Friends of PBS Wisconsin

The Friends of PBS Wisconsin is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization and exists to ascertain the needs of the communities served and support PBS Wisconsin through the securing financial support, positive community relations, a strong and effective volunteer system, and related administrative services.

Organizational Structure

The Friends of PBS Wisconsin has a Board of Directors comprised of individuals selected from across the state. New appointments are approved by current Board members. The Board is responsible for oversight of policies, budgets, financials, and the duties of the Executive Director. The Officers of the Board of Directors include the President, Vice President, Executive Director, Secretary, and Treasurer. The board is structured with the following standing committees: Executive Committee, Governance Committee, Finance Committee, and Advocacy and Engagement Committee. 

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“To support the educational, cultural, and community broadcasting services of PBS Wisconsin…”

—From the Mission Statement of Friends of PBS Wisconsin.

Board of Directors

Reed E. Hall, President
MADISON, WI
Term (2nd) end date: June 2024

Kyle LaFond, Vice President
MOUNT HOREB, WI
Term (2nd) end date: June 2025

Brian J. Koopman, Treasurer
LA CROSSE, WI
Term (2nd) end date: June 2024

Paula Bonner, Secretary
MADISON, WI
Term (2nd) end date: June 2025

Jan Botz, Immediate Past President
GREEN BAY, WI
One-year appointment end date: June 2023
Jan is currently a Program Director for The Conference Board in New York, bringing more than 35 years of corporate and higher education communications experience to the role. After nearly 30 years in various roles at chemical manufacturer Dow Corning Corp., she moved into higher education, spending three years as Vice President of Public Affairs and Communications at the University of Notre Dame. She received a master’s in Business Administration from Central Michigan University and a liberal arts undergraduate degree from Saginaw Valley State University, where she now serves on the Foundation Board. She also serves on the U.S. Army War College Foundation Board. Jan and her husband Tom Lippert now enjoy living near family in Green Bay, Wisconsin.

Black and white photo of man (Masood Akhtar) sitting

Masood Akhtar
MADISON, WI
Term (2nd) end date: June 2025

Black and white portrait of Sujhey Beisser

Sujhey Beisser
MADISON, WI
Term (1st) end date: June 2023

Chris Borland
MADISON, WI
Term (1st) end date: June 2025

Roberta Filicky-Peneski
SHEBOYGAN, WI
Term (2nd) end date: June 2024

Roberta earned her Master’s degree in Management from the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay and her undergraduate degree from Edgewood College in Madison. Prior to her retirement, she was a financial advisor with Robert W. Baird and Company, Inc. for 20 years. She previously owned and operated Community Relations Consulting, a public relations and marketing firm. Roberta sits on the boards of Friends of PBS Wisconsin, the Edgewood College Board of Visitors, and the Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters where she serves as secretary. Locally she is the immediate past president of the Sheboygan Symphony Orchestra, the chair of the Sheboygan Redevelopment Authority, and an alderperson in the City of Sheboygan.

Tom Fisk
APPLETON, WI
Term (1st) end date: June 2025

Tom Fisk serves as NAI Pfefferle-Green Bay’s managing broker and is a partner at NAI Pfefferle. He is responsible for sales and leasing of retail, office, industrial, and investment properties in northeastern Wisconsin. Tom has been in the real estate business for over 30 years and has been involved in leasing, site selection, property management, and property sales for both development companies and for brokerage firms. He is a member of the International Council of Shopping Centers and the Commercial Association of Realtors Wisconsin, and he is a member and Commercial Council Chairman of the Realtors Association of Northeastern Wisconsin. Tom attended the University of Wisconsin-Fox Valley.

Black and white portrait of Eve Galanter

Eve Galanter
MADISON, WI
Term (1st) end date: June 2023

Eve Galanter, of Madison, founded the Wisconsin Civics Games, a statewide competition for high school students, as part of her work on the Wisconsin Newspaper Association Foundation board. She is the former president of Galanter Public Affairs Consulting, has served on the Madison City Council, and was formerly the director of Sen. Herb Kohl’s Madison office. Eve has served on boards and committees for Wisconsin Women in Government, TEMPO Madison, the Madison Civics Club, and the Madison Public Library. As chair of the Wisconsin Women’s Network, she spearheaded the Wisconsin Women’s Policy Institute, the first nonpartisan training program with the goal of increasing the number of female leaders in public policy.

Elizabeth Kirchstein
MCFARLAND, WI
Term (2nd) end date: June 2023

Karen Michel
MADISON, WI
Term (1st) end date: June 2024

Karen Michel is a member of the Ho-Chunk Nation and is president and CEO of IndiJ Public Media, a nonprofit news organization that covers the Indigenous world through a digital news site and a weekday newscast. Previously she served as publisher and editor of Madison Magazine and is a past board president of the Wisconsin Center for Investigative Journalism. She has written extensively about Native American issues as a freelancer, was a columnist for The New York Times Syndicate, and previously served as president of the Native American Journalists Association. Karen holds a journalism degree from Marquette University and a degree in industrial technology from the University of Wisconsin-Stout.

Regina Millner
MADISON, WI
Term (1st) end date: June 2025

Regina Millner graduated from UW-Madison School of Law and Graduate School of Business and founded a commercial appraisal company and later a consulting firm that specialized in complex real estate projects. Active in the Madison community, Regina has headed significant community projects and served in leadership positions on boards of major business companies and non-profit organizations. In 2012, Regina’s leadership roles expanded to the state of Wisconsin when she was appointed to the UW System Board of Regents. From 2012 to 2019, she served for four years as vice president and president of the UW System Board of Regents, as well as chair of several standing committees of the board.

Oscar Mireles
MADISON, WI
Term (1st) end date: June 2025

Oscar Mireles is the executive director of Omega School, where he has been employed for the past 28 years. Omega School provides GED preparation and adult basic education services to Dane County young adults who do not possess a high school diploma. Oscar is a published poet and the editor of three anthologies. He also published a chapbook of poetry. He was appointed the poet laureate of the city of Madison for 2016-2020. Oscar is the co-founder of Art Party Madison, a monthly networking event for artists and social activists. He is the founder and director of Latinos Organizing for Understanding and Development, a Latinx arts organization.

Nick Mischler
WAUNAKEE, WI
Term (2nd) end date: June 2025

Lisa O’Flyng
WAUSAU, WI
Term (1st) end date: June 2024

Marc Perry
BELOIT, WI
Term (1st) end date: June 2023

Steve Plum
WALES, WI
Term (1st) end date: June 2024

Steve Plum holds bachelor’s degrees in philosophy from St. John’s University and biology from Bemidji State University and master’s degrees in biology and administrative leadership from Bemidji State and University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. He is currently working on his dissertation in the Urban Education Doctoral Program at UW-Milwaukee. Steve has taught science and biology in public education for 27 years and developed and directed the High School of Health Sciences in the Kettle Moraine School District (KMSD). Steve currently serves KMSD as superintendent.

Reid Rayome
WAUSAU, WI
Term (2nd) end date: June 2023

Patty Stoffers
EAU CLAIRE, WI
Term (2nd) end date: June 2023

Jon Miskowski, Ex-Officio
MADISON, WI

MEETINGS

The Friends of PBS Wisconsin Board of Directors meets at least three times per year in locations across the state. Meetings of the Board of Directors and most of its committees are open to the public. To ensure that we have space for all who want to attend, we ask that members of the public who are interested in coming to a meeting phone us at (608) 263-2109 within the five days prior to a specific meeting.

FULL BOARD MEETINGS
FISCAL YEAR 2023

Friday, October 14, 2022 at 1 PM
3319 West Beltline Hwy, Madison, WI 53713
Meeting Agenda (pdf)

Friday, December 9, 2022 at 2 PM
Meeting Agenda (pdf)

Friday, March 10, 2023 at 1 PM
Meeting Agenda (pdf)

Friday, June 9, 2023
(location and time TBD) 

FINANCE COMMITTEE MEETINGS
FISCAL YEAR 2023

Thursday, December 1, 2022 at 2:00 PM
(online)

Thursday, March 2, 2023 at 2:00 PM
(online)

Thursday, May 4, 2023 at 2:00 PM
(online)

Thursday, June 1, 2023 at 2:00 PM
(online)

GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE MEETINGS
FISCAL YEAR 2023

no meetings scheduled at this time

Contact

Eric Greiling

Director of Development
Executive Director, Friends of PBS Wisconsin
[email protected]
608-265-0691

Lorrie Goodwin

Friends of PBS Wisconsin Finance Manager
[email protected]
608-263-0931

Marike Stucky

Friends of PBS Wisconsin Board Relations Manager
[email protected]
608-263-2109