Assist in the fight against invasive plant life in our Parks. See our Weed-Out schedule here
The Park People Board of Directors & Staff
Board of Directors
President
Dan Cody
United Health Group
Dan Cody has been an IT manager at United Health Group since 2012. After pursuing a degree in computer science at South Dakota State University, he moved to Oshkosh, Wisconsin in 1998 to lead a new internet practice division at Oracular, one of the Fox Valley’s premier IT consultancies and then accepted a position as an IT manager with a Milwaukee-based consulting firm in 2002. Cody serves on the board of the Quality of Life Alliance, is a member of the Milwaukee Forum, serves on the membership committee of the African American Chamber of Commerce of Milwaukee, and plays an active role in his neighborhood association. He also owns one of Milwaukee's premier small businesses in the IT sector, Progressive Networks, which serves the IT needs of hundreds of clients in Southeastern Wisconsin and throughout the country. Since becoming involved with The Park People in 2008, Cody has served as the chair of the membership committee and is the current board president.
Vice President
Susan Spoerk, JD
Thomson Reuters
Susan Spoerk has been with Thomson Reuters since 1991. She currently works with large law firms in Wisconsin as a Westlaw Account Manager. Spoerk earned her Master’s in Leadership in 2011 and her law degree in 1991, both from Marquette. She received her bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1986. Between undergraduate studies and law school she worked for U.S. Senator William Proxmire. Spoerk is a member of the Milwaukee Bar Association and Wisconsin State Bar. She is also the past-president of the Milwaukee Young Lawyers Association. She served on the board of directors of The Park People since 2006, and was the chair of the Friends Group committee though 2011. She currently serves as the vice-president of The Park People.
Treasurer
Pat Hintz, JD
Quarles and Brady
Patricia A. Hintz is an attorney with Quarles & Brady LLP where she practices in the areas of taxation and not-for-profit organizations. She advises clients in a wide variety of areas including partnership and pass-through taxation, low income housing tax credit projects, tax controversy matters before the Internal Revenue Service and state taxing authorities and corporate and tax issues of not-for-profit organizations including public charities and private foundations. Prior to attending law school (from 1985 to 1991), Pat worked as a tax consultant at Deloitte & Touche LLP and PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP. She is a certified public accountant, licensed in Wisconsin. Pat received her J.D. from the University of Wisconsin, a M.S. in Taxation from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and a B.S. in accounting from Marquette University. She currently (since 2000) serves as the secretary/treasurer of the Milwaukee Bar Association. She previously served as treasurer of Milwaukee Young Lawyers Association, chair and treasurer of the tax section of the State Bar of Wisconsin, board member and treasurer of the Center for Communication, Hearing and Deafness and a founding member and treasurer of the Milwaukee Chapter of the Executive Women's Golf Association.
Secretary
Cheri Briscoe
Community Volunteer
Cheri (Frederick) Briscoe has been interested in nature and conservation all of her life. She was elected to the Waukesha County Board from 1984-1996, where she served as Chair of the Recycling and Waste Management Committee and several others. She helped start recycling centers in Elm Grove and Brookfield and also helped to found the Elmbrook Senior Taxi. She was a founding member of AROW (Associated Recyclers of Wisconsin). Upon leaving the Waukesha Board she moved to Milwaukee and resumed teaching . After retiring from Milwaukee High School of the Arts in 2001 she became involved with the Great Waters Group of the Sierra Club and served as Chairperson for 5 years. She also volunteers as a teaching assistant with the Urban Ecology Center. She currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Public Parks Alliance and as chair for the Milwaukee County Parks Advisory Commission. Cheri has a B.S. Degree in Education from Southeast Missouri State College.
Lauren R. Grahovac Harpke
Quarles & Brady LLP
Lauren R. Grahovac Harpke is an attorney with Quarles & Brady LLP where she practices primarily in the environmental law group. Harpke advises clients on site remediation, records retention policies, and insurance litigation in addition to environmental due diligence and permit transfers in connection with corporate transactions. During law school, she worked with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. Harpke is currently the coordinator of Quarles & Brady’s pro bono program in connection with the Sojourner Family Peace Center’s courthouse restraining order clinic. Harpke is a member of the Milwaukee Bar Association, American Bar Association, Federation of Environmental Technologists, and FUEL Milwaukee.
Keith Holt
Milwauke Bicycle Works
Keith Holt has been advocating for trail development and bicycling in large urban communities for almost a decade. Working for more than five years for the Chicagoland Bicycle Federation (now Active Transportation Alliance), Keith faced trail challenges and successes with the Major Taylor Trail, Burnham Greenway, the southern end of the Lakefront Trail, and the Cal Sag Trail. Since moving to Milwaukee in 2007, he has brought that personal mission to the neighborhood where he lives and continues with the formation of Milwaukee Bicycle Works, a nonprofit community organization, which sees bicycling as a tool for sustainable change in the community. Keith is currently the Chair of the Milwaukee Bike Ped Task Force, a member of the Milwaukee County Park Advisory Commission and serves on various committees of Washington Park Partners.
Kelly Kiel
Community Volunteer
Kelly is a lifelong resident of Milwaukee County and grew up in South Milwaukee. She graduated from Carroll College with an Elementary Education degree in 1991 and taught in the Milwaukee Public Schools. She has also worked for Time Insurance and Midwest Express airlines. She recently completed her degree in Landscape Architecture from UW-Madison. Her future goals include designing parks, playgrounds and campuses. She is currently employed with the State of Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development. An avid outdoor enthusiast, Kelly enjoys camping, backpacking, and traveling. She continues her lifelong enjoyment of running and has competed in local road races, marathons, and triathlons. Kelly is also a musician who plays viola with Dolce Corde string quartet for weddings.
John E. Lunz
Community Volunteer
John Lunz retired from Rockwell International in 1998 and from the Milwaukee School of Engineering (MSOE) in 2007. Lunz still occasionally teaches courses in Electrical Engineering at MSOE and devotes his spare time to creating and maintaining natural areas to improve the habitat of our insects, butterflies and birds: in his yard, in nature centers, and in area parks. He serves as the chair of the environmental committee of The Park People and is also on the board of directors of Preserve Our Parks, where he currently serving as president. John received his degree in Electrical Engineering from Marquette University in1966 following five years in the United States Navy. He received his master’s in electrical engineering from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1970.
Jeff Martinka
Southeastern Wisconsin Watersheds Trust, Inc.
Jeff Martinka is the Executive Director of Sweet Water, the Southeastern Wisconsin Watersheds Trust, Inc. That organization has been successful in planning and funding water quality collaborations in the five Milwaukee area watersheds. Prior to joining Sweet Water, Martinka managed nonprofits in the Twin Cities and Milwaukee. He also worked in management at the Milwaukee County Parks, in Milwaukee Mayor John Norquist's Office, and at the Milwaukee Department of City Development. Martinka earned Masters degrees in Urban and Regional Planning and Public Administration at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a Bachelors degree from the University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee.
Casey Renn
United Way of Greater Milwaukee
Casey Renn is a communications and events professional with experience in both corporate and non-profit. Casey is proud to call Milwaukee his home since moving here to attend Cardinal Stritch University in 2002 where he later earned his degree in business marketing and communications. Having grown up on a Wisconsin family owned dairy farm, he is an avid enthusiast of being active and the outdoors. He understands the value of our diverse park system to our community and our quality of life and is a passionate advocate for them. Casey lives in the Riverwest area and is employed at United Way of Greater Milwaukee as their Communications and Events Specialist. Prior experiences include being a meeting and event planner for MillerCoors and managing the YMCA of Metropolitan Milwaukee’s AmeriCorps program. Additionally he has served on the Alumni Board for Cardinal Stritch University, is a member of FUEL Milwaukee and MPI (Meeting Professionals International).
Chuck Rozewicz
Community Volunteer
Chuck Rozewicz joined the Park People Board of Directors in January of 2010. He holds a Bachelor’s degree from University of Wisconsin Milwaukee, and has served on the UWM Athletic Board of Directors and as President of the Hales Corners Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors. His professional experience includes working in sales and marketing for the Milwaukee Brewers Baseball Club and Atlantic Records, and promoting affordable housing for Select Milwaukee, Inc. Since joining the Board, he has developed the annual Run for the Parks and the Storytime in the Park series.
Staci Staffaroni
Great Lakes Hemophilia Foundation
Staci Staffaroni is the Communications & Operations Manager at the Great Lakes Hemophilia Foundation (GLHF), a local non-profit. Prior to joining GLHF she gained experience in the non-profit sector working as an Event Manager at the Center for Communication, Hearing & Deafness (CCHD) and as an Outreach Specialist at Select Milwaukee, serving under the AmeriCorps VISTA program. Locally, she's also held positions with Assurant Health, Columbia-St. Mary's and Midwest Airlines. She moved to Milwaukee in 1999 to attend the University of WI-Milwaukee and graduated in 2003 with a B.S. in Healthcare Administration and again in 2010 with a B.A. in Print & Online Journalism. Staci grew up loving camping and biking and still loves the two today, she also has a strong interest in public health and may pursue her MPH one day. Prior to joining the Board of The Park People (TPP) Staci served on an Event Committee for TPP and for Community Shares of Greater Milwaukee. She has also volunteered for several local organizations and is very committed to the Milwaukee community.
Nadine Weske
Community Volunteer
Nadine Weske earned her bachelorʼs degree in business administration from UW Milwaukee in 1997. After graduation, she continued working in the insurance industry switching from sales to claims. In 1999, she moved to Madison with her husband and was employed by General Casualty. While there, she earned the prestigious Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter (CPCU) designation and was a loaned executive to United Way. In 2005, they returned home to Milwaukee to start a family and she is now a stay at home mother of two. Nadine has been the treasurer then president of Rainbow Preschool, she is a member of the Junior League of Milwaukee and Lake Park Friends. During her free time she enjoys gardening, yoga, and using the parks with her family.
Ex-Officio
Gerry Broderick
Milwaukee County Supervisor
Jim Keegan
Interim Parks Director
Directors Emeritus
Roger Boerner
Robert Cowan
Staff
Executive Director
Jim Goulee
Jim Goulee joined The Park People in June 2006 and currently serves as its Executive Director. Prior to The Park People, he spent 33 years with the Milwaukee County Parks Department in various positions and ended his career serving 17 years as a Regional Manager in the operations division. Goulee graduated with a degree in Business Administration from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in 1986. He currently serves on the Board of Directors for three non-profit organizations: Milwaukee Environmental Consortium, Preserve Our Parks and Public Parks Alliance.