About Us

Berrien County Conservation District is a local unit of government and a political subdivision of the State of Michigan. The District's authorities, powers, and structure are contained in Michigan Conservation District Law. Berrien Conservation District comprises all of Berrien County and was formed in 2006 with the merging of the Galien River and St. Joseph River Conservation Districts that were established in the 1940's.

Our goal is to conserve and protect land, air, water, and wildlife today for future generations.We are board-driven and monthly board meetings occur on the second Monday of each month at 12pm; exceptions occur when holidays land on a Monday. The public is welcome to attend the board meetings. Please check the Events calendar for dates and location of meetings.

We partner with the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service and are housed with them in the USDA Service Center's Berrien Springs office.

Berrien Conservation District Board of Directors

Bette Pierman

Director
bette49022@yahoo.com

Kait Lemon

Director
kait.lemon@gmail.com

Brandy Wise-Tenter

Director - Chair
brandy_wise_tenter@
whirlpool.com

Jacob Milliken

Director
jacob.milliken@gmail.com

Ryan Postema

Director - Treasurer
rpostema@
chikamingopenlands.org

Berrien Conservation District Staff

Providing education and technical service

Nancy Carpenter

District Manager

nancy.carpenter@macd.org
Nancy Carpenter started employment with the Berrien CD in June 2008 as the District Manager. She is responsible for maintaining the district's funding, programs, grants, and overall conservation efforts. Nancy works closely with the board of directors to achieve the district's goals. She is available to the community as a resource for questions or concerns regarding conservation.

Lisa Kuntz

MEAEP Technician

lisa.kuntz@macd.org

Lisa Kuntz started employment with Berrien CD in October 2021. She is the MAEAP Technician for Berrien County. Lisa assists farms who want to become MAEAP verified. If you are interested and would like additional information about the MAEAP process please reach out to

Patrick Gordon

Produce Safety Technician
patrick.gordon@macd.org
Patrick Gordon joined the Berrien CD in October 2020. He is the Produce Safety Technician and covers four counties: Berrien, Van Buren, Allegan, and Kalamazoo. Patrick works with produce growers on all aspects of produce safety and compliance questions regarding the Food Safety Modernization Act. He provides education and works closely with the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, Michigan State University, and the Produce Safety Alliance to help bring awareness to what is required by the FDA for produce growers.

James (JW) Magner

Soil Erosion Inspector

James.Magner@macd.org

James Magner is a part-time employee working under a partnership between the Conservation District and the Drain Commission to inspect properties with an application to the Soil and Sedimentation Program. James can be reached at James.Magner@macd.org but most inquiries for the Soil & Sedimentation Program should go directly to the Berrien County Drain Commission office.

Alex Florian

CISMA Coordinator

invasivesed@
vanburencd.org

Alex Florian is the coordinator for our partner the SW x SW Corner Cooperative Invasive Species Management Area. Alex works from the Van Buren Conservation District and covers Berrien, Cass, and Van Buren Counties.

Brenda Mitchell

Regenerative Agriculture

Technician

Brenda.Mitchell@macd.org

Brenda is the new Regenerative Agriculture Technician for the Berrien and Cass County Conservation District. She currently resides in Indiana, but we won't hold that against her, as she sprouted and matured here in Michigan. Her parents raised her, her brother and sister on a small subsistence farm where they were involved in every part of farm life. On the 1.5 acres they learned and did everything to help ensure the farm ran smoothly. This included mechanics, construction, hunting, growing, and processing. Brenda has come to us with experience in conservation as an Agriculture Program Specialist where she managed a 114 acre educational working farm that has 28 acres of woods, a 3 acre pollinator plot, 6,000 square foot greenhouse, and 6 different species of animals. When she is miraculously not busy she spends her time with her family of 5 and 3 dogs. She enjoys creating for her shows at the Buchanan Farmers Market, playing board games with her family, reading, and writing. We are excited to welcome Brenda to the Berrien and Cass County Conservation District team.

Destiny Stetina

Community Engagement Coordinator

destiny.stetina@macd.org

Destiny Stetina recently assumed the role of Community Engagement Coordinator at the Berrien CD in April 2024. Her primary focus lies in fostering enthusiasm and involvement within the Berrien County community towards local conservation initiatives. Destiny manages our website content and social media to create a link between district and community members. Beyond her digital work, she plays an active role in many district-hosted events and workshops, where she continually cultivates relationships and advocates for environmental stewardship.