Louis Audubon Society where he was Treasurer, V-P Finance and field trip coordinator. He is currently on the board of Audubon Missouri as well. He and his wife, Nancy, are avid birders and do a lot of international birding.
Tricia Niehoff received her Bachelor of Science in Physical Therapy from St. Louis University. She worked as a clinician for SSM Select Rehab until 2011. She has served on Most Sacred Heart school board and Ursuline Academy school board. She is a member of Friends of LaBarque Creek Conservation.
She has chaired events in the past, including Ursuline Academy Mother/Daughter luncheon, Parish craft fairs, and carnivals, participated in safety and health fairs. She is involved in the American Parkinson Association of Greater St. Louis. She is a longtime amateur gardener, interested in herbs, native plants and wildlife.
She is excited to become a member of the board to assist in event planning and implementation and encourage community involvement in the environment.
Irv Logan (Vice President) received his Bachelor of Science Degree in Communications, was one of the original founders of The Green Center, and has served multiple terms in several leadership positions on the Board, most recently as Vice President. He was a Community Specialist for the Missouri Department of Conservation from which he recently retired after a 22-year career of exemplary public service. Some of his many accomplishments include co-founding Gateway Greening and the Earthways Center for Resource Efficiency (both divisions of the Missouri Botanical Garden); the later attracts visitors from across the nation who are interested in studying the principles of sustainable development. Irv has also hosted a television program designed to educate our community about important conservation issues. He became involved with The Green Center when he set up an outdoor classroom in Ruth Park Woods for students in the U City School District.
Julie Sammer (Secretary) is currently an attorney for the Social Security Administration. Prior to moving to St. Louis, she received a B.A., M.B.A. and J.D., served as an assistant attorney general in the Texas Attorney General’s child support division, and later worked in a small private practice. Julie’s husband, Chris began a writer residency at The Green Center and it was through Chris’ association that Julie learned about The Green Center. She began coming to events—exhibition openings, fundraisers, and a board meeting—and has loved getting to know the people, mission, and grounds. She and her husband have enjoyed becoming St. Louisans over the past several years and really feel that it is their home for years to come. Julie has also therefore wanted to become more involved in the life of the community and is excited about the opportunity to sit on the board of The Green Center.
Scott Shippey (Treasurer)
Elizabeth Calvin
Peg Kaltenthaler
Ankoor Shah
John Solodar moved to St. Louis in 1968 after receiving his BA from Swarthmore College and PhD from Yale University. He moved to University City in 1969 and performed research in organic and catalytic chemistry for Monsanto until 1997. He has served on numerous advisory committees for the U City School District and on many advisory panels for the City of University City. John served on the U City Plan Commission (planning and zoning) for six years, four as chair, and is now the chairman of the Board of Adjustment where he has served for 12 years. John has been active at TGC since the early 2000s and rejoined the board in late 2013. He has also served on the board of St. Louis Audubon Society where he was Treasurer, V-P Finance and field trip coordinator. He is currently on the board of Audubon Missouri as well. He and his wife, Nancy, are avid birders and do a lot of international birding.
Tricia Niehoff received her Bachelor of Science in Physical Therapy from St. Louis University. She worked as a clinician for SSM Select Rehab until 2011. She has served on Most Sacred Heart school board and Ursuline Academy school board. She is a member of Friends of LaBarque Creek Conservation.
She has chaired events in the past, including Ursuline Academy Mother/Daughter luncheon, Parish craft fairs, and carnivals, participated in safety and health fairs. She is involved in the American Parkinson Association of Greater St. Louis. She is a longtime amateur gardener, interested in herbs, native plants and wildlife.
She is excited to become a member of the board to assist in event planning and implementation and encourage community involvement in the environment.
Staff
Jan Oberkramer (Executive Director, joberkramer@thegreencenter.org) joined The Green Center staff in February 2006. With more than twenty years experience in environmental education, she has been responsible for coordinating and developing The Green Center’s youth educational programming, including student art displays and performances and recruiting and managing our contract and volunteer instructors. By applying a best practices approach, Jan has expanded our volunteer instructor program by attracting and retaining skilled individuals from the greater St. Louis region. Jan says, "I thoroughly enjoy working with our many dedicated volunteers, staff and Board Members!" Before coming to The Green Center, Jan was a program coordinator at the Missouri Botanical Garden's Shaw Nature Reserve. She also has been involved with Girl Scouts, Stream Team, Project Wet, and Project Learning Tree.
Kathleen (Evans) Kapayou, CIG (Program Coordinator, kkapayou@thegreencenter.org) began as a Volunteer Instructor with the Center, joining the staff in 2006. Kathleen has a degree in Biology with a Certificate in Conservation from the University of Missouri-St. Louis. She has experience teaching in both non-formal and formal educational settings. Her work experience has led her to design and teach a variety of environmental and art-based programs, including nature-themed creative writing, drawing, and photography. Kathleen coordinates and instructs the year-round education programming for the Center.
In 2007, she completed the Missouri Master Naturalist training program, developed by the Missouri Department of Conservation and University of Missouri Extension, and is an active member of the Great Rivers chapter. Kathleen also became a Certified Interpretive Guide, through the National Interpretive Association, in January 2014.
Theodore Smith (Restoration Coordinator, tsmith@thegreencenter.org) joined The Green Center staff in July of 2021. He has a passion for outdoor activities such as cycling, kayaking, gardening, invasive plant species removal and native species planting. He is a lifelong University City resident with a special connection to the Green Center, spending plenty of time beautifying area parks and green spaces.
Kathleen (Evans) Kapayou, CIG (Program Coordinator, kkapayou@thegreencenter.org) began as a Volunteer Instructor with the Center, joining the staff in 2006. Kathleen has a degree in Biology with a Certificate in Conservation from the University of Missouri-St. Louis. She has experience teaching in both non-formal and formal educational settings. Her work experience has led her to design and teach a variety of environmental and art-based programs, including nature-themed creative writing, drawing, and photography. Kathleen coordinates and instructs the year-round education programming for the Center.
In 2007, she completed the Missouri Master Naturalist training program, developed by the Missouri Department of Conservation and University of Missouri Extension, and is an active member of the Great Rivers chapter. Kathleen also became a Certified Interpretive Guide, through the National Interpretive Association, in January 2014.
Theodore Smith (Restoration Coordinator, tsmith@thegreencenter.org) joined The Green Center staff in July of 2021. He has a passion for outdoor activities such as cycling, kayaking, gardening, invasive plant species removal and native species planting. He is a lifelong University City resident with a special connection to the Green Center, spending plenty of time beautifying area parks and green spaces.