Skip to content
Board
Brenda White
Retired President, Siena Catholic Schools of Racine | Board Chair
Brenda has spent over three decades in education leadership. She is the retired President of Siena Catholic Schools of Racine, a system of seven schools that serves students in grades 3K-12. Brenda was an associate superintendent for the Archdiocese of Milwaukee before joining Siena Catholic Schools in 2017. From 1989 to 2008, Brenda served as principal for St. Margaret Mary School in Milwaukee, Wisconsin Hills Middle School in Brookfield, and Holy Apostles School in New Berlin.
Nathan Schwanz
Director of Government Relations, Medical College of Wisconsin | Secretary
Nathan is a government relations and public policy professional with 15 years of varied experience in Wisconsin. He is known for his strong policy research and analysis skills and collaboration with diverse groups of stakeholders to address complex public policy problems. During his tenure as a staff member in the State Legislature, Nathan contributed to crafting and negotiating significant reforms to Wisconsin’s school choice laws, including simplification and expansion of the program. Most recently, Nathan led negotiations for the largest funding increase for Wisconsin’s school choice program since the program’s inception, guiding its bipartisan passage.
Richard Laabs
Retired, Founding CEO, Lutheran Urban Mission Initiative, Inc. (LUMIN Schools) | Treasurer
Dick is a faith-based leader, entrepreneur, and active volunteer who has served in CEO, COO, CFO, independent director and ownership positions. He recently retired as the founding CEO of LUMIN Schools, a network of urban Lutheran schools serving low-income families in southeast Wisconsin and northern Indiana. Other industry experience includes banking, private equity, manufacturing, service, and nonprofit. He has led several new business formations, leveraged buyouts and corporate divestitures, and is skilled at strategic planning, financial management, and business turnarounds.
Heather Weininger
Executive Director, Wisconsin Right To Life | Executive Member
Heather has served as Wisconsin Right to Life’s Executive Director since July 2014. Heather began her career working on Capitol Hill for former Congressman Mark Green. After returning home to Wisconsin to get married, she worked on the Bush-Cheney ’04 re-election campaign, followed by serving as the Finance Director to a Congressional Campaign, and assisting with state-wide candidates and state legislative campaigns. Her background also includes training candidates to run for local, state-wide, and national offices. Heather and her husband, Chad, are also small business owners.
Steve Baas
Executive Director, Wisconsin Transportation Builders Association
Steve Baas has been the Executive Director of the Wisconsin Transportation Builders Association since 2021. For 16 years prior, he served as Senior Vice President of Government Affairs for the Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce (MMAC), lobbying on behalf of MMAC members at the state, federal, and local levels. From 1994 to 2005, Baas served the state of Wisconsin under the Tommy Thompson Administration as the Communications Director for the Speaker of the State Assembly.
Donna Bembenek
President, Catholic Memorial High School
Donna has been the president of Catholic Memorial High School (CMH) since July 2017. Prior to her tenure at CMH, she was Vice President of Marketing and Communications for YMCA USA and Senior Vice President of External Relations for YMCA of Metro Milwaukee. She has taken part in JFC hearings, spoke before committees, was part of the SCW SWAT team, and leads the Archdiocese of Milwaukee president group.
Peter Farrow
Retired, Executive Chairman of MedWand Solutions, Inc.
Peter recently retired after nearly 30 years in the insurance industry, including 22 years as CEO and general manager of Group Health Cooperative of Eau Claire. He held multiple leadership roles at the state and national levels and previously served as Assistant Deputy Insurance Commissioner for Wisconsin, helping implement key legislation. Earlier in his career, Peter was a small business owner and press secretary for Congressman Jim Sensenbrenner.
Jim Kitzinger
Co-Founder, KLCM Advisors
Jim is a co-founder of KLCM Advisors, an investment management firm in Wisconsin. He is a CFA and CPA with forty years of experience on the Wisconsin financial scene and is regarded as one of the top money managers in the state. He began his career in investment analysis and portfolio management at First Wisconsin Bank and Trust Co. in Milwaukee in 1988, until co-founding KLCM Advisors Registered Investment Advisory Firm in 1993. He serves today as CEO and Chief Investment Officer at the firm.
Andrew Neumann
Executive Chair & CEO, Open Sky Education (HOPE Christian Schools)
Andrew is an educational entrepreneur committed to ensuring all children have access to excellent learning opportunities that help them fulfill their purpose and lead flourishing lives. He began his career as a high school and college teacher while completing a Ph.D. in educational mathematics. In 2006, he joined Educational Enterprises (now Open Sky Education) and serves as its Executive Chair/CEO working to support the team to advance its mission nationally by growing its school networks (HOPE Christian Schools and EAGLE public charter schools), Christian wraparound programs (Compass Educational Programs), and the Character Formation Project.