gus von roenn, pdc

Founder & Executive Director

Gus is an advocate for permaculture and sustainable practices throughout Nebraska. He works through many organizations like the Nebraska Farmers Union, the Sierra Club, Nebraskans for Solar, Nebraska Sustainability Agricultural Society, and the Metro Omaha Food Policy Council to elevate the discussion of issues surrounding healthy food accessibility, land stewardship and entrepreneurship in low-income communities. His academic background is in anthropology, sociology, archaeology, and permaculture. Currently, Gus is a certified permaculture designer integrating permaculture design consulting and landscaping into community efforts. As an advocate for everything permaculture and sustainability in Nebraska, he likes to help many organizations teach their constituents the limitless opportunities that create abundance in all of our communities for all of us to share.

DAVE PANTOS

president

Dave Pantos teaches environmental law and policy as well as sustainability studies at the University of Nebraska Omaha. An attorney for 25 years, Dave also has a Masters of Science in Environmental Science and served as Vice Chair of the Metropolitan Community College Board of Governors through 2020. Dave has also been Chairperson of the Nonprofit Association of the Midlands and served on the leadership team of the Nonprofit Executive Institute for several years. Dave has helped create several lasting programs in the nonprofit sector in Omaha, including the Legal Aid Medical Legal Partnership and the Nebraska Immigration Legal Assistance Hotline. A long-time vegetarian, amateur gardener, and advocate for environmental justice, Dave is passionate about the mission of Omaha Permaculture and its role in promoting equitable sustainability in Nebraska.

Halsey ruhl

Treasurer

Halsey Ruhl, a native Nebraskan, has served as the Chief Financial Officer for Girl Scouts Spirit of Nebraska since relocating back to Nebraska in 2020. In her role as CFO, Halsey leads the Finance, Human Resources, and Properties departments. Working with the Properties team, Halsey connects her passion for nature and conservation by helping girls gain confidence through outdoor experiences at camp locations across Nebraska. Halsey is a licensed CPA and received her MBA from Central Michigan University with an emphasis in Human Resource Management. Prior to joining the Girl Scouts in 2020, Halsey supported non-profit organizations, as well as government and telecommunication clients, as an Audit Manager with BKD, CPAs & Advisors. Halsey is passionate about giving back to her community and most recently served as VP Finance on the Board for Junior League of the Great Lakes Bay Region through 2020. Halsey enjoys spending time outside trail running, and she has a natural love for plants after growing up surrounded by a family-owned landscaping business. 

Ellen Duysen, mph

Health Ambassador

Ellen Duysen serves as the Coordinator and Outreach Specialist for the Central States Center for Agricultural Safety and Health (CS-CASH) at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, College of Public Health. CS-CASH is one of 11 NIOSH funded Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing Centers. Ellen raised hogs, cattle and three rascally boys on farms in Colorado and Iowa. This experience provided her with an understanding of the many hazards related to farming and ranching. Ellen has put these experiences into practice while working with farmers and ranchers in an effort to reduce agricultural injury and fatality rates.

Karen klein

board member

Karen Klein has a life-long interest in nature and environmental/social concerns, growing up in Nebraska on a small family farm that used organic practices. She earned a degree in Landscape Architecture from Iowa State University and has taken graduate classes in UNO’s Urban Studies program.


Karen was a city planner for the City of Omaha for 30 years, specializing in environmental planning and long-range urban/growth issues. She used her skills in whole-systems thinking to work with stakeholders in developing and writing the Environment Element which was adopted as part of Omaha’s Master Plan in 2010. Karen also served as a liaison to a wide variety of organizations with interests in environmental and community issues.

Karen has been a Nebraska Master Naturalist (NMN) since 2014, and served as the River City Chapter representative to the state NMN Board. She enjoys hands-on volunteering in prairies, wetlands and woods, and inspires people to give attention and curiosity to the natural world through photography that shows the art in intimate nature around us.

aban obadiah laa

board member

Aban Obadiah Laa works as Executive Director for New Life Family Alliance, a nonprofit community based organization serving primarily the Sudanese / South Sudanese community and all other immigrants and refugees in the greater Omaha metropolitan area.  

Aban graduated from law school in Sudan in the early nineties and worked in different positions at the Ministry of Justice before migrating to the United States, where he held many jobs in security & manufacturing.

During Iraqi Freedom Operations Aban took a 2 year contract with the Department of Defense as an Arabic Interpreter & Cultural Advisor .

When South Sudan gained independence on July 9th, 2011, Aban was appointed as Legal Advisor in the upper house  Council of States of National Legislature where he spent the next five years before returning back to the United States. 

marissa gigantelli, PE

board member

Marissa is an Electrical Project Engineer at Morrissey Engineering, Inc. She collaborates with a team of engineers and works in partnership with owners and clients daily to make informed decisions on building projects. Her projects predominantly impact Omaha and the surrounding communities and are focused in the market sectors of commercial business, multi-family housing, senior care facilities, and tenant remodels.

Her passion for community inspires every project she works on. She understands the built environment has an incredible impact on the way individuals perceive space and interact with others. Her passion for this reminds her daily the importance of every project, client, and user in the community. 

Marissa holds a MAE in Architectural Engineering from University of Nebraska. She is a licensed architectural engineer in Nebraska and holds credentials from LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design). She also currently serves as a general member of CREW Omaha and as the VP of Programming for the Omaha Chi Omega Alumnae Association.

tisha johnson

board member

Currently Mrs. Johnson works as an educator and interpretive guide at Fontenelle Forest. She guides students through the upland forest, the floodplain and the wetlands teaching a variety of ecology programs that meet NE Science Standards for K-6 th grades. Tisha also works as a Naturalist for Schramm Education Center, Nebraska Game and Parks, and has launched the Junior Nebraska Master Naturalist Program.

Mrs. Johnson is a Certified Nebraska Master Naturalist who has been largely focused on Education and Outreach. The majority of her volunteer hours have come from serving on the Board for the Audubon Society of Omaha. She made birding field trips available to youth, teens and their families, selecting sites, marketing the field trips and leading the groups. Audubon Society of Omaha recently designed and offered After School programming and Mrs. Johnson served as Audubon’s Educator Provider for Collective for Youth’s OPS schools.

Mrs. Johnson holds an MEM degree from Duke University’s Nicholas School of the Environment in Conservation Science and Policy. Mrs. Johnson’s former job titles are Environmental Scientist, Pharmaceutical Executive Sales Representative and CNS Territory Sales Specialist.

elaina dye

board member

Elaina Dye is a digital marketer, environmental activist, yoga teacher, and herbalist. She's served on several nonprofit boards, offering her marketing and fundraising expertise, including the Nebraska Coalition to End Sexual and Domestic Violence and TEDxLincoln. Her passion for permaculture grew from a desire to address the intersecting issues of climate change, environmental destruction, food insecurity, and healthcare access. Permaculture design is key to building an equitable, just, and sustainable future - the real only barrier is providing access to education. She hopes to connect both underserved communities and city leaders to the power of creating productive ecosystems in urban areas, and is leading partnerships with clinical herbalists and Indigenous communities to develop resources for medicinal native plant knowledge.