Our Staff

Kristine Micheletti joined Prairie Rivers of Iowa in April 2026, following an Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education fellowship with the USDA Midwest Climate Hub in Ames, where she evaluated informational resources on climate and their value to the agricultural industry. She completed her PhD at Iowa State University in 2025, where she focused on capacity building of agricultural and environmental educators to effectively engage with underserved communities.

Growing up in Illinois, Kristine‘s passion for natural resources began in her youth with visits to parks, zoos, and family fishing trips. Her passion continued as she studied zoology and psychology at Drake University for her undergraduate years. She began exploring the human and cultural aspects of conservation when she studied the relationship between people and chimpanzees in Senegal for her master’s, which she completed at Iowa State University.

Kristine has been involved with conservation and education in central Iowa for years, serving as an environmental education intern at Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge, an assistant naturalist at Polk County Conservation, and a conservation coordinator at Blank Park Zoo. In these roles, she developed and delivered programs and initiatives focused on sustainability, waste reduction, native habitat restoration, wildlife conservation, and outdoor recreation – helping individuals connect everyday actions at home with broader environmental stewardship.

Kristine is well-positioned to lead Prairie Rivers forward in its mission of natural resource conservation and community-based environmental stewardship. She brings a strong vision for strengthening and advancing community access to Iowa’s agricultural and environmental resources.

Jeanie Hau joined Prairie Rivers of Iowa in 2023.  As the coordinator for the Lincoln Highway Heritage Byway and Iowa Valley Scenic Byway, she works with communities across the state to preserve their historic landmarks and natural beauty and promote their unique businesses and attractions.  A favorite part of the job is travelling the byways and seeing the reactions on Facebook to the treasures she encounters along the way!

Jeanie has a background in landscape architecture, with experience writing cultural landscape histories for the National Parks Service and facilities planning at Iowa State University.  Before joining PRI, she raised children Arabella, Audrey and Joshua and volunteered in her community (Madrid).  In her spare time, she applies her landscape design skills to her flower garden and also enjoys reading and thrift shopping.

Katelyn Rinicker joined Prairie Rivers of Iowa in July of 2024.  She is working with the City of Ames and volunteers to implement the Pollinator-Friendly Community Plan.  She is excited to educate the public on how every individual can be active in conservation!

Katelyn graduated from Bemidji State University with a bachelor’s degree in environmental studies with an emphasis in ecosystems. Following college, Katelyn joined the Conservation Corps of Minnesota and Iowa, collecting data on Monarch butterflies, harvesting seed from prairie plants, and restoring native habitat. In her free time, Katelyn likes to visit breweries, go for nature walks, and work on home improvements with her husband—including restoring their backyard to prairie!

Laura Johnston joined Prairie Rivers of Iowa in July 2026 as Office Manager. She brings several years of experience in environmental health, with a background in onsite wastewater systems, private wells, water quality, watershed monitoring, and public health education. She holds the Registered Environmental Health Specialist/Registered Sanitarian (REHS/RS) credential, along with certifications in onsite wastewater, private wells, and site and soil suitability.

Throughout her career, Laura has enjoyed bringing organization to complex projects and helping technical teams focus on the work that has the greatest impact. She is especially proud of her work expanding participation in Iowa’s Private Well Grant Program through outreach and education. At Prairie Rivers, she looks forward to keeping projects, grants, partnerships, and daily operations running smoothly so staff can spend more time in the field and working directly with communities.

Laura was born and raised in rural southern Iowa and now lives outside Ogden with her family and several very spoiled cats. She is the proud mom of four kids. Growing up in rural Iowa fostered a lifelong appreciation for the outdoors and the importance of conserving the places that make Iowa unique, and that perspective continues to shape both her work and her interests. Outside of work, she enjoys spending time at her family’s cabin in northern Minnesota, fishing, walking creek beds, and exploring the outdoors. She and her younger daughters are avid reptile enthusiasts and are often out searching for snakes and turtles. She is also a fan of The Office and Harry Potter and enjoys learning about pharmacology just for fun.