Steve Barg
Executive Director
Steve has dedicated his career to the conservation of wild places close to home. Prior to joining the Liberty Prairie Conservancy in 2003 he was Director of Education for Lake Forest Open Lands Association where he received the Elizabeth Abernathy Hull Award from the Garden Club of America for contributions to the environmental education of youth. Steve’s career started at Heller Nature Center in Highland Park where he worked for 12 years, first as Head Naturalist and then as Director. He possesses a Bachelor of Science degree in environmental education from Aurora University.

Tim Girmscheid
Director of Land Preservation
Tim has 20 years of experience in the conservation field, 14 of them with the Park District of Highland Park, where he developed the natural areas program and taught environmental education. Tim joined the Liberty Prairie Conservancy in 2001 in natural areas management and then became the organization’s first land preservation specialist. He has a Bachelor of Science degree in park management and environmental studies from the University of Illinois-Urbana.

Sarah Surroz
Conservation and Outreach Manager
Sarah has worked in the conservation field for over 20 years, including 13 with the Lake County Forest Preserve District. Before joining the Liberty Prairie Conservancy in 2005, she was a freelance conservation and science writer, with clients including The Nature Conservancy, Alliance for the Great Lakes, and  Leica Microsystems. Sarah has a bachelor of science degree in natural resource management and biology from the University of Wisconsin. She serves on the board of directors for Chicago Wilderness Magazine.

Nathan Aaberg
Director of Development and Community Relations
Nathan worked for four years in development and communications with Friends of the Chicago River before joining the Liberty Prairie Conservancy in 2003. The early years of his career were devoted to international business, and included the export of Winnebago motor homes to Japan. He switched careers after realizing his passion was to find better ways for people to live with nature. Nathan has a Bachelor of Arts in political science from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and a Master of Science in East Asian studies from the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor.

Cathy Morgan
Membership and Fundraising Coordinator
Before joining the Liberty Prairie Conservancy in 2007, Cathy worked for Sustain, an organization that supports family farms. She was responsible for writing and producing promotional materials and was integral in the planning of an annual expo. Cathy spent ten years in organic farming including three years growing produce for her own farm market business.  Prior to farming, Cathy held various advertising and marketing positions at Fortune 500 companies.  She has a Bachelor of Arts in English from New Mexico State University.

Kathy Johnson
Bookkeeper and Human Resource Coordinator
Having joined the Conservancy in 1999, Kathy is our senior staff member. She has over 15 years of bookkeeping experience, including 10 with R.E. Allen & Associates, a local land surveying company, and with Eve B. Lee & Associates, a local real estate company. Kathy comes from a long line of bookkeepers who have been active in shaping Lake County, including her grandfather, Rodney Rockenbach of Rockenbach Chevrolet.