Milwaukee Rep Welcomes 8 New Board Trustees

Milwaukee Rep has named eight newly elected Board Trustees that will serve a three-year term starting July 1, 2023.  They include Eric Durant (MSOE, Professor and Master of Science in Machine learning director), Jay Franke (Community Volunteer), Jason Graham (Investor), Deborah Kaerek (Community Volunteer), Dawn Lindsey (Johnson Controls International, Senior Legal Director), Ray Manista (Northwestern Mutual, Executive VP – Chief Legal Officer), Anne L. Noyes (Community Volunteer), and Allison Scrivner (Community Volunteer).  Adam J. Peck (Riverwater Partners, Founder and CIO) was named President-Elect after serving as an At Large appointment.

 

“It is an incredible honor to welcome such a dynamic group of trustees as Milwaukee Rep moves into its 70th Season,” said Board President Judy Hansen.   “It’s an exciting time to be a part of Milwaukee Rep as we push forward to create a new home in the Associated Bank Theater Center where future generations can experience world class theatrical experiences for years to come. 

Milwaukee Rep’s Executive Committee includes President Judy Hansen (Broadway Producer and Arts Advocate); President-Elect Adam J. Peck(Riverwater Partners, Founder and CIO); Vice President, Development Amy Croen (Geneva Capital Management, Co-Founder); Vice President, TrusteesKerryann Hasse Minton (Michael Best, Managing Partner); Treasurer James Phillips (Godfrey & Kahn Partner); Secretary Bryan B. House (Foley & Lardner, Partner); and At Large members Melanie Booth (Community Volunteer), Andres Gonzalez (Froedert Health VP, Chief Diversity Officer), Joan Lubar (Community Volunteer), Rob H. Manegold (Community Volunteer) and James Phelps (JCP Construction, President).  For a full list of the Board of Trustees visit www.MilwaukeeRep.com/Board-trustees.

For more information please visit www.MilwaukeeRep.com.

 

Milwaukee Rep Board of Trustees Biographies:

 

Eric Durant

is a professor and the director of the Master of Science in machine learning program at Milwaukee School of Engineering (MSOE). During the summers he is a DSP Research Engineer at Starkey Hearing Technologies in Eden Prairie, MN. While on sabbatical in 2018–2019, he worked with NVIDIA on deep learning applications to audio signal processing. His research includes deep learning-based speech enhancement and fall detection, beamforming, convex optimization, genetic algorithms, and spatialization. He is an inventor with 8 US patents. He earned his bachelor's degrees in electrical engineering and computer engineering from MSOE, master's degree and PhD in electrical engineering from the University of Michigan and the Executive Master in Business Administration (MBA) at the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee.  He is a senior member of the IEEE (S'93 M'02 SM'06) and a member of the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) (M'02). Eric serves as an ABET EAC program evaluator for both computer and electrical engineering programs. He was recognized by STEM Forward as the Young Engineer of the Year in 2013 and by MSOE faculty and students as the Oscar Werwath Distinguished Teacher in 2016.

 

Jay Franke 

was an accomplished professional dancer, Founder and Co-Artistic Director of the Chicago Dancing Festival and is currently Creative Director for HF Hospitality Group.  A native of Oklahoma, Franke attended Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts in Dallas and went on to graduate from The Juilliard School in 1997 with his BFA in Dance. He has since danced with highly regarded dance companies such as the Twyla Tharp Dance Company, Lyric Opera Ballet Chicago, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, and Lar Lubovitch Dance Company.  Jay, along with Mr. Lubovitch, co-founded the Chicago Dancing Festival in 2007. The festival ran for 10 years and brought in world class curated programs to several Chicago theaters, all free to the public. He is the recipient of a Ruth Page Award, a 1993 YoungArts winner in Dance, Named Chicagoan of the Year, and honored by the Illinois Humanities Council for his work in arts. Jay and his partner, David Herro, have been involved with numerous arts organizations. He has served on the Boards of:  Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, Kovler Diabetes Center, The Harris Theater, YoungArts Miami, and most recently the Art Institute of Chicago.  Since 2020, Jay has been living primarily in Wisconsin and has been involved in a new venture. He and David have meticulously restored a large historic building in Walker's Point- now called "The George," and will be opening a large restaurant and event space in lake country called "The Commodore- a Bartolotta Restaurant" very soon. 

Jason Graham

is an investor, board director, and advisor to multiple companies, public and private, for-profit and non-profit. Previously Jason was CFO of Journal Communications (NYSE: JRN) and Journal Media Group (NYSE: JMG) where he was responsible for finance, IT, treasury, investor relations, and risk management. He joined Journal after serving as the VP/Corporate Controller of Brookdale Senior Living (NYSE: BKD). A Certified Public Accountant, Jason graduated from Marquette University. He and his wife live in New Berlin with their two sons.

Deborah Kaerek

(Debbie) and her husband Mike have lived on the shores of Pewaukee Lake for the past 22 years.  They are heavily involved in the Pewaukee Yacht Club Sailing Racing Program and host many garden and house tours, since Debbie is involved with the Kettle Moraine Garden Club. Debbie and Mike have owned a land development and home building company since 1961. 

Dawn Lindsey

is the Senior Legal Director with the Tax Department of Johnson Controls International plc.  Dawn oversees the legal implementation of international, cross-jurisdictional internal restructurings, which involve a wide range of commercial transactions (including mergers and acquisitions, personal and real property sales, stock transfers, loan transactions, entity formations and voluntary liquidations) and the related corporate governance matters. Prior to joining Johnson Controls, Dawn was a banking and public finance attorney with von Briesen & Roper, S.C.  A Milwaukee native, and a lifelong lover of the theater, Dawn has a long history of supporting the Milwaukee Rep and other arts and arts-education non-profits, and her most recent non-profit board experience was as Chair of the Board of Directors of Arts at Large, Inc. (retired December 2020). 

​Raymond J. Manista

is Executive Vice President – Chief Legal Officer, Chief Compliance Officer and Secretary of Northwestern Mutual, Milwaukee, WI. In this role, he is responsible for the company’s law and public affairs function, including the law, enterprise compliance, privacy, enterprise sustainability, strategic philanthropy and community relations, and government relations departments. He also serves on the company’s senior leadership team. Manista has held several other leadership positions, including General Counsel, which included responsibility for enterprise legal advice and operations (2008-2018), Vice President – Corporate Planning, where he was responsible for oversight of enterprise strategy development and planning (2006-2008), and Vice President – Litigation Counsel, which involved oversight of all litigation matters involving the company and its affiliated entities (2004-2006). Manista was appointed as an executive officer of Northwestern Mutual in 2006. Between 2001 and 2004, Manista worked as Director of Planning and Projects. In this role, he coordinated Northwestern Mutual’s strategic, annual planning and technology prioritization processes, and served as secretary to the company’s senior leadership and strategic planning committees. He joined Northwestern Mutual in May 1998 as assistant general counsel. Manista came to Northwestern Mutual from his shareholder position at Godfrey & Kahn, S.C., Milwaukee, where he practiced commercial litigation. Manista received his bachelor’s degree, cum laude, from Marquette University, and later earned his law degree, magna cum laude, from Marquette University Law School. He is a member of the State Bar of Wisconsin and has been admitted to practice before the United States District Courts for the Eastern and Western Districts of Wisconsin, the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals, and the United States Supreme Court.

Anne L. Noyes

is thrilled to join the Milwaukee Repertory Theater Board of Trustees. Currently a docent at The Milwaukee Art Museum, Anne earned her law degree at University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1984 where she met her husband Chris, who is a partner at Godfrey & Kahn, S.C. law firm. She was an associate at Quarles & Brady from 1984-1987 and among her legal assignments, she had the pleasure of working with Mike Bolger, a senior partner at the firm at that time, on legal matters involving Milwaukee Rep’s creation of the Patty and Jay Theater Complex in 1987. Over the next ten years, she worked in the legal department at Miller Brewing Company, finishing her career there as Assistant General Counsel. She is an avid volunteer having served on Fox Point Lutheran Church Council, held the Georgetown University Wisconsin Alumni Association Program Chair position for ten years, served as the Conservation Chairman for Green Tree Garden Club for several years and as the Conservation Midwest regional representative in the Garden Club of America.

Allison Scrivner

is a lifelong Milwaukee Rep volunteer who started volunteering in Milwaukee Rep’s costume shop while in high school.  She sewed on many hooks and buttons and got a first glimpse into all the work that goes into putting on a single show.  More recently, Allison served on the Spotlight Committee and has been involved with Milwaukee Rep’s Curtain Call Ball silent auction, co-chairing last year’s committee. Allison owns her own hair styling business in Mequon, and she fills the rest of her professional time managing a number of short-term rental properties with her husband, Kevin Baumgart. 

About Milwaukee Repertory Theater

Milwaukee Rep is the largest performing arts organization in Wisconsin with three unique performance venues in the Associated Bank Theater Center– the Quadracci Powerhouse, Stiemke Studio and Stackner Cabaret.  For over six decades, Milwaukee Rep has been a centerpiece of Milwaukee’s vibrant arts and cultural scene with productions ranging from Broadway musicals to Shakespeare to American Classics and New Works that are entertaining, inclusive and impactful. Under the leadership of Artistic Director Mark Clements and Executive Director Chad Bauman, Milwaukee Repertory Theater ignites positive change in the cultural, social, and economic vitality of its community by creating world-class theater experiences that entertain, provoke, and inspire meaningful dialogue among an audience representative of Milwaukee’s rich diversity.

 

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