Wildlife Prairie Park Team
Leadership
Roberta English
Chief Executive Officer
Roberta is Executive Director of Wildlife Prairie Park. She joined the Park in 2019 with a focus on developing and strengthening relationships throughout the community and improving the Park’s multiple revenue streams. Roberta has a passion for creating workplaces with positive culture, diversity of thought, and entrepreneurial spirit. Roberta has a passion for building a stronger community in Peoria. A proud Rotarian, she serves on the boards of directors for the Peoria Area Convention and Visitor’s Bureau, the Business Political Action Committee of Central Illinois, and the Greater Peoria Illinois Chapter of Jack and Jill of America, Inc.
Roberta’s favorite animal is the “Wildcat,” because she is one! She holds BS and MS degrees from Northwestern University.
Ruth Bittner
Chief Financial Officer
Ruth is a Peoria native and has worked in accounting and financial management for higher education and nonprofit organizations for 40 years, including 11 years as Chief Financial Officer for the Peoria Riverfront Museum. She has served as treasurer for the Peoria Public Schools Foundation and Peoria Sunrise Rotary and is currently Vice President of the Peoria Public Library Board. Ruth lives with two cats, but her favorite animals at the Park are the chickens. Ruth has a BA in Economics and Western European Studies from Grinnell College and an MA in Accounting from the University of Iowa and is a CPA and CMA.
Eric Peterson
Park Administrator
Eric serves as the Park Administrator and oversees daily park operations at Wildlife Prairie Park. He has over fifteen years of comprehensive operations and human resources experience. Eric relocated back to his hometown of Galesburg after serving as a Park Administrator at Gulf State Park for four years. He uses his broad skill set in multiple areas at the park and continues to lead our human resources department as well.
Eric’s favorite animal at the park is Earnest the Bull Elk.
John Patroff
Finance Director
John is Finance Director, overseeing the Accounting Department, Ticket Gate, and Adventure Store. He has an MBA from University of Illinois and comes from management/leadership positions in local healthcare facilities. He is a past Treasurer of Foster Pet Outreach and current Treasurer at Big Hollow Sportsman Club. He has great memories spending time at the park with his family
John is a big fan of our Longhorns because they remind him of helping his dad raise cattle.
Calli Dicks
Marketing Director
Calli is the Marketing Director at Wildlife Prairie Park. As a Peoria native who grew up working and caring for animals at local vet clinics, she is excited to share her passion for wildlife and conservation, especially for native species, in hopes to bring awareness of the living world all around you.
She studied abroad at James Cook University in Townsville, Australia and has a BS in Biological Sciences from University of Missouri, where she immersed herself in learning about animal conservation and behavior. Over the last 10 years, she has been a Naturalist, Programming Specialist, Lead Animal Keeper, and now the Marketing Director at the Park. She has experience with animal husbandry, enrichment and training, environmental education, event planning, and marketing.
If you see a pun, especially an animal pun, anywhere at the Park, you can be assured, it is highly likely Calli did it. Some of her hobbies include soccer, scuba diving, managing the neighborhood lake, and going exploring with her husband and two Siberian Huskies, Loki and Lugh.
Betsy Silzer
Recreation Director
Betsy leads the park’s efforts to maintaining and improving existing recreational venues, and the development and implementation of new opportunities for fun outdoors, like our new kayaking and laser tag programs.
After Betsy graduated from Kansas State University, she immediately embarked on a 12-year world tour employed as a professional “Active Travel Guide” by the luxury travel company, Backroads. Already an avid outdoor girl with a knack for running & cycling, her adventures with Backroads exposed her to mountain biking, kayaking, river rafting, backpacking, scuba diving and much more all while tending to her guests needs and ensuring they experienced a vacation of a lifetime.
In 2009, by request of Wildlife Prairie Park, she and other volunteers began developing mountain biking trails on the park’s property west of Taylor Road. After building 14 miles of trails and many years as the Wildlife Trail Crew Lead, Betsy came on staff in 2018 with a mission to revamp the new 18-hole disc golf course on that same property. This course now regularly hosts the country’s largest disc golf tournaments.
Lelonie Luft
Director of Sales & Events
Lelonie joined Wildlife Prairie Park in March 2024 as the Director of Sales and Events, overseeing events, banquets and lodging for the Park. Lelonie attended Ashworth College where she focused on marketing and communications. After leaving the Peoria area as a young adult, Lelonie returned around 15 years ago. After she returned, she worked for the Peoria Area Convention and Visitors Bureau to help promote how amazing Central Illinois is to Live, Work and Play. Lelonie loves to volunteer her time. She is the Committee Chairman for the City of Pekin Tourism Committee, she volunteers to assist with events for the Pekin Chamber of Commerce, and has been a former board member of several non-profit organizations. She is very passionate about holistic herbalism and meditation and enjoys hiking and taking pictures of nature, the moon, and especially sunsets.
Dean Poignant
Director of Grounds
Dean is passionate about working alongside the Wildlife Prairie Park grounds team to help maintain the beauty and safety of Wildlife Prairie Park as its Director of Grounds. He brings diverse skills to the Park including agriculture, lake management, landscaping, operating heavy equipment, volunteering as an instructor and photographer at the Sun Foundation, and teaching special education, English, and library science. Dean is an alumnus of the University of Illinois Graduate School of Library and Information Science, Quincy University, and Eureka College. He enjoys exploring out-of-the-way places with his wife, Stephanie, and loves landscape and nature photography, working on the family farm, fishing, and Bonsai. Dean’s favorite animal is the gray wolf because of its emphasis on the family pack and leading from the rear. Dean is also a member of the Heart of Illinois Beekeepers Association and Peoria Art Guild as an artist member.
Managers
Anna Lynn
Animal Curator
Anna Lynn went to Southern Illinois University and has a Bachelors Degree in Zoology. She started as a Naturalist Intern in the Education Department at WPP, then became an Animal Keeper shortly after. Anna is now Animal Curator and has been at the park for about 8 years. She loves photography and often takes pictures of the Park’s animal residents.
Diana Pavley
Executive Assistant & Volunteer Coordinator
Diana is the Executive Assistant to the CEO and serves as Wildlife Prairie Park’s Volunteer Coordinator. Diana previously held the position of City Clerk & Human Resource Manager for the City of Canton, IL and served as the Human Resource Director for the City of Pekin, IL. Diana holds a Master Municipal Clerk Certification from the International Institute of Municipal Clerks and is a certified professional with the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) Diana believes in “service above self” and has served as past President, Youth Exchange Coordinator, Youth Exchange Office of the foreign exchange program with the Canton Rotary Club.
Diana is passionate about bringing people together, creating teams and promoting a positive working environment.
During Diana’s free time she enjoys loading up her bicycle and looking for new adventures with friends and family. While on the bicycle adventures, it’s not uncommon for her to make plans for kayaking, hiking, playing tennis and visiting parks so she can enjoy wildlife and to spend time with family and friends.
Diana recalls going to Wildlife Prairie Park as a child and enjoyed every aspect of the park. While working with the City of Canton, Diana coordinated and participated in a company retreat at Wildlife Prairie Park for the leadership team. The event was such a huge success, she still receives compliments from staff members.
Veterinarians
Dr. David Knaak
Wildlife Committee Chair
Dr. David is a retired veterinarian at Limestone Companion Animal Hospital. He serves on the board at Wildlife Prairie Park to improve the welfare of all Wildlife Prairie Park animals! David’s favorite memory at the park is the roundup of the bison and elk herds. His favorite animal is the Alligator snapping turtle. David serves on the board at the Tri-County Animal Emergency Clinic and Mason County Pheasants Forever. David is married to Mary.
Dr. Kourtney Grimm
Veterinarian
Dr. Kourtney was born and raised in central Illinois and returned home after graduating with a DVM from University of Illinois in 2012. Like many veterinarians, she has always loved animals, but developed an interest in exotic and wildlife medicine after studying sea turtles in Costa Rica for a year before starting veterinary school. Despite being land locked in Illinois, sea turtles remain her favorite animal. She spent 4 years working with her vet school’s wildlife clinic and was able to do several wildlife internships. She even participated in Wildlife Prairie Park’s Round Up twice as a student. She actively pursues additional continuing education in exotic animal medicine to provide high quality care to many different species of animals. She has a specific interest in community outreach and enjoys doing talks to adults and children about exotic and wildlife animal care and medicine. She is proud to provide care to the animals of Wildlife Prairie Park as they hold a special place in the hearts of many in Central Illinois and beyond.
Dr. Nikki Johnson
Veterinarian
Dr. Nikki is a 2003 graduate of the University of Illinois. She is a Pekin native and returned to the central Illinois area to join Pekin Animal Hospital in August of 2008.
She is a very active member and past president of the Association of Reptile and Amphibian Veterinarians. She is also a member of the Association for Avian Veterinarians and the Association for Exotic Mammal Veterinarians. She is currently the President Elect for the Mississippi Valley Veterinary Medical Association. She is also the Region IV board member for the ISVMA.
In addition to treating dogs and cats, Dr. Nikki has a strong background in exotic and zoo animal medicine and surgery. She shares her life with her significant other, Aaron, her teenage son, their Akitas Holly, and Spartan, their cats Autumn, Bruno, Sophie and Sid and a house full of reptiles including their continuously growing African Spurred Tortoise, Blue, who enjoys spending her winters, and entertaining the staff at PAH.
Iliff Veterinary & Consulting LLC
Veterinarian
Iliff Veterinary and Consulting is a large animal veterinary clinic specializing in beef production and consulting service. Team Iliff has a long history with the park taking care of our bison and elk herds. They lead our twice yearly roundups where we do health checks and administer immunizations.
Team of Champions
Leigh Ann Perryman
Ticket Gate Lead
Leigh Ann has been an estimable employee at the park for over thirty-two years. She began working at Wildlife Prairie Park in 1991 after graduating from Elmwood High School. She first started working in the Animal Department caring for the animals in the nursery and now works at the Ticket gate as a part of the Operations Department. She enjoys meeting and greeting visitors and has made many friendships. Her favorite park animals are the bobcats, wolves, and cougars, but she enjoys all of them. When Leigh Ann is not at the park, she enjoys NASCAR races, reading, and spending time with her family including her two housecats, R.J. and Blackie. During her time at the park, she has made lots of good memories with all the people she has worked with and with many of the visitors and guests.
Melody Cline
Membership Specialist
Melody began working at the park during the summer of 2021 as a Ticket Gate employee and was later promoted to Membership Specialist as well. She thoroughly enjoys helping guests and making sure they have a fun and memorable experience while visiting. She appreciates supporting recreation and conservation efforts at the park and in her community.
Melody received her associate in art from Illinois Central College in 2022 where she studied Environmental Science. She is currently working towards her bachelor’s studying Parks and Recreation Management at Illinois State University and will be interning under the Recreation Manager for the summer 2023 season. Her favorite park animals are the Black Bears, T.R., and Molly because they look too cute to cuddle. In her free time, she enjoys being with friends and family as well as spending time outdoors. She likes to hunt, fish, go four-wheeling, and play with her dog Ozark.
Greg Pickering
Finance Assistant
Greg is the Finance Assistant completing daily tasks with Accounts Payable and Accounts Receivable. He assists the Ticket Gate, Adventure Store, and Snack Shack with our point-of-sale software. He is also a great resource for any minor IT issues in the park. He has 30 years of healthcare experience in billing, accounts receivable, and IT support. He started his healthcare career in the U.S. Navy and finished at a private practice. He enjoys putting his remodeling and repair skills to use for family and friends. Other hobbies include 4-wheeling and fishing. Being able to walk the animal trails and see the park’s animals is a great benefit of working at Wildlife Prairie Park.
Brielle Haile
Lead Animal Keeper
Brielle was born and raised in Rockford, IL. She started as an animal keeper at Wildlife Prairie Park in July of 2021. Her favorite part of the job has been being able to share her love for animals with the community. Brielle graduated from Northwest Missouri State University in 2016, where she got her BS in Marine Biology. While in school, she also attended classes at the Gulf Coast Research Laboratory through University of Southern Mississippi. She loves anything and everything that relates to the ocean. After graduation, she worked as animal keeping intern at Summerfield Farm and Zoo for 6 months where she got experience with a wide array of native and exotic species. Brielle’s all-time favorite animal is any type of turtle, but at home she loves taking care of her leopard gecko named Yogurt!
MacKenzie Sturm
Animal Keeper
Kenzie began her journey at Wildlife Prairie Park in March of 2021. Ever since she can remember, animals have been her passion and Steve Irwin has been her idol. Kenzie has wanted to be an Animal Keeper since the “what do you want to be when you grow up” days. Kenzie received her Associates degree in Biology at Illinois Central College, then her Bachelors degree in Zoology at Western Illinois University. During school, she volunteered many hours at Peoria Zoo and Keepers of the Wild in Valentine, AZ. Her goal is to one day work with big cats, such as Tigers and Snow Leopards. After graduation she started her animal adventure at Mt. Hawley Animal Clinic as a Kennel Attendant, then she moved up to a Veterinary Technician at Prospect Animal Clinic where she spent 3.5 years taking care of Cats and Dogs. Now, she is very excited to learn from some of the most knowledgeable people in the area, and is happy to be a part of the wonderful Wildlife Prairie Park team!
Winter Katterhenry
Education Lead & Animal Keeper
Winter became a part of the park’s animal keeping and education team in July of 2022, and is excited to explore the Midwest after spending most of her life in her home state of Florida. A recent graduate of the University of Florida with a Bachelor of Science in Natural Resource Conservation and a minor in Wildlife Ecology, she will be working with the park to develop exciting education programs that connect youth and adults in the Central Illinois area with their native wildlife, as well as what we can all do to help protect these important animals. And though she loves all our fun and exciting animals here at the park, her favorite animal is still her Shar Pei mix, Kimmie Sue.
Jerry Wilhelm
Groundskeeper
Jerry joined Wildlife Prairie Park in May of 2018 as a groundskeeper. Originally from Kentucky, Jerry worked for over a decade in the thoroughbred horse industry in Ocala, FL. His favorite thing about the Park is being able to live right beside the Bison and Elk pasture. He says his view in the mornings and evenings is exceptional.
Brandi SIMPSON
Marketing Specialist
Brandi joined Wildlife Prairie Park as a marketing specialist in September of 2023 after graduating from Northwestern University with a degree in journalism. Throughout her college years, Brandi worked various roles at the Park, from creating content to driving guests in the old Adventure Trek bus through the bison and elk pasture. Brandi’s favorite thing to do at the Park is ride the Adventure Trek with guests who have never been in the bison and elk pasture before. She says their joy and excitement never gets old.
Jami Burgess
Lodging Sales and Events Coordinator
Jami Burgess moved to the Park from North Dakota. She is a mama bear to four beautiful and intelligent daughters, three of whom are adults, and one is in high school, making her a soon-to-be empty nester! Jami has been in the travel and hospitality industry since she graduated high school. She enjoys thrifting and antiquing, with many vintage collections. You can usually find her at a flea market or thrift shop! Jami loves her dogs, a Yorkie Mix named Gil and a Bernedoodle named LolaBear. Jami’s favorite thing about working at Wildlife Prairie Park is being a part of the happy memories people are making there.
Madison Wilson
Lodging Sales and Events Coordinator
Madison Wilson, a creative, fun-loving 21-year-old, has lived in Peoria her whole life. With a strong passion for weddings and events, she began her career as a supervisor at a local bakery after graduating from Richwoods High School. This experience sparked her interest in event planning, ultimately leading her to her to Wildlife Prairie Park! Madison is excited to grow her skills and confidence in the events field, with hopes of pursuing it as a long-term career. She’s thrilled to join the team and looks forward to meeting you!
Abbey McComb
Animal Keeper
After a few years of interning and seasonal work at the Park during their undergrad studies, Abbey has come back working in the animal department at Wildlife Prairie Park. Abbey has always loved working with animals; their first job in high school was their hometown petting zoo! Abbey is an alumnus of Bradley University where they earned their Bachelor of Science in Biology with minors in Anthropology and Women’s and Gender Studies. Abbey has great passions for community building and engagement, life-long learning, and wildlife conservation. Being able to combine these passions under one roof (and some trees) is their favorite part of the job. Their favorite animal at the Park is ever-changing, however, turkey vultures will always have a special place in their heart.