OUR BOARD

Rob Hogg

Pronouns: He, Him, His

Board President

Rob Hogg is a retired state legislator and lawyer living in Cedar Rapids. A native of Iowa City, he graduated from City High School in Iowa City, the University of Iowa (B.A. in history), and the University of Minnesota (M.A. in public affairs and J.D. in law). He and his wife, Kate, are active members of Christ Episcopal Church in Cedar Rapids.

Rob has worked on faith-based climate advocacy for nearly 25 years, starting as global warming project coordinator for Ecumenical Ministries of Iowa in 1999-2000. He previously served on the board of Iowa Faith & CLimate Network (formally known as Iowa Interfaith Power & Light) from 2007 to 2010. He is currently co-chair of the national Citizens Climate Lobby Episcopal Action Team and served in 2021 as a member of the delegation to the world climate negotiations (COP26) in Glasgow, Scotland, on behalf of the Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church, Michael Curry.

In 2013, Rob published a book, “America’s Climate Century: What Climate Change Means for America in the 21st Century and What Americans Can Do About It.”

Rev. Heather Wachendorf

Pronouns: She, Her, Hers

Vice President

For Rev. Heather Wachendorf the call to ministry began early, but she resisted the call until later in life. It was at that point in time that she became a commissioned minister. A few years later, Heather entered seminary, completed her Master of Divinity at Lexington Theological Seminary, and became an ordained minister in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). In college, Heather was an art major and went on to earn a Master of Fine Art in sculpture. She creates art for her own enjoyment and incorporates it into her ministry when possible.

Heather believes justice work helps us ensure that resources are distributed equitably, people can thrive and use their gifts, and communities can dedicate themselves to projects and processes that affirm and celebrate the importance of all people. She believes that people have a responsibility to care for all of God’s creation by living sustainably and working for the equitable treatment of all people.

Heather is proud to be an Iowa native who grew up in Adel and currently lives in the Lower Beaver Neighborhood of Des Moines. She is married to Mark, and they have two adult children who also live in Des Moines.

Elizabeth Pudenz

Pronouns: She, Her, Hers

Treasurer

Elizabeth (Beth) Pudenz was raised in Des Moines, IA. She obtained a BA in International Studies from DePaul University, a JD from John Marshall University and an LLM in Health Law from Loyola University. She began her career in 2007 as an attorney in Chicago, Illinois where she represented injured victims in medical malpractice, nursing home negligence, premises liability, construction liability and trucking/automobile accident cases. After starting a family, Ms. Pudenz returned to her hometown of Des Moines, Iowa to join the Spellman Law Firm, LLP where she continues to practice law as a litigation attorney in personal injury and worker’s compensation cases on behalf of her clients. She is a current board member for the Iowa Association for Justice which is an organization devoted to safeguard justice and individual rights for the public good. She is also passionate about social justice, including climate change awareness, climate change solutions and advocacy.

Beth was raised Catholic and is a parishioner at St. Augustin Catholic Church in Des Moines. She enjoys traveling, cooking, running and spending time with her husband Jay and three children.

Lori Freudenberg

Pronouns: She, Her, Hers

Board Secretary

Lori Freudenberg is the Program Coordinator for Our Lady of The Prairie Retreat, a ministry of The Congregation of the Humility of Mary. Prior to that, she was the Community Outreach Director for The Clinton Franciscans. Lori’s work has been, through these two positions, to enlighten and embolden people to care for creation. She believes that we each have a responsibility to do what we can do, even acts that seem so small, for it will all make a difference.

Lori is the mother of two and grandmother to Olivia. It is because of them that she works for social and climate justice – wanting to leave this world a better place for future generations. Lori lives in Le Claire with her husband, Gerry.

Rev. Dr. Belinda Creighton-Smith

Pronouns: She, Her, Hers

At-Large

Belinda Creighton-Smith is the pastor of Faith Temple Baptist Church in Waterloo and an adjunct instructor in the social work department at the University of Northern Iowa. She attended Central Baptist Theological Seminary in Kansas City where she received her Master of Divinity. In 2019 she earned her Doctorate of Education from the University of Northern Iowa and wrote her dissertation on Examining Linkages between Institutional Racism, Internalized Racial Oppression and Self-Efficacy in African American Youth.

Rev. Melissa Drake

Pronouns: She, Her, Hers

At-Large

Rev. Melissa Drake serves as the Director of Leadership Development and Spiritual Formation for the Iowa Conference of The United Methodist Church. A lifelong United Methodist, Melissa is deeply committed to equipping and encouraging congregations and clergy to live out the ministry God calls them to—in their unique contexts, with the neighbors they actually have, for just this time. Her ministry has included service as District Superintendent of the Aldersgate District, Field Outreach Minister, and work in the Office of Congregational Excellence, as well as leadership as a local pastor. Melissa earned her Master of Divinity from Drew University Theological Seminary in Madison, New Jersey.

Growing up on a farm in southwest Iowa during the 1980s farm crisis, Melissa once dreamed of a life far from rural fields. Yet, even during her seminary years on the East Coast, she found her sermons filled with farming parables and stories. This clarity of call brought her back to Iowa, where her ministry has been rooted in loving and serving the neighbors right outside the church doors. She delights in seeing congregations form purposeful relationships with the people in their communities, believing that God’s mission always moves outward in blessing.

Rev. Lee Gable

Pronouns: He, Him, His

At-Large

Lee is the pastor of Fredsville Lutheran Church (ELCA) in Cedar Falls, IA. He grew up in Kylertown, Pennsylvania where his family owns an industrial electrical contracting company, established by his grandparents. Growing up in rural Pennsylvania Lee fell in love with the beauty of forests and streams that are abundant in Appalachia. He also laments the scars left upon creation.

Lee attended the Pennsylvania College of Technology where he earned a B.S. in Construction Management, with a minor in Business Administration and an A.A.S. in Electrical Technology. In his electrical vocation Lee discovered the joy of working with off-grid solar energy. Then Lee followed a call to ordained ministry in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. His seminary journey led to Wartburg Theological Seminary in Dubuque, Iowa where he earned a Master of Divinity. There he also met his spouse, The Rev. Dena Gable. Lee trained as a Spiritual Director with the Oasis Ministries for Spiritual Development. He serves on the Northeastern Iowa Synod Candidacy Committee and Care of Creation Network.

Lee believes the relationship of our shared humanity and creation needs to be more reciprocal. He continues weaving together a passion for energy conservation and call to parish ministry, that confluence in a pilgrimage towards generational stewardship of Creation.

Rabbi Esther Hugenholtz

Pronouns: She, Her, Hers

At-Large

Rabbi Esther Hugenholtz was born in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. She spent the majority of her childhood in southern Spain. After completing her high school education, she moved back to the Netherlands where she obtained her M.Sc. (Master of Science) in Cultural Anthropology and Sociology of non-Western Societies from the University of Amsterdam. Furthering her Jewish education, she studied at the Conservative Yeshiva in Jerusalem, Israel and was an E. Levinas Fellow at Paideia, the European Institute of Jewish Studies in Stockholm, Sweden.

Rabbi Hugenholtz completed the first two years of her rabbinical training at the Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies, a seminary affiliated with the Conservative/Masorti movement of Judaism and interned as a Rabbinic Fellow at the American Jewish University. She completed the remaining three years of her rabbinical training at Leo Baeck College in London, UK and was ordained as a rabbi with this seminary in 2013. She and her family immigrated to the United States in 2017 to serve the Agudas Achim Congregation and quickly discovered the joys of Midwestern living: apple picking in the fall, snow pants in the winter, and the delights of spring and summer that inspire new hope. Rabbi Hugenholtz believes in making Jewish wisdom, culture, tradition and spiritual practice open, accessible and relevant for 21st century life and is fully committed to empowering people on their meaningful Jewish journey. Rabbi Hugenholtz and her husband Dave Middleton have three children and she enjoys playing the guitar, composing music, writing, photography, crafts and cooking.

Claira Miller

Pronouns: She, Her, Hers

At-Large

Claira Miller has been active in Iowa Faith & Climate Network since becoming a Called To Climate Action student in 2021. Originally from Colo, she is a student at Iowa State University in her final year majoring in animal science and minoring in general business. What brought her to the program was her passion for agriculture with the drive to create a more sustainable future. The next summer, Iowa Faith & Climate Network brought Claira Miller to become our first Faith Farms & Climate fellow assisting in the implementation of summer programming and traveling with the staff.

C.J. Petersen

Pronouns: He, Him, His

At-Large

Following his candidacy for the Iowa state senate in 2020, C.J. worked to build civic engagement among rural Iowans, including taking part in a rural queer working group to improve political engagement for queer people who live in rural spaces. He has worked in the Iowa legislature for Rep. Sami Scheetz and continues to work as a public servant in the office of Iowa’s State Auditor.

Born and raised in southwest Iowa, C.J. grew up using American Sign Language at home and is hard of hearing. Living at the intersection of the LGBTQ+ and disability communities, C.J. strives for inclusion and acceptance for all who want to participate in the political process.

A current student at the University of Iowa majoring in political science, C.J. believes there’s nothing wrong with constant growth and education. He and his husband live on a small farm in rural Audubon County, home of Albert the Bull, where they are active in their community. They are members of the Iowa Farmers’ Union and attend St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Harlan. C.J. is passionate about working toward climate solutions as part of a robust rural economic development agenda.

C.J. believes the best way to achieve results when working with others is to remember that nobody’s always right and that a broken clock is right twice a day.

Dr. Jasmina Salcinovic-Spahic

Pronouns: She, Her, Hers

At-Large

Dr. Jasmina Salcinovic-Spahic, DMSc, MMSc, MHA, PA-C, DFAAPA, Physician Associates – Certified has been practicing as a PA-C for over 15 years at hospitals and clinics in Iowa. Since 2013, she has been working at VA Central Iowa Health Care. In addition to being a Physician Assistant (Master’s in Medical Science – Emory University School of Medicine Physician Assistant Program – Class of 2008), she also completed her Master’s in Health Care Administration (Des Moines University – Class 2018) on full VA Employee Scholarship, as well as her Doctorate in Medical Science (University of Lynchburg – Class 2020).

Jasmina was selected for the Emory University Alumni Association’s 40 under Forty awards Program – Class of 2021. The program spotlights alumni, chosen from hundreds of nominations each year across a variety of vocations for having made a significant impact in business, research, leadership, public service and/or philanthropic endeavors. In addition, The American Association of Physician Assistants awarded her the highest credentials that a physician assistant can achieve, Diplomate Fellow, in April 2020.

Jasmina is currently completing a part-time Master’s in Social Work at University of Iowa School of Social Work with a concentration in Clinical/Mental Health Therapy. She is married and a mother of two children. In her free time, Jasmina enjoys spending time with her family, exercising, reading books, and traveling.

Matt Rissler

Pronouns: He, Him, His

At-Large

Matt Rissler has lived in Dubuque since 2008, where he resides with his wife, Angela, and their two children. He comes to Iowa from Virginia where he grew up gardening, raising goats, and hiking through Shenandoah National Park. Although he identifies as Mennonite, Matt’s is deeply involved in the Cathedral of St. Raphael, where he worships and sings, and the Church of the Oak, a Wild Church community, where he mostly tends the fire. This commitment to bridging traditions is evident in his decades-long involvement with Bridgefolk, a grassroots Catholic-Mennonite dialogue, as well as his participation in Children of Abraham, a local interfaith dialogue group.

Matt holds a PhD in Mathematics from Notre Dame and a BA in Math and Physics from Goshen College. He taught Applied Math and Data Science at Loras College for over a dozen years and currently works at Bound while shouldering parental load. Matt enjoys hiking with his family, and actively dedicates his time to living simply, and to land restoration at their Dubuque home, viewing both as essential Christian stewardship. For Matt, climate action is a matter of faith and justice. He believes that climate change has impacted the “least of these” first and most, and tries to follow the Christ’s call to cloth, feed, welcome, and visit them.

John Stender-Custer

Pronouns: He, Him, His

At-Large

John is a 7th generation Iowan who lives with his husband and twins in Des Moines. He grew up on his family farm in Western Iowa and often returns to Cass County where they maintain a second home. He attended St. Ambrose University in Davenport where he received a B. A. in Theology and History. After college he spent an Americorps volunteer year with the Marist Brothers in Lawrence, Massachusetts before studying Law at Western Michigan University in Lansing.

He spent his professional career in higher education where he served in various capacities. From Director of Service Learning at St. Ambrose University to Associate Professor and Chair of the Social and Criminal Justice program at Ashford University in Clinton. John has maintained his commitment to teaching his students the value of civic engagement and social justice. He is now a stay-at-home father and hopes to instill those same values in his own children.

The Stender-Custers are members of St. Augustin in Des Moines.