Matt Astleford-Staff to Senator Tim Johnson
Matt Astleford is a Staff Assistant for US Senator Tim Johnson. Prior to working for Senator Johnson, he worked for a couple of non-profit organizations, including the South Dakota Chapter of the Sierra Club. A native of Marion, SD, Matt has a BA in Political Science from Buena Vista University.
Peter Carrels-Sierra Club
Peter Carrels is an award-winning writer, environmental educator and activist. He has written and produced traveling exhibits, authored two books, written countless articles and editorials about environmental subjects, and has worked on environmental issues in South Dakota since 1979.
His book, Uphill Against Water, published in 1999 by the University of Nebraska Press, was cited by the publication High Country News as one of the three most important books about politics and the environment in the West.
While working for the national river conservation group American Rivers from 2000 – 2007 he wrote and produced a traveling exhibit about rivers that toured 32 cities nationally and was viewed by 2 million people. The exhibit received the prestigious National Education Award in 2005 from the Natural Resources Council of America.
Peter Carrels was the recipient of a major conservation award from the American Fisheries Society, Dakota Chapter in 1988, received the Citizen Wildlife Award from the South Dakota Chapter of the Wildlife Society in 1990, and the Friend of the Missouri River award from American Rivers in 1999. In 1986, Carrels and a team of writers won the James Polk award for environmental reporting for a series of articles about rivers and water issues. That series was published as a book by Island Press.
Peter Carrels works for the Sierra Club and the focus of his work is energy issues. A graduate of St. Thomas University, St. Paul, Minnesota, he lives in Aberdeen, South Dakota.
His book, Uphill Against Water, published in 1999 by the University of Nebraska Press, was cited by the publication High Country News as one of the three most important books about politics and the environment in the West.
While working for the national river conservation group American Rivers from 2000 – 2007 he wrote and produced a traveling exhibit about rivers that toured 32 cities nationally and was viewed by 2 million people. The exhibit received the prestigious National Education Award in 2005 from the Natural Resources Council of America.
Peter Carrels was the recipient of a major conservation award from the American Fisheries Society, Dakota Chapter in 1988, received the Citizen Wildlife Award from the South Dakota Chapter of the Wildlife Society in 1990, and the Friend of the Missouri River award from American Rivers in 1999. In 1986, Carrels and a team of writers won the James Polk award for environmental reporting for a series of articles about rivers and water issues. That series was published as a book by Island Press.
Peter Carrels works for the Sierra Club and the focus of his work is energy issues. A graduate of St. Thomas University, St. Paul, Minnesota, he lives in Aberdeen, South Dakota.
Matt McGovern-RePower America
Matt McGovern is the South Dakota State Director of Repower America, a project of the Alliance for Climate Protection and Climate Protection Action Fund. Repower South Dakota supports climate and clean energy legislation that will create jobs, reduce our dependence on foreign oil and help solve the climate crisis. McGovern is an attorney and practiced law at a private firm in Rapid City after completing a clerkship with the United States District Court, District of South Dakota. He has spent several years working for conservation organizations and political campaigns.
Gary Hanson
Gary Hanson was elected to the South Dakota Public Utilities Commission in 2003 and re-elected by the citizens of South Dakota in November 2008. He served as chairman in 2005 and 2008. Gary represents South Dakota on the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioner's Committee on Energy Resources and the Environment, and he represents the nation's NARUC Commissioners on the steering committee of the National Wind Coordinating Collaborative. He is chairman of the South Dakota Underground Pipeline Task Force and past treasurer of the Organization of MISO States.
Gary’s service to the state also includes three terms in the South Dakota Senate, where he was chairman of the Senate Government Audit and Operations Committee and vice chairman of the Senate Taxation Committee.
A native of Sioux Falls, Gary was twice elected as Mayor of that city and oversaw the multiple departmental operations of more than 1,200 employees. Prior to that, he was Sioux Falls’ Utilities Commissioner for six years and was responsible for the development and day-to-day activities for three municipal utilities.
As a regional and industry leader, Gary has been involved as a co-founder, past president and chairman of the Lewis and Clark Regional Water System; past chairman of the South Dakota Public Assurance Alliance; and past president of the Sioux Falls Board of Realtors. Gary owned small businesses for 16 years and is a licensed Real Estate Auctioneer, Appraiser and Broker.
Find out more about Gary Hanson here.
Gary’s service to the state also includes three terms in the South Dakota Senate, where he was chairman of the Senate Government Audit and Operations Committee and vice chairman of the Senate Taxation Committee.
A native of Sioux Falls, Gary was twice elected as Mayor of that city and oversaw the multiple departmental operations of more than 1,200 employees. Prior to that, he was Sioux Falls’ Utilities Commissioner for six years and was responsible for the development and day-to-day activities for three municipal utilities.
As a regional and industry leader, Gary has been involved as a co-founder, past president and chairman of the Lewis and Clark Regional Water System; past chairman of the South Dakota Public Assurance Alliance; and past president of the Sioux Falls Board of Realtors. Gary owned small businesses for 16 years and is a licensed Real Estate Auctioneer, Appraiser and Broker.
Find out more about Gary Hanson here.
Leighann Dunn
Leighann is a 9 year Veteran of the the SD Army National Guard. She served in Iraq in 2003-2004 as a Bridge Engineer and served in Suriname South America as an electrician in 2008. Leighann has a B.S. in Communication Disorders from the University of South Dakota (USD) and is currently working on her Master's degree in Multicatagorical Special Education with an emphasis in Behavior Disorders and Autism. Leighann is the current Project Coordinator for the Veterans Club at USD, South Dakota team Captain of VoteVets and a disabled Veteran. Leighann was recently named one of ten Outstanding Young South Dakotans in 2009. She also was one of three national recipients of an outstanding female veteran scholarship in 2009.
Matt McLarty- Environmental Law and Policy Center
McLarty is a Policy Advocate working in ELPC’s Sioux Falls, South Dakota office on clean energy development and global warming solutions advocacy, Farm Bill – Clean Energy Development and natural resources preservation issues. Mr. McLarty previously worked as the Legislative Director for the South Dakota Democratic Party and, before then, as the Director of Governmental Affairs for the South Dakota Farmers Union. B.A., Political Science/Communications, University of South Dakota, 2000.
