Medical College of Wisconsin Board of Trustees

President
Alverno College

Christy L. Brown, JD, currently serves as the 9th President of Alverno College, a small, private, liberal arts college enrolling women undergraduates and coed graduate students in Milwaukee, WI. Christy comes to this role combining experiences in the non-profit arena, academia and corporate business settings.

Immediately prior to Alverno, Christy was Chief Executive Officer of Girl Scouts of Wisconsin Southeast (GSWISE). Earlier in her career she had served as Vice President of Human Resources, and Vice President of the Southeast Region, in addition to acting as Corporate Counsel at Lutheran Social Services of Wisconsin & Upper Michigan.

Her higher education experience includes roles as vice chancellor, finance and administrative affairs at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and executive vice president and general counsel at Milwaukee Area Technical College. She is a former trustee for Carroll University and currently serves on the Duke Law Alumnae Council.

An adept advisor to business, Christy began her legal career providing counsel to corporate and higher education clients as an attorney in the Labor and Employment Relations and Higher Education Law practice groups with Michael Best, LLC. She currently serves as the Lead Independent Director for the Northwestern Mutual Series Fund Board of Directors and previously served as Chair of the Regulatory and Compliance Committee.

Her community service and professional activities are extensive and currently she is a member of the Wisconsin State Bar; the Association of Women Lawyers; the Wisconsin Association of African American Lawyers (Past President); TEMPO Milwaukee (Past TEMPO Mentor Award Recipient); and the International Women’s Forum - Wisconsin.

She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Stanford University, a Master of Arts degree in Humanities from Duke University Graduate School and a Juris Doctor from Duke University School of Law.

Pediatrician and Alumni Representative

Dr. Calkins has been practicing general pediatrics since 1999. She has worked at Children’s Wisconsin/Children’s Medical Group (CMG), Westbrook Pediatrics in Brookfield since 2005, where she serves as the Physician Lead. Her medical education started at the Medical College of Wisconsin (1992-1996), followed by her residency at The Children’s Hospital of Colorado, where she served as a Chief Resident. Dr. Calkins was active in the Colorado Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics during that time and served on its Board of Directors. She also undertook a 10-year commitment to the American Board of Pediatrics and served on its Examination Committee.

Her leadership roles in Children’s Medical Group/Children’s Wisconsin include serving on the Executive Board of Directors for the past 10 years and currently serving as Chair of the CMG Board of Directors. She is active on the CMG Quality Committee, Finance and Compensation Committee, and Professional Development Committee. Further, Dr. Calkins has served on the Adolescent Depression/Mental Health Committee, CMG/CSG Project Core Committee and Immunization Committee, and has participated in Children’s Wisconsin webinars and been featured in articles.

Additionally, she has been engaged in leadership at MCW, serving on the MCW Alumni Association Executive Committee for six years and as the Association’s President (2019-2020). She also has served as the 1996 Class Reunion Committee representative.

Dr. Calkins has been active in her community as a physician volunteer at her local school and with multiple community organizations and has been named a "Top Doctor" yearly since 2015.

Immediate Past Chair
MCW Board of Trustees

Retired, President and CEO
Associated Banc-Corp

Phil Flynn joined Associated Bank in 2009 as President and Chief Executive Officer and retired in 2021.

Mr. Flynn has more than 40 years of financial services industry experience. After becoming CEO, Flynn instituted a customer focused strategy that had positioned the company to deliver long-term, sustainable value to its shareholders. Associated is a diversified financial services company with well-balanced earnings from its core businesses.

Previously, Mr. Flynn held the position of vice chairman and chief operating officer of Union Bank in California. During his nearly 30-year career at Union Bank he held a broad range of other executive positions, including chief credit officer and head of commercial banking, specialized lending and wholesale banking activities.

In addition to the Medical College of Wisconsin, Mr. Flynn serves on the Boards of St. Norbert College and the Green Bay Packers.

Partner
General Capital Group

Linda Gorens-Levey, CPA, CFA, is a partner at General Capital Group, a real estate development company headquartered in Milwaukee. Prior to General Capital, Ms. Gorens- Levey was a managing director at Stark Investments, a global multi-strategy hedge fund, where she was responsible for a portfolio of real estate and private equity investments, served on the boards of several portfolio companies, and managed the founder’s family office. She also served as an associate director of investments at Northwestern Mutual Capital, LLC.

Ms. Gorens-Levey served as a co-chair of the Greater Milwaukee Committee’s Downtown Development Task Force (MKE United) from its inception through 2019 and is a member of the GMC Finance Committee. She previously served on the executive committee of the United Way of Greater Milwaukee & Waukesha County and in 2017 was one of the co-chairs for the United Performing Arts Fund’s 50th Anniversary Campaign. She is a long-time co-chair of the Milwaukee Jewish Federation’s Annual Economic Forum. Since 2016, Ms. Gorens-Levey has been a member of the board of directors of Ixonia Bank. She has received several awards for leadership and mentorship from various professional organizations in Milwaukee.

Ms. Gorens-Levey holds an MBA in finance and marketing from the Kellogg Graduate School at Northwestern University in Evanston, IL, and a BBA in Accounting from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. In addition, Ms. Gorens-Levey is a certified public accountant, a chartered financial analyst and has completed her real estate certification from the University of Wisconsin-Madison executive education program.

Shareholder
Godfrey & Kahn

Paul W. Griepentrog, JD, CPA, currently serves as a shareholder in the Milwaukee office of Godfrey & Kahn, where he serves as his clients’ most trusted advisor on mergers and acquisitions, other strategic growth transactions and general corporate matters.

Mr. Griepentrog represents private equity funds and publicly traded companies, along with entrepreneurs starting new ventures and long-standing, family-owned businesses. His experience ranges from assisting publicly traded businesses with merger transactions, to assisting private equity groups with portfolio acquisitions and dispositions, to assisting a family-owned business with the transition of ownership from one generation to the next.

Mr. Griepentrog is a CPA and was formerly a tax specialist at Ernst & Young. He continues to be named among The Best Lawyers in America for Corporate Law, Mergers & Acquisitions (since 2013), and was named 2018 “Lawyer of the Year” by Best Lawyers for Mergers and Acquisitions Law in Milwaukee.

Mr. Griepentrog sits on the boards of the MACC Fund and Blue Mound Golf Club (where he also serves as their finance committee chair).

He received his BBA in accounting from Marquette University and his JD from Marquette University Law School. He lives in Brookfield with his wife and three children.

Executive Vice President & Chief Insurance Officer
Northwestern Mutual

As Chief Insurance Officer, John M. Grogan is responsible for the strategy and performance of the company’s insurance businesses. This includes overall leadership of product development and innovation, product line performance, risk selection standards, and underwriting. He also serves as a member of the company’s Senior Leadership Team.

Grogan joined Northwestern as an attorney in 1992 and has worked in and held leadership roles in a variety of company disciplines, including law, insurance, distribution, operations, and investment products. He served as president and chief executive officer of the Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Company during the financial crisis from 2008 to 2010. In 2010, he led the integration of all support to the field across products, planning and markets. In recent years, he has overseen the company’s service operations, innovation and venture investing, and underwriting transformation to accelerate the company’s client experience.

Before joining Northwestern Mutual, Grogan worked for the federal judiciary in Kansas City, Missouri, and as a certified public accountant for Arthur Andersen in Chicago.
Grogan is a graduate of Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. and of the Northwestern University School of Law in Chicago. He also completed the Kellogg Management Institute at Northwestern University’s Kellogg Graduate School of Management.

He currently serves on the boards of Marquette University High School, The Medical College of Wisconsin, and LIMRA/LOMA Global. An advocate for diversity and inclusion, he also serves as the executive sponsor of Northwestern Mutual’s Women’s Employee Resource Group.

John is married to his wife, Denise, and has four children.

President
Hispanic Collaborative

Ms. Hernandez is the president of the Hispanic Collaborative, where she leads the coordination of more than 150 organizations and individuals seeking to improve economic opportunities and representation among Latinos in the region. The Hispanic Collaborative was established with a grant from the Greater Milwaukee Foundation and is based out of the Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce’s offices.

Nancy is also the president and founder of ABRAZO Marketing and Communication, a leading integrated marketing firm dedicated to connecting companies, institutions and organizations with Hispanic, African-American and Asian audiences. ABRAZO offers primary research, branding, strategic planning, creative design, copywriting, media services, digital marketing and public relations delivered by a team of insightful, diverse professionals.

She developed the business plan that became ABRAZO while completing her Marquette MBA and has grown her agency into the region’s premier Hispanic/women-owned marketing company. Along the way, Nancy has received the TEMPO Mentor Award, The Business Journal’s Women of Influence Award, the BizTimes Innovator Award and the Marquette College of Business Alumni Entrepreneurial Award, and her company was named the 2004 Hispanic Business of the Year by the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Wisconsin.

Nancy is a founding member and past president of the Hispanic Professionals of Greater Milwaukee, past president of TEMPO Milwaukee, past president of the Milwaukee Public Library Foundation, and has served on the executive committee of the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Wisconsin. She currently serves on the boards of Society Insurance, Marquette University, and the United Way of Greater Milwaukee and Waukesha. She has served as vice chair of the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation and currently sits on the Entrepreneurship and Innovation Committee. For her extensive community service and volunteerism, Nancy was also chosen for the United Way Philanthropic Five award.

Chairman and CEO
T&M Partners

Ted D. Kellner is chairman and CEO of T&M Partners LLC. He also is a chartered financial analyst with more than 50 years of investment experience. Additionally, Mr. Kellner founded and serves as treasurer and executive chairman of Fiduciary Real Estate Development, Inc., which owns more than 8,200 multi-family units throughout Wisconsin. Previously, Mr. Kellner was executive chairman of Fiduciary Management, Inc., an employee-owned independent money management firm based in Milwaukee which he founded in 1980; the firm currently manages more than $20 billion in assets.

He serves on the Lakeview Equity Partners LLC. In the non-profit and civic arenas, Mr. Kellner serves on the boards of the Bluecoats Foundation, Children’s Hospital System, the Greater Milwaukee Committee, Milwaukee World Festival, Inc., United Way of Greater Milwaukee and Waukesha County, University of Wisconsin Foundation, YMCA of Metropolitan Milwaukee and the Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce.

He has a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Dean, School of Medicine
Provost and Executive Vice President
Medical College of Wisconsin

Dr. Joseph Kerschner became the dean of the School of Medicine and executive vice president of the Medical College of Wisconsin (MCW) in November 2011 following 10 months as interim dean. Dr. Kerschner assumed the additional role of provost of the MCW Health Science University in 2017. He also is professor in the departments of otolaryngology and communication sciences and microbiology and immunology. He has held numerous leadership roles in organized medicine, including currently serving as chair of the board of directors for the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC). He previously served as chair of the AAMC Council of Deans. Dr. Kerschner maintains an active membership on numerous professional and honorary societies, is past president of the American Society of Pediatric Otolaryngology and immediate past president of the International Society for Otitis Media.

Dr. Kerschner maintains an active research laboratory which has been continuously funded by the National Institutes of Health since 2001. Dr. Kerschner’s research (as a Principal or Co-Principal Investigator) has received extramural funding of more than $15 million. He has published groundbreaking basic and clinical research in otitis media (middle ear inflammation) which has fundamentally improved the understanding and treatment of this extremely common disease in children. Dr. Kerschner has published 137 manuscripts in peer-reviewed journals and has authored or co-authored 23 books, chapters and reviews. He provides editorial expertise for the leading national and international journals in otolaryngology and is the associate editor of the International Journal of Pediatric Otorhinolaryngology.

Dr. Kerschner has been deeply involved in medical education and mentorship throughout his career and has been a visiting professor and invited lecturer at more than 200 national and international meetings on a variety of topics including leadership development, medical economics and his areas of research expertise. He personally has mentored more than 30 pre- and post-doctoral students, many of whom have gone on to enjoy careers in academic medicine. As dean of MCW’s School of Medicine, Dr. Kerschner has led the development of a completely revamped medical student curriculum (the Discovery Curriculum) which emphasizes early clinical exposure and individualized learning through topical education options called “Pathways.”

Dr. Kerschner maintains an active clinical practice and is recognized as a national expert in pediatric otolaryngology. He has been named as one of the Best Doctors® in America continuously since 2004.

Professor and Chair, Orthopaedic Surgery
Medical College of Wisconsin

Dr. King is board-certified in Orthopaedic Surgery by the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery and has been chosen by his peers as one of the Best Doctors in America since 2009. Dr. King specializes in musculoskeletal oncology and cares for patients with a wide range of pediatric and adult musculoskeletal issues. His clinical emphases include musculoskeletal tumors, bone and soft tissue sarcomas, limb salvage surgery, minimally invasive approaches for metastatic bone disease, and vascular anomalies of bone and soft tissue.

Dr. King’s research interests include minimizing wound complications following sarcoma resection, identifying adequate margin status following sarcoma resections and minimally invasive techniques to manage pelvic and sacral tumors. Additionally, Dr. King has been significantly involved in medical student, resident, and fellow education at MCW and has been honored as the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery’s Resident Educator of the Year multiple times.

Dr. King graduated with honors from the University of Iowa in 1992 and received his MD degree from that institution in 1996. From 1996-2001, Dr. King completed an internship and residency in orthopaedic surgery at the University of Chicago; he served a fellowship in musculoskeletal oncology there from 2001-2002.

Dr. King joined the Medical College of Wisconsin in 2002 and has worked tirelessly to develop the F&MCW Sarcoma Program into a world class program. He has served as Chairman and Paul A. Jacobs, MD Professor in Orthopaedic Surgery since 2016, and serves as the MSK Service Line Director for Froedtert and Medical College of Wisconsin Health System.

President & CEO
Lubar & Co.

David Lubar joined Lubar & Co. in 1983 and today leads the company’s daily operations as president and CEO. Previously, he spent five years in commercial banking at Norwest Bank (now known as Wells Fargo Bank). He has served as lead investor and a director to more than 20 companies in a wide range of industries and in various stages of business development. He currently serves as a director of several private companies as well as Milwaukee Brewers and BMO Financial Corp.

He also serves or has served on the Board of several non-profit organizations, including Greater Milwaukee Committee (chairman), University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Business Advisory Council (chairman), Milwaukee Jewish Federation (former chairman), Froedtert Health (former chairman), United Way of Greater Milwaukee and Waukesha County (former chairman) and Greater Milwaukee Foundation (former vice-chair). Mr. Lubar received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine, in 1977 and a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis in 1982.

President and Chief Executive Officer
The Marcus Corporation

Mr. Marcus is president and chief executive officer of The Marcus Corporation (NYSE: MCS). He joined the company in 1992, was elected to the Board of Directors in 2005 and was elected president in 2008 and chief executive officer in 2009. He is the third generation of the Marcus family to lead the company founded by his grandfather, Ben Marcus, in 1935. Greg is actively involved in leadership roles with numerous Milwaukee organizations and has been a speaker at both local and industry events. He received a BA degree in accounting from Indiana University in 1986 and a JD degree from Boston University School of Law in 1989.

Chief Executive Officer
Milwaukee Academy of Science

As CEO of the Milwaukee Academy of Science (MAS) since 2016, Mr. McHenry has increased enrollment numbers and developed new partnerships (such as with The Boys & Girls Club). He has improved student retention and the school’s excellent athletic program. Mr. McHenry currently serves on the board of ACTS Housing, PEARLS for Teen Girls and Teach for America. Mr. McHenry is part of the Milwaukee Charter School Advocates and a respected leader in the education field. Mr. McHenry is known for his advocacy for what is best for students above all else. He is passionate about providing high-quality education at a school that includes students in K4 through 12th grade because he believes in the model of serving all 14 grades, which enables families to stay connected throughout and build meaningful relationships with school administrators, teachers, staff members and fellow parents.

Prior to joining MAS, Mr. McHenry served as Executive Director of the Silver Spring Neighborhood Center in the Westlawn neighborhood for nearly 20 years. As a community leader, he was the chairperson for the Milwaukee Teen Pregnancy Prevention Network from 2007-14 and served as co-chair for the Milwaukee County Substance Abuse Prevention Project from 2011-2014. Currently, Mr. McHenry is the volunteer director of Silver Spring’s nationally known AAU basketball program.

Mr. McHenry was born and raised in Columbus, Georgia. He attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison on a full athletic scholarship and earned a Bachelor of Arts in African American Studies in 1993. In recent years, Anthony has received several distinguished awards including the Social Development Commission Incredible Person Award (twice), the Milwaukee Times Black Excellence Award and the Donald Driver Driven to Achieve Award (2016), the Black Excellence Community Honoree Award (2022), and an Honorary Doctorate Degree from the Medical College of Wisconsin (2022).

President and CEO
Versiti

Chris Miskel became president and CEO of Versiti on Feb. 1, 2017. Miskel leads Versiti’s strategic affiliation of successful healthcare organizations that provide innovative, value-added solutions in the fields of transfusion medicine, transplantation, hematology, cellular therapies and genomic medicine. Versiti is comprised of Blood Center of Wisconsin, Heartland Blood Centers (IL), Michigan Blood and Indiana Blood Center. Its combined efforts result in improved patient outcomes, expanded access to care and cost efficiencies for healthcare systems nationwide.

As CEO, Miskel oversees an internationally respected transfusion medicine, blood products and blood services provider. Versiti provides diagnostic, esoteric reference laboratory services to hospitals nationwide, and transfusion and hematology-related medical services to hospitals, including the Comprehensive Center for Bleeding Disorders, a bleeding and clotting disorder treatment center. Its Blood Research Institute is among the world’s premier blood research organizations focused on vascular biology, and also performs research in cancer immunology, stem cell biology, and transfusion medicine and transplantation. Versiti provides transplant services and products for transplantation, including stem cells and bone marrow, and organ and tissue recovery services for transplantation.

Prior to joining Versiti, Miskel served as group vice president and global immunology franchise head at Shire, helping to bring medicines to patients around the world and shaping the strategy for a $2.5 billion biopharmaceutical franchise. In his previous role at Baxalta, he was vice president of plasma strategy and new product development. Miskel also worked for Baxter International as vice president of US BioScience National Accounts and spent 17 years with Eli Lilly and Company, most recently as general manager of their Australia and New Zealand operation.

Miskel earned a master’s degree in business administration from Harvard Business School in Cambridge, MA in 2000 and a bachelor’s degree, cum laude, in accounting from Butler University in Indianapolis in 1996. He also was a three-year starter on Butler’s basketball team and was named an Academic All-American in 1995. Miskel currently sits on the Butler University Business School board of visitors.

President
Former CEO of Mortara Instrument, Inc.

Justin L. Mortara, PhD, is the former CEO of Mortara Instrument, Inc. Mortara Instrument is a medical device firm headquartered in Milwaukee that designs and manufactures electrocardiography (ECG) devices and monitoring systems that aid in the diagnosis of cardiovascular disease. Dr. Mortara joined the company in 1998 and was named CEO in 2008. In 2017, the company was acquired by Hill-Rom, a leading global medical technology company with more than 10,000 employees worldwide.

Dr. Mortara was educated at the University of Chicago, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in Physics. He earned his doctorate in Physics at the University of California-Berkeley. Dr. Mortara currently serves on the boards of the Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce (MMAC), the Milwaukee Art Museum, the Milwaukee Ballet and the Greater Milwaukee Committee.

Retired, Chief Health Care Officer
Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC)

Janis M. Orlowski, MD, MACP, retired as chief health care officer with the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC). In this role, she focused on the interface between the healthcare delivery system and academic medicine, especially regarding how academic medical centers can leverage their expertise in research and innovation to support emerging reforms.

Dr. Orlowski also led several AAMC groups, including the Council of Teaching Hospitals and Health Systems. Dr. Orlowski joined the AAMC after serving as the chief operating officer and chief medical officer of MedStar Washington Hospital Center, Washington, DC, from 2004-2013, where she oversaw the medical staff, clinical care, quality, patient safety, medical risk, perioperative services, ambulatory care and medical education programs. Prior to MedStar Washington, Dr. Orlowski served as associate vice president and executive dean of the Rush University Medical School in Chicago.

Dr. Orlowski also serves on the board of trustees at Marquette University, Montini Catholic High School in Lombard, IL, and Creighton University in Omaha, NE.

Dr. Orlowski is board-certified in both internal medicine and nephrology. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in biomedical engineering from Marquette University in 1978 and her MD from the Medical College of Wisconsin in 1982. Her residency, term as chief resident and fellowship in nephrology were all completed at Rush University Medical Center.

President and Chief Executive Officer
Children’s Wisconsin

Gil Peri became President and CEO of Children’s Wisconsin, the only health system in Wisconsin that is 100 percent dedicated to kids and teenagers, in August 2024.

Over the past 25 years, Gil has held progressive health care operations and strategy leadership roles. His most recent position was as president of Riley Children’s Health in Indianapolis, a 485-bed children’s health system that is part of Indiana University Health and the Indiana University School of Medicine. His accomplishments there included forming the Riley Child Health Institute in partnership with the Indiana University School of Medicine and establishing the Riley Children’s Care Alliance partnership to engage other hospitals throughout Indiana in formal collaboration for pediatric care. He also helped engage more than 200 statewide stakeholders to create the first youth mental health strategic plan, which was adopted by the state of Indiana to support youth across the mental health care continuum.

Gil has also held executive leadership roles at Connecticut Children’s Medical Center, Children’s Hospital Colorado and Nationwide Children’s Hospital. Throughout his career, Gil has been responsible for establishing clear roadmaps that deliver value for patients and families, and providing oversight for complex clinical and business operations. He is known for being an inspiring leader and creating a culture of quality, service, engagement and belonging.

Gil earned a Bachelor of Arts in Biology, Master of Public Health in Health Administration, and Master of Business Administration in Strategy, Health Care and Entrepreneurship from University of South Florida. Gil has been an advocate for kids and families through numerous community engagements. He was board chair for the Child Health Development Institute/Children’s Fund of Connecticut, co-chair for the Children’s Hospital Association COVID-19 Operations Task Force, a member of the Indiana Lieutenant Governor’s Mental Health Roundtable and a Finance Committee member for the Children’s Hospital Association. He also serves on the boards of the Solutions for Patient Safety and Special Olympics Indiana.

Managing Director
Co-Chief Investment Officer, Baird Advisors
Robert W. Baird & Co., Inc.

Warren has 36 years of investment experience managing various types of fixed income portfolios. His responsibilities include developing and implementing investment strategy with particular emphasis on yield curve analysis and research in the U.S. Treasury, U.S. government agency and municipal sectors. Prior to joining Baird Advisors, Warren was a Senior Vice President and Senior Portfolio Manager with Firstar Investment Research & Management Company where he played a lead role in the management of taxable and tax-exempt portfolios.

Warren obtained his undergraduate degree from Lawrence University. He earned the Chartered Financial Analyst designation in 1990. Warren is a member of the CFA Institute and the CFA Society of Milwaukee (past President). He is a cabinet member of the United Way of Greater Milwaukee and is currently on the boards of the Milwaukee Rescue Mission (past Board President), the Medical College of Wisconsin, the Neuroscience Research Center at the Medical College of Wisconsin, and the Kern Family Foundation. Warren has also served as Board President of the Alzheimer’s Association of Southeastern Wisconsin.

Warren and his wife, Ann, have six children: Andrew (Dori), William, Patrick, Barbara, Amelia and Chloe and a grandson, Asher.

Partner and Intellectual Property Lawyer
Foley & Lardner LLP

R. Jan Pirozzolo-Mellowes is a partner and intellectual property lawyer with Foley & Lardner LLP, where she focuses on patent, trademark, and copyright litigation. Ms. Pirozzolo-Mellowes’ work involves various industries and technical areas, including software, chemical compositions, medical devices, mechanical devices, DNA sequencing, and architectural works. Ms. Pirozzolo-Mellowes also has experience in complex litigation in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology fields, including Hatch-Waxman litigation. She is a member of the firm’s Intellectual Property Litigation Practice Practice and the Automotive and Life Sciences Industry Teams.

Ms. Pirozzolo-Mellowes has extensive experience with day-to-day case management and has handled many aspects of case development, including a variety of discovery issues such as fact investigations, document collection, electronic discovery, discovery disputes, and depositions. She has also worked extensively with both technical and financial experts, has significant experience with briefing issues and trial preparation, and has appeared in a number of federal courts.

Community Engagement
Ms. Pirozzolo-Mellowes is also involved in a number of community organizations. She is currently a trustee on the Charter Manufacturing Foundation Board, has been a member of the Junior League of Milwaukee, where she has co-chaired and chaired fundraising efforts, and she co-chaired the 2012 Annual Wisconsin Breast Cancer Showhouse Tee Up for a Cure Golf Outing in connection with the organization’s funding of breast cancer and prostate cancer research at the Medical College of Wisconsin.

Education
Ms. Pirozzolo-Mellowes received her law degree from the University of Connecticut School of Law, with honors, in 2004. During law school, she served as a member and business manager for the Connecticut Law Review. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree from Princeton University in 1996. Additionally, Ms. Pirozzolo-Mellowes completed additional coursework in chemistry and biochemistry at Boston College, which qualified her for registration to practice before the United States Patent and Trademark Office.

Admissions and Professional Memberships
Ms. Pirozzolo-Mellowes is admitted to practice in Wisconsin and Massachusetts. She is also registered to practice before the United States Patent and Trademark Office. Additionally, Ms. Pirozzolo-Mellowes is admitted to the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin, the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts, and the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. She is a member of the Association for Woman Lawyers, the American Bar Association, and the Boston Bar Association.

Selected Publications

• “Ethics and Professional Responsibility,” State Bar of Wisconsin CLE Books, April 2008 (with Cynthia J. Franecki)
• “Court Finds 25 Percent ‘Rule of Thumb’ to Be a Fundamentally Flawed Tool,” Foley Legal News Alert: IP Litigation, January 5, 2011 (with Cynthia J. Franecki)

President and Chief Executive Officer
HUSCO International

Mr. Ramirez is the President & CEO of HUSCO International. Under his leadership, the company was designated a Global Growth Company by the World Economic Forum and recognized as Wisconsin Manufacturer of the Year.

In 2016-17, Mr. Ramirez served a one-year assignment in Washington, DC as a White House Fellow at the National Economic Council. Founded in 1964 by Lyndon B. Johnson, the White House Fellows program is one of America’s most prestigious programs for leadership and public service.

After graduating from Virginia with degrees in Systems Engineering and Economics, he worked in the San Francisco office of McKinsey & Company. Mr. Ramirez attended Stanford Graduate School of Business as a Goldman Sachs Fellow and graduated as an Arjay Miller Scholar.

Mr. Ramirez is an active citizen of Milwaukee with a passion for urban education. He has volunteered on a number of education-focused boards including Teach for America, the Boys and Girls Club, the YMCA, and the United Performing Arts Fund. He has also served as a director of the Greater Milwaukee Committee, Metropolitan Milwaukee Chamber of Commerce, and the National Association of Manufacturers. Mr. Ramirez was selected as a Young Global Leader of the World Economic Forum in 2014 and is the founding curator of the Forum’s Global Shaper Hub in Milwaukee.

President and CEO
Professor of Medicine
Medical College of Wisconsin

John R. Raymond, Sr., MD, assumed positions as the Medical College of Wisconsin’s (MCW) sixth president and chief executive officer on July 1, 2010.

After graduating from the School of Medicine at The Ohio State University, Dr. Raymond trained in internal medicine and nephrology at Duke University Medical Center, after which he joined the faculty and rose through the academic ranks to attain tenure. Raymond then joined the Medical University of South Carolina [MUSC] faculty in 1996 as the Dialysis Clinics Incorporated Professor of Medicine, until 2010. During this period he also served as associate chief of staff for research at the Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center in Charleston, SC, from 1998 to 2002; MUSC’s associate provost for research from 2001-2006, and vice president for academic affairs and provost from 2002-2010.

He has been a peer-designated Best Doctor® for many years, and a scientist funded by the National Institutes of Health.

A practicing nephrologist with active roles in clinical care, teaching and faculty mentorship, Raymond also is a medical researcher studying the basic mechanisms of kidney cell function. He has published more than 140 full-length manuscripts and earned nearly $40 million of grant funding over the course of his career.

Raymond is a member of the board of directors of the United Way of Greater Milwaukee and Waukesha County and co-chair of the 2020 United Way Campaign. He also is a member of the Versiti/BloodCenter of Wisconsin’s Blood Research Institute. He is a past member of the board of the National Kidney Foundation of Wisconsin, a past president of the board of the American Heart Association of Metro Milwaukee and chairman of the American Heart Association’s 2011 Milwaukee Heart Walk. Raymond has served on the editorial boards of the American Journal of Physiology – Renal Physiology, the Journal of Biological Chemistry and Assay Drug Development Technology.

He was elected to membership in the Association of American Physicians, the American Clinical and Climatological Association, and the American Society for Clinical Investigation. Among his many honors are awards for excellence in leadership, research, mentorship, service, diversity, teaching and clinical care.

Opus Dean
Marquette University

Dr. Kristina (Kris) Ropella is Opus Dean of the Opus College of Engineering and professor of biomedical engineering at Marquette University (MU). She joined the biomedical engineering faculty at Marquette in 1990 and served as chair of the department of biomedical engineering from 2004 to 2013, when she was named the executive associate dean for the college. Ropella assumed the permanent role of Opus Dean in 2015. In this leadership role, she provides vision and leads strategic planning and implementation, creation of academic programs, engagement with industry, government and other academic institutions, fundraising and community outreach.

Dr. Ropella’s research expertise is in biosignal processing and medical imaging for diagnostic medical devices, with emphasis on monitoring of cardiac arrhythmias and brain mapping. She led the creation of several innovative educational programs, including the Joint Functional Imaging PhD program with MCW, a new biocomputer engineering major at Marquette, a GAANN Graduate Fellowship Program in Functional Imaging, an NSF sponsored summer undergraduate research program and the MU and MCW department of biomedical engineering. Ropella is also the founder and faculty director of E-Lead, a three-year curricular leadership development program that offers undergraduate students the opportunity to build on their technical skills and develop their capacity to lead people and teams. She collaborates extensively with industry to support research, educational programs and student design projects.

Dr. Ropella was named the Wisconsin US Professor of the Year by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and the Council for Advancement and Support for Education (2007). She has twice received the college’s Outstanding Teacher Award (1994 and 2002), the university’s Robert and Mary Gettel Faculty Award for Teaching Excellence (2002). Among other honors, she was the recipient of the Milwaukee Business Journal’s Forty Under 40 (2000) and Women of Influence (2008) awards; STEM Forward’s Engineer of the Year award (2016); and the Kern Family Foundation’s Outstanding Dean award (2016).

Dr. Ropella is a fellow of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE). She has served on the board of directors for AIMBE, the Biomedical Engineering Society, the Council of Chairs in Biomedical Engineering and the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society. She currently serves on the board of directors at Milwaukee’s St. Augustine Prep and the Cristo Rey Jesuit High School Governance Board. Dr. Ropella received her bachelor’s degree in biomedical engineering from Marquette University and master’s and doctoral degrees from Northwestern University.

Chancellor Emeritus
Professor, College of Medicine, University of Tennessee-Health Science Center

Steve J. Schwab, MD served as the Chief Executive Officer of the statewide University of Tennessee Health Science Center from 2009 to 2022. The Health Science Center (headquartered in Memphis) contains all six of UT’s doctoral-degree-granting health science colleges – Dentistry, Graduate Health Sciences, Health Professions, Medicine, Nursing, and Pharmacy. UTHSC spans the state with four major, regional clinical Health Science locations in Memphis, Knoxville, Chattanooga and Nashville. The Health Science Center, together with its clinical practice groups, employs more than 4,000 people statewide. UTHSC faculty members comprise some of the largest practice groups in the state. UTHSC is also the largest educator of health care professionals in the state including the state’s largest residency and fellowship advanced training programs.

Dr. Schwab is a graduate of the University of Missouri School of Medicine and completed his Internship/Residency in Internal Medicine at the University of Kansas Hospitals and Clinics, followed by a fellowship in Nephrology with Washington University at the Barnes Hospital. He spent 18 years on the faculty at Duke University, where he rose to become Professor and Vice Chair of the Department of Medicine. In 2003, he was named Regents Professor and Chair of the Department of Medicine at the Medical College of Georgia, later being named Chief Clinical Officer. He became Executive Dean for the University of Tennessee College of Medicine in 2006. He was appointed Interim Chancellor of UTHSC in 2009 and was named Chancellor in 2010.

Dr. Schwab served on the American Board of Internal Medicine and the Subspecialty Board of Nephrology as well as on the editorial boards of many other top-tier medical journals. His expertise has also been tapped as Editor-in-Chief of Nephrology for “Up to Date In Medicine.” Dr. Schwab has also been voted one of America's Best Doctors and named among America's Top Doctors for most of his practice career.

Throughout his career, Dr. Schwab has published more than 150 peer reviewed journal publications and five books that focus on kidney disease and dialytic therapy. An invited lecturer for more than 75 international and national conferences, he has directed multiple national multicenter clinical trials and was continuously funded by the National Institute of Health as a principal investigator for his investigative career. Dr Schwab previously served on the Boards of Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare System in Memphis the UT Medical Center in Knoxville, as well as on the Board of Governors of the Oak Ridge National Laboratory. He currently serves on the Boards of Ascension St Thomas Health System in Nashville as well the Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee.

James J. Smith & Catherine Welsch Smith Professor of Physiology
Chair of Physiology
Associate Director, Cardiovascular Center
Medical College of Wisconsin

Dr. Sigmund is the James J. Smith & Catherine Welsch Smith Chair of Physiology at the Medical College of Wisconsin. Dr. Sigmund previously served as Professor and Roy J. Carver Chair in Hypertension Research; Director, Chair and Department Executive Officer, Department of Pharmacology; UIHC Center for Hypertension Research at the Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine at the University of Iowa. He has published over 300 papers, chapters, and reviews and has trained over 50 PhD students and postdoctoral fellows many of whom hold research and faculty positions nationally and internationally. He has held numerous leadership roles in prominent societies. He recently completed a two-year term as the Chair of the American Heart Association Council on Hypertension and previously served as the Chair of the Publications Committee of the American Physiological Society (APS). He was previously Associate Editor and Editor-in-Chief for several APS journals. He served on the External Scientific Review Board of the MCW Cardiovascular Center from 2016-2017 and now serves as its Associate Director.

Chief Executive Officer
EUA

Rich Tennessen has brought unique experiences to the Eppstein Uhen Architects (EUA) team since he joined the firm in 1998. He has shed light on everything from preconstruction services – including estimating, project management, and strategic visioning– to referendum planning, fundraising, political understanding and business development. Rich has upfront involvement with many of EUA’s clients which includes extensive experience in many of Milwaukee’s major projects, such as the Wisconsin Center, Summerfest, Wisconsin State Fair, American Family Field, Milwaukee Bucks and Milwaukee Repertory Theater, as well as many area hospitals, including Froedtert and MCW. He also has been involved in projects with many of the area’s top corporations, including Harley Davidson, Northwestern Mutual, Johnson Controls and Foxconn. He has facilitated planning sessions with the Governor, various state legislators, cabinet members and local officials. He works closely with clients to develop, plan and execute strategies for successful project completion and brings a high emotional intelligence to help build relationships with all stakeholders to create positive progress in a multitude of situations.

Rich received Bachelor of Science degrees in building construction management and business administration from the University of Wisconsin-Platteville in 1989. He served as vice president of a major local construction manager before joining EUA in 1998. Rich served 10 years as president, leading day-to-day operations as well as leading the effort on a recent acquisition of a design and engineering firm with offices in Green Bay and Atlanta. Rich was promoted to CEO in the fall of 2021. As CEO, Rich leads a team of 275 professionals across five offices. Over the course of his career, Rich has been involved in numerous community organizations and strongly believes in giving back.