Madison Community Foundation’s Board of Governors is made up of area business and civic leaders dedicated to donor and community stewardship, thoughtful professional guidance and permanent, sustainable charitable giving for people who live in the greater Madison region.
Christine is a shareholder in Reinhart’s Trusts and Estates Practice, and founder and chair of the firm’s Family Offices Group. She has extensive experience in assisting her clients in the development and implementation of estate planning and transition strategies intended to preserve family wealth as well as maintain and foster relationships across generations.
She also serves on the boards of the Kids Forward Foundation and Wisconsin Youth Symphony Orchestras and is an active member of Covenant Presbyterian Church.
Anne is Vice President of Development at the Wisconsin Foundation and Alumni Association, where she leads the development teams responsible for fundraising on behalf of the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She serves on the board of the Evjue Foundation, Inc., previously served on the boards of the Madison Public Library Foundation and the Junior League of Madison, and is a member of the Rotary Club of Madison. A Milwaukee native, Anne holds an MA in English Literature from UW-Madison and a BA in English from Holy Cross College in Worcester, MA.
Jeff was the founding and managing partner of the law firm of Quarles and Brady's Madison office until his retirement in 2008. He was formerly Wisconsin Commissioner of Securities and a Wisconsin Assistant Attorney General. Actively involved in the community, Jeff is currently a member of the Edgewood College Board of Trustees. He served on the University of Wisconsin System Board of Regents from 2006 to 2013. He is President and board member of a nonprofit organization in Tucson, AZ (where he and his wife Angela spend winters) called Sunrise Neighborhood Assistance Program that provides volunteer services to elder and infirm residents in northeast Tucson. In 2008, Jeff was recognized with the Wisconsin Bar Foundation Charles Goldberg Distinguished Service Award, and in 2006, the Wisconsin Alumni Association presented him with University of Wisconsin Distinguished Alumni Award. He has served as a Trustee of the U.W.’s Wisconsin Union Association for more than 35 years.
Nancy has owned and operated her small businesses, Cream City Marketing and Wallflower Market, for 25 years and 8 years respectively. Nancy is a dedicated community activist and has served on the board of the Lake Mills Main Street Program and Chamber of Commerce. She currently serves on the marketing advisory board of the Wisconsin Women’s Business Initiative Corporation and the marketing committee of Good Friends, Inc. Nancy has been a fundholder with MCF for more than a decade and is a Legacy Society member.
Anna is Associate Director at The Burish Group of UBS, and has been with UBS Financial Services Inc. since 1994, serving in different branches throughout the United States. Within the team, Anna serves at Chief Operating Officer and Financial Advisor, overseeing the team’s strategic development while ensuring a high level of client service. She holds an executive Master’s in Business Administration from the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Business.
Anna is an active community volunteer and board member. She is an MCF donor and joined the MCF Investment Committee in 2021.
Natalie retired in 2019 as Director of Madison's Planning and Community and Economic Development Department. A Madison native and avid community volunteer, Natalie is the current chair of the Bayview Rising capital campaign for the Bayview community redevelopment, and also serves on the board of the Goodman Community Center.
As a donor, Legacy Society member, former member, and Chair of the AFFW Advisory Committee, Therese Gulbransen has worked closely with MCF for many years. Therese is vice president of sales and marketing at American Printing and serves on the Evjue Foundation and the GLGA (Great Lakes Graphics Association). She is a community champion and is a former member and Chair of the YWCA of Madison, United Way Women’s Leadership Council and recognized by honors including YWCA Women of Distinction Award (2017) and an Athena Award Winner (2014). Therese is a proud mom to one daughter and an Edgewood Alumni with a BS in Organizational Behavior and Leadership.
Frances has had a 28-year career as a Social Worker and Supervisor for the Dane County Department of Human Services working with children, youth and families. Frances has served on city, county, state, national and international boards and committees and was Wisconsin’s first African-American mayor when she was elected Mayor of Fitchburg in 1991. Frances’ political expertise and passion for assisting vulnerable individuals will be an asset to MCF.
Gloria Ladson-Billings is the former Kellner Family Distinguished Professor of Urban Education in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction and faculty affiliate in the Department of Educational Policy Studies at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. She was the 2005-2006 president of the American Educational Research Association. Gloria’s research examines the pedagogical practices of teachers who are successful with African American students. She also investigates Critical Race Theory applications to education. Gloria is the author of the critically acclaimed books The Dreamkeepers: Successful Teachers of African American Children and Crossing Over to Canaan: The Journey of New Teachers in Diverse Classrooms. She is the former editor of the American Educational Research Journal and a member of several editorial boards. Her work has won numerous scholarly awards.
Gloria is an active community volunteer and board member. She is an MCF donor and joined the MCF Grantmaking Committee in 2021.
Gary has been recognized as one of the nation’s leading healthcare executives for more than 40 years. His career began at the University of Wisconsin Hospitals from 1970-77. In 2006, he retired from Northwestern Memorial HealthCare and Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago after 21 years as president and CEO. Following his retirement from Northwestern Memorial, Gary joined Waud Capital Partners, a Chicago-based private equity firm, as an Executive Partner. He retired from WCP in 2017. Gary is a director of Froedtert Health in Milwaukee, Vice President of the Green Lake Association Board, and a member of the Advisory Council for Access Community Health Centers. He also has been a member of the Board of Directors and Executive Committee of the Madison Symphony Orchestra.
Eugenia Podestá; is a social entrepreneur and global connector with more than 20 years of nonprofit, international development and social impact experience. As Senior Director of Economic Empowerment & Entrepreneurship at Vital Voices Global Partnership, an international women’s leadership organization based in Washington DC, she is responsible for the VV GROW Fellowship, a highly competitive global one-year accelerator for women-owned SMEs. Eugenia is also an entrepreneur and co-founded Synergy Coworking in 2015. She is a dedicated enthusiast of local economic empowerment and leadership initiatives for women and communities of color in Madison. Eugenia received her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Latin American Studies and her Juris Doctorate degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She also studied International Law and Development and worked on women-led tourism efforts at the Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú in Lima.
Eugenia is an active community volunteer and board member. She is an MCF donor and joined the MCF Grantmaking Committee in 2019.
E.G. Schramka is a CPA and lawyer who for more than 40 years provided tax consulting services to closely held businesses and individuals, in addition to estate and trust planning, before retiring from SVA Certified Public Accountants. He also holds Personal Financial Specialist (PFS) and Accredited in Business Valuations (ABV) certifications from the AICPA. E.G. also serves as executive director of the Irwin A. and Robert D. Goodman Foundation and serves on boards and/or committees at Our Lady Queen of Parish, Edgewood High School and the Catholic Diocese of Madison.
E.G. is a member of MCF's 2023 Chartered Advisor in Philanthropy (CAP) Study Group, and holds the CAP designation.
Tripp Widder retired from active practice of law on December 31, 2020, the date that marked his 50th year as a lawyer. He spent many years as president of the Madison Public Library Board and its supporting Foundation. He is an MCF donor, fundholder and Legacy Society member, and currently also serves on the boards of Aldo Leopoldo Nature Center and the Friends of the UW Odyssey Project. Tripp will be joining MCF’s Grantmaking Committee.
Before retiring in 2013, Noble Wray spent nearly 30 years with the Madison Police Department, including 10 as its chief. Since retiring, Noble has served as interim President and CEO of the Urban League of Greater Madison, and currently consults with police departments across the country helping them improve their relationships with their communities. He is an MCF donor and will serve on the Investment Committee.