Shalina Ali

Shalina S. Ali, born and raised in Milwaukee, is a Mother, Artist and Entrepreneur. Her commitment to helping others and promoting self-care drives her career and serves as a constant motivation in her work. 

Shalina is the Co-Executive Director of TRUE Skool, Inc., co-created the Circulate Creative Entrepreneur Market and was awarded Creative Alliance’s “Creative Problem Solving Excellence” award for creating “Art of Coping” as a proactive approach to suicide prevention and addressing symptoms of depression.

She is passionate about the intersectionality of water and environmentalism as a catalyst for measuring the health of a community and connecting its direct impact on systemic injustices to diverse Black and Brown communities.

Averie Anderson

Posoh, my name is Averie Anderson, an enrolled member of the Oneida Nation of Wisconsin as well as part of the Menominee Nation of Wisconsin. I am a Community Organizer and Peer Mentor who is passionate about social justice. I recently began a new career in public speaking that I am excited about. I am a mother of two adult children, whom I raised independently. I earned a Bachelor's degree in Community Education and Engagement from the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee. I enjoy creating safe spaces for community building amongst the Native community in my hometown of Milwaukee. I also love playing sports, learning and growing in all ways.

Catrina Crane

Dedicated to fostering sustainable growth, Catrina brings substantial experience in community, workforce, and economic development. She specializes in the critical areas of cross-sector communication and consensus-building, utilizing these skills to facilitate inclusive engagement and lead crucial dialogue among diverse stakeholders. With a commitment to equity at the core of her work, Catrina designs and implements strategies that inspire collective action. Her ultimate goal is to empower individuals and strengthen communities through education, collaboration, and a shared sense of purpose.

Marin (Mark) Denning

My name is Marin (Mark) Denning, an enrolled tribal member of the Oneida Nation of Wisconsin. I have been involved in public education programming for over 40 years. From my time as a student at Marquette University to being an adjunct lecturer at a university in Milwaukee, I’ve spent the time speaking for and about Native issues. Out of all those years, the two things I’ve become sure about is that everyone needs help, and it is an honor to help those who need it. In education, we all need help because our process is a reciprocal relationship between us and our students. Our challenge is meet them where they are at — the more we seek the truth, the more truth-telling is needed. It takes time, conversation, and commitment do better. 

Mark Denning Cultural Speaker & Educator

David Frazer

David Frazer is an outdoor enthusiast who hikes, kayaks and enjoys the waterways in and around Milwaukee. He lives just a few blocks from the Menomonee River where he walks his dog regularly. David is the Director at the Center for Urban Population Health where he leads the expansion and sustainment of community partnerships and coordinating community-based research and initiatives.

He facilitates collaborative, equitable involvement of the community in local research and is the link between the community at large and the Center. David received his Masters of Public Health from Tulane University, School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine and has worked on water and sanitation related issues in El Salvador and Peru. 

Cheryl Nenn

Cheryl Nenn has been the Riverkeeper for Milwaukee Riverkeeper for over 18 years. Cheryl started the Volunteer Based Water Quality Monitoring Program in 2006, which has expanded to over 90 volunteers monitoring 100+ sites in the Milwaukee River Basin. Cheryl led development of the Milwaukee Urban Water Trail, which was declared a National Recreational Trail in 2006; and helped obtain protections for the Milwaukee River Greenway in 2010. As the Milwaukee Riverkeeper, Cheryl patrols local waterways, identifies problems in the Milwaukee River Basin, responds to citizen concerns, reviews and comments on permits, advocates for river protection, and helps find collaborative solutions to problems affecting local rivers. 

Cheryl has been involved with Milwaukee AOC efforts since 2003. She serves on the technical advisory committees for the beach, sediment, and fish and wildlife related impairments. Cheryl has been a member of the Community Advisory Committee for the last 6 years, using her scientific and technical expertise to help inform the community about this important work to clean up and restore Milwaukee’s waterways. 

Cheryl serves on several non-profit boards, including Waterkeeper Alliance, Preserve Our Parks, and Friends of Milwaukee County Grounds Park. She also sits on several advisory boards for MATC’s Environmental Health and Quality Program, UWM-School of Freshwater Science’s Professional Science Master’s Program, and the Milwaukee River Greenway Coalition. 

Cheryl has a B.S. in Biology from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and an M.S. in Natural Resource Ecology and Management from the University of Michigan, School of Natural Resources and Environment. In her free time, she likes to sail, hike, kayak, and canoe.

Nancy Grimaldo Retana, Chair

Nancy Retana is Clean Wisconsin’s new Resilient Communities Program Director. Nancy works closely with Wisconsin’s most vulnerable communities to prepare for extreme weather now while reducing climate impact in the future.

Prior to joining Clean Wisconsin, Nancy was the Grant Specialist/Development Coordinator for the Kenosha County Division of Parks. One of her favorite projects of focus was the Pike River Restoration, a comprehensive, multi-phased river restoration project aimed to improve the quality of water in Lake Michigan.

Nancy graduated from Carthage College in 2014 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Biology and Spanish. In December 2019, she graduated with a Master of Public Administration degree with a focus in municipal management from the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee. In her free time, Nancy enjoys hiking, watching the Bucks play, and spending time with her nieces, Daniela and Zaina.

Susie Seidelman

Susie Seidelman has been obsessed with water for as long as she can remember. One of her earliest memories is looking at Lake Michigan from the bluffs of Grant Park, filled with a mix of excitement and terror but knowing this was a thing she needed to touch. She’s lived within walking distance of the Milwaukee River and Lake Michigan her entire adult life and is so glad to raise her kids with an appreciation of these waters.

Susie is the Principal and Director of Victura Communications. She has over fifteen years of experience working closely with nonprofits and foundations to understand their communications needs, craft goals and strategic plans to meet them, and execute that strategy to align messaging across platforms. She brings this experience to the CAC through service on the Communications Team. 

Susie received her BA from Oberlin College and her MA from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. She plays an active role in her community, serving on the CAC, directing the Take Back My Meds Milwaukee Coalition, and has served on numerous nonprofit boards. In her spare time, she likes to learn about cooking, talk about eating, and generally spend as much time as possible outside with friends and family, but especially with her partner, Luc, and their children, Asa and Forrest.