A "greenie," long before the term came along, Allen Penticoff has had several careers, with 19 years as an aircraft insurance adjuster being the last major employer. Now a self-described "Pilot, Sailor, Handyman and Activist," Allen has been involved with GCC since shortly after its founding, serving on the steering committee as director of communications and building the first version of the website. He is a member of the steering committee of the Winnebago County Green Business Awards, and on the Green Sanctuary Committee of the Unitarian Universalist Church as well as being in charge of the latter's prairie maintenance. He was called in 2008 to serve on the Comprehensive Community Solutions/YouthBuild Rockford board as a person with "green" knowledge as that organization moves towards green building projects and creating green jobs.

Allen has been a consistent champion of the environment and in early 2008 began writing a bi-weekly column for The Rock River Times, "Mr. Green Car," that addresses environmental issues relative to transportation. When not in some meeting, somewhere, helping some organization, you'll find him and his wife Ruth off on one of their sailboats, hiking or biking.

Jamie B. Johannsen is a third generation Winnebago County resident and greatly appreciates the area's parks, preserves, rivers and scenic landscapes. She is the Director of Marketing and Community Relations for the Winnebago County Forest Preserve District where she has worked for 12 years. She is involved with numerous non-profit organizations and initiatives including the Four Rives Environmental Coalition, the Green Communities Coalition, Winnebago County Green Business Awards, Severson Dells Nature Center and Four Winds Center for Spiritual Ecology. She also serves as a Director of Operation Migration, an international conservation organization dedicated to the protection of the Whooping Cranes and other migratory species.

Carolyn Cadigan has been involved with GCC since 2007 and joined the Steering Committee in 2009. She is a local theatre artist and a retired theatre teacher from Keith Country Day School. She has always had an avid interest in environmental issues and retiring from teaching has given her the time to actively support the goals of GCC.  She loves finding new ways to save energy (the latest being unplugging things) and finding more things to recycle (collecting any acceptable plastic that she can take to the bin at Hilander).  She and her husband Rufus can be seen on a warm day cycling along the Rock River on their recumbent bikes.

Jim Roberts has been pastor of Emmanuel Lutheran Church for 37 years, co-founder of "Manitoumie" Retreat Center in Wisconsin, and Four Winds Center for Spiritual Ecology. He is author of "The 3rd Species" and coming "The Spirituality & Practice of Jesus". He leads ceremonies and retreats, interfaith chant, mystical poetry & music, and the "Trialogue with the Rabbi and Imam".

Jim and his wife Sallyann have three children and a pair of Salukis.

Patrick Johnson has been a member of GCC since 2009 and serves as a strategist.   Born in Arkansas and a graduate of the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville, he received a B.S. degree in Electrical Engineering.  Patrick spent the early part of his career working for supercomputer giant, Cray Research, developing software for testing integrated circuits.  He later joined Hewlett-Packard where he served in a variety of roles ranging from systems engineer to business solutions specialist selling to the broadband industry.

Most notably, Patrick and his wife have been the co-founders of the socially responsible coffee importing company, BD Imports,  where they source and supply specialty grade coffees for some of the most discerning coffee roasters in America.  Patrick describes himself as a social entrepreneur, is active in the community, and serves on the boards of the Rock River Valley YMCA and Zion Development Corporation.  Still a nerd at heart, Patrick also helps with technology utilization at GCC.

Rich Muniz is a teacher in Rockford School District 205.  He received his B.A. in Education and his M.S in Education with an Emphasis in Environmental Education.  He is certified by the American Montessori Society to teach ages 6-12.  He currently teaches a 4th, 5th and 6th grade, multi-age classroom at Rockford’s Maria Montessori School.  He is on the Environmental and Wellness Committee there, and is coordinating the Low Carbon Diet initiative for the school.   He is a Fellow in the Freedom Project, a federal program for teachers of American history.  He is a Golden Apple nominee and in 1999 received a grant from the Midwest Community Foundation to study rainforests and leatherback sea turtles in Costa Rica.  Rich teaches juggling, as well, and is the founder of the Montessori Juggling Club. 

Rich is also the newsletter editor for the Black Hawk Chapter of the Sierra Club.  He lives in Rockford, is married; and the father of two grown children, the stepfather of two grown children, and the “father” of a Golden Retriever named Mojito.