IFA Staff
Meet the People Behind IFA's Work
Jeff Stant
Executive Director
No one knows Indiana’s forests better than Jeff. As IFA’s executive director since 2013, his passion to protect and preserve Indiana’s priceless wilderness treasures is second to none.
Jennifer Christie
Director of Development
Jennifer has degrees in Chemistry and Biology from Purdue University. She has worked as an Environmental Chemist and Outdoor Educator. For over a decade, Jennifer was a leader in a global clinical trial company. A Master Black Belt (MBB) in Lean Six Sigma, she has used her leadership skills to serve many organizations, especially those focused on climate change and biodiversity.
Evan Robbins
Director of Communications and Legislative Affairs
Evan is an avid hiker with an extensive professional background in public sector and political communications.
Steven Stewart
Program Director
Hoosier National Forest
Steven Stewart is a graduate of Indiana University Bloomington. He has worked for many years in the non-profit sector and the field of Preservation. He is a strong public forest advocate and has spent his whole life in the forest learning its ways.
Neil Goswami
Membership & Outreach Manager
A native of Bloomington, Neil has degrees in Political Science and Philosophy. Whether it’s hiking through pristine trails, kayaking in tranquil waters or simply enjoying the beauty of a sunset, Neil finds solace and inspiration in the natural world. His personal experiences in nature fuel his passion for environmental conservation and sustainability.
Melody Dunn
Office Manager
Melody holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Management and a master’s degree in Management & Leadership from Western Governors University. She has a love of nature in all her forms. Collecting fossils and stones from creek beds is one of her favorite types of afternoon activity.
Dex Conaway
State Forest Director
Dex is a native Hoosier who possesses a bachelor’s degree from Indiana University – Purdue
University of Indianapolis (IUPUI) in Anthropology with a focus on US culture and its relationship to our
natural environment. He has dedicated much of his adult life to many different social and ecological
justice causes. Before joining IFA, he had a long tenure in the organic farming and certification industry
and is deeply committed to preserving and increasing Indiana’s wild places.
Mike Oles
Forests For Indy Campaign Director
Mike Oles is the Director of the Forests for Indy campaign. He is a leading community organizer, environmental campaigner, and political strategist.
Mike’s impactful work has been recognized in the IndyStar, Chicago Tribune, Boston Globe, San Francisco Chronicle, The American Prospect, and Politico. His relentless efforts to halt factory closings, notably the successful fight to save Indianapolis’s Carrier Factory, are chronicled in the book America Made: What Happens to People When Work Disappears. He is a proud graduate of Earlham College.
Consulting Staff
Jerome Delbridge
Arborist and Urban Forest Preservation Advisor
IFA's Board of Directors
Officers
Dave Seastrom, President, Nashville
Angelo Dattilo, Treasurer, Westfield
David Haberman, Ph.D., Bloomington
Larry Kane, Carmel
Lora Kemp, Spencer
Elizabeth Mahoney, Indianapolis
Nina Mutone, Indianapolis
W. Russell (Russ) Sipes, Indianapolis
Mark Stoops, Bloomington