When it comes to people involved with land use and preservation in Ozaukee County on a practical day-by-day manner, it would be hard to match Marjie Tomter.
Her energy is incredible. Let’s start with this website and Treasures of Oz. She has been writing much of the new content (including this Wizard column usually) since its inception. She is one of three people who kick-started Treasures of Oz into existence and she maintains an administrative database both on her computer and in her head for the organization. She still tends to end up in charge of the various meetings leading up to each year’s event. Others have specific areas and make great contributions, but Marjie really makes sure it is coming together at all levels.
She is involved with the Town of Grafton as the Chair of the Open Space Commission. She works with Ozaukee County as a Land Preservation Board member and as a member of the County Zoning Board of Appeals. She chairs the Land Conservation Partnership of Ozaukee County. She serves on the Board of Directors for the Ozaukee Washington Land Trust, for the Ulao Creek Partnership and for the Friends of Harrington Beach State Park. She acts as a steward and property monitor volunteer. She is now chairing the new Ozaukee Treasures Network (OTN), which you will be learning more about in the coming months. She even ran to be a County Supervisor this year!
In her spare time, she was the co-chair of Cedarburg Artists’ Guild Holiday Art Fair 2010, is an active fiber artist, busily tends to her organic garden and horses, and makes sure her granddaughter is progressing.
Her forty years of experience as an educator, of course, plays into all these roles. Her enthusiasm sparks many new recruits for the natural world and land stewardship. Open the curtain and there you will find a Wizard of Oz!
October is her birth month, so happy birthday, Marjie… and thanks!