Friends of the Shawnee National Forest relies on its active board members who help shape the organization and proceed with activities that will make it and the National Forest better for everyone. Without our dedicated board members, our organization would not be able to perform at its best for the users of the Shawnee National Forest. Now is your chance to meet the member of the Friends of the Shawnee National Forest board.

John Wholwend, Board Co-Chair

John Wohlwend retired from Jack Lewis Fine Jewelry as Chairman & CEO in Bloomington, Illinois in 2011. Since, then he’s been quite busy as a community volunteer both in Williamson County and the Bloomington/Normal area.

Originally from Marion, Illinois, John spent a lot of his free time from his very busy schedule along the east side of the Shawnee National Forest.

He currently spends as much time as possible in Southernmost Illinois, serving with the Friends of Giant City, Friends of the Crab Orchard National Refuge, as well as a member of the Shawnee Saunterers hiking group.

Steve Melville, Board Member

Steve Melville (and his wife Tara) own and operate Rim Rocks Dogwood Cabins in the Eastern Shawnee. Steve is passionate about his civic duty of taking care of the Shawnee and has organized trash clean ups and trail maintenance work in the area while also promoting economic growth of the area through tourism with his work on several committee’s including being a board member of Southernmost Illinois Tourism.

Steve was born and raised in Saint Louis and has always been an outdoor enthusiast and avid traveler.

 Having visited most of the parks in the Midwest and many National Parks (with a goal to visit them all), he fully understands how amazing it is to call the Shawnee National Forest home. Steve has two teenage daughters; Loren and Katie who both share his passion for the outdoors.

Aur Beck, Board Member

Aur ‘da energy mon’ Beck is an energy efficiency advocate and is triple NABCEP Certified with his company, Advanced Energy Solutions (www.AESsolar.com ) installing solar since 1999. He is a founder and on the board of the Illinois Renewable Energy Association (www.illinoisrenew.org ).

 He has a weekly radio talk show, “Your Community Spirit,” (www.YourCommunitySpirit.org ) but he would like to be known mostly for Oil Addicts Anonymous International (a real 12 step program), www.IamanOilAddict.org. For fun he cooks, dances salsa and volunteers with Rotary.

Pat Jones, Board Member

Pat moved to Southern Illinois in 1998 from Texas.  He earned a Master of Arts in Mass Communication and Media at Southern Illinois University in 2004.  From 2014-2022, he was the marketing and publicity coordinator at SIU’s Touch of Nature. Pat has a passion for the Shawnee National Forest and the great outdoors.  An avid hiker, boater, mountain biker and photographer, among some of his favorite places in the Shawnee are Garden of the Gods, Kinkaid Lake, Cedar Lake, Bell Smith Springs, Jackson Falls, Little Grand Canyon and Snake Road.

Leslie Ewell, Board Member

Being a native of Southern Illinois and an Alumna of Southern Illinois University Carbondale, I have spent countless hours, days, and even nights in the Shawnee National Forest. My mother is a steward of the USFS and has always inspired and motivated me to follow in her footsteps.

The past 25 years I lived in Jacksonville, FL where I was a volunteer and employee for
the Girl Scouts, all the while raising a family. My passion for marathon running (13 full marathon
finishes and over 50 halfs) led me to be a trainer for the local Galloway Marathon Group.
Now that I am officially back in the heart of Southern Illinois I have embraced my love,
enthusiasm, and respect for the outdoors and The Shawnee National Forest. Being a talented
artist and holding a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in Photography, you will likely spot me in the
forest capturing images through my eye or sitting with a sketch book capturing the raw beauty of
the forest. I love and thrive in the lesser known areas and the “off the beaten path” areas of the
Shawnee. I’m excited to share my love, appreciation, and stewardship of the gem we have right
in our backyard.

David Files, Board Member

I am a Southern Illinois native, growing up a short drive from the Shawnee National Forest. As a child, I remember visiting the area on family outings, never wanting the days to end. Unfortunately, those days did end. I became a young grownup and went off to college.

College taught me all about mechanics, electrical, hydraulics/air logic, and blueprint reading, more than anyone would ever use in real life. The long road ahead of me took me to many different jobs, putting my playground farther behind me.

The first 15 years of work placed me in many different job duties, all pertaining to my field of study. Year 16, put a little twist. Little did I know I was about to start using that Physiology 101 class that was never going to help me in the industrial field.

As club manager of the Elks Lodge, I still had to use my knowledge of all that other stuff along the way, but this was different for me. Dealing with all types of people, helping them plan their wedding receptions, birthday parties, and any other function that came along. Don’t forget all the other duties involved in running a social club, employee scheduling, payroll, bill paying, supply ordering, the list goes on.

Then one day I got a phone call from Toyota. A call that changes things for me with good pay, benefits, retirement plan, and opportunities for advancement. After twenty years at Toyota, I retired in 2020 on my 56^th birthday. My time at Toyota started in Logistics, then in Logistics Safety, and finally Skilled Maintenance.

This long road I have traveled has brought me back to my playground, the Shawnee National Forest. It is an honor to be accepted to the Friends Board, helping promote the land and stewardship, educate others, and share in the responsibility of outdoor activities for others. Sharing that playground, I have such fond memories of and plan on making more.

Trisha Morelli, Board Member

Trish has lived in Makanda since coming to SIU for recreation. She had the opportunity to experience a variety of outdoor adventures growing up and is now the lead organizer of the Shawnee forest school, a group of homeschoolers that encourages year round risky play, stewardship and observation of the natural world in Southern Illinois. You can usually find her paddling, walking in the woods, and sharing experiences and knowledge with others outdoors. She strives to foster community, live simply, eat locally and seasonally and respects diversity.

Rod Seivers, Board Member

Rod Sievers of Carterville, Illinois is the newest board member of the Friends of the Shawnee National Forest, appointed to the board in November of 2024.  Rod is a long-time communicator, writer, journalist and broadcaster, spending his entire career in Southern Illinois.  After 25 years in broadcasting, including seven years as the 10 p.m. news anchor on WSIL-TV, Rod moved on to Southern Illinois University Carbondale and worked in public affairs and marketing before retiring in 2019. Rod is an experienced backpacker, camper and cyclist and is well-acquainted with the Shawnee National Forest.  As a member of the Shawnee Saunterers hiking group, he has explored many miles of the Forest’s trails.  Rod believes proper stewardship of the Forest is key to its growth and survival.