Board of Directors | bluestemhall

meet our school board of directors!

abbie frank, executive director

Abbie is the founder of bluestem hall nature school and serves as executive director of our non profit organization. She is a designer and artist by trade, which helps her approach systematic issues through the lens of "if this is broken, how can we re-design it?". Abbie is a protector of wild things big and small, she waits all year for yellow tomatoes, loves to be in/near/on water, is a wife, and mama.

"I grew up along a creek and spent countless days exploring the shallow waters spotting fish, crawdads, skipping stones, and running barefoot. When my twin sister and I weren't hopping fences and hiding in neighbors trees, we could be found wading in the creek telling stories of buried treasure and mermaids."

Sam Iwinski, Board Secretary

Sam Iwinski is a developmental scientist and educator who has spent her career exploring how people learn, grow, and connect through their environments. She has been part of the Champaign-Urbana community since 2015 and completed her doctoral degree at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in 2024. Sam is a Postdoctoral Research Associate at the university, coordinating projects focused on farm stress, mental health, and early childhood development. Originally from the South Side of Chicago, she enjoys hiking, sports (go Illini women’s basketball!), tiny things, and visiting botanical gardens. She is passionate about fostering community connections and helping children and families thrive through outdoor exploration and restoration.

"My favorite childhood memories outside include making mud pies, drawing with water on the sidewalk, and having bonfires with my family. I loved watching the smoke rise into the night sky and disappear among the stars. Those simple, quiet moments began my lifelong appreciation for finding joy in nature’s small wonders."

tim voelker, bOARD Treasurer

Tim is the Prairie Steward and longtime building caretaker at Bluestem Hall Nature School, where his creativity, craftsmanship, and care can be seen in every trail, structure, and stretch of prairie. When he’s not nurturing the land, he works in Facilities at the University of Illinois, blending thoughtful design with hands-on expertise to make good ideas grow.

A skilled designer and builder, Tim has a gift for creating spaces that invite curiosity, wonder, and connection with the natural world. Around Bluestem, he’s affectionately known as an “animal whisperer,” trusted by creatures great and small. He lives on-site with his wife, Abbie, and their children, and still has never met a potato he didn’t like.

daniel Gaither, board treasurer

Daniel Gaither has served as the Director of Safety for the College of ACES at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign since 2019. Prior to working for the University, he worked as the Environmental Health and Safety Manager for Premier Cooperative, a local grain elevator. Daniel is devoted to agricultural safety and has served on the boards of the Grain Handling Safety Coalition, the Grain Elevator and Processing Society, and Safe Electricity. Daniel was born and raised in Philo, and now resides in Urbana with his wife and daughter. His hobbies include woodworking and construction projects.

"As a child, I spent every summer riding bikes with friends. We would leave home after breakfast, spend all day outside, and come back when it started to get dark. One of my fondest memories of childhood was fishing with my grandma (she also taught me how to play poker). There is truly nothing better than spending time outdoors."

Debbie Rodriguez, Board Member

Debbie is a substitute teacher in Champaign School District, with her main focus on preschool/elementary education, and special education. She holds a degree in Environmental Engineering and had a career as a Safety Consultant and Safety Manager, before having her 3 children and moving from NJ to Champaign. Once they relocated to Champaign, she volunteered at the cooperative preschool where her children attended, and became an assistant teacher. She also held secretary and president of the board positions. While her own children all attended public school, she has a great appreciation for other educational environments that foster nature and individual interests and abilities.

“Growing up in New Jersey, there were many places we went to be outside and enjoy nature. We were only 45 minutes from “the shore”, and I absolutely love the ocean. My fondest childhood memories are at home, visiting New Market Pond with my brother and the neighborhood kids. We would fish, search for tadpoles and frogs, ice skate, and just explore! I was also the youngest of the neighborhood gang, and we would visit the “forest” and hang out at our neighborhood fort. I visited Bluestem the other day…the energy and excitement I saw when the students showed me a praying mantis they discovered, and eggs laid on a leaf, brought me back to the joy I experienced in nature as a child. I am happy that Bluestem Hall Nature School is in our community, and proud to serve as a member of its board. ”

Kendra Saddoris, Board Member

Kendra recently retired after a rewarding 33-year career in the public school system, where she taught a wide range of science courses—from physical to life sciences—to students in grades 7 through 12. Her passion for environmental education began in childhood and was deeply inspired by an extraordinary high school biology teacher who helped shape her lifelong commitment to the natural world. Now in retirement, Kendra enjoys the opportunity to dedicate more time to environmental causes and projects, as well as cherishing her most meaningful role yet—spending quality time with her grandson.

"Growing up, outside was always my favorite place to be. I spent much of my childhood in a rural area, where a creek ran through the pasture—and that’s where you could usually find me. I’d spend hours exploring, collecting, and observing everything around me. I was lucky to have people in my life who supported that curiosity and didn’t mind the dirty clothes or muddy shoes that came with it. "