Staff, Faculty, & Team Members

Jennifer K. Gauthier
Director

Jennifer is the Director of the Sustainable Development Institute and provides leadership for the Institute. She works to weave Indigenous ways of knowing into all aspects of Sustainable Development Work, to build research within the Institute, to set a direction for education and outreach, and to implement the Menominee Theoretical Model of Sustainability.

Jennifer is an enrolled member of the Menominee Nation. She has a Master of Public Administration from the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Jennifer is also a Menominee language learner, sewer, beader, and aspiring weaver. 

Marci Hawpetoss
Assistant Director

Marci is dedicated to advancing sustainable development and strengthening community resilience. With a Political Science and Organizational Change Leadership background, she has worked extensively in grant management, strategic planning, and leadership roles within the Menominee Nation. As Assistant Director of the Sustainable Development Institute at the College of Menominee Nation, she supports initiatives that honor cultural integrity and sustainability. She is also actively involved in governance and economic development efforts, reflecting her commitment to systemic change and community empowerment. 

Lacota Dickenson
Administrative Assistant

Lacota Dickenson is the Administrative Assistant for the Sustainable Development Institute at the College of Menominee Nation.

Before joining SDI, she spent seven years in healthcare as a dedicated caregiver. A lifelong resident of Shawano County, Lacota brings a strong sense of community and commitment to her role.  At SDI, she aims to grow her communication, teamwork, and strategic planning skills, all while contributing to the institute’s mission. She is also pursuing a degree in Business Administration at CMN to further her knowledge and expand her professional opportunities. Outside of work and school, Lacota cherishes time with her family of six—her fiancé and their four children. Family time is central to her life, whether they’re enjoying meals together, going on an adventure, or spending quiet evenings at home. She finds strength, joy, and daily motivation in being both a parent and a partner. 

Rebecca Edler
Sustainability Coordinator

Rebecca Edler is the Sustainability Coordinator at the Sustainable Development Institute at the College of Menominee Nation. Working with recruitment, admissions, and advising at the College for 5 years before moving into this position, she is familiar with various aspects of higher education, primarily Student Services. Before working at the College, Rebecca was the director of the American Indian Center of the Fox Valley, a program of Goodwill Industries of Northeast Wisconsin. It was here that she worked with off-reservation American Indians and identified education, sustainability, and cultural knowledge, as means to improve the lives of American Indian families and communities. Rebecca brings her experience of working in research and development, to the Sustainable Development Institute as well as her passion to strengthen American Indian families.

Sara Smith
Midwest Tribal Resilience Liaison

Sara Smith is a citizen of the Oneida Nation of Wisconsin and is the Midwest Tribal Resilience Liaison with the College of Menominee Nation - Sustainable Development Institute (CMN-SDI), in association with the Midwest Climate Adaptation Science Center (MW CASC).

As the liaison for the Midwest, she works on facilitating stronger relationships between Tribes, climate researchers, organizations, academic institutions, and the MW CASC. In addition, she works with Tribes to build capacity and provides support by helping identify gaps and assisting with climate resilience efforts.

Sara holds a Master of Science in Ecology from the State University of New York – College of Environmental Science and Forestry and an undergraduate degree in Biology and First Nation Studies from the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay.

Dulce Moeller
Field Coordinator

Dulce Maria Moeller works part-time as an assistant coordinator in the agriculture field with Dr. Frank Kutka. Her primary goals are to help Indigenous people with sustainable agriculture and local garden, and natural food. Dulce is a descendant of the Mixtec and Hopi and practices the indigenous medicines of her great-grandmother. Dulce is currently pursuing her Bachelor’s in Business Administration and Associate in Natural Resources at the College of Menominee Nation. Dulce previously worked with an Indigenous cooperative and corporation and earned a master's degree in Mexico.

Frank Kutka
Sustainable Agriculture Faculty

Frank Kutka is a plant breeder who is currently developing a Sustainable Agriculture degree program at the College of Menominee Nation. He grew up in southern Wisconsin, and eventually studied field biology, animal ecology, and corn breeding. Frank did agricultural field work and worked at a rifle range as a young man. He later worked for the University of Minnesota conducting surveys of crayfish, fish, and frogs, and also operated a small wildflower nursery before moving to upstate New York and then North Dakota. He was the assistant director of the Dickinson Research Extension Center there, coordinated the USDA Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education program, and also helped to coordinate the Farm Breeding Club for the Northern Plains Sustainable Agriculture Society. His teaching experiences include lab and discussion courses at Iowa State University, Cornell University, and Dickinson State University. Frank and his family currently live in southern Door County on a small farm.

Ally Scott
Deputy Midwest Tribal Resilience Liaison

Ally Scott is the Midwest Deputy Tribal Resilience Liaison with the College of Menominee Nation - Sustainable Development Institute (CMN-SDI), in association with the Midwest Climate Adaptation Science Center (MW CASC). She is stationed remotely in Madison, Wisconsin and works throughout the 9-state region covered by the MW CASC. As the deputy liaison, Ally works to address Tribal climate science needs in the Midwest region. By supporting relationship-building between Tribes, Climate researchers, the MW CASC, and other organizations, she works to increase capacity, address research gaps, and guide strategic adaptive planning and implementation of Tribal resiliency projects. Ally holds a Master of Science in Wildlife Ecology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a Bachelor of Science in Wildlife Conservation with a minor in Environmental Policy & Planning from Virginia Tech. In her free time, she enjoys spending time outdoors, playing board games, and performing music.