Meet the Staff

Sarah Pennington is the Administrative Assistant with MRCN. She has always been connected with the Missouri River, growing up in Mandan, ND. She obtained a degree in Fisheries and Wildlife Sciences from the University of Missouri and now lives in Columbia with her husband Josh and two Labrador Retrievers: Tank and Dakota. Sarah simply loves to work and play outside. If she’s not combating the bush honeysuckle in her yard, she’s probably in a canoe on the river. She also spends a lot of her time finding new ways to entertain her Labradors!

Lance Mallette was born in Olathe Kansas and has lived in various cities across the Mid-West, in 1986 Lance's family moved to Columbia Missouri and has remained there ever since. He graduated from Christian Fellowship High School in 1992 and promptly moved to Kirksville to attend what is now called Truman University. After two years Lance decided to take some time off, thirteen years later he went back to school and graduated with a bachelors in General Studies.

In his spare time he enjoys hiking trails around Columbia. On the weekends he can usually be found somewhere down by the Missouri River. He enjoys reading, The Devils Dictionary by Ambrose Bierce, being a current and all-time favorite. The Saga’s of the Icelanders is also another one of Lance's favorites.

Lance accepted the job offer by Missouri River Communities Network because he wanted to be employed by an organization that reflects his personal environmental ethics, not because of the fame. Lance has come to love Columbia and is glad to be employed by an organization that promotes community involvement in environmental issues.

Steve Johnson, Executive Director

Rebecca Spicer is one of MRCN's three Missouri Clean Water AmeriCorps members. She grew up just outside of Kansas City, KS, but recently graduated from Colorado State University in Fort Collins, CO. Rebecca has a B.S. in Natural Resources Management with concentrations in Spanish and Conservation Biology. Considering that she completed her senior thesis on environmental nonprofit organizations, this position was a perfect fit for her. She loves jumping into streams for the sake of science and giving presentations on our incredible environment. Any questions about rain gardens or volunteering can be directed to her.

Julia Karll is one of MRCN's Missouri Clean Water AmeriCorps members; she started the year long program in September. Julia graduated from Truman State University with a BFA in Photography and a BA in Fibers, and then went on to graduate from the University of Kansas with a MFA in Textile Design. She went back to Truman to teach for a year of Drawing and Design.

“I was more than happy to join the MRCN team and work as an AmeriCorps volunteer. I try to live my life responsibly, I make artwork about social justice issues, and I wanted my career to reflect that as well. I love having a job in direct service to my community and being able to see the positive effects of my work. While I don’t have an environmental science background, I’m glad I can help with organizing events like the Rain Barrel Art Review, giving presentations to school and adult groups and connecting with volunteers.”

Julia likes long walks along the Brooklyn Bridge, bike riding on the MKT, and dogs with titles like Dr. Softy Paws and Professor von Puddles.