Christine Fessler, President/CEO
cfessler@eastersealswisconsin.com, 608.277.8288 x 116
The Chief Executive Officer for the past 18 years, Christine Fessler has a M.S. in Social Work from UW-Madison and almost 40 years of experience in disability services and nonprofit program and fiscal management.
Nanc Howard, Executive Assistant
nhoward@eastersealswisconsin.com, 608.277.8288 x 115
Nanc Howard has been with the agency ever since graduating from MATC. Nanc has seen enormous changes over the years, but says that one thing remains the same. "Easter Seals continues to provide unique and life-changing services to children and adults and I'm so proud to be a part of an organization that does what we do." Nanc is Executive Secretary to Christine Fessler, Easter Seals CEO and also works part time in the Development Department supporting the Golf Outing for Kids and assisting the Development Director for Northwest Wisconsin, with the northern Wisconsin Annual Campaign and several special events.
Michele, Receptionist
receptionist@eastersealswisconsin.com , 608.277.8288 x 101
Brian Schuetz, Director
bschuetz@eastersealswisconsin.com, 608.277.8288 x 107
Brian joined Easter Seals Wisconsin in 2006 as the Director of Marketing and Communications. He has 12 years of non-profit managment and promotion experience.
Pam
Ganser, Chief Financial Officer
pganser@eastersealswisconsin.com, 608.277.8288 x 119
Pam has been a part of the Easter Seals Wisconsin team since 2008. She has 21 years of experience in the field of Accounting, Tax, Audit and Business Management. Pam has earned her Bachelors degree in accounting from Lakeland College and is currently licensed by the Internal Revenue Service as an Enrolled Agent.
Linda Eby, Human Resources Coordinator/Accounting Assistant
leby@eastersealswisconsin.com, 608.277.8288 x 118
Linda joined Easter Seals Wisconsin in 2008 as the HR Coordinator and Accounting Assistant. She has had previous nonprofit and human resources experience and attended college in Missouri. “I’m excited to be a part of Easter Seals and I am so gratified to see all the amazing ways that we are helping individuals with disabilities. This is a wonderful place to work.”
Ken Saville, Vice President
ksaville@ eastersealswisconsin.com , 608.277.8288 x 108
Ken Saville began his service to Easter Seals and Camp Wawbeek as a camp counselor over 30 years ago. Other than a short time working in Iowa, Ken has spent his entire career at Easter Seals Wisconsin. He now serves as Vice President, Program Development. Ken earned a BS degree in Recreation and Outdoor Education from Southern Illinois University in Carbondale and is a Certified Camp Director by the American Camp Association. When he thinks back on the past 30+ years, Ken can tell you about lots of things that have changed - and two things that will never change. "First, staff and volunteers are tremendously dedicated to the campers. For many, their time at Wawbeek changes them forever. Second, no one ever underestimates what a camper can accomplish. Being amazed is part of the experience." His commitment and service have been recognized by the American Camp Association, which honored him with the Acorn Award in 1999, and by Circle K (organizations sponsored by Kiwanis clubs on college campuses) which gave him the International Humanitarian Award in 1997.
Jill Gretzinger, Coordinator, Outagamie County Disability HelpLine
jgretzinger@eastersealswisconsin.com, 920.832.0344
Jill Gretzinger has managed the HelpLine since its inception in 1995, providing critical resource referrals and support programs for northeast area residents with disabilities, working closely with the community.
Carissa Miller, CTRS, Director of Camp Wawbeek
cmiller@eastersealswisconsin.com, 608.254.2502
After her freshman year at college, Carissa worked at Wisconsin Badger Camp near Prairie du Chien and loved every bit of it! That summer helped her realize that she wanted to make working at camps her career and she has been working at camps every summer since then. She graduated from Winona State University in 1999 with a major in Therapeutic Recreation. She has worked as Camp Director at JCYS Camp Red Leaf, which is part of Camp Henry Horner in northern Illinois and at Wisconsin Badger Camp where she stayed for seven summers. She helped create respite programs at both of those camps and worked very hard to keep all the programming fun and exciting for everyone. Carissa believes in camps and what we can all learn from each other while being away from our computers, video games and televisions. Carissa also has two goats, Coco and Buster, who love campers and making new friends.
Tony Bown, Director, Respite Services
tbown@eastersealswisconsin.com, 608.254.2502
Tony Bown graduated from northern Minnesota’s Bemidji State University with a degree in Business Administration Management and Outdoor Education. He has over 12 years of professional camping experience. He worked as the Assistant Director, Facilities Supervisor, and Adventure/Leadership Director for Courage Center Camps in Minnesota. He has also worked at the Barton Center for Diabetes Education in Massachusetts as the Wilderness Leadership Director. Tony and his wife Sarah have plenty of firsthand experience with the wonderful impact a camp can have on its campers, community, and everyone who is a part of the program. They are excited to be a part of Easter Seals Wisconsin, and the organization’s rich history and bright future.
Nichole Wachter, AmeriCorps Coordinator
nwachter@eastersealswisconsin.com, 608.277.8288 x 126
Nichole Wachter started with Easter Seals Wisconsin in 2010. She came to Easter Seals Wisconsin after spending a year as an AmeriCorps VISTA in the Twin Cities. She is excited to continue her work with the AmeriCorps program. Easter Seals Wisconsin has AmeriCorps members serving in the Camp, FARM and HelpLine departments. Nichole is proud to support our fifty-eight AmeriCorps members as they serve our clients and community. She graduated with a B.A. from the University of Northern Iowa.
Aurora Holder, Program Assistant and IT Coordinator
aholder@eastersealswisconsin.com, 608.277.8288 x 124
Aurora Holder was hired in 2005 as the AmeriCorps Coordinator at Easter Seals. She graduated from UW Madison with a Bachelors Degree in Communication Science.
Paul Leverenz, Vice President
pleverenz@eastersealswisconsin.com, 608-225-2394
Paul supervises the FARM, Self-Employment Serivices and other Easter Seals vocational programs. He offers training, presentations, and mentoring on vocational rehabilitation for farmers, FARM staff, state agencies, and AgrAbility groups. Paul has a BA in Human Services from UW Oshkosh, and an MS in Rehabilitation Counseling from Mankato State University. He grew up on a farm in the Green Bay area.
T. Ellenbecker, Rural Rehabilitation Specialist
tellenbecker@eastersealswisconsin.com, 715.842.3411
T brings to the FARM program 26 years of counseling and case management skills, her knowledge of farming, and her awareness of how disabilities might affect farmers. She joined Easter Seals in 2000 after retiring from a counseling position with the Wisconsin Division of Vocational Rehabilitation. T has fond memories of a childhood spent helping her farm neighbors with a variety of chores.
Paul Untiet, Rural Rehabilitation Specialist
puntiet@eastersealswisconsin.com, 715.347.4093
Paul came to Easter Seals after working 30 years as a counselor for Division of Vocational Rehabilitation. He had worked with the Easter Seals FARM program and staff, teaming together to find solutions for farmers with disabilities who wanted to stay in farming. He was a knowledgeable advocate for farmers at DVR and he continues in this role on the FARM staff. He grew up on a farm and continues to grow a vegetable garden and maintain the lawn and flowerbeds in summer. His interest in genealogy helped him trace his family heritage back to a 13th century farm, which is now a dairy operation.
Jeff Kratochwill, Rural Rehabilitation Specialist
jkratochwill@eastersealswisconsin.com, 608.279.9436
Jeff travels to farms in Wisconsin, meeting with farmers with disabilities, and helping them stay in farming. He was born and raised on a dairy farm in southwest Wisconsin. Jeff has an Associate's Degree in Occupational Therapy and a BS in Business Management and Communications from Concordia University. He has worked at several rehabilitation sites and helped people with disabilities to recover function after a decrease in health status. Most recently, he managed a home modification program in the Dane county area for elderly and disabled individuals wanting to stay at home safely and independently. He returns to his father's farm on most weekends to help with a variety of chores, and, in exchange, he keeps some Angus steers on the farm.
Bruce Whitmore, Rural Rehabilitation Specialist
bwhitmore@eastersealswisconsin.com, 920.675.0570
Bruce travels to farms in Wisconsin, where he has worked with more than 200 farmers with disabilities to help them stay in farming. He has a BS from UW Platteville in Technical Agriculture, and an MS in Education and Professional Development from UW Platteville. He was born and raised on a dairy farm in Walworth County, owned and operated an 800-acre dairy, beef and cash grain farm, and taught vocational agriculture at Brodhead High School. At St Coletta of Wisconsin, he managed a 750-acre farm of dairy, hogs, beef, poultry, and garden crops used by the school and sold for cash income. Bruce has been a volunteer firefighter for 20 years.
Julie Jensen, Self-Employment Services Specialist
jjensen@eastersealswisconsin.com, 920.431.0843
Julie Jensen developed and launched the ESW Self-Employment Services program in 2004. She has a M.S. in Vocational and Technical Training and is a former business enterprise specialist for the Wisconsin Division of Vocational Rehabilitation, where she helped individuals with disabilities develop their own businesses for over 12 years.
Melba Brown, Technical Assistant
mbrown@eastersealswisconsin.com, 608.277.8288 x 106
Melba helps our specialists schedule appointments with farmers, gathers information, researches assistive implements and technology, maintains our database, and helps with on-going training for our partners and staff. Her background as the wife of a dairy farmer helps her understand the challenges of farm life and to appreciate farmers' love of the land and commitment to farming. This has strengthened her sense of the need for the service FARM provides and the satisfaction she gets from her contribution to the program.
Judith Guttman, Technical Assistant
jguttman@eastersealswisconsin.com, 608.277.8288 x 125
Judith edits and formats reports for the FARM Program. She lived for many years in Washington DC, where she taught high school English in the public schools and conducted team-building and long-term planning consultations for the Episcopal Diocese of Washington. She has a BA from Earlham College, an MA in English Literature from Brandeis University, and an MA in Educational Technology from the Catholic University of America.
Julie A
. Short JD, Manager
jshort@eastersealswisconsin.com, 608-277-8288 * 110
Julie A. Short JD is an experienced elder law attorney with over 19 Julie joined Easter Seals in February of 2012 as manager of aging and disability services to expand the capacity of Easter Seals Wisconsin to serve individual with disabilities and their families as our society increasing tackles aging issues. Prior to working at Easter Seals Wisconsin, Julie was the Legal Director of the Elder Law Center of the Coalition of Wisconsin Aging Groups (CWAG) during which she managed eight distinct legal services projects. Julie joined CWAG after sixteen years of privately practicing elder law and estate planning. She graduated from the University of Wisconsin Law School in December of 1992. In addition to her legal practice, Julie has been invited to be a guest lecturer at the University of Wisconsin Law School for the Lawyering Skills Course. She has been recognized for her volunteer pro bono efforts by the Wisconsin State Bar. Julie is a Phi Beta Kappa undergraduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Julie is a Board Member for the Elder Law Section of the State Bar and a Board Member of the Wisconsin Chapter of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys. She is also a member of the Lawyer Referral and Information Services Committee of the Wisconsin State Bar. She is also a member of the Home Care Consumer Advisory Committee with the Wisconsin Department Health Services. She is a frequent presenter at continuing legal education seminars on elder law issues for the Wisconsin State Bar Association.
Nance Roepke, Director of Development & Donation Center
nroepke@eastersealswisconsin.com, 608.257.7780
Before coming to Easter Seals, Nance Roepke worked in social services and as a community organizer. She was hired in January of 1985 to do local fundraising and volunteer development in the Fox Valley. In November of that year, Nance was promoted to Director of Development for the state and transferred to Madison. When Easter Seals entered into a partnership with Savers Thrift Stores in 1995 to develop a collection service, Nance took over responsibility for this effort as well. "When I started here," Nance says, "I never expected that I would stay for over 25 years. But, Easter Seals and its services for children and adults with disabilities quickly stole my heart. It is a wonderful place to work and, since I enjoy variety and new challenges, has been a great fit for me. It feels so satisfying to know that I am helping to provide the funding base that allows Easter Seals to provide meaningful, quality services for people with disabilities. Even more rewarding is doing so with a group of caring co-workers and volunteers."
Kris Ackley, Associate Director of Development/Southern Wisconsin
kackley@eastersealswisconsin.com, 608.277.8288 x 109
Kris Ackley joined Easter Seals Wisconsin in November 2010 and brings with her many years of fundraising experience on the local, state and national level. She has planned golf tournaments, black-tie awards dinners, bowling tournaments, silent and live auctions and has worked with individual and corporate donors. Kris will be working on the Annual Campaign, Golf Outing for Kids, Fall Sprawl and Blizzard Blast, among other things. “I’m looking forward to putting my skills to good use to support the many wonderful programs supported by Easter Seals Wisconsin. I feel very lucky to be making a difference in the lives of people with disabilities that we serve throughout the state. Growing up in a farming community in central Wisconsin, the FARM Program is something I am very proud to help support.” Kris has a degree in Sports Management from the University of Wisconsin – La Crosse. She is a member of the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) Greater Madison Chapter.
Jennifer Bailey, Development Coordinator - North
jbailey@eastersealswisconsin.com, 715.379.4787
This position works with the VIPs on the northern Wisconsin Annual Campaign and coordinates the major fundraisers, Eau Claire Fall Fun Fest, Wausau Golf Outing and the Wausau Dance and Raffle. Also works with Century 21 Dairyland Realty North in Medford on two smaller events.
Mary Statz, Development & Marketing Assistant
mstatz@eastersealswisconsin.com, 608.277.8288 x 103
When she began job hunting in 1994 after enjoying the opportunity to stay home with her children for more than 20 years, Mary Statz knew she wanted a job that would benefit society in some way. Easter Seals provided what she was looking for. "Easter Seals really makes a big difference in the lives of people around the state, and that is important to me," Mary says. "My job has evolved over the years to suit my strengths and the variety and new challenges keep it interesting." Currently working as the Assistant for Marketing and Development, Mary helps with major fundraisers such as the Golf Outing for Kids and works closely with VIPs during the southern Wisconsin Annual Campaign. She coordinates the statewide direct mail program, designs various marketing materials and writes and edits the Network News. In 2006, Mary revitalized Easter Seals' dated Hop-N-Ing program by conceptualizing, researching and writing Avenues to Understanding, a disability awareness curriculum aimed at children and teens.
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