Brooke • Sheri • Lynnea • Melissa • Skyler

Our Staff

Sheri Faust, Executive Director

As Co-Founder and Executive Director of Friends of the St. Clair River, Sheri’s led the organization from its grassroots start to become the region’s largest environmental nonprofit. Sheri held the position with the Stormwater Program at the St. Clair County Health Department for 20 years, mitigating environmental health hazards, providing community education and conducting environmental monitoring. Prior to working for the Health Department, she was Education Director at the Michigan Science Center and Fund Development Director at Girl Scouts-Michigan Waterway Council. Sheri also incorporated St. Clair County Earth Fair, the longest-running and largest Earth Day event in Michigan. Sheri has a B.S. in Natural Resource Management from Michigan State University. Sheri is a certified Planning and Zoning Citizen Planner, certified Master Gardener, a Planning Commissioner for Port Huron Township, and Board Member for the Community Foundation of St. Clair County. Her service to the community was recognized with a Blue Water Woman Government Professional of the Year award.

Lynnea McFadden, Director of Programs and Services

Lynnea joins Friends after many years of facilitating conservation efforts surrounding Michigan’s natural resources. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Fisheries and Wildlife Management from Lake Superior State University, and a Master of Science degree in Conservation Biology from Central Michigan University. She began her career in the western Upper Peninsula as the Program Director for the Upper Peninsula Land Conservancy. After moving to the Blue Water area in 2012, she transitioned into teaching at Macomb and St. Clair Community Colleges, most notably building and teaching SC4’s environmental science course. Lynnea partnered with Friends on multiple projects throughout the years, encouraging her students to go beyond the classroom walls and step into local ecological stewardship. When she is not engaging local partners in our community, she lives on a farm with her husband and children. You might find her tending goats and chickens, weeding a garden, fishing, hunting, or swimming in our blue water’s training for her next triathlon.

Melissa Kivel, Education Manager

Melissa graduated with high honors from Western Michigan University earning her Bachelor of Science Degree in Education with a focus on science instruction. Melissa’s first experience with Friends of the St. Clair River came in 2010 as a volunteer for the Stream Team water quality monitoring program. Later as a seasonal employee for the St. Clair County Health Department, she spent several summers collecting and processing surface water samples and monitoring local beaches for E. coli. Melissa can be found out in the field teaching her own three children and husband the importance of conservation and citizen science by growing milkweed, monitoring monarch caterpillars and tagging monarch butterflies for the University of Kansas’ Monarch Watch research program.

Brooke Hiller, Restoration Coordinator

Born and raised among the woods and shorelines of Michigan’s Great Lakes, Brooke's love for our area’s unique and diverse ecosystems has informed her lifelong interest in wildlife conservation, native habitat restoration and sustainable gardening and farming practices. Brooke earned a BA in Fine Arts from Western Michigan University and a Master’s Degree in Mental Health Counseling and Art therapy from Wayne State University. She is a certified Master Gardener, Master Composter, and Michigan Conservation Steward. When she’s not out restoring our local watershed, you can find her with her nose in a book, looking for fossils at the beach, or in her gardens with her husband and three cats.

Skyler Principe, Program Assistant

Skyler began with as a frequent volunteer after looking for a change in career paths. He has volunteered with other environmental non-profits doing invasive species control and prescribed burns. He graduated with high honors from Michigan State University with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, minoring in both Cognitive Science and Chinese. He is a certified Master Gardener and received the Clinton River Watershed Council's Volunteer of the Year award. When not volunteering, Skyler can be found foraging wild flora & funga, and contributing photos of his nature finds to iNaturalist.

Taylor Habedank Fuller, Watershed Educator

Taylor started with Friends of the St. Clair River as a volunteer and Stream Team Monitoring Captain. After long-lasting enthusiasm for environmental and wildlife conservation and research, she is pursuing her Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science, with a specialization in Aquatic Biology. Taylor’s connection to watershed education is rooted in her experiences as a student inspired by environmental programs. She now seeks to create similar opportunities for students, fostering their understanding of Michigan’s Great Lakes ecosystems and encouraging active participation in conservation efforts. When not working, she can be found hiking with her family, insect collecting, and completing identification challenges on Seek.

Paulette Duhaime – St. Clair River Area of Concern Liaison

Paulette has been a team member providing consolation for the St. Clair River Area of Concern program since 2010. She is responsible for the technical, educational and administrative components of our Area of Concern grant from Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE). Paulette has been a leader for the St. Clair River Binational Public Advisory Council for over 20 years. She serves as our Statewide Public Advisory Council representative and sits on our Drinking Water subcommittee.

Our Board

2025 Board of Directors Meetings

Our Board of Directors meets the 4th Wednesday at 6:30pm. Join with other like-minded individuals passionate about making the Blue Water Area cleaner and greener. Request a board information packet today.