MNCF Staff
Brad Gausman
Executive Director
Brad has been the Executive Director of MNCF since June of 2020. Prior to this role he served as treasurer for MNCF and program coordinator for the Conservation Leadership Corps program. He holds a degree in Environmental Studies and Sociology from Hamline University in St. Paul MN. Prior to working with MNCF he spent time flipping pancakes at Al’s Breakfast in Minneapolis and worked several years in retail specializing in stereo and turntable sales.
Brad lives in Hermantown Minnesota with his wife Amelia, son Harvey, and daughter Tallulah. He enjoys visiting his family’s cabin in central Minnesota and exploring the rivers and lakes near home and points statewide. Deer hunting and ice fishing are two of his favorite reasons to be outside.
MNCF Board
Julia Schrenkler
President
Julia Schrenkler
Julia grew up in a family that loved to fish together and celebrated the Minnesota walleye opener as a holiday. As an adult-onset hunter, she followed her bird dog to a new passion, which resulted in a new sense of identity and investment in the outdoors. Her background includes digital communication work, managing small businesses, and supporting start up businesses. With decades of work in Minnesota based media, she has passionately followed the stories and changes within our state. She believes that humans need nature, and wants to do her part in making it accessible and available to all. She hopes to use those values to support the Minnesota Conservation Federation. Julia lives in the metro area with her wife and two bird dogs, but can be found camping nearly anywhere around the state in the family campervan.
Tyler Winter
Treasurer
Tyler Winter
Tyler is a lifelong hunter and angler. Growing up he was immersed in hunting and shooting sports, but he was always drawn to the water. After college Tyler dedicated himself to angling for Minnesota’s native “rough fish.” Over time he learned how to catch buffalo, redhorse, gar, bowfin and more. But no matter how much he fished he always applied the ethics he learned hunting: identify your target, take only what you can use, practice fair chase and respect the resource.
His ability to consistently catch buffalo earned him an appearance on the YouTube conservation angling program Das Boat. Tyler seized the opportunity to educate the public about native rough fish. It was through those efforts that he first joined MNCF. He also co-founded Native Fish for Tomorrow.
Tyler worked closely with MNCF, NF4T, coalition partners, legislators and managers to pass the first comprehensive native fish conservation bill in the country. Minnesota is now the first state to legally separate native and invasive fish species. Seeing the impact of dedicated conservationists working together inspired him to get even more involved. As a father of two he is adamant we pass on our natural heritage to the next generation. Tyler can usually be found along a river, either working as an environmental scientist or fishing with his kids
Molly Jansen
Secretary
Molly Jansen
Molly Jansen has worked at the Capitol in St. Paul for nearly a decade advocating on behalf of organizations and clients in environmental, agricultural, and conservation policy. She brings public policy strategy and experience to the board. Her love of the outdoors stems from weekends spent at the lake and family trips to the North Shore. Molly is an avid hiker, cyclist, and kayaker as well as an aspiring angler.
Mercedes Akinseye
Board Member
Mercedes Akinseye
Hailing from the south metro but recreating at points across Minnesota Mercedes bring her enthusiasm for the outdoors to the MNCF board. A local fishing pier acted as a gateway to all things outdoors but especially waterfowl and upland hunting. Mercedes is a mentor and volunteer for the MNCF Conservation Leadership Corps program.
Theo Byrnes
Board Member
Theo Byrnes
Theo Byrnes is the founder and owner of Paddle Bridge Guide Collective. The company’s mission is to be more than just a local outfitter, but to educate and share experiences in order to create an active and sustainable river community.
Theo’s love for the outdoors was ever-present but really blossomed as a young man. At the YMCA’s Camp Menogyn, he participated in a progression that culminated in a 40 day Hommes Du Nord canoe trip. He then went on to guide for both Camp Menogyn and Camp Icaghowan.
These days, Theo enjoys time exploring the outdoor spaces in his hometown of Minneapolis with his two dogs Blu and Barry. As a new hunter, he’s developed a passion for both bow & rifle hunting in the past three years. Through hiking, hunting and foraging, he feels most at peace while exploring the vast and beautiful public lands of Minnesota.
Leya Charles
Board Member
Foraging Committee- Co Chair
Leya Charles
Environmental Science. Leya worked for a total of 10 years in several
roles for the Prairie Island Indian Community including water
resources specialist, education and outreach lead, environmental
policy lead, field director, and many more. She now continues her
career of water protector as the Impaired Waters List Coordinator for
the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA). Leya was bitten by the
outdoors bug on a BWCA paddle trip in college, and has spent every
summer thereafter paddling, camping, backpacking, and foraging. She is
a food-motivated person and can be found in her free time leading one
of two community gardens, or walking on an urban trail in St Paul
harvesting wild food to make into delightful baked goods. Leya brings
her skills in community organizing and management to the board and is
a co-leader of the Minnesota Foraging Alliance (MNFA) committee.
Craig Engwall
Board Member
Craig Engwall
Looking back over his career, Engwall is especially proud of his role in negotiating the Upper Mississippi-UPM Forestry Legacy Project, a conservation easement with Blandin Forestry, one of the largest private forest owners in Minnesota. Today, Craig continues his conservation work as Senior Legal and Program Advisor for the MN Board of Water and Soil Resources. He also serves on the MN Forest Resources Council and the DNR Deer Advisory Committee.
He can often be found fishing, hunting or doing just about any outdoor activity close to his home near Afton State Park and the St. Croix River.
Elena Mathys
Board Member
Elena Mathys
Rachel Rouner
Board Member
Rachel Rouner
Alan Toczydlowski
Board Member
Foraging Committee- Co Chair
Alan Toczydlowski
Alan was born and raised in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, a true Yooper, with a great passion for the environment and outdoor activities. A lifelong forager, Alan spends much of the year hunting mushrooms, berries, nuts, herbs, and wild rice. He also enjoys camping, trips to the Boundary Waters, fishing, disc golf, and cross-country skiing. Amongst these activities it’s common to find Alan carrying several pounds of camera gear. Since borrowing his first camera in 2020, Alan has grown to be an award-winning wildlife and nature photographer.
Drawn here for education, Alan has been living in Minnesota since 2011. He has a B.S. in Environmental Science and an M.S. in Forest Hydrology and Watershed Management. Now, Alan is a research scientist in the Department of Forest Resources at the University of Minnesota where he primarily studies forest soils, hydrology, and nutrient cycling in wet ecosystems all over the state and upper Midwest.
Alan hopes to empower people to connect with nature through his photography and love of wild foods.
Keng Yang
Board Member
Keng Yang
Keng is an avid outdoorsman and adult onset hunter with a passion for conservation. He grew up in the metro area and as a kid he loved the outdoors, especially bird watching. He started pheasant hunting with his dog Kaiya 6 years ago and now chase pheasant, waterfowl and turkey in SW Minnesota every fall. Hunting is what led him to start his own blog Minnesota-Hunter to help others learn and start hunting on their own. He works in IT and uses his technical skills to bring technology and hunting together. On his free time, he enjoys volunteering for many non profits. He currently serves as a member of the DNR NHAC and R3 committees. The rest of his time is spending time outdoors with his dog and mentoring new hunters.