The Kickapoo Reserve Management Board (Board) is an eleven-member citizen board that is attached to the Wisconsin Department of Tourism under section 15.03, Wisconsin Statutes. The Board manages the Reserve on behalf of the Ho-Chunk Nation and the State of Wisconsin. The Board duties and powers are outlined in section 41.40, Wisconsin Statutes. The Board is created under section 15.445(2), Wisconsin Statutes, and consists of the following members appointed by the governor to serve for staggered three-year terms:
1. Four members who are residents of the area composed of the villages of La Farge and Ontario, the towns of Stark and
Whitestown, and the school districts encompassing the villages of La Farge and Ontario.
2. Two members who are residents of that portion of the Kickapoo River watershed, as determined by the Department of
Natural Resources, that lies outside of the area specified in #1.
3. Three members who are not residents of the watershed specified in #2, one of whom shall be an advocate for the
environment, one of whom shall have a demonstrated interest in education, and one of whom shall represent recreation
and tourism interests.
4. Two members who have an interest and knowledge of the cultural resources within the Kickapoo River watershed, to be
recommended by the Ho-Chunk Nation.
The Board manages the Reserve on behalf of the Ho-Chunk Nation and the State of Wisconsin. The Board duties and powers are outlined in section 41.40, Wisconsin Statutes. The steps are outlined in the KRMB Nominating Procedure Summary.
The rules of the Kickapoo Valley Reserve are defined in chapter KB 1, Wisconsin Administrative Code.
The Kickapoo Valley Reserve Board meets on the third Thursday of each month (typically not in July) at the Visitor Center at 6pm.
*Citizen input is welcome. Requests for appearances to address the Board shall be made to the Chairperson or the Executive Director, no later than 3 calendar days prior to the meeting. They shall outline the reasons for the request, including the subject matter to be discussed and recommendations to be made, and appropriate handout materials to be included in the pre-meeting packet to the Board. The Chairperson has the authority to limit the number of appearances. If you prefer to attend the meeting remotely, please contact us (608-625-2960) and log-in information will be provided for the Zoom platform. Written comments are also welcomed.
Current Board Members
Local Residents: Travis Downing (KRMB Chair); Scott Lind; Reggie Nelson, Barb Sarnowski (KRMB Vice-Chair)
Watershed Residents: Luke Zahm (KRMB Secretary); Joel Charles
Non-Watershed Representatives: Julie Hoel (Education); William L. Quackenbush (Environmental); Dave Maxwell (Recreation/Tourism)
Ho-Chunk Cultural Resource Representative: Adlai J. Mann
Ho-Chunk Cultural Resource Representative: Kjetil Garvin
2024 KRMB & Executive Director
L to R: Jason Leis - Executive Director, AJ Mann, Kjetil Garvin, Travis Downing (Chair), Julie Hoel, Barb Sarnowski (Vice Chair), Reggie Nelson, Luke Zahm (Secretary)
State Agency Liaisons: Colleen Holtan (Department of Administration); Andrew Haffele (Department of Natural Resources); Mark Tallman (Wi Economic Dvlp Corp); Joshua Blum (Department of Transportation); Jason Tish (State Historical Society); Andrew Nussbaum (Department of Tourism); John Exo (UW Extension)