Meet the people behind the mission.
Melinda V. Heinritz
President
Melinda joined us in 2016 and believes our public school system is a fundamental pillar of community vitality. She works to ensure it has the resources needed to support its 52 schools and more than 26,000 students. She and her husband, Mark, have a son at West High School.
Mary Bartzen
Community Partnerships Director
Mary manages our Adopt-a-School program, which establishes and strengthens relationships between a wide variety of organizations and our public schools. Mary joined the Foundation in 2003 to launch A Principal Experience, an initiative that enabled over 1,000 community members to serve as Principal Partners in our schools. She and her husband are proud parents of two Memorial High School graduates.
Kelly Keenan
Development Coordinator
The Foundation’s mission relies on the vital support of donors and sponsors. As the Development Coordinator, Kelly assists with supporting fundraising initiatives, nurturing donor relationships, and coordinating events. Most recently, Kelly served with Americorps organizing and operating an environmental day camp in Minnesota. This experience reinforced her belief in the importance of education in shaping the future of our society. As a UW-Madison alum, she is excited to be back in Madison.
Caleb Kulinski
Advocacy Coordinator
With advocacy being one of the Foundation’s highest priorities, Caleb provides support to its local referenda campaigns, statewide outreach, and national monitoring. He spent the last few years working on anti-hunger-related advocacy efforts in the Greater Indianapolis area but is excited to be back in his home state of Wisconsin.
Terri Kysely
Operations Manager
Terri joined our staff the summer of 2022. She and her three children are proud alumni of Memorial High School. As Operations Manager she provides an array of administrative, and systems support for Foundation programs, Board of Directors, and committees. In her spare time, you will find Terri with family and friends.
Kari Mueller
Director, Strategy & Innovation
A proud Memorial alumna, Kari helped launch our Madison Public Schools Friends & Alumni Network. She brings over a decade of experience in marketing and community engagement to our team. You can often find her teaching yoga in her Mount Horeb studio or enjoying the outdoors with her husband, three children and dog.
Thomas Qualls
Community Engagement Director
Tom serves as the Community Engagement Director. Drawing from his experience in Madison’s public schools and the nonprofit world, Tom oversees the Teacher Support Network, ensuring the delivery of essential resources to educators. He also manages new business development, cultivating partnerships to bolster the Foundation’s mission. Passionate about public education and with a knack for building high-impact relationships, Tom is committed to breaking down barriers for students and fortifying Madison’s public schools.
Angie Schoeneck
Vice President, Strategy & Innovation
Passionate about education, Angie spent the past five years working closely with K-12 librarians and educators across the country, helping them develop makerspace programs in their schools. An expert in customer insights, Angie leads our marketing and external communications.
“I am proud and honored to be part of a team that is both personally and professionally dedicated to having excellent, well-funded public schools in which learning is celebrated and all students graduate ready for college, career, and community involvement.”
Mary Bartzen, Community Partnerships Director
Our Board of Directors
Gary Jordan
Chair
American Family Insurance
Marty Malloy
Past Chair
M3 Insurance, Retired
Mary Romolino
Chair Elect
ACME Nerd Games
Alyssa Hartung Dockendorff
Treasurer
Wipfli
Gloria Reyes
Secretary
Dane County Human Services
David Aguayo
GMCoC Appointee
Kathy Costello
Retired MMSD Principal
Beth Giles-Klinkner
Madison College Appointee
Beth Goeddel
Clasen Quality Chocolate
Brenda Gonzalez
DMI Appointee, UW-Madison UniverCity Alliance
Jill Jokela
WI Department of Workforce Development, Retired
Ted Jun
Second Harvest Foodbank of Southern Wisconsin
Dan Kennelly
Quad Capital Partners
Jennifer Kraemer
Kraemer Brothers, LLC, Retired
Lisa Kvistad
Interim Superintendent
Badri Lankella
WI Department of Natural Resources
Joe Luedke
Baird Private Wealth Management
Andy Lyons
Eppstein Uhen Architects (EUA)
Ann Marie Malecha
Dezenhall Resources
Mandy Marcum
Wisconsin Department of Health Services
Richard McGregory
Madison College
Kerry Motoviloff
Retired Madison Teachers, Inc.
Nichelle Nichols
Board of Education (non-voting)
Matt Phair
City of Madison Appointee, Badger Ridge Middle School
Allison Reimann
Godfrey & Kahn
Christina Ripley
WEAC
Gisèle Sutherland
BMO Harris N.A.
Careers
Create a career that has impact.
Looking to drive progress in the community? That’s what we do. Join our team and go to work each day knowing you’re part of something selfless: Creating amazing opportunities for students throughout Madison.
Newsroom
Stay up to date. Visit our newsroom.
If you’re a reporter on deadline, or just interested in our latest news, check out the newsroom.
Contact Us
Have questions? It’s easy to reach us.
Whether you want more details about a specific program, have questions about volunteering, or need help deciding where to donate, we can help.