Three Join PCA Board of Directors
Get to know the Platteville Community Arboretum’s newest board members: Bob Gates, Tammie Engelke and Daniel M. Engelke
The new year brings change to the Platteville Community Arboretum Board of Directors. Joining the ranks this year are Daniel M. Engelke, a banker from Community First Bank; his wife, Tammie Engelke, who retired from UW-Platteville in May 2022; and Bob Gates, a retired Cuba City School counselor.
Daniel said he joined this organization because his family has enjoyed the use of these trails for several years and he wanted to contribute back what he can and help maintain and continue with the trails. He said he will bring his leadership skills to the board as well as his love of the outdoors.
“We have used the trails for several years as a place to take long walks with family and our dogs,” Daniel said. “We really enjoy the whole trail, but lean mostly to the trail beginning at the old J&N Stone parking area to the trails ending at the back side of Menard’s. We are looking to use the trails more with our bikes in 2023.”
Loving the trails wasn’t enough for Tammie, as she wanted to give back to PCA and to the wonderful trails. Her skill set from working at UW-Platteville include writing grant proposals for research projects, creating budgets for grant proposals and following the requirements of successful grants. While working at Southwest Wisconsin Technical College, she assisted students with their payment plans before moving into the Grant and Contact Accountant position to oversee the private, state and federal grants.
“My prior grant experience could be beneficial to PCA with grant funding opportunities they may seek to support the trails,” Tammie said. “Some additional skills that I bring to the board are event planning and staging. I truly enjoy pulling together all of the materials and details that are needed for personal events - wedding, birthday, retirement and graduation parties, etc. - as well as organizing, interior decorating and staging. I feel these skills could be utilized when planning and executing PCA events for the community.”
Since moving to Platteville six years ago, Tammie said she and her husband, Dan, enjoy walking their dog, Moose, on the trail. They also enjoy biking and snowshoeing there.
Bob Gates has been very actively involved with the volunteer groups that maintain the PCA trail. When he learned of a board of directors vacancy, he saw it as an opportunity to stay involved with the trail year-round as trail maintenance is only needed during the warmer months.
“My contribution to the board is something that I’m still trying to figure out,” Bob said. “I am certainly not an expert in the areas of horticulture or environmental engineering, so I hope to contribute by representing the board at various functions and volunteer opportunities and by sharing ideas gained through my own use of the PCA trail and experience in trail maintenance. I also hope to assist the board by serving as the board’s secretary.”
Bob has used the trail primarily as a cyclist.
“Over the past five or six years, I have used the single-track trails in both Knollwood and Mound View Park as well as the paved trail between Platteville and Belmont,” Bob said.
In the last two years, Bob has assisted the PCA in a variety of ways, from mulching and weeding with the Wednesday morning crew to removing fallen trees and clearing brush with the Monday crew. He has also spent a significant amount of time weed-whipping around all of the signs, lights and benches along the trail.
“My favorite section of the trail would be the shaded stretch between the bridge near the parking lot off of Mineral Street to the gazebo behind Walmart,” Bob said.
Thank you to these individuals for stepping into these leadership roles for the Platteville Community Arboretum.
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