New Faces in New Places

RWMWD Staff and Interns as of September 2014.

We’ve got some new faces on board and one of our staff has a new role with the District. Here’s the scoop on who they are and what they are up to!

Our New Office Manager – Shelly Melser

 
In case you wonder why you haven’t seen Shelly Melser at the front desk lately, here is the reason why. Shelly, who has worked for the District since 2001 has shifted from being our receptionist (with many other tasks) to taking on the responsibilities of office manager. Her new roles include handling accounts payable and receivables, benefits, payroll and grant reporting. She is also still responsible for a number of her previous tasks including arranging vehicle and building maintenance, purchasing and coordination of our filing system. Shelly, we certainly depend on you for making things run smoothly behind the scenes! Thank you for all the hard work you do!

Welcome to our New Receptionist – Deb Barnes

When you enter the Watershed District office or call our main line you will find a new person at the front desk to greet you. Deb Barnes, our new receptionist, who joined our staff on July 21,2014 says,
” It felt like home when I walked in the door.”
Previously, she worked for 18 years as a church office administrator in east St. Paul until the church closed its doors.  On the day I did my Ripple Effect interview with her, Deb was in the midst of making updates to the District’s data base.
“I love organizing things and working with anything to do with computers,” she acknowledged.  “I also like learning about the variety of things other staff members are doing.“ 
Deb, a grandmother with 5 grandchildren, ages two months to 6 years, loves working in her yard in Lino Lakes, doing home projects and camping.  When asked what she is looking forward to in the job, she answered, “Being so capable that I can be the ‘go to’ person. I enjoy working with people.”

New District Intern – Natalie Campbell
 
We’d like to extend a warm welcome to our new District Intern, Natalie Campbell who will be working with Ramsey Washington Metro Watershed District this fall. Natalie, a student in her fourth year at the University of Minnesota, is completing a degree in Environmental Science Policy and Management. She recently returned from a semester abroad in Australia at James Cook University studying oceanography and sustainability. She was introduced to the Watershed District when Cliff Aichinger, the District Administrator gave a talk last fall in one of her Environmental Planning classes at the U. Campbell will be working two days a week at the District, doing job shadowing, helping out with some field work and assisting staff with a variety of tasks.