Wisconsin Ag Connection - DNR Secretary Cole Makes First Leadership Appointments

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DNR Secretary Cole Makes First Leadership Appointments
Wisconsin Ag Connection - 01/14/2019

The new secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources has announced the first appointments to his leadership team. On Friday, Preston Cole named Elizabeth Kluesner as deputy secretary. She is currently the DNR liaison to local and federal government.

A native of Madison, Kluesner earned her bachelor's and master's degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She also served as the agency's business project coordinator and previously worked as Dane County's director of policy and program development, where her primary duties focused on land acquisition, recreation, land use and transportation planning. Prior to working for Dane County, Kluesner served for 11 years as the DNR Legislative Liaison and later for one year as the executive assistant to DNR Secretary Scott Hassett.

Cheryl Heilman has been appointed to the position of Chief Legal Counsel. Heilman has been with the DNR since 2011 and has been serving as a deputy chief counsel in the Bureau of Legal Services. An experienced attorney, Heilman previously worked for the Minnesota Attorney General's Office, a federal court monitor, a criminal justice nonprofit, a private law firm, and as a law clerk to U.S. District Court and Court of Appeals judges.

Fred Souba will continue to serve as administrator of the Division of Forestry and Wisconsin's Chief Forester. He was originally appointed to this position in 2016. Prior to that he had an extensive career in the forest industry, including owner and Senior Consultant of ProVision Forestry LLC, Vice President of Wood Supply and Sustainability for NewPage Corporation, and served as chair of the Wisconsin Council on Forestry for seven years.

And Doug Haag will retain his position as administrator for the Division of Internal Services. He began working for DNR in 1986, served as chief of the Real Estate Section and then real estate director prior to his appointment as division administrator in 2016. He also worked for Dane County Parks Department from 1990 to 2000.

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