Dianne Akabli, Director of Finance
Dianne joined Clean Water Action's national finance office in Clinton Township, MI in November 1999 as a staff accountant. Over the years, Dianne has performed accounts payable functions, bank deposits, payment of payroll taxes, state registrations, as well as other financial staff duties. Dianne's major duties currently consist of grants management, bank reconciliations, banking, general ledger maintenance, and the Internal Management Reports processing and production. Dianne lives in Warren, Michigan with her husband, Redouane, and son, Adam. Dianne has an Associate Degree in Science, majoring in Veterinary Technology; a Bachelor of Science, majoring in Organizational Administration; and a Masters of Science, majoring in Public Accountancy.
Tanya Carter, Payroll/Benefits Administrator
Tanya joined the Clean Water Action financial staff in the Clinton Township office in August 2005. Tanya's major duties consist of payroll, personnel, unemployment, benefit time, and 401(k) and flexible spending administration. Tanya lives in Port Huron, Michigan with her husband, Jude, and son, Dakota. Tanya has an Associate Degree in Business, a Bachelor of Business Administration and is currently working toward a Master of Science with a concentration in Human Resources.
Susan E. Harley, J.D., Policy Associate, East Lansing
Susan was born and raised in Lansing and had the opportunity to start participating in the legislative process as early as high school when she interned for a State Senator. She also served as a Page for the State Senate her first year at Michigan State University. Susan spent her Junior year abroad in Rennes, France. After graduating with a degree in Interdisciplinary Studies in Social Science- Community Relations, Susan lived in Washington, D.C. for several years and worked in the non-profit sector. Susan moved back to Michigan to attend the MSU College of Law and received her Juris Doctor, cum laude in Public Law & Regulation in May of 2007 and is a member of the State Bar of Michigan. Susan is working on energy policy and is looking forward to moving Michigan towards a clean energy future.
Marta Johnson, Grand Rapids Organizer
Marta graduated from Grand Valley State University in 2007 with a degree in International Relations and a passion for progressive political change. She has worked in fund development with a variety of organizations including two in Nazareth, Israel. She has published a paper with Professor Pedneker-Magal on news media coverage of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict through the lens of identity politics. Prior to that she worked extensively to get students involved in service-learning, established GVSU's first AIDS Awareness Week and a helped create a domestic violence service-learning organization. Marta has a long history of respect for our environment, beginning at the age of 3 when her mom formed the "Hug-a-Tree" club. Her organizing roots span back to the 2nd grade when upon learning that girls weren't allowed to play soccer she canvassed her elementary school, met with the principle and successfully reversed the sexist policy.
Curt Moultine, Regional Canvass Director
Curt was born and raised in Bay City, Michigan. He earned his B.A. from Alma College in 1989, majoring in Political Science and History. Curt started with the Michigan Citizen's Lobby as a field canvasser in August 1989. In March 1991, Curt worked as Field Canvass Director for Georgia Citizen Action. He began his career with Clean Water Action in October of 1993 as the Field Canvass director, a position he held until May 2001. Curt has since served as a Regional Canvass Director and currently supervises five field canvass projects for Clean Water Action in Michigan, New Jersey and Florida.
Sarah Mullkoff, Energy Campaigns Coordinator
Sarah recently graduated from Michigan State University’s James Madison College with a B.A. in International Relations and a specialization in environmental policy. During her undergraduate program, she played a leadership role in the Michigan Student Sustainability Coalition, served as a student assistant in the State Energy Office, and spent her last semester doing HIV/AIDS public health work in Northern Thailand. She is a proud native of Michigan and is pleased to be working to protect our Great Lakes State.
Dan Owen, Administrative Coordinator
Dan is an East Lansing, MI native and feels lucky to have been raised by environmentally conscience parents. Growing up, Dan naively thought every house had a compost pile! Pursuing his interest in the environmental field, Dan graduated from Michigan State University in 2007 with a degree in Zoology and a concentration in Ecology, Evolution and Organismal Biology. Throughout college, Dan worked as an assistant to the Annual Giving department for public television and radio in East Lansing. While working there, he gained knowledge about non-profit organizations, but his interests were more environmentally focused. Dan joined Clean Water Action in March 2008 and serves as the lead person for several administrative and outreach areas.
Steve Pultz, East Lansing Canvass Director
Steve was born in raised in Maryland, and graduated from Towson University in 2001 with a bachelor's degree in Mass Communications. Being from Maryland, the Chesapeake Bay is a part of Steve's heritage. His proudest accomplishment is having thru-hiked the Appalachian Trail. Steve started canvassing with Clean Water Action in May of 2005 in Denver, Colorado. I got my start as a canvass director with Colorado Citizens Campaign and recently transferred to Michigan as the canvass director of Clean Water Action's East Lansing office. First Steve traded the Atlantic Ocean for the Rocky Mountains; now he's trading the Rockies for the Great Lakes! Steve looks forward to exploring (and protecting) the incredible natural beauty Michigan has to offer.
Cyndi Roper, Michigan State Director
A resident of East Lansing, Michigan, Cyndi has been affiliated with Clean Water Action since 1990. She has played a leadership role in a in numerous successful water policy, environmental health, and waste issues in Michigan (1995 – present) and Rhode Island (1990-1994). Cyndi has also spearheaded Clean Water Action’s electoral programs working on behalf of pro-environment candidates at the local, state and federal levels. She served on the USEPA’s National Drinking Water Advisory Council and on several of the Council’s advisory committees guiding that agency in its implementation of the federal Safe Drinking Water Act. Cyndi has a bachelor’s degree from Drury University and a master’s degree from the University of Missouri-Columbia.
Jill Siladke, Financial Representative
Jill joined the Clean Water Action national finance office in Clinton Township, MI in January 2006 as a financial representative. Her duties include managing vehicle transactions and inventory, bank deposits/logs, workers compensation claim processing, health insurance enrollment, as well as other financial staff duties. Jill currently resides in New Baltimore, MI across from beautiful Lake St. Clair. She is a 2000 graduate from Dakota High School in Macomb Township, MI and earned an accounting certificate in 2007. In her free time she enjoys watching and attending Tiger and Piston games, bowling, camping and spending quality time with her boyfriend Steve, as well as family and friends.
Greg Sobczynski, Ann Arbor Field Canvass Director
Greg started with Clean Water Action in 1999 as part of the Denver field staff. Prior to that he worked with Defenders of Wildlife in upstate New York. A Michigan native, Greg grew up swimming, fishing and boating on the Great Lakes and has a strong desire to protect all things related to water. Before returning to the "mitten state" in 2003 to open and direct Clean Water Action's Ann Arbor field office, Greg spent several years traveling and gaining experience working with progressive groups including: Citizens Action Coalition of Indiana, Texas Campaign for the Environment, and the Rape Assistance and Awareness Program in Denver, CO. One of his favorite sayings is, "Those who say it is impossible should not interrupt those who are doing it."
Paul Wierbicki, Senior Staff Accountant Paul was born, raised, went to school, and lives all within a 30 mile radius of the Clinton office. He has a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration from Walsh College and joined Clean Water Action in November of 2007. He currently works on bank reconciliations, development of an annual budget and various Ad-Hoc reports. Paul is married and has two sons and a daughter. His sons are both grown and have left home while his daughter is a senior in high school. In his spare time, Paul enjoys boating, camping, watching football and motor sports.
Emily Woodcock, Ann Arbor Office Manager
Emily began at Clean Water Action in September 2004 in Ann Arbor where she filled several roles, including Office Manager and Senior Field Manager, before moving to East Lansing. In her current role as Canvass Director, Emily supervises a canvass staff of over 30 people, overseeing all daily aspects of canvass work such as hiring new staff and organizing maps for the day. She also canvasses two days a week, and immensely values her time spent training staff and organizing in the community. Emily grew up near Philadelphia, raised by parents who taught her early on the importance of working to better the community in which she lived. Before working for Clean Water Action, Emily spent a year as a Field Manager at the Rape Assistance and Awareness Program in Denver. She also has a degree in Classical Languages from Kenyon College. In her spare time, you'll generally find Emily somewhere outside, be it biking, playing disc golf or camping out.
Jesse Worker, Federal Climate Organizer
Jesse was born in Spencer, Indiana to parents who kept him in close proximity to forests, streams, and gardens. This early imprinting was interrupted when chemical runoff from a nearby golf course ruined the habitat of his favorite fishing stream. An organizer for social causes as an undergraduate at Indiana University—majoring in Anthropology and African Studies—he synthesized his interests in the environment and social movements while working to help farmer cooperatives in Senegal. He first joined Clean Water Action in 2006 as a canvasser before completing a dual masters in Environmental Policy and Planning from the University of Michigan. Besides Senegal, he has also worked on community empowerment in Jamaica as well as at home. He rejoined Clean Water Action’s staff in 2009.