Advisory Council
The Center for Land Use and Sustainability (CLUS) Advisory Council of Shippensburg University exists to support the CLUS in advancing its mission of fostering healthy, vibrant, and sustainable communities through applied research, experiential learning opportunities, and interdisciplinary, cross-sector partnerships. The purpose of the Council is advisory, focusing on strategic direction, growth, and regional contributions of the organization.
The Advisory Council is composed of alumni, industry and community partners, students, faculty, and administrators of Shippensburg University and the surrounding area. This Advisory Council has several purposes:
Strategic Direction
- Support CLUS mission and implementation of strategic plan
- Provide guidance on strategic direction, programs, and other matters of CLUS operations, as well as academic and organizational philosophy and practice
- Envision new initiatives and collaborations, and help to make connections or identify funding sources, as appropriate
Students, Staff, and Faculty
- Enhance internship, research, and cooperative learning opportunities for students that support community needs and prepare students for the workforce or further studies
- Prioritize development and execution of a staffing plan to meet growing programmatic, development, and administrative needs; invest in staff professional development to increase capacity and enhance performance
- Assist in creating professional development opportunities for faculty, including applied research through consulting
- Promote benefits and responsibilities associated with being a CLUS affiliate scholar; empower affiliate scholars and students to advocate for and celebrate the center
Growth and Development
- Articulate clearly defined leadership roles and structure in relation to programming; help create a succession plan for current center leadership
- Provide opportunities for council members to be involved in CLUS curricular and extracurricular programs
- Advocate for the center and support regional recognition of CLUS programs
- Provide organizational or personal financial commitments to the CLUS and support fundraising efforts through the Shippensburg University Foundation
Current Members
Ben Berra, M.S.
CLUS Advisory Council Member
In his 25th year at Skelly and Loy, A Terracon Company, Ben Berra has been providing environmental and biological consulting services throughout Pennsylvania and the mid-Atlantic region since completing his studies at Shippensburg University in 1998. Today he serves as...
Bonnie Zehler, M.B.A.
CLUS Advisory Council Member
Bonnie Zehler is the Executive Director of Luminest Community Development in Pennsylvania, a non-profit organization that is dedicated to building affordable housing for working families and seniors. She previously served as the Executive Director of the Franklin County Housing Authority....
Carol Stauffer, Master’s in City Planning
CLUS Advisory Council Member
Carol Stauffer, AICP, Assistant Director, Chester County Planning Commission has over 30 years of professional planning experience, with a focus on municipal planning assistance and environmental resource protection at the local level. Carol played a key role in the development...
Cindy Adams Dunn, M.S.
CLUS Advisory Council Member
Governor Tom Wolf appointed Cindy Adams Dunn to be the sixth secretary of the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, returning to the agency where she worked under three governors in multiple positions over the last two decades. The Pennsylvania...
Daniel G. Brown, Ph.D.
CLUS Advisory Council Member
Daniel G. Brown (PhD in Geography, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill) is Professor and Corkery Family Director in the School of Environmental and Forest Sciences at the University of Washington. Previously, he served as a professor at the...
Erin D. Dascher, Ph.D.
CLUS Advisory Council Member
Dr. Erin Dascher is an environmental geographer. Her research investigates human environment interactions related to river systems and other aspects of water resource management. She investigates how human activities fragment watersheds in a variety of ways, and how we can...
James Mike, Ph.D.
CLUS Advisory Council Member
Dr. James Mike was born and raised in Youngstown, Ohio, which is where he also began his educational journey. He earned his bachelor’s degree in Medical Technology in 1976 and his master’s degree in Analytical Chemistry in 1980 from Youngstown...
John Mizerak, M.P.A.
CLUS Advisory Council Member
Mr. Mizerak is a graduate of Shippensburg University, where he earned a Master of Public Administration (1993) and a Bachelor of Science degree in Public Administration (1992). He has more than 25 years of experience developing strategies that define, prioritize,...
Kristin K. Cypher, M.L.A.
CLUS Advisory Council Member
Kristin Cypher has over 20 years of experience in urban design, signage and wayfinding, planning, historic cultural landscape documentation, and municipal redevelopment, with a focus on storytelling and placemaking for communities, districts, and downtown associations. Based in Colorado, Kristin has...
Nadine Oakley Simms, V.M.D.
CLUS Advisory Council Member
Dr. Nadine Oakley Simms received her V.M.D. degree at the University of Pennsylvania, School of Veterinary Medicine, in 1978. She joined her husband in partnership owning and operating Burnt Mill Veterinary Center, serving both large and small animals in the...
Nancy Millichap, M.A.
CLUS Advisory Council Member
A Dauphin County native, Nancy Millichap grew up seven miles from Shippensburg in the hamlet of Lurgan and graduated from Ship in 1970 with a B.S. in Education. After 14 years teaching English in public schools in PA, New Hampshire,...