Meet the MCNA Board

MCNA supports community health and economic well-being through education and advocacy. It is a 501(c)3 Missouri nonprofit incorporated in May 2019.

Susan Williams, President

Susan is a lifelong resident of Cooper County where she raises beef cattle. She worked as an educator and principal for 30 years in Moniteau and Cooper County schools. Since retirement, Susan’s passion is to study water quality in the local streams, and is currently monitoring four headwater streams near her home. Susan’s goal is to provide data on streams that will help the community implement conservation practices on the land to improve soil health while protecting and improving stream water quality.

Tena Potts, Vice-President

Tena is a retired teacher and principal, and a lifelong resident of Cooper County where she is a small farmer and beef producer. As an educator, Tena likes to teach the public about choosing healthy food, protecting natural resources, and forming partnerships that enhance wildlife. Tena promotes small farms and businesses as the economic backbone of our communities. She supports sustainable farming that embraces conservation practices to provide a healthy food product while protecting wildlife, soil, water, and air.

Lisa Guillory, Secretary

Lisa is originally from south Louisiana where she learned from childhood to appreciate local food from both land and sea. She moved to Columbia in 1975 where her interest in healthy food grew while working at a local food coop. Lisa has been a lifelong vegetable gardener and hunter, and has an avid interest in food preservation. She envisions a strong local food system, supported by sustainably grown produce, farmers markets, and opportunities for people to participate at any point in the local food chain.

Jeanne Heuser, Founder and Retired President

Jeanne Louise Heuser, environmental activist, writer, researcher, and beloved founder of the Moniteau County Neighbors Alliance (MCNA) died peacefully at home July 17, at age 77. She was laid to rest in beautiful Echo Valley, the land she and her husband, Mark, called home. Jeanne dedicated her life to public service, environmental advocacy, and making scientific information accessible to all. Through her work and leadership, she inspired many to take action for clean water, healthy food systems, and a more just and sustainable Missouri.

Born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to John Elliott and Ruth Bennett Heuser, Jeanne was raised in Milwaukee, Darien, Connecticut, and Tulsa, Oklahoma. She attended Northwestern University and the University of California, Berkeley before moving to Missouri as part of the “back-to-the-land” movement of the 1970s. In 1976, she founded Springfield Community Foods, providing one of the first marketplaces for local and organic farmers in the region. Jeanne continued her mission of public education and environmental justice throughout a 40-year career that culminated in her retirement from the U.S. Geological Survey in 2009. She then turned her talents toward grassroots advocacy, building bridges between scientific knowledge and community action.

In 2018, Jeanne co-founded MCNA in response to a proposed concentrated animal feeding operation near Tipton, MO. As president and outreach coordinator, she led efforts that helped halt that proposal and created a unique, citizen-focused website to guide and empower others. Even as her health declined, and retiring from MCNA in 2023, Jeanne remained active in researching topics and helping to write public comments to the Department of Natural Resources, regarding policy that affected air and water quality. She expressed the wish that others continue to care for the MCNA website, a reflection of her commitment to community-based education and advocacy.

Jeanne is survived by her husband Mark Bogue, her brother John Edward Heuser, her niece Jessica Goodenough Sanseverino, and her nephews Thomas and James Goodenough Heuser. In Jeanne’s memory, supporters are encouraged to donate to MCNA or "show up" for the causes she held dear: clean air, clean water, and a livable future for all.

In 2022, Jeanne received two awards reflecting her career:

The Missouri Stream Team Ambassador Award (pictured) for serving as an exceptional voice in defense of Missouri’s Streams.
The Missouri Coalition for the Environment (MCE) R. Roger Pryor Citizen Activist award for decades of activism in support of Missouri’s people and environment.
Read the MCE member spotlight on Jeanne Heuser.

Food Sleuth Radio Interview, April 6, 2023

Click here to listen to Interview

Did you know that knowing our watershed, and understanding water and nitrogen cycles is key to sustainable food and farming methods? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her interview with Jeanne Heuser, founder and former president of the Moniteau County Neighbors Alliance. From hospice, Heuser reflects on her life’s work to protect watersheds, our food system, and encourage local engagement.