WPN - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Member of the Officers Team
- Vice Chair, Advancing a Healthier Wisconsin
Job Titles:
- Member of the Officers Team
- Chairman, Zilber Family Foundation
Job Titles:
- Member of the Officers Team
- Secretary, Foley & Lardner LLP
Job Titles:
- Admin
- Director
- Director of Resource Development and Member Relations
Karla is a nonprofit industry expert with a proven track record of leading teams, forming strategic partnerships, and delivering financial results and community impact. A trusted and respected professional committed to empowering people and strengthening communities with vision, compassion, and results.
In her role as Director of Resource Development and Member Relations, Karla will serve as a key driver of WPN's revenue and member retention strategies by directing membership cultivation, revenue generation and communication efforts. Working closely with the philanthropic community focusing on strategies that will increase education, awareness, and engagement with statewide membership involvement.
Prior to joining WPN, Karla served as Director of Donor Services for the Community Foundation of North Central Wisconsin where she focused on the recruitment and retention of donors, growing organization assets and providing education and awareness to the community. Establishing trusted relationships with financial advisors, CPA's and estate attorneys providing tools and resources that ultimately helped guide clients with philanthropic goals.
Before the Community Foundation, she was a Regional Vice President with the American Heart Association, Midwest Division. In that role, Karla was responsible for strategic sales growth, board implementation, corporate development, special events and multi-year sponsorships. Prior to the American Heart Association, Karla held positions with organizations including the United Way of Marathon County and the American Cancer Society driving new business development, strategic partnerships, and client relationship building.
Karla has received awards for "Coach of the Year" and "Revenue Generation for Top Performance. She currently volunteers and serves on various community boards including the Medical College of Wisconsin Community Advisory Board, North Central Technical College Alumni Association, Early Bird Rotary, Helping Businesses Build Assets (H.B.B.A.) and The Joseph Project.
Karla holds her Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree from Cardinal Stritch University and her Bachelor of Science in Administration of Justice from Marian University.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Officers Team
- Treasurer, Greater Milwaukee Foundation
Job Titles:
- Admin
- Director
- Director of Program Development
- Director of Programs and Research
Kristi has spent the past ten years working with both community and family foundations, deploying capital and supporting programs driven by place-centered approaches to systems-level impact. Her grantmaking approach is grounded in principles of participatory philanthropy and trust-based practice.
Early in her career, Kristi served as Resident Engagement Project Manager for Incourage Community Foundation. In collaboration with community partners, Kristi's work focused on the development of a resident-owned design process for the redevelopment of the Tribune Building - a vacant riverfront property in downtown Wisconsin Rapids. Kristi later returned to Incourage as a consultant to support the incorporation of community organizing and authentic resident engagement practices into long-term institutional strategy and communications.
Kristi later worked as Associate Program Officer for the Walton Family Foundation's K-12 Education Team in Washington, DC. During her tenure with the foundation, Kristi worked alongside grantee partners dedicated to improving the educational ecosystems in the communities they called home. She supported the stewardship of grant proposals across a wide range of education related investment areas but specialized in grants focused on amplifying parent and trusted community voices in advocacy and grassroots engagement efforts.
Most recently, Kristi served as Strategic Partnerships Lead with the Mobilizing Action Toward Community Health Group with the Population Health Institute at the University of Wisconsin - Madison. In this role, Kristi focused on advancing a statewide network of partners committed to ensuring all Wisconsin residents have a fair chance to be healthy in their homes, schools, workplaces, and neighborhoods by acknowledging power as a root cause of health inequities and social injustice.
Kristi has a Master of Science in Human Ecology - Civil Society and Community Studies from the University of Wisconsin - Madison and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Certificate in Leadership Studies from St. Norbert College. Her graduate research focused on rural youth outmigration and the relationship between community engagement and place-based attachment. Kristi currently serves on the Board of Camp Hope for Kids - a weekend camp in Wisconsin for kids and families grieving the death of a loved one. Kristi was born and raised in Central Wisconsin and now lives with her family in Madison.
Job Titles:
- Admin
- Administration and Operations Coordinator
- Coordinator of Administration and Operations
As the Coordinator of Administration and Operations, Michele (she/her) heads up daily office operations, membership and program support as well as website maintenance and graphic design support. Bringing nearly five... Continue reading
As the Coordinator of Administration and Operations, Michele (she/her) heads up daily office operations, membership and program support as well as website maintenance and graphic design support.
Bringing nearly five years of nonprofit leadership and board service to her role with multifaceted experience in nonprofit management, fund development, programming, membership relations and marketing, Michele served most recently as both the Operations Director and Director of Programming for the Milwaukee Artist Resource Network (MARN). Prior to that, she worked for the BonTon Stores Inc as an Art Director and Graphic Designer.
Her side hustles include acrylic painting, photography and jewelry design. She also holds a membership in the Wisconsin Visual Artists group, Southeast Wisconsin chapter. Her free time is dedicated to the creation of art, spending time with family and friends, outdoor activities and travel.
Michele earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Art from the University of Wisconsin Madison. Over the years she has also completed additional Marketing, Website Design and Art coursework. She is also a past board member of the Education Foundation of Wauwatosa.
In his role as President and CEO, Tony serves the Wisconsin Philanthropy Network (WPN), by leading all aspects of strategy and operations for membership, staff,... Continue reading
In his role as President and CEO, Tony serves the Wisconsin Philanthropy Network (WPN), by leading all aspects of strategy and operations for membership, staff, programs, fundraising, expansion and execution of its mission. The Wisconsin Philanthropy Network is the state's only organization devoted exclusively to the profession and practice of philanthropy. As WPN's leader, Tony serves a growing network of 130 member organizations contributing over $600 million annually to non-profits locally, regionally, nationally and globally. WPN's mission is to support and promote effective philanthropy through education and research, best practices, enhanced partnerships and thought leadership.
Prior to joining WPN, Tony served as Executive Director of United Neighborhood Centers of Milwaukee (UNCOM), a collaborative of Milwaukee Settlement House Neighborhood Centers and as publisher of the Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service. Before UNCOM, he led Community Relations efforts for Harley-Davidson, Inc. In that role, Tony developed strategic plans and implemented outreach and programs for a number of factory-based and national efforts and directed community outreach to support major company sponsored initiatives and philanthropic efforts.
Before joining Harley-Davidson, Tony held community and public relations leadership/executive positions for organizations including Milwaukee Bucks Professional Basketball Inc., the Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee, and public relations and marketing firms.
Tony has been honored for his leadership by the Cardinal Stritch University Alumni Association, Milwaukee Community Journal and Madison 365 publication. He has served on various community boards and volunteered for several initiatives and is currently serving as a Consortium member for Advancing a Healthier Wisconsin Endowment, on the Board of Advisors for the Center for Community and Nonprofit Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, the Milwaukee County Parks Foundation board and as an appointee of Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers serving on both the Milwaukee Child Welfare Partnership Council and Census 2020 Statewide Complete Count Committee. Previously he has served on the boards of the AIDS Resource Center of Wisconsin and as a Trustee for Cardinal Stritch University.
Tony holds both a Master of Science in Management and Bachelor of Arts Degree in Interpersonal Communications from Cardinal Stritch University where he also serves as Adjunct Faculty in the University's College of Business and Management.