OUR TEAM

Jo Swanson
Executive Director
Two Harbors, MN
Jo (she/her) is thrilled to join NVC. She has a background in nonprofit trail administration, most recently working for the Superior Hiking Trail Association where she loved meeting amazing volunteers and dedicated land-managing partners. She began her career accidentally, when she signed up to volunteer on a trail project and just kept coming back. She is a long-distance hiker, Wilderness area collector, and camps at least 52 nights per year. She is based out of Two Harbors and regularly explores the Superior National Forest. She hopes to meet you on a project soon!

Sandy Skrien
Board Chair
Duluth, MN
Sandy is the Program Manager for NEW Solutions ACES program. She has a B.S. in Biology and a minor in Environmental Studies from St. Cloud State. Sandy started her career on the Superior National Forest writing wilderness permits, worked as a wilderness ranger, trails crews and YCC crew leader. She spent 20 years on the Tongass National Forest, then returned to the Superior National Forest to be the Public Service Team Leader. She retired from the Forest Service in 2020 as the National Wilderness Program Manager after over 40 years. Sandy lives in Duluth, Minnesota with her husband, Wayne, and yellow labs, Cedar and Juniper.

Andy Jenks
Board Treasurer
Stillwater, MN
Andy serves on the Board of the Northwood Volunteer Connection and has over 40 years of experience in outdoor navigation. Andy teaches graduate and undergraduate courses at the University of Minnesota in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Global Position Systems (GPS). He serves as the President of the Banadad Trail Association, a major cross-country ski trail along the Gunflint Trail near Grand Marais, MN. Andy also serves on the Board of the John Francis Foundation, a non-profit that focuses on wilderness safety education and rescue. He is an avid wilderness paddler and kayaker with many wilderness trips in the US and Canada.
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Rory Anderson
Board Member
Lutsen, MN
Rory (she/her) discovered her passion for connecting people to nature on her first canoe trip in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness during college. After receiving a B.A. in Biology from St. Olaf College and a Master’s Certificate in Environmental Education and Sustainability from Antioch University New England, she's built a career making complex environmental policy easier to understand and engage with. She grew up on the prairie in western Minnesota but has come to call the Northwoods home, where you can find her reading, identifying lichens on hikes, or swimming in Lake Superior.