Staff

Did you know that the Great Lakes are the biggest freshwater source in the world? Lake Erie is the most productive for fishing of all the Great Lakes. Your support helps make our streams clean, clear and healthy so they can support this complex ecosystem. By donating to PCS, you help us reach our goals of restoring rivers that lead to Lake Erie beaches that promote fishable and swimmable conditions for generations.
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Staff

Kris Patterson (she/her), Executive Director

Kris Patterson, Executive DirectorKris has a Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Policy and Analysis from Bowling Green State University and a Master’s in Environmental Science from Miami University of Ohio. She has been the Executive Director since shortly after PCS was founded in 2007. Previously, she was the Watershed Coordinator for the Duck and Otter Creeks Partnership, another non-profit watershed group in the Maumee Area of Concern. She was also on the Maumee RAP Committee, when it was under the TMACOG umbrella, for over 10 years.

Kris has long loved the outdoors, nature, and animals. While moving around the world as a military “brat,” she has many important childhood memories centered around being outside, whether exploring on the beach (her personal preference!), in the woods, in the neighborhood stream or just playing outside until the street lights came on. She also learned the importance of clear, clean, and safe water from a young age, while living in Turkey where even the water that came out of the tap was rust-colored, funny-smelling, and not very potable. Kris remembers her mother working long hours, through multiple tedious steps, to make the water safer to drink – a privilege that most Americans take for granted today.

Kris has now put down deep roots here in Northwest Ohio where she has lived for more than 20 years (far longer than anywhere else in the world!). She and her husband, Brian, have settled in Perrysburg with their two kids – who are also growing up to love our natural world and play outside until the lights come on!

Liv Simkins Bullock (they/them), Communications and Outreach Specialist

Olivia pic copyLiv grew up exploring Oak Openings sand dunes and getting muddy in the Maumee River. Liv earned Bachelor's degrees in Environmental Geography and East Asian Studies from Ohio University in 2015. Liv took two opportunities to live in China, first for a summer study abroad program at Beijing University, and two years later, to work as a staff writer for The World of Chinese art and culture magazine. 

Although life in Beijing was exciting, it was easy to miss mature trees and diverse wildlife. When Liv moved back to the United States, they arrived with a newfound appreciation for the United States' unique place in environmental history. Liv earned a Master's Degree in Public Administration from Bowling Green State University in 2019, with the aim of combining their background in environmental science with skills in public education and programming. After a little under two years as Partners for Clean Streams' Program Coordinator, Liv transitioned to a Communications and Outreach role.

Liv enjoys the area's many parks in all four seasons: cross-country skiing in winter, wildflower identification in spring, camping in summer, and trail biking in the fall.

Kayla Kirkpatrick (she/her), Program Coordinator

KaylaA northwest Ohio native, Kayla was born and raised in Toledo. She graduated from Bowling Green State University in April 2023 with a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Policy and Analysis, with a specialization in Environmental Law. She looks forward to using her knowledge to protect the environment and promote wellness for the earth.

Kayla worked as Partners for Clean Streams' summer program intern in 2022, and has volunteered as a Clean Your Streams site captain for the past three years. She is looking forward to providing more support to an organization that has made major impacts for her local community. 

Recently, Kayla has had the opportunity to visit Australia, Costa Rica, Ireland, Scotland, and England. Seeing the way that other countries handled environmental problems compared to the U.S. inspired her to want to bring back what she learned during her travels. She also enjoys learning about the history of the Great Black Swamp and has done some surveying work in Wood County. She continues to look for ways she can protect the environment personally and professionally. 

Katarina Kieffer (she/her), Water Monitoring Coordinator Intern

KatKat is a native of northwest Ohio, but spent time living in Buffalo, Nashville, and Houston before returning home to the wonders of the Great Lakes and the Great Black Swamp. She has a BA in Political Science from Houghton College and a BS in Geology/Hydrogeology from BGSU and is a current master’s student in Geology at BGSU. Her research interests include mitigating nutrient runoff from agricultural sources, biogeochemical processes in wetlands, and wetlands restoration.

Kat is also an Ohio Certified Volunteer Naturalist (OCVN) through the Wood County Park District. She is passionate about place-based education and citizen science and hopes to spend her career improving water quality in the Lake Erie watershed by building coalitions around science-based interventions.

She lives in Bowling Green, where she, her three kids, and two dogs spend as much time as possible outside exploring new parks as well as old favorites.  They especially enjoy camping, archery, snowshoeing, biking, exploring the Oak Openings sand dunes, and visiting the Lake Erie beaches all year round.

Partners for Clean Streams Inc. is striving for abundant open space and a high quality natural environment; adequate floodwater storage capacities and flourishing wildlife; stakeholders who take local ownership in their resources; and rivers, streams and lakes that are clean, clear and safe