Meet Our Mission-Driven Team
Our Staff Members
We execute LEAVEN’s day-to-day mission of providing immediate crisis relief while building pathways to long-term stability for families.
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Nikki Gerhard
Executive Director
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“I'm honored to continue to serve our community and help others in need as LEAVEN’s Executive Director. The pride of not only the staff but also the volunteers is contagious and I'm so excited to be a part of this successful organization and to be able to continue collaborating and partnering with others to serve those in need.“
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Mary Meyers
Client Services Director
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“It is so rewarding to work with such a dedicated team of volunteers and staff members at LEAVEN to help the people in our community through the difficult times in their lives by providing financial assistance and connections to other community resources.“
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Kim Juve
Client Services Coordinator
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“I love working alongside the volunteers and staff at LEAVEN. It is so rewarding to be able to assist those in our community that are facing a financial crisis.“
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Cloe Zoellner
Client Services Coordinator
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“I am blessed to be part of LEAVEN, where every day is a chance to serve others and turn care into action. It’s rewarding to see lives touched by compassion and community support.”
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Kiara West
Community Engagement Director
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“Working at LEAVEN is so much more than a job to me. It is the chance to be a part of something larger than myself, a way to make a difference in my community and an opportunity to see good happening in the world around me.”
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Danielle Schneeberg Iddrisu
Community Engagement Coordinator
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“What drew me to LEAVEN was the possibility of helping those in financial crisis and working alongside passionate and caring volunteers.”
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Martha Franco
(Bilingual) Client Services Coordinator
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“It is both a privilege and a blessing to be part of LEAVEN—and an even greater honor to serve as a bridge between our Hispanic community and the compassionate volunteers and staff who accompany families through financial hardship. Together, we connect them to essential resources, helping to restore stability, foster dignity, and empower long-term resilience.”
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Ashlyn Hildebrand
Client & Volunteer Engagement Specialist
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“Working at LEAVEN brings me such joy; knowing I am helping to make an impact on our community.”
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Sue Stanczak
Client Resource & Referral Coordinator
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“LEAVEN is important to me because it allows me to provide stability, dignity, and additional community resources to people during their most vulnerable moments in life.”
Our Board Members
Our board members lead our strategic planning efforts, helping maximize our local impact while ensuring strong stewardship of resources and maintaining community trust.
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Chad Kopitzke
President
Owner/Consultant/Talent Scout, NeXtGen Advantage
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Sarah Schneider
Vice President
Mobility Manager, Valley Transit
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Reverend Rebecca Henry
Secretary
Senior Pastor, First United Methodist Church Neenah/Menasha
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Jessica Brown
Treasurer
Chief Financial Officer, Peoples State Bank
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Rebecca Kellner
Past President
Owner & CEO, Plain & Simple Legal LLC
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Tim Murphy
Director of Business Process Workflow, Americollect
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Chad Bostick
Chief Financial Officer, Community First Credit Union
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Suzanne Brault
Principal & Owner, Brault Consulting LLC
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Tracy Doering
Account Lead, Red Shoes Inc
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Jeff Esker
Retired (former Private Wealth Advisor, Ameriprise)
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Laura Kuehl
President, HeadsUp Fox Cities
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Ryne Lodl
Vice President/Partner of Sales & Operations, Encompass Security
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Oladimeji Tomori
CEO & Founder, Community Initiatives Wisconsin
Our Committees & Members
LEAVEN’s committees provide essential oversight and support across the organization, helping ensure strong governance, financial stewardship, program effectiveness, resource development, and operational stability.
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Executive Committee
Chad Kopitzke
Sarah Schneider
Rebecca Henry
Jessica Brown
Rebecca Kellner -
Human Resources Committee
Rebecca Kellner, Chair
Rebecca Henry
Chad Kopitzke
Kim O’Brien, Entrusted Technology Solutions
Sarah Ziemba, American National Bank Fox Cities -
Fund Development Committee
Ryne Lodl, Chair
Alicia Frank, United Way Fox Cities
Jason Dedering, Engineered Floors
Pat Exarhos, Retired
Suzanne Brault
Rick Stark, Retired
Ron Altenburg, CLA -
Investments Committee
Jeff Esker, Chair
Jessica Brown
Chad Bostick
John Nygaard, Community First Credit Union
Steve Wieckert, Wieckert Real Estate
Ron Altenburg, CLA
John Keller, Johnson Financial Group
Kyle Tripp, Johnson Financial Group -
Continuous Improvement/ Technology Committee
Tim Murphy, Chair
Oladimeji Tomori
Kim O’Brien, Retired
Tracy Doering -
Marketing Committee
Tracy Doering, Chair
Sarah Schneider
Laura Kuehl
Pam Koehler-Zastrow, US AutoForce
Tracy Williams-Prince, Bryan Builders LLC
Sam Vosters, US AutoForce -
Finance Committee
Jeff Esker, Chair
Jessica Brown
Chad Bostick
Steve Wieckert, Wieckert Real Estate
Jeremy VanGroll, Nonprofit Bookkeeping
Niki Schaumberg, Fox Communities Credit Union
