Foundation for Madison's Public Schools

The Foundation for Madison's Public Schools is an independent, community non-profit organization dedicated to sustaining and extending the excellence of Madison's public schools. The Foundation:

• raises private funds to enhance educational opportunities for students - present and future - in Madison's public schools;
• awards grants for creative and innovative projects which are not funded within the core school budget;
• develops supportive relationships between the schools and community that enrich the education of children.

The Foundation Board and Staff

The Foundation Board comprised of community leaders and educators. The Board determines policies, provides leadership in fund-raising and grant making, and ensures that gifts to the foundation are used in accordance with the donor's wishes. The Foundation has its own professional staff independent of the MMSD administration but is endorsed by it.

Board Members

Ann Arnesen - retired, Wisconsin Council on Children and Families
Sue Bakke - Sub Zero/Wolf Appliance
Jane Belmore - retired, Assistant Superintendent
Alice Benn - retired, Educator
Nan Brien (Chair) - retired, Wisconsin Council on Children and Families
Mary Burke - retired, WI Department of Commerce
Carol J. Carstensen - MMSD Board of Education (non-voting)
Betty Harris Custer - Custer Financial Services
Eve Degen - Madison Teachers, Inc.
Sue Denholm - Aldo Leopold Nature Center
Vicky D'Orazio - Community Volunteer
Lynne Watrous Eich (Secretary) - retired, Dane County Cultural Affairs Commission
Robert Gibson (Vice Chair) - Composite Rebar Technologies, Inc.
Bruce Gregg - retired, Educator
Michael Heffernan - Foley & Lardner
Elizabeth Huebel - Community Volunteer
Mary Kelly - Community Volunteer
Edith Lawrence-Hilliard - MPI International Elaine Lohr - retired, MMSD
Mark McNally - Bachmann Construction
Joy Miller - retired, School Nurse
Kevin O'Connor - LaFollette, Godfrey & Kahn
Phil Ouellette - Lindsay, Stone & Briggs
Marveen Phelps - retired, Educator
Art Rainwater - MMSD (non-voting)
Jim Wartinbee (Treasurer) - First Business Bank
Dora Zuniga - Big Brothers Big Sisters of Dane County

Honorary Board Members

Jennifer Alexander - President, Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce
Tammy Baldwin - Congresswoman
Elizabeth Burmaster - State Superintendent of Schools
Dave Cieslewicz - Mayor of Madison
Jessica Doyle - First Lady of Wisconsin
Kathleen Falk - Dane County Executive
Virginia Henderson - retired Psychologist, MMSD
David Maraniss - Author
Paul Maslin - Political Consultant
Hal Mayer - retired, VP of Operations, Oscar Mayer Food Corporation
Parker Palmer - Author and Speaker
Sondy Pope-Roberts - State Representative, Wisconsin State Assembly
Charles Read - Dean Emeritus, School of Education, UW-Madison
Sandy Shockley - The Shockley Group
Sue Ann Thompson - President, Wisconsin Women's Health Foundation, Inc.
Doug Timmerman - President and CEO, AnchorBank
Bradley Whitford - Actor
John Wiley - Chancellor, UW-Madison
Jonathan Wolman - Editor, Editorial Page, Denver Post

Staff

Martha Vukelich-Austin, President
Kalsang Dolkar Gyaltsen, Financial Manager
Mary Bartzen, ISEI Director