BOARD members for 2012 - with bios

Many thanks to those from the 2011 Board, vacating spots this year: Jim Draeger, Bill Christofferson, Chuck Baynton, Cindy Breunig, Renee Shavers, Steve Carlson, Matt Stewart, Cecilia Zarate-Laun, Joe Hill, Stefania Sani, Zohreh Gavamshahidi, Al Gedicks, Monica Adams, . Your service to WNPJ for peace and justice was so much appreciated.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Biographies of the WNPJ Board Membership - 2011/2012

Officers:

Tom McGrath, Co-Chair - Wausau, WI tommcgrath1@gmail.com - I was born in Milwaukee. I spent four years in the Navy as a Electronics Technician ( three years of which were on a Destroyer) in the 1960's. Upon leaving the Navy, I went to work for a large Computer Corporation as a technician in Milwaukee. - I moved to Wausau in 1979 and raised four children (all of which, now live out of the state). Currently I am divorced, and I am now retired from the Computer Corporation. - I became involved in the "Northwoods Peace Fellowship" through friends in Wausau over the last couple of years and through that became aware of WNPJ. Over the years I have become quite disillusioned with the current administration in Washington; since I seem to disagree with them on just about every issue. Over the years, I've become quite aware of the amount of corruption in government, the ineptness of the current administration in Washington, and the lack of integrity among our politicians. - I am hoping to affect some of these issues by becoming more socially/politically active. It is a never ending learning process.

Co-chair: Dena Eakles, Ontario - denaeakles@earthlink.net, 608-337-4871. Dena is the founder of Echo Valley Farm, a sustainable farm and learning center in Southwestern WI, and presides over Echo Valley Hope, Inc. a charitable and educational 501(c)(3), whose mission is to advance sustainable living and respect for the Earth; and to support all initiatives of peace. She is the author of The Peace Warrior.

Secretary - Barb Munson, Mosinee Barb@Munson.net 715 693-6238 – home. 715 571-9296 – cell. A member of the Oneida Tribe of Indians of Wisconsin. Barbara is a member of the Wisconsin Arts Board and is spokesperson for Wisconsin Indian Education Association’s ‘Indian’ Mascot and Logo Taskforce. The taskforce successfully campaigned for the enactment of landmark civil rights legislation in 2010 that is leading to the elimination of race-based Indian nicknames, logos and mascots from Wisconsin Public Schools. Barbara received the 2010 Community Shares Sally Sunde Family Advocate Award and the 2011 ACLU-WI Eunice Z. Edgar Lifetime Achievement Award for her work as an activist regarding this issue. Barbara also has a history of environmental activism and has leant support to a number of environmental causes affecting Wisconsin Tribes.

Treasurer: Jessie Read, Sussex - jessiereidread@gmail.com, 262-844-2321. After moving to Milwaukee in 1994, Jessie became her church's treasurer and worked as the church’s office manager for eight years. She became office manager at Peace Action Wisconsin in 2008. At Peace Action, she found her peace and justice voice. Jessie is self-employed as a bookkeeper and office worker for churches and nonprofits,

and is considering running for political office.

Past-Chair: Mary Beth Schlagheck, Windsor, WI mbspeace1@charter.net 608-846-7924 Mary Beth was born September 3, 1938 in Richland Center, Wisconsin, Mary Beth was raised on a farm in Bear Valley. She moved to Milwaukee in 1956 where in 1965 she married James Schlagheck in 1965. Following moves from South Bend, IN and Cedar Rapids, IA, they settled in Madison in 1969. Employed by the University of Wisconsin until 1978, she dedicated herself to volunteerism in both church and community. Her activism led her to be involved in nonviolent civil disobedience, protests, line crossings and acts of religious obedience which included the Nevada Test Site, Las Vegas, NV; Whiteman A.F.B., Knob Noster, MO; Offut Air Force Base, Omaha, NB; Truax Field Air Force Base, Madison, and St. Raphael Cathedral, Madison. In response to the Reagan Administration military build-up in 1981, she joined two other women to create a weekly Vigil for Peace in front of the IRS building in downtown Madison. This Vigil continues in front of the Municipal Building in downtown Madison to the present day. In 1982 Mary Beth and Jim began the domestic support of Helen Dery Woodson by helping to care for her large family. Beginning in 1984 until the present when Helen’s civil disobedience resulted many long prison sentences, Mary Beth and Jim along with the support of many others, became full time caregivers of seven Woodson children. Jim Schlagheck passed away in January of 1997. In 1999 Mary Beth married John Marhoefer and moved to Windsor, WI. where she continues guardianship of the three youngest members of the Woodson family. Mary Beth remains committed to the values and ideals of nonviolence and peace through the lens of social justice for all.

Members at large

Liz Bruno, Madison - elizabet.bruno@gmail.com, 608-515-0280. Liz is a young white lady embracing a life in transition. She prioritizes learning about her own privilege and place in the world by listening with an open heart, growing connections, sharing life stories, and supporting the leadership of others while building her own leadership in this struggle for justice. Liz's deepening faith in the earth fuels her work toward racial justice and social change. Liz directly engages with this work as a collective member of Groundwork, a white anti-racist collective that works in accountability to people of color.

Karma Chavez, Madison - karmachavez@gmail.com, 480-586-5848. Karma is a recent transplant to Madison. She is originally from Nebraska, but has spent the last several years in New Mexico and Arizona. As an activist, she has worked primarily on LGBTQ and immigration rights issues and she teaches courses and conducts research on these issues as well. She is a member of the WNPJ immigrant rights working group and an assistant professor of rhetoric in the Department of Communication Arts at UW-Madison.

Todd Dennis, Madison todd@ivaw.org, 715-533-2887, Todd served in the U.S. Navy from 1997-2003, onboard the USS Santa Fe (SSN-763) from August 1999 thru June 2003. While on the Santa Fe he participated in two Western Pacific deployments to the Persian Gulf and Western Pacific areas. After leaving the military Todd attended UW-Eau Claire where he received a B.S. in Physics in 2009 and UW-Madison where he received a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering in 2008. He is currently the Kitchen Programs Manager at Porchlight, Inc. in Madison. Todd is the contact for the group, Iraq Veterans Against the War; serving as the Madison chapter President; and a member of Veterans For Peace, the War Resisters League, and WNPJ.

Deb Foster, Eagle River - mrsdebfoster@gmail.com, 715-891-5955. Deb has taught in Detroit, Milwaukee and northern WI. She has taught in an emergency shelter for abused, neglected and delinquent boys, and in a residential treatment center for children and families with mental health issues. Deb was the first instructor in a Milwaukee Public Schools / WI Department of Juvenile Corrections collaboration to transition youth out of juvenile corrections, and developed a Peace Studies class for high school students. She is president of the local teacher's union, and a member of the WI Education Council’s Human Relations / Minority Affairs Committee.

Kelly Gallaher, Racine - kellykgallaher@gmail.com, 414-350-6858. Kelly is a founding member and organizer for Community for Change in Racine, a coalition of labor, interfaith, immigration, environmental, political and social justice organizations. Kelly serves on the Boards of the Racine Branch of the NAACP, of ADAM (Alliance for Drug & Alcohol Management), and of Racine Family Literacy, and founded Families with Children from China in Southeast WI. Kelly was a 2006 recipient of the YMCA Woman of Distinction Award. She works with Racine youth through the Taylor Home’s Gang Diversion Program and as an Artist in Residence to local schools.

Margie Jessup Milton caljane@merr.com 608-868-2660 Member of Rock Valley Fellowship of Reconciliation, Habiba Chaouch Foundation, Peace Action-Wisconsin, DR!VEN (a grass-roots organization working on health care issues and electing local candidates health care), and Community Action on Latin America. Active in all protest against war and injustice. Three-county leader in the 2004 Kucinich for President campaign and supporter of the Department of Peace. Employed as a computer programmer/analyst. A Chavista with a special interest in how the U.S. has interfered in Latin America by opposing democratically elected leaders and kidnapping or assassinating them.

Liz Klainot, Milwaukee - lizklainot@gmail.com, 414-364-7513. Liz is the former Program Director of Peace Action Wisconsin and is currently a graduate student and TA in the Sociology program at UWM. She is also the organizer for the Milwaukee Fair Trade Coalition. She has been an activist since high school and is particularly interested in peace, fair trade and labor issues. Liz plans on eventually getting a PhD in Sociology and becoming a professor. She has chaired various committees including the UW-Madison Green Party and the Milwaukee Youth Against Sweatshops Coalition.

Chris Kuehnel, Cleveland 920-693-3141 cqnel@vetsforpeacesheboygan.org . Chris has a consulting company on computer related data management, and is active with the Sheboygan area Veterans for Peace and Peace Action WI.

Paul Moriarity, Milwaukee freepj@gmail.com, 414-801-7679. Paul is an Army veteran, having served from 1995 to 2002. He's earned a masters degree in conflict transformation from the School for International Training in Brattleboro, Vermont. Since leaving the Army, Paul earned a WI teaching certification, and is now teaching special education and reading to Milwaukee middle school students. For the last four years, Paul has worked with the Peace Learning Center of Milwaukee, teaching conflict resolution and communications skills to fourth and fifth grade students. He's also involved with Milwaukee Veterans for Peace Chapter 102, currently as chapter President, and is a Board Member with the Homeless Veterans Initiative.

Clif Morton, New London - morton@hughes.net, 920-982-6908. Clif has been an educator for 37 years, in language arts, social studies, political science, comparative government, history and sociology. He's coached award-winning forensic and debate teams, and received six statewide awards, including the Wisconsin State Human Relations Association Outstanding Educator Award and the Wisconsin Indian Education Association Friend of Indian Education Award. Clif serves on the Executive Board of the Wisconsin State Human Relations Association and the CREATE (culturally responsive education) Planning Committee, is active with the Fox Valley Peace Coalition and leads Citizens for Shared Prosperity. Clif is the author of two books and more than a dozen articles that have appeared in professional journals and news websites.

Janet Parker, Madison janetparker8@gmail.com Janet Parker is a Madison peace, justice and climate change activist. She organized many nonviolent civil disobedience actions to prevent and end the war on Iraq. She has been part of WNPJ's peace and anti-racism work since 2004, including working on media for the successful Bring Our Troops Home referenda campaigns and serving as board member and board co-chair. She is a Quaker. In 2009, Janet launched a farm incubator which supports and trains beginning organic farmers, primarily recent immigrants, at the Farley Center for Peace, Justice, and Sustainability, www.farleycenter.org. Before moving to Madison in 1999, she coordinated a large youth environmental education and gardening project in west Baltimore from 1994 – 1998. Janet speaks Spanish, holds a masters degree from the Gaylord Nelson Institute at UW-Madison, and participated in an eight-week anti-racism workshop with Groundwork Collective. Janet lives with her partner Walt Novash who works in solar energy.

Eva Shulte, Madison - eva@justcoffee.coop, 608-446-1596. Eva is from Madison, but spent many years living and working in Latin America with rural indigenous communities who helped shaped her view of justice, dignity and self-determination. She has been involved in the fair trade and cooperative movements and initiatives for food and economic justice. Returning to Madison, Eva has been active on immigrant rights issues and is a member of Groundwork, an anti-racism collective which works to challenge white privilege and work for racial justice. She a member and co-founder of the Madison Interpreter's Cooperative and spends her days working as a Spanish interpreter and being a mom to a 2-year old.

Kelly Westlund, Ashland - kelly.westlund@gmail.com, 715-209-6821. Kelly is a freelance project coordinator, writer, and activist working with the Bayfield Regional Food Producers Cooperative. She is a recent graduate of the Emerge Wisconsin program and a current Leadership WI fellow. She holds a B.A. in Peace, Conflict, and Global Studies and serves on the Board of Directors for the Ashland & Bayfield counties League of Women Voters. Kelly is the former Executive Director of the Alliance for Sustainability and is working to block a proposed open-pit mine in the Penokee Mountain Range.

Primary links

BOARD members for 2012 - with bios