Madison LakeWay Partners - Executive Committee
Sarah Neujahr serves as President, a labor of love that aligns with her work as a partner at a real estate development firm focused on thoughtfully designed, mixed-use, urban infill properties in Madison. Born and raised in Madison, Sarah spent many years living in larger US cities, including 13 years working on complex real estate projects for federal agencies. She eagerly returned to Madison in 2021 to raise her family in this wonderful community. Sarah is passionate about public spaces that give people the opportunity to connect with nature and one another.
Claire Schaefer Oleksiak serves as Vice President. As Executive Director of Sustain Dane, Claire aims to accelerate a sustainable environment and economy that benefits all members of our community. Claire is passionate about innovation, collaboration, and social impact. Prior to joining Sustain Dane, she worked as the Community Services Manager for the City of Madison Parks Division. In that role, she facilitated partnerships with public and private organizations, managed community facilities, and implemented the Connecting Children to Nature Initiative. Claire also worked on local community and economic development in Washington, DC for 10 years. Her work in DC included development of Yards Park, a signature riverfront park along the Anacostia River. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Cornell University and a master’s degree from Oxford University. She grew up in Madison, WI.
Allen Arntsen serves as Secretary. He is a retired attorney (Foley & Lardner LLP), former Madison Alder, and Chair of the Lake Monona Waterfront Ad hoc Committee and Dane County Condemnation Commission. Allen has served on numerous public and charitable boards, commissions, and committees. He previously chaired Downtown Madison, Inc., Madison Development Corporation, Madison Public Library Foundation, and Barrymore Corporation.
Jim Bradley serves as Treasurer. Jim is a fourth-generation Madisonian and retired CEO of Home Savings Bank. Jim's professional and volunteer efforts have focused on affordable housing, downtown Madison, and sustainability. His board service with community-based nonprofits has included Downtown Madison, Inc., Madison Community Foundation, Destination Madison, Madison Children's Museum, and Sustain Dane.
Jason Ilstrup serves as an At-Large Member of the Executive Committee. He is the President of Downtown Madison, Inc. (DMI), a member-based non-profit working to create an economically strong, equitable, inclusive, and vibrant downtown to visit, work, and play. Before joining DMI, Jason worked in hotel management and development, served as a legislative aide and legal counsel, and was a Peace Corps Volunteer in Niger. Jason attended Boston University and the University of Minnesota Law School. Jason serves as the Chair of the Dane County Regional Airport Commission, the President-Elect of the Rotary Club of Madison, and a Board member of the Madison Area Sports Commission and the International Downtown Association. He was raised near downtown Minneapolis and is unlucky enough to be a Minnesota Vikings fan.
Tim Anderson is a member of the Executive Committee and the Development Committee. Tim is an architect and urban planner with over 40 years of planning and design experience. He was the founding owner and principal of Schreiber Anderson Associates, a Madison-based planning, landscape architecture, and civil engineering firm. Tim’s community service includes Board of Directors of Downtown Madison, Inc., Wisconsin Downtown Action Council, and Wisconsin Main Street Council. In 2008, Tim founded the Madison Design Professionals, a volunteer collaboration of architects, landscape architects, urban planners, and civil engineers, who worked for ten years to develop and promote a vision for connecting downtown Madison to Lake Monona.
Carol Richard serves as an At-Large Member of the Executive Committee and co-Chair of the Outreach Committee. She is an architect (Ross Street Design) and has been involved with the Lake Monona Waterfront project as a member of the Madison Design Professionals since 2012. She is a Madison native returned home after spending her career as founding partner, designer and managing partner in her architectural practice in Atlanta (Richard Wittschiebe Hand). Her volunteer efforts have focused on sustainable design and women in professions.
Madison LakeWay Partners - Board of Directors
Deb Archer is an advocate for making strides to celebrate our lakes and is excited for what lies ahead for the Madison LakeWay. As former CEO of Destination Madison and the Madison Area Sports Commission for 25 years, Deb and her team were instrumental in the success of Monona Terrace for the first 25 years of its history and responsible for bringing Ironman and the Cross Fit Games to Madison, Bucky on Parade, and long-term agreements to host WIAA state high school championships in Madison. Deb is a champion for Madison and all there is to do and see in the area. Deb also serves on the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra Board of Directors, Vice Chair of the American Family Children’s Hospital Advisory Board, and a public member of the University of Wisconsin Medical Foundation Board.
Brenda Baker is Vice President of Exhibits, Facilities, and Strategic Initiatives at Madison Children's Museum (MCM) and a practicing visual artist. Brenda has overseen the museum's major expansion and exhibit projects for over 30 years. She is the visionary behind MCM's sustainability work and a national museum leader in sustainable design, climate change initiatives, and cultural exhibitions. Brenda is on the board of directors for the Association of Children's Museums, co-founder of Badger Rock Middle School in Madison, and co-founder of the Women Artists Forward Fund and Forward Art Prize. Brenda's paintings and sculptures are in collections in the US, Canada, Europe, and South America.
Sheri Carter boasts more than 25 years of community service in Madison. Prior to her eight-year tenure on the city council representing District 14, she served on various City of Madison committees. A fervent advocate for clean lakes and universal lake access, Sheri champions the transformation of the Monona waterfront as a boon for the lake, accessibility, and the community's health and wellness. Sheri currently serves on the Madison LakeWay Partners Board Outreach Committee.
Pam Christenson is the Director of Customer and Community Relations for Madison Gas and Electric. Before her work with MGE, Pam held positions in both the public and private sector including 15 years in several different leadership roles with the State of Wisconsin. In addition to the Board, Pam also serves on the boards of Downtown Madison Inc., Clean Lakes Alliance, Madison Regional Economic Partnership (MadREP), Workforce Development Board of South-Central Wisconsin, Forward BioLabs, Utility Economic Development Association, the Wisconsin Economic Development Association, Wisconsin Business Development, and chairs the Destination District Taskforce. She and her husband co-own Christy’s Landing, a third-generation bar and restaurant on Lake Waubesa.
Susan Detering is a Broker at Solidarity Realty and co-owner of Batch Bakehouse. Her East-side roots run deep (even though she’s a Madison transplant). Prior to starting her life in Madison, Susan was a Grand Canyon river guide, rowing 188 miles of the Colorado River, and a middle school art teacher in Flagstaff, AZ. Before that, she lived and worked in New York City at a contemporary art gallery on Fifth Avenue and studied yoga in the village. Susan has a BA from Mount Holyoke and M.Ed. from Northern Arizona University. She also has the privilege to say she helped restore the lower Colorado River as a crew member on the Yuma East Wetlands Project, a 1400-acre wetland restoration. When Susan isn’t rolling up her sleeves to get something done, she’s collaborating with friends on something beautiful.
Alan Fish came to Madison in 1977 for an MS in Urban Planning and stayed. He worked in State government in legislative and executive branches for ten years. In 1989 Donna Shalala hired him to help rebuild UW Athletics, where he worked for 12 years. He served as project manager for the Kohl Center and Camp Randall. Alan spent 10 years as vice chancellor for Facilities Planning and Management for the campus and worked on dozens of new and remodeled building projects. He was involved with fundraising, campus master planning, local and state approval processes, and led a team that managed all campus buildings, grounds, and transportation infrastructure. From 2012 to 2015, he worked a similar job at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore. He retired and returned home to start a project consulting business in 2016. He lives on Lake Monona on the near East side.
Dan Kennelly is Vice President of Quad Capital Partners, specializing in real estate investment and development in flagship university markets. With previous positions in the public and private sectors, Dan’s focus has been working at the convergence of local government, real estate development, and business to shape and build communities. This includes advising municipalities as a Director at Baker Tilly, managing major projects and business resources with the City of Madison, and crafting economic development strategies at Vandewalle & Associates and AECOM Economics. Dan serves on the boards of the Madison Public Schools Foundation and Downtown Madison, Inc. He has a master’s in urban planning from the University of Michigan and a bachelor’s from UW-Madison. Born and raised in Madison, Dan currently lives in the Bay Creek neighborhood.
Tyler Leeper was the founding President of the Friends of Nolen Waterfront and is the owner of Madison Boats, which includes Wingra Boats, Brittingham Boats, and Marshall Boats. Tyler has over 25 years in advancing access to Madison’s lakes. He brings experience in placemaking and community development to the Board and a deep dedication to transforming the Monona Waterfront into a welcoming destination for everyone.
Jamie Patrick is the Vice President for Sales, Sports, and Services at Destination Madison and the Madison Area Sports Commission. He has led the process of bringing numerous National and International events to Madison, including the CrossFit Games. Before Destination Madison, he worked at the Yakima Valley Sports Commission. He holds degrees from the University of Nebraska and Gonzaga University.
Raj Shukla has served on the board of Friends of the Nolen Waterfront since 2022 and sat on the Mayor's Ad Hoc Committee that created a transformational master plan for the Lake Monona Waterfront. As President and Chief Executive Officer of River Network, he leads a team that grows and strengthens a community of water, justice, and river advocates across the nation. Raj led the push to make Madison the first city in Wisconsin to commit to 100% clean energy.
Development Committee
Jim Bradley, Co-Chair, Sarah Neujahr, Co-Chair, Tim Anderson, Allen Arntsen, Alan Fish, Tripp Widder
Outreach Committee
Carol Richard, Co-Chair, Susan Detering, Co-Chair, Brenda Baker, Sheri Carter, Pam Christenson, Brian Dow, William Gillen, Tyler Leeper, Christopher Hughes, Tom Marmet, Marty Meek, Christina Paschen, Jamie Patrick, Becky Steinhoff, Margaret Thomson, Liz Zona
Governance Committee
Jason Ilstrup, Co-Chair, Jamie Patrick Co-Chair
Design Committee
Dan Kennelly, Co-Chair, Aaron Williams, Co-Chair, Tim Anderson, architect and urban planner; Rahel Desalegne, civil engineer; Alan Fish, redevelopment strategist; Doug Hursh, architect; Fred Klancnik, civil engineer; Doug Kozel, architect; Sam Lawrence, construction specialist; Larry Matel, transportation engineer; Dave Mollenhoff, historian; Rob Montgomery, water resources engineer; Carol Richard, architect; James Tye, fundraising and outreach strategist; Bill Wuellner, geotechnical engineer; Allen Arnsten, board liaison. Advisors: George Austin, policy & development strategist; Mark Schmitz, experiential designer