Board & Staff
Staff
Megan Hartwick
(board secretary)
Executive Director
Board of Directors
Cory Krisher (board chair) – Store Director, Festival Foods
Kevin Paynter (board treasurer) – Collections Officer, Fort Community Credit Union
Dave Geiger – Principal, Luther Elementary School
Robin Kennedy – Vice President of Mission Advancement, Opportunities, Inc.
Penny Ardelt – Customer Service Supervisor, First Citizens State Bank
Matt Yonke – Human Resources Manager, HUSCO International
Ben Wehmeier – County Administrator, Jefferson County
Nancy Alstad – Human Resources Director, Fort Healthcare
Lynsey Schwabrow – Chief of Institutional Research and Planning, University of Wisconsin-Whitewater
Lisa Caras – Marketing Manager, Jones Dairy Farm
Helen Mortazavi – Office Coordinator, Valero
Chris VanGundy – Sr. Health, Safety & Environmental Engineer, Valero
Latest Board & Staff News
Board Member Input – Them Fightin’ Words
"You know they's lots o' words that's called fightin' words. Some o' them starts a brawl, no matter who they're spoken to." So says Ring Lardner in his 1917 Gullible's Travels. What are those them fightin words all about? Well, my fellow board members and I were...
Intern Input – Community of Giving
Things are going great here at United Way, and I am really enjoying myself and the work I am doing. My favorite part about my role at United Way is working with the community here. Over the past couple of days I have had the opportunity to communicate with and meet a...
Board Member Input – Successful Start to Campaign Season
Happy fall everyone, As we are getting into fall that also means our campaign season is about to get into full swing. This year at Festival we decided to take a different approach to the campaign season so we could really focus on maximum exposure to our associates....
Intern Input – Why United Way?
As a college student you learn a lot about yourself. You find out what you want to do, who you want to be, and most importantly you find out how you want to leave your mark on this world. For me, I want to leave my mark by helping people and “creating opportunities”...
Board Member Input – Jones Dairy Supports United Way!
The changing of seasons is the perfect time to think about how we can best support our community and what better than with United Way. Each fall, we eagerly kick-off the United Way Campaign where we collaborate with local business to raise funding for our partner...
Board Member Input – The United Way: Active in the Community Year Round!
As a United Way Board Member, I am constantly amazed at the generosity of our community. There are times when we are able to contribute, and other times when we are the recipients, who may someday wish to contribute. The United Way is there for all of us. While we...
Board Member Input – Why Workplace Campaigns Are Important
Why should companies participate in a workplace campaign? A workplace campaign is an easy way to give back to the community that can be a lot of fun. When I first took over the workplace campaign for Husco in Whitewater, I was shocked by how many people wanted to...
Board Member Input – Inspiration Through Helping People!
I have had the honor of being a United Way Board Member for several years. During this time I have been inspired by the Director and the Board for their dedication and leadership to continue to build a strong community and help ALL people in need. Each year we...
Board Member Input – United Way’s Important County Role
Over the course of the past year, I have utilized the term “ecosystem” on a more frequent basis as we look to and envision the future of the County. An ecosystem is defined in two ways 1) a system, or a group of interconnected elements, formed by the interaction of...
Director’s Thoughts – Pride in this Work
People often ask me if it's hard that so much of my job is focused on fundraising (aka, asking people for money). I've always been able to very easily and quickly answer that question with a genuine, truthful "no." Why? Because I know how important our United Way...