INHF Welcomes New Board Members

Posted on March 26, 2025 in Blog

Mallory Hanson of West Union, Matt Mendenhall of Davenport and Alex Taylor of Coralville are three of the five recent additions to INHF’s dedicated board of directors. Lending their time and talents on a volunteer basis for the protection of Iowa’s land, water and wildlife, INHF’s board is an incredible show of dedication and expertise.

INHF board members come from every region of the state, connecting our work with communities, landowners and organizations that help to make more conservation happen. See a full list of board members here and learn more about Mallory, Matt and Alex below!

Mallory Hanson

Mallory grew up in Elgin, Iowa, a small community of less than 700 people in Northeast Iowa. She still resides close by today in West Union in the heart of Fayette County. The outdoors have always been a large part of Mallory’s life and close to her heart. Although Mallory initially sought to make her career in the performing arts, she chose to stay in Northeast Iowa and pursue a different path in economic development and tourism. Mallory has experience in natural resources, arts & culture, and economic development personally and professionally.

Mallory spent her time growing up in two places: 1) Inside singing and playing video games and 2) outside running around in the woods...and also singing. This may seem like two different worlds, but it created a beautiful balance in her life. Mallory's Dad was the Conservation Director in Fayette County for most of her life and had a huge influence on her decision to lean into her work in natural resources and community development.

Mallory now serves as the Regional Economic Development and Tourism Coordinator for Northeast Iowa Resource Conservation & Development (RC&D) and has worked in the economic development and public service field since 2011. Since her time with the RC&D, Hanson has helped secure over $3.7M in local, state, and federal grants and funds for projects impacting the Northeast Iowa region. Hanson currently serves as the Director for Fayette County Economic Development and Tourism and for the Turkey River Recreational Corridor. In this role, Hanson works with locally driven Boards of Directors to plan and facilitate projects that include development of marketing materials, facilitation of events and fundraisers, and implementation of infrastructure improvement and development projects.

Hanson spends much of her time proudly volunteering for the local Fayette County Pheasants Forever Chapter, leading the West Union Downtown Garden adoption program, and supporting her husband's online streaming platform, which he uses to raise money for the University of Iowa Stead Family Children's hospital.

Mallory's favorite place outdoors is Gilbertson Conservation Education Area in Elgin, Iowa. She grew up running around barefoot in the Maize Maze, learning in and rearranging the Nature Center, and literally herding cats. INHF had a huge hand in the development and expansion of this 1,000+ acre property. Her favorite outdoor memories are hunting for Morels with her Dad, Rod. She never got the hang of any other type of hunting...Rod says she talks too much. 

Mallory is excited to serve on the INHF Board to further a mission she is so passionate about. Although Mallory wouldn't describe herself as the "outdoorsy type", she believes in the protection and restoration of the natural landscape in Iowa. "Nature is what brings us together and connects us. It drives people to do good. It supports communities of people, businesses, and wildlife."

Matt Mendenhall

Matt Mendenhall serves as the President/CEO for the Regional Development Authority (RDA) in Davenport and lives next to the Mississippi River appreciating the beautiful sunsets and wildlife with his wife, Marcy. It’s his favorite outdoor spot.

Matt has worked in the nonprofit and philanthropic sectors for 30+ years — a main interest of his is helping communities “connect the dots” related to regional challenges. He has served on Boards of Directors for Delta Dental of Iowa Foundation, Iowa Council of Foundations, IHMV Credit Union and the Quad Cities Contributors Council. His education includes a PhD at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, OH and a Masters of Social Work from St. Ambrose University in Davenport.

Matt was drawn to serve on INHF’s Board of Directors as he feels that nature can inspire us to be our best. "As time goes by, it gets easier to understand the importance of the natural environment to our health, happiness, and overall wellbeing”, Matt says.

Alex Taylor

Originally from Iowa City, Alex Taylor has lived across the country — Boston, Chapel Hill, Indianapolis, Cedar Rapids, Austin (TX), Milwaukee, and Mankato — but is once again calling Iowa home as he currently resides in Corallville, where he serves as the director of entrepreneurship for NewBoCo, an adjunct instructor with the Tippie College of Business, and co-owner of Woofables Gourmet Dog Biscuits.

While he clearly has a soft spot for Iowa, one of Alex’s favorite outdoor places is in Celo, N.C. where he enjoys staying in his extended family’s wooded cabins. Located on the South Toe River and three miles (as the crow flies) from Mt. Mitchell, the highest peak east of the Mississippi, Sandy Bottom — the family cabin name — is rustic, barely on the grid, and away from anything remotely urban. This is the place to unwind, hike, birdwatch, read a book (or two), float down the South Toe in an inner tube, play cards, swap tall tales and sleep in fresh, cool mountain air.

Another meaningful way Alex is able to connect with nature is through trail running. He has a compilation of favorite outdoor memories from many wonderful trail runs including in the Kettle Moraine Forest (Wis.), Palo Duro Canyon (Tx); Leadville, Colorado, Superior Trail (Mn), and locally in Ledges State Park and Lake McBride, to name a few.

“The INHF mission, ‘Protecting and restoring Iowa’s land, water and wildlife,’ is powerful in its simplicity, breadth, depth and impact,” Alex reflects upon joining INHF’s board. “It’s professionally and personally fulfilling to think that meagre contributions of time and talent can help make Iowa a better environmental place for future generations to celebrate and enjoy. I appreciate the opportunity to contribute.”