Board Member Bios

Mike Kleber - President 

Mike Kleber is the Leasing Director for Metro Milwaukee and Kenosha at Zilber Property Group. Kleber graduated from the University of Wisconsin- Madison in 2006 with a B.A and after playing football for the university. Today he is on the board of several organizations in addition to Journey House, including Young Milwaukee Charitable Organization, Westown Association, and Community Advocates. 

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Dan Shannon - Vice President 

​Dan Shannon graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1981 with a BBA and MBA in marketing, finance, and international business. Shannon started his career at NCR Corporation where he held a number of positions including Vice President of Database Solutions Marketing. In 1996, Shannon began his career at FIS (formerly Metavante) as President and General Manager of the M&I EastPoint Technologies subsidiary. Since then, Shannon has held multiple positions and is currently senior vice president. 

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Theresa Plautz Blazei - Treasurer

Theresa Blazei brings 20 years of innovative, leadership expertise as Director of Operations Accounting for Roundy's. She has held various leadership roles including North American Finance Leader at Actuant Corporation, VP of Finance/IT at DCI Cheese Company and Midwest Region Controller at Superior Services. Blazei received a BS in Accounting from Marquette University, an MBA from the University of Wisconsin, and is a licensed CPA in the state of Wisconsin. She has served as a board member for St. Joan Antida High School, board member & Treasurer for My Money Helpline Coalition in Milwaukee, and currently serves as a board member & Treasurer for Journey House. In her free time, she loves traveling with her family, being a lifetime learner, and creating joy for others.

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Carmen Ventura - Secretary 

Carmen Ventura graduated from Marquette University in 2002 with a degree in political science and broadcast and electronic communication. In 2014 he became the Regional Director of Cricket Wireless. Carmen Ventura is currently the Vice President of Young Milwaukee Charitable Organization and Vice President of Sales and Operations at Evolution Retail Concepts, Inc. Ventura has been with Journey House since 2013.

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Chris Calvelli - Retired Chairman 

​Chris Calvelli is the Managing Director of the ECAB Investment Group for Baird. Calvelli graduated from the University of Colorado-Boulder and has been in the financial services industry since 1997, joining Baird in 1999. “On Wall Street” magazine has named Calvelli one of the “Top 10 Regional Advisors Under 40” every year since 2012. 

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Ray Arndt - Board Member 

​Since graduating from Colorado State University in 1975, Ray Arndt has held a number of impressive positions for various companies including Hewlett-Packard and Safeway Services. Arndt is currently Executive Vice President for Legacy Life Now, a licensed settlement provider for Wisconsin. Arndt has been on the Journey House Board of Directors since 2007. 

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Dr. Wilma Bonaparte - Board Member 

Dr. Wilma L. Bonaparte has served Milwaukee Area Technical College for 24 years, and was recently appointed Vice-President of MATC-Mequon Campus. Bonaparte has held many impressive positions including as founder of the MATC-Urban Teacher education program and Vice-President/Executive Campus Dean at Bunker Hill Community college in Massachusetts. She was most recently dean of MAC's School of Liberal Arts and Sciences. 
Dr. Bonaparte holds a doctorate of education from the University of Massachusetts-Boston, a certificate in leadership from Harvard University's Institute for Educational Management, a master's of education from Penn State University and a bachelor of arts degree from the University of Puerto Rico. With over 30 years of experience, Dr. Bonaparte has ensured that the diverse language and minority population have better access and success in Higher Education.

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Fran Brzezinski - Board Member 

​Fran Brzezinski is the CEO and a partner at Interstate Partners, LLC. Brzezinski is the primary partner and CEO of all three offices in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Illinois. He got his Masters in Business Administration from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. 

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Kathy Clark - Board Member 

Kathy Clark got her Bachelor’s degree from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. She is currently the Assistant Director of the Continuous Learning and Improvement Technology Team at Northwestern Mutual.

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David Ford - Board Member 

​David Ford is the president and general manager of Clear Channel Outdoor. His previous experience includes work as a General Manager for WMSN Fox 47 and WVTV CW 18 WCGV My 24. Ford also has volunteer experience as a partner of the Arthritis Foundation and as executive council member of the Hunger Task Force. Ford has been board member at Journey House since June 2015. 

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Greg Herrle - Board Member 

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Sarah Jelencic - Board Member 

Sarah Jelencic is a real estate partner and business lawyer with Foley and Lardner LLP. Jelencic studied law at the University of Michigan and was on it’s Law Review. She has been listed in Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business from 2006-2015. She was previously on the board of directors for Wisconsin Commercial Real Estate Women and the Association of Women Lawyers and is now a Journey House board member as well as a member of the Urban Land Institute. 

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Barbara Klein - Board Member 

With her four children in high school and college, Barbara wanted to revisit one of her first loves: the Spanish language. Her decision to brush up her skills led her to Journey House Center for Family Learning and Youth Athletics, where her leadership has expanded opportunities and helped increase the quality of life for more than 7,000 children and families. Barbara cites a Mother Teresa quote that has always resonated with her — “Peace begins with a smile.” — as inspiration for her volunteerism. “This can be the first step in making our world a better place and in helping others achieve their goals,” she says. “Smile, listen, encourage and support.”

2017 Marquette University Service to the Community Video

Click Here for Complete Bio

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Frank Mauer - Board Member 

​Coming Soon

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John Miceli - Board Member 

​Coming Soon

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James Miller - Board Member 

​James Miller is the Managing Director of the Wisconsin Diversified Industries Group for BMO Harris Bank. He graduated with an MBA in Finance from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and has been with BMO Harris Bank for 25 years. 

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Johanna Perrini - Board Member 

Johanna Perrini graduated from Marquette University with a degree in Communications in 2004. Perrini has worked in various fields including as community relations director and assistant manager for Global Restaurants Systems, LLC. She is currently a Fixed Income Senior Vice President for Baird, as well as a marketing specialist. Perrini is also a chairperson for the Davey Nelson Celebrity Golf Tournament

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Bill Sandoval - Board Member 

​Coming Soon

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Tim Terry - Board Member 

Tim Terry is the assistant director of pro personnel for the Green Bay Packers, scouting professional prospects in the NFL, CFL and the Arena Football League. After playing football as a defensive lineman for Temple University, Terry entered the NFL with the Cincinnati Bengals in 1997. Terry also played for the Seattle Seahawks from 2000-2002. He joined the Packers pro personnel department in 2004. Terry lives in Green Bay with his family and works with several community groups, including Journey House. 

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Carl Zaar - Board Member 

Carl Zaar retired as Director of Audit from The Marcus Corporation. He has been a member of the Journey House Board of Directors since 1996. He has served as Board Treasurer, and is currently on the HR and Capital Campaign committees. Zara has a BBA from Gustavus Adolphus College in business and biology and an MBA from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He is a CPA and a member of the Wisconsin Institute of Certified Public Accountants since 1975. He and his wife Lynn live in Franklin and have one son, Ryan. Zaar served in the army from 1968-1970, including a 12 month tour of Vietnam. 
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Staff Bios

Quentin Prince
Director of Youth Leadership and Student Success

Quentin Prince has served Journey House for over 15 years in many capacities, all with a focus on at-risk and strengthening families.  He has worked primarily with our Longfellow Community Learning Center Program, but additionally served as facilitator of Life Skill/Character Education programming at (3) MPS schools.  His early involvement with (F.A.S.T) Families and Schools Together, gave him the final piece of knowledge to better serve our youth, Families, Schools and the Community have to work as a singular force.  Quentin’s passion for community-driven work quickly led him to assume the role of Director.  Under Quentin’s leadership of 15 years, the Journey House Longfellow Community Learning Center has become one of the largest Community Learning Center (CLC) in MPS during school year and summer months, receiving numerous recognitions from MPS and DPI.  On numerous occasions he has been approached to create training materials, and facilitate development-training sessions within the school district.  A passion for the work of Journey House, youth interests, choices, leadership and education at the center of his every endeavor has led to advancement. Earlier this year, Quentin was promoted to a new position, Journey House Director of Youth Leadership and Student Success.  His first major new project was assisting in program implementation of the Earn and Learn 2016 program, outreaching and planning Career Enrichment Days, such as the Milwaukee Bucks, Junior Achievement and job coaching our interns.  A Milwaukee raised fellow, undoubtedly there will be many more years of Quentin giving back to the city he loves. 

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Martin Weddle
​Athletics Coordinator

Joined the Journey House team in 2004 as a part-time Recreation Specialist, Martin Weddle, better known as Coach Martin,  played a significant role in the development of our Journey House Packers Football Program and is our most winning coach.  Coach Martin, who was the Wisconsin State Chess Champion in 1997 at MPS Madison High School, continues his passion and talent for chess and instructs youth in the Journey House Chess Club.  In March 2016, Coach Martin was promoted to a full-time Journey House Athletics Leagues Director to assist in our growing Journey House capacity and managing two different stadium complexes. 
 
Coach Martin also served as a Milwaukee County Supervisor for District 5 from November 2014 to April 2016.  As a County Supervisor, Martin created the Milwaukee County Youth Chess in the Parks Program.  Prior to serving as County Supervisor, Martin was a Milwaukee County Policy Analyst/Legislative Assistant for 10 years. Coach Martin received a Bachelors of Arts degree in Library and Information Science from UW-Milwaukee and a Masters degree in Information Systems Management with a Project Management Certification from Keller Graduate School of DeVry University.

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Melissa Jerke
​Financial Opportunity Center Site Coordinator / Career Coach

Melissa Jerke has been working at Journey House since 2010 with a specific focus on managing the Journey House Financial Opportunity Center and Career Coaching.  Her mission is to help individuals achieve their goals through increased productivity, time management and effective career and financial planning.   Melissa has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Chemistry, with minors in Biology and Business from Augsburg College.  Prior to Journey House, Melissa spent 12 years as a General Manager and Personal Training Director in the health club industry.  Her work included sales, performance management, staff development, and one on one personal coaching.  She is currently completing a Certified Professional Career Coach Program and continues to offer a wide range coaching services, training and workshops.

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Maria Acevedo
Job Coach

Maria Acevedo has been associated with Journey House since 1997 as a Job Coach for the Journey House Urban Careers Institute.  She has been committed to giving back to the community where she grew up.  Besides working in the community she also is a board member at CORE/El Centro and volunteers at Mexican Fiesta.  Her interests are Nia, yoga, natural healing modalities of Reiki and breathwork.

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Kevin Turner
Special Project Support/YouthBuild Coordinator

Kevin has been part of the Journey House team for 8+ years as a Special Project Support and YouthBuild Coordinator.  He is a manager with a track record of achievements in programs such as multifamily housing development, project management, program analysis and development of programming in primary, secondary and post-secondary educational and non-profit settings. Driven values for agencies through a balanced budget, event and set curricula facilitation mixed with project lifecycles savvy. Excel at leading complex projects to fruition time and under budget. Consummate professionally with unmatched expertise cultivating and nurturing relationships with departments, staff and key decision-makers. Experience public speaker and presenter with proven leadership skills gained from various programs at Cardinal Stritch University such as strategic planning, financial planning and project management. Additional qualifications in: Team Leadership, Training & Mentoring– Program Planning & Facilitation- Human Resource & Communication–Process Improvement & Organizational Change. 

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Ann Bria
iThrive Consulting, Journey House Project Manager (Consultant)

Education & Events Management Professional in non-profit with a Bachelor’s Degree; over 10+ years expertise and experience in the following:  solid project management; plan and organize special events & fundraising to raise over $1M through friend-raising, galas and auctions, fashion shows, golf outings; provide training, motivating and encouraging students, supervising, leading, evaluating, and directing a team up to 300 youth, adult staff, and volunteers. 
 
Through various professional roles, Ann has raised awareness about Youth Empowerment Seminar (YES!), which decreases violent behaviors, stress, and creates a culture of peace throughout the city of Milwaukee through community presentations, Educator’s Seminars, and implementing YES! curriculum at community based organizations and schools city-wide (2015-2016); city-wide collaboration with over 29 partner agencies to research ways to decrease crime and violence in our community (2014); implemented and organized special events and hotel accommodations for professional and collegiate sports teams, entertainers, and corporations including hosting city-wide MISL All Star Weekend and annual EAA fly-in (12 years).
 
As Director of Innovative Youth Programs for four years, the Office of Mayor Tom Barrett selected Ann as one of twelve representatives in the City of Milwaukee to participate in a conference call with President Barack Obama to discuss the Summer Earn & Learn program for youth paid internships on April 11, 2013.  Through this role, Ann placed over 900 youth into city-wide paid internships, developed job readiness training curriculum, policy and procedures manual, case management, leadership development, financial literacy, team building, city-wide community projects, and city-wide best practices.

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Migdalia Ervin
Bilingual Financial Coach

Migdalia Ervin was born and raised in Milwaukee.  She has always had the drive to serve her community in any way she can.  She joined Journey House’s Financial Opportunity Center (FOC) in 2015.  She currently serves as the Bilingual (Spanish) Financial Coach.  She has met with over a hundred clients, many of them whose first language is Spanish.  She coaches clients to actualize their own goals through education about their finances.  Many develop better financial habits to make lasting change their financial futures. 

Previous to working at Journey House Migdalia served as the Food Stamp Employment (FSET) Data Specialist and before that FSET Coordinator.   As the FSET Data specialist, she provided analysis and data about the agency’s FSET contract with the state to monitor that their goals were being met.   As the FSET Coordinator, she managed the day-to-day operations of the FSET program and supervised FSET Financial Employment Planners. 

She also worked as a first time homebuyer counselor and Housing Program Coordinator at Walker’s Point Development, a homebuyer counseling agency.  She helped hundreds of clients to realize their goal of buying their first home.  Concurrently, she served as the agency’s Mortgage Default Counselor and Reverse Mortgage Counselor and helped many distressed homeowner’s to keep their homes.  As the Reverse Mortgage  Counselor, she helped many seniors to stay in their homes.

She received her Bachelor’s in Business Management and Professional Communication from Alverno College.

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Glorianne Mather
Adult Education Director

Glorianne Mather has been employed by Journey House since 1996 and became the Adult Education Director in 1997.  In this role she has been able to facilitate state and local educational goals, while successfully working with teachers, administrators, and staff to develop and implement positive programs that focus on student centered education.  After 20 years Journey House has become her family and second home.  Outside interests include fitness classes, lawn bowling and golf.

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Ron Schneider
AM Services Associate

Ron served in the U.S. army and was honorably discharged from active duty in 1972. He's a Vietnam War Veteran and earned a Bronze Star while serving there. From 1972-1975 he was a Communications Specialist in the Wisconsin National Guard.

​Ron worked in the auto industry from 1972 until his retirement in 2006. He attended UW Parkside from 1975 to 1980 and studied Communications with an emphasis in Dramatic Arts. He has performed in some principal parts in a number of theatrical productions. Ron is also an accomplished pool player. He has won numerous tournaments at local, state, and national levels. He was asked to teach a class on the sport at UW Parkside and has also taught pool as an individual coach. He's still competitive and plays in tournaments occasionally.

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Bridgette Flores
Kagel CLC Site Director

Bridgette Flores is a recent graduate of the Master of Sustainable Peacebuilding (MSP) program at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. She also received her bachelors’ degrees from UWM in Global Studies and French, with two certificates in Community Organizing and Peace and Conflict Resolution. She has focused both her work and studies on her passions of civic engagement and promoting social justice in her community of Milwaukee and abroad, as well as in youth and community capacity building, developing collaborations, and managing and evaluating projects and programs. Her personal mission statement is to influence programming that is working to sustainably develop the quality of life and the capacity of youth and marginalized communities, as well as to increase the capacity of others who wish to do the same. 
    
Between 2007 and 2014, she worked extensively with urban youth at the Milwaukee Recreation Department at her former high school of Riverside University, as a Gymnastics Instructor and Program Manager. Between 2014 and 2015, she worked as the Global Water Security Research Assistant at the Center for Water Policy at UWM’s School of Fresh Water Sciences. Between 2015 and 2016, she worked as the Project Coordinator of Will Allen Farms, a for-profit venture of Growing Power and an organization working towards ending food insecurity on Milwaukee’s near-Northside.

Some of her other work experiences include:
  • Interning as the Youth Organizer of Youth Empowered in the Struggle (YES!) at Voces de la Frontera;
  • Studying abroad and teaching ESL to middle and high school students in Paris, France;
  • Interning as the Communications Intern for FM4 Paso Libre in Guadalajara, Mexico;
  • Working as the Sustainable Development Consultant for ADIFORT in La Fortuna, Costa Rica;
  • Working as the Community Educator and Project Evaluator for Engineers Without Borders in the Ixil Region of Guatemala;
  • Working as the Risk Management Consultant for two municipalities in Quito, Ecuador.

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Ryan Schone
Neighborhood Food Systems Coordinator - University of Wisconsin Extension

Ryan grew up in central Illinois on a farm abounding with cornfields and pigs. He received his B.A. from Augustana College in Rock Island, IL where he studied geography and urban planning. Ryan’s formal introduction to food systems work came during an urban planning internship in Davenport, IA where he served on the Steering Committee for launching the now thriving Quad Cities Food Hub. Upon graduating college Ryan was accepted into the Lutheran Volunteer Corps program which brought him to Milwaukee to work at an inner-city food pantry and community center for a year.   

Since May of 2013 Ryan has worked for the University of Wisconsin-Extension in Milwaukee County as the Food Systems Coordinator. In 2016 he was asked to coordinate a Milwaukee County food insecurity initiative, known as the SEED Initiative, which sought to create 1,000,000 square feet of community garden space throughout the County. It was through the SEED Initiative that Ryan began partnering with the Journey House to activate a community garden across the street from JH and Longfellow School. The garden became a destination for cooking demonstrations, music performances and community potlucks with a first annual Harvest Festival drawing over 100 neighbors and students to gather in the garden.
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In November of 2016, the Journey House Community Garden was selected as one of three finalists for a MANDI Award (Milwaukee Awards for Neighborhood Development Innovation). Successes and excitement generated from the Journey House Community Garden led to the establishment of a Clarke Square community food systems initiative being launched with Ryan serving as the coordinator through Journey House.
Learn more about the Community Food Systems Initiative and Journey House Community Gardens
Learn more about Ryan Schone
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