MoIP Members and Stakeholders:
• Organizing Chair: Bill Ruppert, National Nursery Products – St. Louis
• Chair, Oct. 2017-19: Carol Davit, Missouri Prairie Foundation
• Vice-Chair, Oct. 2017-19: Nate Muenks, Missouri Department of Conservation
• Inaugural Members: Nate Muenks, Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC); Anastasia Becker, private citizen and entomologist (formerly Missouri Department of Agriculture); Ken McCarty, Missouri Department of Natural Resources (MoDNR); Carol Davit, Missouri Prairie Foundation
As of April 2020, members include: Brian Davidson, National Forest Service; Bruce Schuette, MoDNR retired; Malissa Briggler, MDC botanist; Roxie Campbell, MoDNR Rock Bridge State Park; Quinn Long, Missouri Botanical Garden; Reid Smeda, University of Missouri (MU) College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources; Nate Muenks, Missouri Department of Conservation; Carol Davit, Missouri Prairie Foundation; Ann Koenig, Missouri Department of Conservation/Missouri Forestry Council; Larry O’Donnell, Kansas City Native Plant Initiative; Matt Arndt, Missouri Consulting Foresters Association; Jim Ball, Missouri Walnut Council; Joe Alley, Natural Resources Conservation Service; Hank Stelzer, University of Missouri School of Natural Resources; Lauren Pile, National Forest Service; Christopher Pierce, USDA APHIS; Matt Kemna, Columbia Utilities/Right of Way; Bill Ruppert, National Nursery Products
As of April 2020, stakeholders include: Anastasia Becker, MDA retired – private citizen and entomologist; Steve Clubine, represents range management; Jay Doty, Magnificent Missouri; John Nekola, Green Industry, Landscaping; Kelly Srigley-Werner, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service; Miranda J. Brandt, Missouri National Guard; Nathan Kempker, Missouri National Guard; Alli Brown, Missouri Botanical Gardens; Eric Bohle, Friends of Rock Bridge State Park; James Cole, The Nature Conservancy; Robbie Doerhoff, MDC forest health specialist; Collin Wamsley, MDA; Susan Ehlenbeck, Missouri Department of Agriculture (MDA); Elizabeth Steele, Hamilton Native Outpost; Sue Bartelette, Native Plant Program; Lea Langdon, Missouri Master Naturalist; Kyra N. Krakos, Maryville University; Mike Rood, Pea Ridge Forest; Ken McCarty, MoDNR; Mark Renz, Midwest Invasive Plant Network; Matthew Garrett, Johnson County Park & Recreation; Mike Hoffmann, Forest & Woodland Association of Missouri; Allen Powell, Conservation Section for the Farm Service Agency, USDA; Craig Young, National Park Service Heartlands Invasive Plant Management Team; Lesli Moylan, Missouri Environmental Education Association
Please note: in Spring 2020, we began inviting more organizations to join us for a stakeholder meeting; while complications arose while planning this meeting during nationwide COVID-19 quarantine, we intend to continue expanding our reach with agencies, organizations, and key individuals across the state.
Member and Stakeholder Roles: Active Missouri Invasive Plant Task Force members meet four times each year to develop a strategy to address invasive plant species in the state of Missouri.
Stakeholders receive communication from MoIP members, offer their expertise and share updates with their colleagues.
The diversity of MoIP—from plant industry professionals to state- and federal-employed conservation, transportation and agriculture leaders—helps maximize the informational and geographic capabilities to combat invasive exotic plants across the state.
Members should primarily concerned with statewide management or have specific expertise and skills that are valuable to review documents, take part in subgroups and work on overarching, statewide changes. They are added by consensus of the existing member group.