Leadership
Harriet Redman, M.S.Ed., Executive Director
Harriet Redman is Executive Director of WisconSibs and a founder of its predecessor organization, the Fox Valley Sibling Support Network. A graduate of Valparaiso University, she has taught middle school and high school, developed family educational programs and marketing strategy for a Fortune 500 insurance company, and served as business manager of a non-profit, semi-professional choral organization.
She has a master’s degree from Purdue University in family life education and a passion for the needs of siblings. She and her husband, Rich, have an adult son with multiple disabilities whose older sister is her mother’s inspiration and most honest critic.
Harriet’s work on behalf of siblings of people with disabilities and long-term illnesses has been recognized by several organizations:
- She received the Valparaiso University Alumni Community Service Award in recognition of outstanding service to her community (2008).
- She was presented Exceptional Parent magazine’s Maxwell J. Schleifer Distinguished Service Award for her work and advocacy on behalf of the 54.6 million people living with disabilities in the United States (2009).
- She was honored with a Fox Cities, Wisconsin Celebrating Abilities Award recognizing her leadership in enhancing the way people with disabilities develop and celebrate their abilities (2010).
- She received the Kasidhe Olson Distinguished Parent Award from the Elsie Shaw Foundation for her “outstanding effort to enrich the lives of children with disabilities and their families.”
Michelle Swenson, Sibshop Coordinator and SibDays of Summer Director
As a trained Sibshop® facilitator and the WisconSibs/Fox Valley Sibshop Coordinator, Michelle Swenson, develops the overall plan for 6-8 Sibshops each year in northeastern Wisconsin, coordinates facilitators and volunteers, and oversees each Sibshop.
As Director of SibDays of Summer, a week-long day camp that serves 45 sibs each summer, she develops plans, trains volunteers, and still has time for lots of fun with the campers.
A graduate of Lakeland College with a Master of Counseling, Michelle is a Licensed Professional Counselor and also is a therapist/group coordinator at the Sexual Assault Crisis Center in Appleton, WI.
Board of Directors
Edward Ruffolo, President
Miron Corporation
Cindy Piotrowski, Vice President
Portage County Aging and Disability Resource Center
Andrew Burg, Treasurer
Fox Valley Public Accountants
Karie Mindock, secretary
Fox Valley Lutheran High School
Deb Smet
Thrivent
Chris Howard
Thrivent
Daniel Dibble
Ledgeview Partners
Michele Martin
Hortonville High School
Kristine Williams
Remley & Sensenbrenner, SC
For more information about how to join the WisconSibs, Inc Board of Directors, contact our office. For expections, click WisconSibs Board Member Expectations
We continue to thank these people who served the Fox Valley Sibling Support Network (now WisconSibs) as board members from 1998-2018:
| Barb Arndt* | Jim Johnson* | Sue Plamann | Kristin Lanari | Nancy Hidde |
| Jan Blume | Jim Jones | Steve Rieth | Susan Stenz | Jenni Moore |
| Megan Burdick-Grade | Amy Jordan* | Mary Ann Scherck | Judy Simon | |
| Patrick Curran | Craig Jordan* | Danielle Soland | Karen Schlieve Smith | |
| Dawn Ebert | Mike Mader | Jenni Verboomen | Jennifer Koeppl | |
| Karen Fahley | Cathy Mertz | Gina Vollmer | Lisa Kogan-Praska | |
| Mary Greiner | Cathy Mueller | Christine Wanless | Alyson Krokowsky | |
| Tina Hittman | Zola Nimmer | Chris Linn | Ben Stern |
*Founding board member