As the organization’s first Executive Director, Susan began working with Tall Pines in the Spring of 2008. Susan brings a wealth of experience in real estate, land use and legal background to help further the mission of Tall Pines.
Susan is also a leader in land protection statewide, having served on the board of directors for Gathering Waters, Wisconsin’s Association of Land Trusts and as co-chair of its Land Trust Council. She is also a steering committee member of the National Agricultural Land Network (NALN) of the American Farmland Trust, actively advocating for farmland preservation initiatives throughout the Country. Susan is a 2015 graduate of the Land Trust Alliance’s Leadership Training, holds a Master’s Degree in Land Use Planning from The School of Architecture and Urban Planning, UW-Milwaukee and is a licensed Real Estate Broker and certified paralegal.
Susan and her husband own two farms, one on Washington Island and the other in Windsor, Connecticut. They are active with the Door County Land Trust and Windsor Land Trust, respectively. Susan is a serious cycling enthusiast and enjoys kayaking, sailing and Nordic skiing in her free time.
Susan Buchanan
Executive Director
Beth Hoefer-Jezo joined Tall Pines in October 2013. A graduate of Carroll College with majors in English-Writing and Communication-Public Relations, she worked for the Waukesha Business Improvement District as Special Events Coordinator for several years. Beth then transitioned into a 13-year marketing career in the private sector. Beth’s background reflects more than 25 years of experience in copywriting for both consumer and business audiences, as well as 20 years of volunteer service in community leadership positions that have included chairing both the city of Waukesha Landmarks Commission and the Waukesha Public Art Committee. She is the current treasurer of the Waukesha Preservation Alliance.
Beth has a lifelong interest in, and has been an advocate for, historic preservation. She believes it is an ideal complement to the protection of our valuable land and water resources.
Beth Hoefer-Jezo
Director of outreach &
Development
What is your favorite place to visit in Wisconsin?
It’s a tie between Spring Green and New Glarus/Monroe.
What is your favorite hobby NOT related to land conservation?
College basketball (watching, not playing!)
What do you love most about Wisconsin?
The change of seasons, its wealth of beautiful, diverse terrain and its friendly, generous people.
Paul Meuer joined Tall Pines in October 2022 as our Land Protection Manager, primarily working to expand our protected places and supporting our local farming community by connecting them to conservation resources. Prior to joining Tall Pines, Paul worked as an environmental consultant and wetlands specialist in the private sector and completed permitting and ecological restoration efforts throughout the Great Lakes region. Paul also has prior experience working with various non-profit conservation groups and is an active member and volunteer with several organizations. Paul is a graduate of Ripon College with a degree in environmental science and maintains certification as a Professional Wetland Scientist (PWS).
Paul is a year-round outdoorsman and enjoys mountain biking, kayaking, backpacking, and exploring Wisconsin. He also maintains a collection of antique vehicles, tools, and cameras and is often accused of having too many hobbies and interests.
Paul Meuer
land protection manager
What is your favorite place to visit in Wisconsin?
It’s a tie between Spring Green and New Glarus/Monroe.
What is your favorite hobby NOT related to land conservation?
College basketball (watching, not playing!)
What do you love most about Wisconsin?
The change of seasons, its wealth of beautiful, diverse terrain and its friendly, generous people.
Tom has spent his entire career working in Water Pollution Control. For the past 43 years he has been involved in research and development, and industrial and municipal plant operations and management. He holds a Certificate in Water and Wastewater Utility Management from Michigan State University and has been a Licensed Wastewater Treatment Plant Operator in the State of Wisconsin since 1982.
He retired from the City of Oconomowoc in 2018 and now works part time for Tall Pines Conservancy, managing the Oconomowoc Watershed Protection Program (OWPP). He is also still involved in plant operations when needed in a relief operator capacity.
Tom is also a Conservator, restoring ID Plates for the vintage farm tractor community across the US and Canada. In his spare time, Tom continues to canoe and fish the rivers and lakes of the state, plays percussion in a praise band and drives his own vintage tractors in parades.
Tom Steinbach
Oconomowoc Watershed Operations Advisor
Erik guides the City’s Adaptive Management program. which targets Phosphorus reduction within the Oconomowoc River watershed. Erik is from Waukesha County and has been an avid user of the waters within Lake Country for much of his life. He attended the University of Wisconsin Stevens Point earning a degree in Soils and Land Use Management. Over the past several years, he has obtained his Wisconsin and Illinois Certified Crop Advisor certifications. In his prior profession, he has been an agricultural consultant writing Nutrient Management Plans and soil sampling across Southern Wisconsin and Northwest Illinois. Erik’s background and passion for water quality in our local water system will greatly aid OWPP's work to reach quality goals
through farmland, stream and lake projects in the Oconomowoc River basin.
Erik Joost
Oconomowoc Watershed Protection Program manager
