The members of Wisconsin Trails' Reader Advisory Board help the magazine keep in touch with its readers. We ask them to offer story ideas, give us feedback about each issue, and occasionally consult with us about new ideas. Here are our current members. To read their advice about the Wisconsin experience everyone should have at least once, click here. To apply for spot on our Reader Advisory Board, click here.

Norb Wurtzel, Eau Claire 
Norb confesses to an "addiction" to travel and photography. He's the retired president of Chippewa Valley Technical College, but other occupations over the years have included farmer, furniture sales, military service, and vacation tour manager.
Wisconsin Trails reader since: 1960s
Why he loves Wisconsin: "The state has so much to offer: a concert at the Overture Center, enjoying Frank Lloyd Wright's architecture, watching the wings open on the Milwaukee Art Museum, lunching along Bogus Creek in Stockholm, B&Bing in Bayfield, having a fish boil in Door County, enjoying the quiet lodging and great food at Canoe Bay, and comparing Wisconsin's lifestyle and resources while visiting other states and nations around the world."

Terri Sorenson, Eagle 
Terri teaches health and physical education to high school and middle school students.
Wisconsin Trails reader since: About 1980
Why she loves Wisconsin: “Variety! I love Wisconsin because of the varied geography, beautiful scenery, and the change of seasons. We see different sights, experience different temperatures and can enjoy a variety of activities and different types of food based on the seasons. We have fantastic resources of many kinds. We have an excellent educational reputation. The people here are friendly and have a variety of interests and backgrounds that benefit all of us. “

Nancy Berlin, Bayside
Nancy is a retired biologist who worked for the U.S. Forest Service. She's currently pursuing a degree in visual arts, and in her spare time loves to cross-country ski, kayak, hike, draw, paint, garden, and cook.
Wisconsin Trails reader since: 2007, when she "delightfully discovered it at my dentist's office!"
Why she loves Wisconsin: "I love the blend of urban and rural experiences."

Eric Brown, Madison
Eric is a management consultant who specializes in working with entrepreneurs and early-stage companies.
Wisconsin Trails reader since: "Can't remember, for many years."
Why he loves Wisconsin: "On a day-to-day basis, there is a very nice quality of life here in Wisconsin. People are quite natural and sincere and caring."

Susan Jacobs, Merrimac, Wis. and Northbrook, Ill.
Susan teaches writing at DePaul University and is also program coordinator for two returning adult graduate masters programs there, Master of Arts in Liberal Studies and Master of Arts/Science in Interdisciplinary Studies (IDS).
Wisconsin Trails reader since: 2004
Why she loves Wisconsin: "I have loved Wisconsin since my family began staying in a cottage at Paddock Lake when I was 2 years old. We have explored so much of the state, season by season, and are always drawn to the rolling hills, the wide open skies, and the smell of pine trees. There's something about winding along Highway 78, driving up Bluff Road, stepping out onto a trail at Steinke Basin, or into a meadow that gives us the ‘aaahhh' we need. We have camped, rented cottages, flung ourselves down waterslides, had our tent washed out in violent 2 a.m. storms—it's all good, with plenty more exploring to do."

Trenton Kranz, Wisconsin Dells
Trenton is a project manager for Brandgarten, a brand strategy firm in Madison.
Wisconsin Trails reader since: 2000
Why he loves Wisconsin: "As an avid outdoorsman, I truly appreciate the almost therapeutic qualities of the state's natural areas. Whether it's kayaking on the Kickapoo River, hiking in the Mississippi River bluffs, biking the state trail system, or fishing on one of the thousands of lakes and rivers, there's just something about breathing the fresh air and enjoying the wonderful scenery that puts the rest of life in perspective."

Maggie Rossiter Peterman, Madison
Maggie was a newspaper reporter for 29 years at The Saginaw News in Saginaw, Mich. She's now writes for many publications, including Isthmus, Wisconsin Builder, The Capital Times, Wisconsin State Journal, and Capital Region Business Journal.
Wisconsin Trails reader since: 2004
Why she loves Wisconsin: "The pastoral scenery in Wisconsin is breathtakingly beautiful. And Door County is a fairyland, whether in May when the forget-me-nots cast a blue hue across the land or December as Mother Nature blankets the 3,200 acres of cherry and apple orchards with snow and transforms the peninsula into a romantic hideaway."

Rusti and Steve Moffic, Milwaukee
On June 30, 2008, Rusti and Steve will celebrate their 40th anniversary. They sometimes jointly use the name "Rustevie"—a combination of their first names. "We think alike about so many things, that it seems simpler to present ourselves as one for things like this request." Steve is a psychiatrist now paying special attention to the psychological aspects of global warming while moving toward retirement. Rusti is already retired, except for writing and singing in a Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra community education program.
Wisconsin Trails readers since: 1989
Why they love Wisconsin: "There are so many reasons, but in the final analysis it comes down to some things quite personal. Wisconsin has been the kind of accepting and supportive environment that nurtured Rusti's immigrant families, Rusti's own childhood in Milwaukee, our daughter Stacia's education at UW-Madison (while we were still in Texas), and the latter part of the childhood of our son Even (who also attended summer camps in Wisconsin in his earlier years). We yearned for Wisconsin enough to want to come back here in 1989, leaving our beloved home in Texas and turning down attractive opportunities in many other states."

Cindy Owen, Wausau
Cindy is a retired elementary school teacher who's currently a volunteer tutor for the Marathon County Literacy Council.
Wisconsin Trails reader since: "Not sure."
Why she loves Wisconsin: "I feel a strong sense of place because of the accessibility of the natural world of trees, water, plants, and animals. I can achieve a better balance in my life because I can get outside during our four wonderful seasons. I appreciate Wisconsin's interesting and diverse population. Individuals here have a strong commitment to the environment and to helping each other. "

Mary Beth Schutte-Taylor, Delavan, Wis. and La Grange, Ill.
Mary Beth is a former newspaper reporter, hospital publications coordinator, and hospital public relations director. She currently devotes much of her time to school and community volunteer projects and fund- raising. She lives with her husband and two teens in La Grange, Ill., and has a second home in Delavan.
Wisconsin Trails reader since: 2000
Why she loves Wisconsin: Here are Mary Beth's "Top 10 reasons to love Wisconsin":
1. The open land, small towns, and friendly people.
2. The circus history and ongoing preservation of it in Delavan and Baraboo.
3. The ethnic homesteads of Old World Wisconsin and Pendarvis.
4. Riding the "duck" boats in the Wisconsin Dells.
5. Hiking and cross-country skiing in the Kettle Moraine Forest.
6. Canoeing Wisconsin's small creeks and streams.
7. Walking the frozen Lake Michigan shoreline at the Racine lighthouse or the Schiltz Audubon Nature Center in Milwaukee.
8. Apple picking and pumpkin patches. Fresh summer produce farm stands. Cranberries and the bogs in Tomah.
9. Cities that are large enough to offer culture, dining and recreation, but small enough for a visitor to easily learn and experience them.
10. The deck on my Delavan home that overlooks the Delavan Lake outlet, where I sit and read and watch the sandhill cranes stalk fish.

Nancy Wight, Waupaca
Nancy is a retired elementary school teacher.
Wisconsin Trails reader since: 2002
Why she loves Wisconsin: "I love the land and the water and the sounds of Wisconsin. Lake Superior, Lake Michigan, the Mississippi River, the Wisconsin River, waterfalls, woods, parks, and trails offer the variety of activities that I have grown to love during the 30 years I have called Wisconsin home. Each of the seasons offers new sights and sounds to enjoy."