Employee profile: Barb Keller
Making the jump
Barb Keller’s role as big game program supervisor, overseeing management of the state’s deer, elk and moose populations, might seem unexpected given that she grew up in the major metropolitan area of Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas, where she didn’t see a lot of wildlife or experience much in the way of outdoor activities like hiking, fishing or camping.
But Keller knew she wanted to pursue a field in natural resources, and she followed what she felt was an intrinsic appeal of the outdoors to attend Northland College in northern Wisconsin.
It wasn’t the smoothest initiation. Prior to starting courses, she joined other new students for the college’s “Outdoor Orientation.” Keller, having never been camping before, chose the trail-riding camping option, which involved an overnight after backpacking to a campsite.
“I was miserable,” she said with a laugh. “Thankfully I learned to really love camping and backpacking, but that first introduction was eye-opening.”
Her time in northern Wisconsin was formative not only in her love for outdoor activities and nature itself, but for field work. As an undergrad, she studied flying squirrels and their habitat in Wisconsin, and she continued on to grad school after graduation, landing an opportunity to study bighorn sheep in Rocky Mountain National Park through New Mexico State University, leading to another first for her.
“I’d never seen a mountain, and there I was living in the mountains, in one of the most beautiful places in the country,” Keller said. “It was amazing.”
She found herself fascinated by bighorn sheep and their intricate behaviors, and sought to continue ungulate (hoofed mammals) research when the program wrapped up. She was selected for an opening in a Ph.D. program in Missouri, gaining some hands-on experience capturing and collaring bison and pronghorn in Custer State Park in the Black Hills.
Soon after completing her Ph. D., Keller jumped at a chance to work with the Missouri Department of Conservation on a project to restore elk to the state. It took six years and remains a cherished memory.
“I was involved in the restoration of a species back to its native habitat and saw the first elk that were released into the state,” Keller said. “That’s definitely something I’m going to carry with me forever.”
Keller joined the Missouri Department of Conservation as its elk biologist shortly after and held the position for about a year before she was thrown into the deep-end of writing deer regulations when two deer biologists took other opportunities, leaving Keller as the sole cervid biologist in the department. It was a huge learning curve to understand statewide deer management, and Keller found the experience rewarding.
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At this time, as in other parts of her career, Keller valued the relationships she’d built with other wildlife biologists, who have been supportive in troubleshooting common issues, commiserating and letting her know about job opportunities.
It was that network that alerted her to the big game supervisor position. When she heard about the opening, Keller – then the cervid program supervisor at the Missouri Department of Conservation, overseeing deer, elk and chronic wasting disease – jumped at the chance to come back to the region where she fell in love with the outdoors. She joined the DNR in February 2019.
She knows that the position will have moments of challenge, having learned firsthand of the controversy involved with big game during the elk restoration project.
“Restoration of a big game species into an area where they had not been for quite some time does bring some controversy with it,” Keller said. “In big game management, there’s almost nothing that’s without a high amount of public scrutiny.”
But, as she’s shown throughout her life – whether moving from a metro area to the Northwoods of Wisconsin or teaching herself how to hunt as an adult, without family members or mentors to guide her – when Keller sees a challenge, she doesn’t let it intimidate her.
“It’s funny, because I’m someone who really doesn’t like change,” Keller said. “I’ve had to pick up and start my life over so many times. I wouldn’t say I wasn’t afraid, but I wouldn’t be where I am if I hadn’t been willing to face that and just make the jump.”
-- Nyssa Gesch, information officer, Fish and Wildlife
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Name: Barb Keller
Title: Big game program supervisor
Work Location: DNR Central Office
At DNR since: February 2019
Education: B.S. in natural resource management, Northland College; M.S. in wildlife science, New Mexico State University; Ph.D. wildlife science, University of Missouri
Something her colleagues don’t know about her: She brought five chickens with her from Missouri, which are in a temporary home until she can build a coop at her new house.
Hobbies: Deer and turkey hunting, hiking, paddling. She is looking forward to exploring more of Minnesota and getting out for ice fishing this winter.
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 DNR brings in $683,000 at New Ulm auction
Though organizers feared thunderstorms, the rain held off (at least until loading time) for a successful fleet auction in New Ulm in Region 4 on June 15.
About 40 vehicles and various other items – such as snowmobiles, tractors, fishery tanks, a dishwasher, and more – brought in $683,000 for the Department of Natural Resources.
“We get a good resale value,” fleet supervisor Aaron Cisewski said. “The crowd knows this is good stuff.”
While a buyer might not know the history of a vehicle with a private seller, auction attendees know the department’s vehicles have been well maintained. In addition, the DNR shops repair what can be repaired before the auction, and disclose fully what cannot. All license plates, stickers and decals are removed ahead of time.
Equipment dealer and Montrose resident Joe Desmarais said he often attends DNR auctions because he knows the equipment and vehicles he is looking for will be “nice and clean.”
The DNR purchases new equipment for its fleet in order to ensure quality and obtain useful and valuable warranties. The goal then is to sell old equipment before it would need “significant repair investments.” Though there are exceptions, the state is mandated by statute to sell this equipment to the public at auctions.
The DNR holds four fleet auctions around the state throughout the year – the New Ulm auction in June, an auction in Grand Rapids in September, an auction in Bemidji in October and another auction in Grand Rapids in December – but participates in about 10 more auctions held by other state agencies.
The New Ulm auction drew a wide audience, with about 150 attendees. There are dealers, like Desmarais, who attend for business, but Nicollet County resident Arden Olson said the auctions are social events for him.
“I go to a lot of auctions and a lot of the same people go to auctions, so I know a lot of people who go,” Olson said.
For Richard Frisbie and his granddaughter Grace Palmquist, the auction was a special occasion – Frisbie was there to buy Palmquist her first car. When asked if she would bid on her car, Palmquist said, “no!”
“I told her to tape her hands to her side,” Frisbie said, laughing.
The following people coordinated and ran the auction: Region 4 fleet supervisor Dennis Kitzberger, mechanic Scott Tischer, technician Lee Wepplo, repair worker Nick Hokenson, facilities specialist Tracy Beckman, OAS senior Lisa Leskey, section manager Paul Johnson, fleet operations and maintenance coordinator Tom Lattimore, Cisewski, fleet equipment specialist Jonathan Moxley, MR supervisor Jerry Conlon, safety administrator Joni Akerson, administrative coordinator Catherine Miron, Region 3 fleet supervisor John Hughes and Region 4 manager Wanda Dahlhoff.
-- Maggie Stanwood, information officer, Operations Services Division
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Broadcasting live from Tettegouche State Park
Minnesota Public Radio broadcasted live from Tettegouche State Park on July 1 to kick off its July Water Month and its new Outside in MN app. Tettegouche State Park manager Jason Peterson participated in a live interview with MPR host Cathy Wurzer. Park naturalist Kurt Meade shared the natural history of Tettegouche, and assistant park manager Nadine Meyer talked about how the DNR’s Parks and Trails Division reaches out to diverse audiences to make the outdoors more accessible for everyone. MPR reporter Euan Kerr went along to observe peregrine falcon banding for a future story.
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Commissioner's Awards
 Collage: Awards for Chronic Wasting Disease Response Team; Fargo-Moorhead Flood Risk Management project and WIRES upgrade team.
First row back, left to right: Chronic Wasting Disease Response Team. Todd Froberg, Chris Jennelle, Erik Hildebrand, Patrick Hagen. Front, l-r: Kelsie LaSharr, Michelle Carstensen, Bob Wright, Margaret Dexter. Not pictured: Bruce J. Anderson, Julie Hines, Christine Johnson, Bailey Petersen, Robert Wright.
Second row from l-r: Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) Response Team. Brandon Schad, Chris Scharenbroich, Amber Knutson. Fargo-Moorhead Flood Risk Management Project Supplemental EIS. Jaime Thibodeaux, Neil Haugerud.
Third row back, l-r: Fargo-Moorhead Flood Risk Management Project Supplemental EIS. Back: Jamison Wendel, Jason Boyle, Randall Doneen, Tom Hovey. Front: Pooja Kanwar, Jill Townley, Cynthia Novak-krebs, Kelsey Forward, Suzanne Jiwani. Not pictured: Jack Gleason.
Fourth row back l-r: WIRES Upgrade Team. Richard Erdman, Tom Hoyne. Front, l-r: Anne Bella Korah, Diane Campbell, Ann Salazkin, Christina Flotterrud, Carol Johnson, Toni Burt. Not pictured: Victor Conocchioli, Daniel Kolner, Brent Pellinen, Fred Sasse, Steve Lime.
Continuous improvement students celebrate graduation
 Back Row L to R: Andrew Korsberg, Darin Newman, Doug Beimborn, Rachel Hintzman, Steph Gilson. Front Row L to R: Toni Golden, Shelby Marr, Kerrin Reisner, Caroline Greeson, Sally Dybdal Not pictured: David Zothman, John Voges, Rick Byers.
After months of additional work on projects designed to improve the Department of Natural Resources, 13 Lean Six Sigma Green Belt training and certification program participants celebrated graduation from the program on June 28 in the Central Office.
“We have a treasure chest of continuous improvement projects just waiting for somebody to take on and want to work on,” Operations Services Division Director Laurie Martinson said during the celebration. “We have a lot of opportunities to make the DNR even better than it is now, and to make our work lives better.”
The training ran from January to May. The teams learned about continuous improvement methods and how to implement improvement projects through classroom learning and testing.
The teams chose a project to initiate over the course of the training to tackle an issue at the DNR. Teams are in the process of putting these upgrades in place.
“It’s nice seeing this group of individuals because you are the future,” Fish and Wildlife Administrative Services Section Chief Linda Kelly said at the celebration. “You are the up and rising stars and are helping to streamline processes and make enhancements and improvements.”
Participants learned the basics of strategic planning and analytics, how to develop a project objective, how to use data and analyze processes, how to conduct root cause analysis, how to develop, prioritize, select and test solutions, and how to create and implement standards and controls to sustain a new level of performance.
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The team led by Andrew Korsberg and Darin Newman (Parks and Trails) researched how to improve the Parks and Trails Master Plan process.
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The team led by Kerrin Reisner and David Zothman (Parks and Trails) researched how to increase order fulfillment at the DNR Nature Store Warehouse.
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The team led by Toni Golden and Sally Dybdal (Operations Services) researched work situations that require purchasing cards and the potential risks of having more than 1,800 purchasing cards statewide.
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The team led by Steph Gilson (Fish and Wildlife) researched how to increase the percentage of Tier II recreation vehicle title transactions processed in eight weeks or less from 41 percent to 95 percent.
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The team led by Shelby Marr and John Voges (Parks and Trails) researched how to improve the technology and management of the project priority database.
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The team led by Rick Byers and Caroline Greeson (Operations Services) researched how to decrease the number of agency telecom services invoices from 40 to 15.
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The team led by Doug Beimborn and Rachel Hintzman (Parks and Trails) researched how to design and implement a water recreation revenue tracking and forecasting process.
The Green Belt training has roots in Japan and is modeled after the karate belt levels of achievement. In karate, green is a representation of growth and green belts are given to intermediate students who are learning to strengthen and refine their skills. The DNR has more than 30 employees who have completed the Green Belt level training in continuous improvement.
For more information, head to the Continuous Improvement page of the intranet.
--Maggie Stanwood, information officer, Operations Services Division
Remembering, missing the wisdom of a dedicated employee
Longtime DNR employee and Ecological and Water Resources Regional Manager Mike Peloquin passed away peacefully, surrounded by family at home on the evening of June 20, after a six-year long battle with kidney cancer.
Mike was born Dec. 8, 1959, in Hibbing, to Robert and Carol Peloquin. A 1978 graduate of Hibbing High School, he went on to attend Michigan Tech University where he earned his bachelor’s degree in mining engineering.
He met the love of his life, Jeanne Thomas, in 1987. They were married Sept. 26, 1987, in Uptown Minneapolis at Joyce United Methodist Church, and were just shy of celebrating their 32nd wedding anniversary this year. They created a beautiful family with their children, Katie, age 31, Nicholas, age 29, Jessie, age 28, and Benjamin, age 25.
Mike dedicated himself for more than 30 years to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, working in the Ecological and Water Resources Division, and he was instrumental in the development of Minnesota’s Lake Superior Coastal Program. Ecological and Water Resources Director Steve Colvin said, “Mike was an important and influential leader in our division and in the former Division of Waters as a regional hydrologist, assistant regional manager and regional manager. We will miss his wisdom.”
He made his mark with a zest for staying active and running a variety of races, most notably his yearly participation in the Gary Bjorklund Half Marathon and skating the NorthShore Inline Full Marathon. In 2009, in celebration of his 50th birthday, Mike’s sister Jill signed him up to run the Twin Cities Marathon. It was his first full marathon and a pivotal moment that inspired his future running pursuits.
Mike will be remembered by many for his passion for family, running, and his dedication to his work through the DNR. He was a loving husband, father, son, grandfather, brother, colleague and friend to so many. His sense of humor, love for the outdoors, and his enthusiasm for life will never be forgotten.
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From the field...
 It was a fitting end to a 25-year career in law enforcement for Conservation Officer Mike Scott, who retired Tuesday, July 9. Scott, who had been a CO for 18 years (most recently as a water resource enforcement officer in the northeast), was patrolling Lake Vermilion on the Fourth of July when he received a call from a person in Babbitt about a bald eagle that was standing beneath a pine tree.
The bird had an injured right wing. Scott captured the eagle and transported it to Wildwoods Wildlife Rehabilitation in Duluth. It later was sent to the Raptor Center at the University of Minnesota.
“If you have to work on the Fourth of July,” Scott said, “what better way to celebrate our nation’s independence than to save a mature bald eagle.”
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