Stephanie Schuck joins SICIM as Executive Director
SICIM Email
Schuck to continue management of the Indiana Invasives Initiative.
Stephanie Schuck has been selected as the new Executive Director for Southern Indiana Cooperative Invasives Management (SICIM). Stephanie will work closely with the SICIM board to continue the management of the state-wide Indiana Invasives Initiative (III) and oversee SICIM’s administration and Strategic Plan.
Schuck comes to SICIM from her previous role as restoration ecologist and land manager for a 75-acre natural area on Marian University’s campus. She directed the ecological restoration and much of the University’s public environmental education programs as well, focusing on Indiana habitats, invasive species removal, and native plants.
She is also an active member of the community, serving on many boards and committees dedicated to the conservation of Indiana’s natural areas. Schuck is the current Board President for the Environmental Education Association of Indiana and serves on the Invasive Plant Advisory Committee for the Indiana Invasive Species Council. She is also a member of the Indianapolis Tree Board and the Indiana Parks Alliance Board. Stephanie received her Master of Science in Natural Resources and Environmental Management from Ball State University.
Will Drews, SICIM Board Chair, is pleased to fill the Executive Director position with someone so qualified. Drews noted, “This was a position we’ve needed for some time, and as we’ve matured as an organization, the need has only grown. We think Stephanie is the ideal candidate to fill a niche and pull together the team of regional specialists and pick up some of the jobs that have fallen to board members and staff in a more consistent way.” He appreciates that Schuck is well connected in environmental circles to help promote the Indiana Invasive Initiative mission and continue to build on existing partnerships and develop new ones.
Drews said Dawn Slack will continue her role as Project Coordinator with the organization but having an Executive Director to share the roles of marketing, grant writing, and coordinating with partners will be an asset to the organization.
SICIM is a 501-c3 non-profit organization established in 2008. The organization is overseen by a Board of Directors. The organization’s mission is to protect Indiana lands and waters by coordinating efforts to identify, prevent, and control problematic invasive species. In 2017 SICIM undertook a statewide role, in partnership with the NRCS, to develop CISMAs (Cooperative Invasive Species Management Areas) to represent all counties in Indiana. Under this new statewide role, SICM currently employs 6 Regional Specialists across Indiana.
Stephanie Schuck, SICIM Executive Director