Julieane Cook
Director of Teacher Development, LUMIN Schools

I am an educator and lifelong learner. I currently serve as the Senior Director of Schools for the LUMIN Schools in Milwaukee and Racine. I love my work because I have the opportunity to support amazing students, staff and parents each day. We work hard at caring for each other, growing and learning, and taking steps to improve our communities through our schools. That boils down to a little motto…We Love! We Change! We Empower!

I have been a huge fan of Danceworks for many years! I grew up dancing and earned a BFA in dance in college. I am honored to serve on the board to not only stay involved in the dance community but to be able to support the mission of improving our communities through dance. I see this great work firsthand through programming at our LUMIN Schools and how impactful dance can be for our youngest learners as well as our most seasoned learners in the Generations program. I love how Danceworks provides opportunity, creativity, exposure, authenticity, and inclusivity through dance. I can’t wait to see what the team creates next!

Renee Griswold
Wisconsin Cycling League Director | National Interscholastic Cycling Association (NICA) and
President, ACTIVE Consulting, LLC

I am honored to serve on the Board of Directors because as a former dancer with the Company and long-time subscriber, I have had a long-standing relationship with Danceworks. I am excited to bring expertise in dance education and arts administration to my Board position to help Danceworks continue to develop into the community gem it has become.

As a level-headed leader, I have worked closely with boards, department heads, faculty & coaches, volunteers, students and their parents/guardians. Managing large staffs, I have developed systems and procedures emphasizing organization and communication for all types of constituents. Nationally, I have served as a site evaluator, trainer and frequent presenter and moderator for schools of dance and other art forms.

Following my career in the dance world, I continued to volunteer extensively in the youth swimming and baseball worlds, in which my teenage sons are deeply involved and started a consulting company dedicated to improving the administration of youth organizations.

Most recently, I began to focus on my passion for being on a bike and spending time outdoors. I am currently the Wisconsin League Director for the National Interscholastic Cycling Association (NICA), which is an organization dedicated to using mountain biking as a tool to develop middle and high school students into individuals with strong minds, bodies, character and communities through cycling.

Jason Wendt
Vice President of Accounting, BMO Harris Bank

Marisa Greco
Customer Success Manager, CharismaQ

Growing up, dance, particularly ballet, shaped me into who I am today. Beyond learning the beautiful art of ballet and developing self-confidence, I learned many life lessons I still carry with me today – how to be a respectful listener, how to communicate through movement and emotion, and the most pivotal being, there is beauty that comes with hard work.

I am a passionate, driven, hardworking marketing professional. I am a constant connector and a problem-solver known for effective collaborations. I listen to understand all perspectives, remain curious in all I do and am personally committed to making a difference.

As the Customer Success Manager at CharismaQ, I am helping to create a world of confident communicators. CharismaQ is a tech-enabled coaching company purpose built to evaluate, coach and create charismatic people.

I am honored to serve the Danceworks Board of Directors so I can share with our community the positivity and joy dance brings to my life.

Craig Bennet
Business Performance Advisor, Insperity HR Solutions

I help small to mid-sized businesses with Strategic HR service solutions…

• Technology
• Payroll solutions
• Cost contained/Benefit solutions
• Help minimize their employee risk/Workers comp relief

I joined the Danceworks Board of Directors because I’m excited to give my time and talents to help find solutions that can help the Danceworks organization grow.  I’ve long been a fan of the arts and have recently gained an appreciation for how much work goes on behind the scenes.  That work, especially at the developmental level, continues to pay dividends over a whole lifetime.  I’m proud to align myself with an organization that brings individuals from all levels of ability to an environment that instills confidence, supportive behaviors and free spirits to all.

Kristin Bergstrom,
Shareholder, Reinhart Boerner Van Deuren s.c.

Dr. Deborah Bowling
Manager of Fine Arts, Milwaukee Public Schools

By joining the Board of Directors, my professional life seems to have come full circle. I began my career, 23 years ago, as an art teacher in MPS. My school was one of the first to participate in Mad Hot Ballroom and Tap. I remember watching my students practice and the excitement of the Saturday’s at the Bradley Center. A few years later, I was still able to enjoy these events, but as my role as a Principal in MPS. Now I am the proud Manager of Fine Arts for the district, overseeing visual art, music, physical education, health, and science. My life has been shaped by my experiences and students through the arts in Milwaukee. I have been a lifelong resident of the city of Milwaukee and hope that I have contributed, in some small way, to the joy that our students feel in school.

In my time away from work, I make the most of family time by enjoying the outdoors, golfing, festivals, concerts, and dining out. My husband and I love to travel to new places and try new things. Some of our favorite travel destinations have been Costa Rica, Puerto Vallarta, and the Dominican Republic. Our next destination is Panama!

Chloe Chiuminatto
CFO Consultant

I started my journey with dance at the age of 3 when I begged my mom to enroll me in ballet classes after seeing Milwaukee Ballet’s The Nutcracker. Attending classes at the Milwaukee Ballet School over the following decade sparked my life-long love for the city of Milwaukee and the whole wide world of art. It was a natural next step for me to pursue an art degree at UW-Milwaukee, and that luckily led me to take my first classes at Danceworks as I settled into my new life near campus.

Ultimately, after a significant switch in majors, I completed my time at UWM with my undergraduate and graduate degrees in accounting (and a minor in art, of course!). From there I spent seven years in public accounting, where I focused on tax and audit services for non-profit organizations. My experience working with non-profit organizations was rewarding in ways I hadn’t expected and opened my eyes to some of the most incredible places in Milwaukee. But what was most remarkable and inspiring were the people I met along the way.

I’m grateful to have the opportunity to work alongside passionate people and artists, and to be a part of the community here at Danceworks!

Kelly Knoke

Thank you so much for the warm welcome to the Danceworks Board of Directors. I am so grateful to my friend and former co-worker Renee Griswold for connecting me to your important work. My love affair with dance started with “just a job” that I accepted at Milwaukee Ballet in 2005. As an audience member, I quickly realized the transformative strength that dance provided to me and in turn, my daughter who just completed her MFA in dance. My decade plus years at the Ballet was such a passionate and fun time – I miss the classical music from all corners of thing!

I bring my operational fundraising skills to Danceworks in hopes that I can help to elevate your connection to Milwaukee’s philanthropic community.

Frank Krejci
President & CEO, Strattec Security Corporation

Frank Krejci is President and CEO of STRATTEC. It is a publicly traded international automotive parts manufacturer with $500 million in annual sales and about 4000 employees. He also very involved in the Milwaukee area, including:

For Profit Boards of Directors: Florence Eiseman (children’s clothing); Jones Dairy Farm (breakfast meats); Banner Welder (automation equipment)

Non-Profit Boards: Milwaukee Development Corp. (catalytic real estate projects like Milwaukee Center, Yankee Hill, East Pointe Commons, The Avenue); Milwaukee Youth Arts Center (real estate for First Stage and MYSO); Danceworks

Krejci was on the wrestling team through college and played on a rugby team 10 years after college. Currently, Frank enjoys running and water skiing during his free time.

Frank has enjoyed working with former Danceworks Executive Director, Deb Farris, and was excited about the impact of the Mad Hot Rhythm Program and the opportunity to grow it.

Jeff McClellan
Sr. Vice President Creative, Branigan Communications

I’m currently the Senior Vice President, Creative at Branigan. I work with our clients on branding, communications strategy and creative execution. My background is as a copywriter and agency principal. I get my biggest kicks from working with start-up entrepreneurs to develop their positioning and messaging. I’ve also been an adjunct professor in strategic communications at Marquette University since 2006.

I believe in giving back and doing good. I’ve been privileged to find success in marketing and advertising, and I feel strongly that I need to use my knowledge and expertise to help make Milwaukee a better place. And Danceworks is an organization dedicated to improving our  community in many different ways.  I’m proud to serve with and support an organization that has a vision for bringing joy and creativity to the city.  

Tim Moss
Owner & CEO, Bronze Optical

Tim Moss is an optician and is the owner of Bronze Optical Gallery in Milwaukee. He started as an optician at D.O.C. in Bayshore Mall in the late 1990’s, and went on to be a buyer and store manager for luxury optical boutiques in Houston and Minneapolis before purchasing Bronze Optical in January 2020.

Prior to working in the optical field, Tim received his MFA in Stage Management from UWM in 1992. Part of his graduate work entailed working as the Stage Manager for the UWM Department of Dance, a role he continued after graduation until 2001 when he moved out of state. It was during this time that he met Sarah Wilbur, Dani Kuepper and Amy Brinkmann as undergraduate students, and began a life-long love of Modern Dance as an art-form. This relationship with the Milwaukee dance community resulted in him becoming the Stage Manager for Danceworks Performance Company, Wild Space Dance Company and the UWM Department of Dance until 2001.

When Tim returned to Milwaukee he knew that he wanted to support the arts organizations that supported him early in his career, and joining the Danceworks Board of Directors was one way that he hoped he could make a contribution. He is dedicated to helping Danceworks move forward in the 21st century, while staying true to the artistic vision of its founders and its legacy in the community.

Alexander Ng, PhD
Professor
Exercise Science Program
Department of Physical Therapy
Marquette University

I am honored to be on the Board of Directors of Danceworks. I have had a passion for music, art, and dance since high school and college. Having grown up with music, I began learning violin/fiddle as an adult and played in the Wisconsin Intergenerational Orchestra. I enjoy the artistry of professional ballet, modern dance, and folk dance and over the years have enjoyed participating in social/ballroom, country-western, and folk dance, including contra and Irish céilí. I have a particular interest in traditional percussive dance.

I am a professor at Marquette University, in the Exercise Science Program, and, among other things, I study the physiological and psychological benefits of dance for individuals with chronic disease. Danceworks instructors have been instrumental in carrying out this work. Along with this research I have presented to varied audiences on the benefits of partnered social dance and ballet for individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS). I believe that dance should be for everyone, and I have led efforts to provide community opportunities for dance for persons with MS, also with help from Danceworks.

Danceworks is a tremendous asset to the greater Milwaukee area. I have attended Danceworks performances and have taken classes in social, tap, and ballet. The Mad Hot programs are wonderful assets to our schools, and Danceworks programming for older adults provides needed opportunities for informed artistic physical activity. I am excited to contribute as a board member in any way I can to help further the mission of Danceworks.

Lindsay Olson,
Human Resources, Rockwell Automation