Diamond Lake Water Lillies. Photo © Michelle F. Johnson 2007.

Friends of Diamond Lake logo with bird

 

Board of Directors

These area residents are the founding members of Friends of Diamond Lake and currently serve on its board of directors.

Check back to learn more about the people who dedicate their time and energy to protecting our neighborhood's premier water resource.

Sue Buettgen
Diamond Lake is why we live in this neighborhood. My family and I have lived near Diamond Lake for almost 10 years and the amount of wildlife we have seen is amazing! I was a naturalist/environmental programmer for 25 years and now I am a science teacher for Minneapolis Public schools. I feel lucky to have resources like Diamond Lake in Minneapolis – Our lakes are a treasure for the citizens of Minneapolis. I am concerned because in just the10 years I have been observing Diamond Lake, I have seen its depth decrease dramatically and its water quality decrease as well. My hope is that the Friends of Diamond Lake will be a positive avenue for citizens of all ages to get involved and work to help our “diamond in the rough” get healthier and continue being the refuge for wildlife it has been for years

Scott Foss treasurer
I have lived on Second Avenue for 11 years, and have always had an affinity for Diamond Lake and the wildlife that it attracts. We've got a real prize in our midst, and my concern is that it is overlooked by our local government entities and will be allowed to degrade at a pace faster than nature intended.  In the past I've been on the HPDL Environment Committee and have served many years by helping put on the Earth Day cleanup at Pearl Park.  My goal working with FoDL is to help make it into a viable organization and to put citizen and official attention on the lake in order to improve the lake's natural condition.

Stuart Goldstein
I've lived on Diamond Lake with my wife, Mary Martini, since 1979.  I'm on the faculty of the College of Biological Sciences at the University of Minnesota. I continue to be impressed with the diversity of living things in and around Diamond Lake. However, in the few decades we've lived here, I've seen the effects of using it as a reservoir for freeway runoff without paying adequate attention to its needs. I would like to see citizens work to improve and maintain Diamond Lake.

Dan Heine secretary
I've been a lakeside resident since 1994. In that time I have seen substantial changes in the aquatic wildlife that has left me very concerned. Since 2006, I've been trained as a Minnesota Master Naturalist through the U of M Extension Service and have been volunteering around the state helping to monitor what wild spaces we have left. I believe Diamond Lake, with citizen stewardship, can be brought back to a healthy state.

Shelley Johnson
I have lived in my home on the south end of Diamond Lake since 1999. I enjoy organic gardening, photography, and being in the outdoors with my two golden retrievers and my partner. I graduated from the University of Minnesota in journalism and photography and formally studied design while working at Iowa State University. In 2002, I founded Johnson Creative, a marketing communications design firm that serves higher education, nonprofits, and small businesses.

Diamond Lake is distinctive among the Minneapolis Lakes for its wildlife habitat. I joined Friends of Diamond Lake to work toward improving the health of the lake's ecosystems and preserve habitat for all of its many species. I have always been impressed with the lake's diverse populations, and am saddened by the decline in its water quality due to silt deposits and runoff pollution. I believe as concerned citizens we can collaboratively work to preserve and improve Diamond Lake and its watershed, making it a distinctive showcase for the citizens of Minneapolis.

Mary Martini
I moved to Roslyn Place with my husband, Stuart Goldstein, in 1979.  We have raised two daughters in our home overlooking Diamond Lake. I work at HealthPartners, Inc. as a Senior Consultant in Health Informatics, and have a bachelors Degree in biology from the University of California at Santa Barbara. I enjoy entertaining, gardening, outdoor sports, off-beat humor, and traveling.

I have seen degradation to Diamond Lake over the last three decades that I have lived in the neighborhood.  As a result, I am committed to working with other concerned citizens to create partnerships to restore and protect the lake.

Mary Moilanen
Welcome to our new board member! Bio to come...

Dave Oltmans president
I have been a nearly life long resident of the Diamond Lake area, growing up and living in two different homes on Clinton Avenue.  I have many memories of playing around the lake as child.  My desire is to preserve this wonderful wildlife resource for young and old to ‘play’ around, observing and savoring its natural beauty and diversity. My goal as president of Friends of Diamond Lake is to build an active and forward looking organization to protect, improve, and promote this unique resource. 

In the late seventies I served as president of the Diamond Lake Neighborhood Association, precursor to HPDL.  More recently I have served on the HPDL Environment Committee, and was appointed one of the Minneapolis representatives serving on the Minnehaha Creek Watershed District Visioning Initiative along with persons representing communities bordering the full length of the Minnehaha Creek corridor.