Board Members

Chuck Porter

Board Chair

Chuck Porter is an Indiana native who began to call Nebraska home in 2001, when he moved with his family onto a 160 acre farm in Otoe County.  Their seven years on that farm provided a rich, yet challenging opportunity to establish an organic produce business and the beginnings of a grass-fed dairy operation (later carried forward more successfully by another family).  Chuck and his wife Susanna, an occupational therapist, put down roots in Nebraska while raising their two children.  An opportunity to purchase their own property and for Chuck to begin working for the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) have led to what is now 21 years of Nebraska life.  Chuck also has a Masters in Religious Communications from United Theological Seminary in Dayton, Ohio and has served as the youth minister for St. John's United Church of Christ in Syracuse, NE for over 20 years.  Chuck also serves the East Nebraska Area of NRCS as a Civil Engineering Technician.


Edison McDonald

Board Vice Chair
Director of Government Affairs and Development, GC ReVolt

By day McDonald is the Executive Director of The Arc of Nebraska In his spare time he also serves as the Director of Development and Government Affairs for GC Resolve a grassroots development company working on agricultural issues and GC Revolt that works on renewable energy development. In this role, he has helped massively expand solar across the state, led the charge to protect family farms from CAFO operations, and worked to open solar regulatory standards.

 

Peter Mullin

Board Member, Treasurer
Congregation B’Nai Jeshurun/The South Street Temple

Peter serves as our treasurer.  He works at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln as a lecturer in Plant Pathology and Microbiology, and participates in a number of research projects in nematology. As a member of both Lincoln synagogues, he sings with the South Street Temple Choir and contributes percussion and tin whistle for the Star City Kochavim, Lincoln’s premier klezmer band.

 

Daniel Deffenbaugh

Board Member

Academic Dean of Central Community College - former Professor of Religion, Chair of the Religion department, Hastings College

 

Lisa Hadler

Board Member

Pastor of Ogallala and Brule United Churches of Christ

 

Ron Roeber

Board Member

 

 

Staff

Cara Morgan

Executive Director

Cara lives on a small homestead with her husband, Brandon, and their three children—Mavryc (18), Czandrya (16), and Cytara (12). Their family raises pigs, horses, and a mix of small animals, tending a garden that keeps their pantry full through canning and homegrown pork and eggs. Much of their time is spent outdoors, whether working at home or enjoying their family ranch on the Middle Loup River near Mullen, Nebraska—a place that has been passed down through generations and remains a cherished part of their heritage. They also love exploring the forests and mountains of Arkansas together.

Cara’s professional path has been equally eclectic, spanning multi‑level retail management, service as a County Supervisor, grantwriting, watershed coordination, and leadership roles within nonprofit organizations. She also carries a deep sense of place and legacy—her ancestors were part of the founding congregation of Trinity Lutheran Church (LCMS) in Murdock, Nebraska, established in 1892. That long lineage of community, stewardship, and faith continues to shape her work and her life.

 

Rev. Zac Wolfe

Communications Coordinator, Nebraska IPL

Zac is an ordained pastor in the Presbyterian Church (USA) Christian tradition.  He lives in Lincoln with his wife, Rudi, and their three girls.  Zac has previously served as a hospital chaplain, associate pastor, and solo pastor in Nebraska and Missouri, and as a State Campaign Organizer for the Poor People's Campaign in Nebraska.  He currently is the part-time Pastor and Director of Social Transformation for Contemplate Lincoln.  He is excited to live out his passion for social justice and faith with Nebraska IPL.