The nominations for 2026’s 40 Under 40 class tallied nearly 200, a record number in the 25 years In Business Madison has recognized and honored the next generation of leaders in Wisconsin’s Capital Region.
There were so many exceptional candidates that this year’s class numbers 45.
Three outside judges reviewed the nominations and scored the submissions, leading to the final list. They included Jeanan Yasiri Moe, director of strategic communications and public affairs at the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation; Rebecca Prochaska, president and CEO of Potter Lawson and Alanna Thiede, managing director of engagement for the Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce.
In Business Madison’s editorial team also honored Downtown Madison Inc. President Jason Ilstrup as the Alum of the Year.
Community members, professional colleagues and supporters gathered on May 13 at the Monona Terrace to toast these emerging leaders from a range of fields including construction, finance, the arts, health care, legal, restaurants, education, public service and more.
A short profile of each of the 40 Under 40 honorees follow in these pages — covering a mere fraction of the excellent work they do to shape Wisconsin’s Capital Region.
Class of 2026
Ian Andrews
VP, labor relations and large contractors
National Electrical Contractors Association
Age: 36
While Ian Andrews is based in Madison and his employer is headquartered in Washington, D.C., he exemplifies early-career leadership and achievement while staying closely connected to Madison.
Throughout his 14-year career with the National Electrical Contractors Association, he has consistently broken barriers. He became the youngest field representative, youngest regional executive director and now youngest vice president in the organization’s history since relocating to Madison in 2017.
With a collaborative, data-driven and service-oriented leadership style, he shapes workforce policy, labor-management collaboration and training innovation.
Facing a national shortage of electrical workers amid historic demand for infrastructure and clean energy, his leadership resulted in grant awards totaling $26 million.
Jazmynn Appleton
Chief director, entrepreneurial growth & innovation
Progress Center for Black Women
Age: 30
A visionary leader whose work has strengthened Madison’s entrepreneurial landscape, Jazmynn Appleton has created pathways for underrepresented entrepreneurs.
As a leader of the Progress Center for Black Women and an author, public speaker and co-founder of the nonprofit’s FOCUS entrepreneurial training accelerator, Appleton’s leadership extends beyond organizational boundaries.
She is a trusted voice and speaker, having served as a panelist for local events such as Forward Fest’s “Fempreneurs: Bold Narratives and What It Takes To Make Your Break.”
She has twice spoken at the annual Black History Education Conference, moderated a panel at the 2024 YWCA Racial Justice Summit, and hosted her signature Networking for Introverts workshops at various locations.
Anastasia Callaghan
Shareholder, project manager
Potter Lawson
Age: 33
A Potter Lawson architect since 2021, Anastasia Callaghan took on her leadership role at the firm in 2025. She previously worked for Denver-based Craine Architecture as an architectural associate and obtained her B.A. of architecture from Syracuse University.
Callaghan loves the “puzzle” of architecture as well as the project management process from design to construction — coordinating group efforts to achieve an outcome that works for each client. She hopes to mentor younger architects in the future as they work to design projects that are influential in shaping local communities.
She is proud of her work on the Taking Shape, Our Triangle project in Madison to help boost the city’s accessible, sustainable affordable housing supply.
Outside of the office, she spends her time on crafts such as knitting, spinning, sewing and painting, and also enjoys foraging and curling.
Jennifer Campbell
Chief legal officer
Wisconsin Economic Development Corp.
Age: 39
Jennifer Campbell became WEDC’s chief legal officer in March 2020. She is proud of spearheading positive legislative changes and the solutions she gets to create through her job.
Since joining the WEDC in 2013, she has served as the agency’s regulatory compliance and risk manager, staff counsel, senior staff counsel and associate general counsel. Campbell focuses on areas such as affordable housing, eliminating barriers to equity and community and economic development.
She obtained her law degree from the University of Wisconsin Law School after earning her honors B.S. in social work from Saint Louis University.
Campbell spends most of her free time with her two dogs and in the future would love to live on a lake.
Lisa Caras
Marketing director
Jones Dairy Farm
Age: 39
At Jones Dairy Farm in Fort Atkinson, the torch is being passed to a new generation of leadership in Lisa Caras.
A seventh-generation family member, Caras is not only a leader of the 137-year-old business, but she has also leveraged her marketing skills to ensure its brand remains relevant.
Caras has led a strategic evolution of the company’s marketing efforts, expanding its reach through social media, influencer partnerships, community sponsorships and digital marketing.
In so doing, she has successfully connected the heritage brand — which sells sausage, bacon, ham and other meats — with younger audiences without losing authenticity or trust.
Caras also serves as board chair of the Fort Atkinson Community Foundation, and she’s a strong advocate for women’s sports in Madison, expanding brand awareness through significant partnerships with UW Athletics and others.
Erika Cleaver
Senior project manager
Tri-North Builders
Age: 37
Erika Cleaver’s ability to strategically manage projects has benefited some of the area’s most impressive construction projects, including Epic Systems’ Deep Space Auditorium and Moxy Madison Downtown.
Her 15-year construction career is a testimony to the importance of fostering relationships and developing talent, especially female talent in the trades. She is involved in the Associated General Contractors of Wisconsin’s She Builds initiative, which encourages young women to explore construction careers. She was also appointed to the AGC of Wisconsin board of directors in 2025, the only woman on the board.
Cleaver is a community builder. For Make-A-Wish, she was part of a team that built a sensory room for a child experiencing seizures.
Laura Cullen
Director of talent development
JP Cullen
Age: 39
In 2018, continued growth prompted construction firm JP Cullen to create a dedicated department focused on employee training and development. Laura Cullen built that department from the ground up to align with the company’s mission to “identify, hire, train, and retain the best people to serve our customers.”
Consistent with her focus on talent development, Cullen established and has grown a peer-to-peer coaching program at the company, has prioritized mental well-being for employees and is in charge of JP Cullen’s internship program. She also founded the JOIN Janesville Young Professionals group, which includes more than 80 members from various industries who connect for networking, career development and volunteerism.
A fifth generation family shareholder of JP Cullen, she also leads the $9 million JP Cullen Foundation. Her hobbies include Mahjong and biking with her family.
Carli Freidel
Vice president, resource development
United Way of Dane County
Age: 34
Carli Freidel joined nonprofit United Way of Dane County over 12 years ago as the assistant director of resource development and worked in roles including development director, donor engagement director and senior director of development before obtaining her current position in June 2025.
She worked with United Way board and committee members to write and implement a five-year revenue growth plan to advance the organization’s Plan for Community Well-Being.
A Minnesota native, Freidel attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison to earn her Bachelor of Arts in psychology.
When she’s not at work, Freidel loves spending time at Lerdahl Park near her home, sitting around a camp fire, relaxing at Memorial Union Terrace and road tripping with her family to visit national parks.
Adam Griep
Senior project manager
Vogel Bros. Building Co.
Age: 38
Adam Griep has played a key role in major projects for Vogel Bros. such as Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals’ headquarters in Verona and local K-12 buildings. The latter involves referendum projects with the Madison Metropolitan School District, including the new Sherman Middle (the school his daughter will attend) and Shabazz City High schools, as well as Cherokee and Sennett middle schools.
In addition, Griep is leading the $88 million, 235,000-square foot Waunakee Community Middle School project.
At Vogel Bros., he has also taken a leadership role in building and managing its internship and new hire programs, and is a founder and leader of the company’s process improvement group.
While earning his B.S. in civil and environmental engineering with a construction emphasis at UW-Madison, he was also a member of the drumline in the UW Marching Band.
Andrea Hayes
Principal
SVA Consulting
Age: 40*
Andrea Hayes became principal at SVA in 2022 and has over 15 years of experience as an analyst and consultant in the public and private sectors. In her nine years at SVA, she has bolstered strategic partnerships, expanded service offerings and helped drive growth.
She previously worked at an affective neuroscience laboratory managing analytical data, participating in study design and writing grants, and she was published in the National Neuroscience Journal.
Hayes has a Bachelor of Arts in psychology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She volunteers for the Sexual Violence Resource Center as a crisis call line staffer and for Working Capital for Community Needs.
Joe Higgins
Partner
Foley & Lardner LLP
Age: 39
At Foley & Lardner, Joe Higgins tackles the complex legal puzzles involving estate planning, tax-efficient wealth transfer strategies, succession planning and charitable giving. He also mentors Foley’s younger estate planning attorneys.
Higgins was named to Chambers High Net Worth Guide, which ranks the leading and most dedicated lawyers and law firms for international private wealth.
“Joe’s commitment to excellence, his ability to cultivate long‑term, high‑value client relationships, and his contributions to thought leadership make him an exceptional asset to Foley’s growth and profitability,” according to his nominator Maureen Easton. “His performance exemplifies the forward‑thinking, client-centered approach that defines Foley’s culture.”
Apart from work, he’s busy parenting three young children, including twins.
Amanda Jabs
CFO and partner
Food Fight
Age: 39
With a background in accounting from Madison Area Technical College and Upper Iowa University, Amanda Jabs has always been good with numbers. And at Food Fight Restaurant Group, the CFO applies her skills to oversee finance, accounting, payroll, administrative functions — and even IT when needed.
Jabs is happy to have progressed from senior accountant to controller, to CFO and shareholder, taking on expanded leadership. And after 12 years of helping others thrive, Jabs is launching Amanda Jabs Advisory, a fractional CFO and advisory practice focused on helping small businesses and entrepreneurs build stronger systems, clearer financials and more.
Beyond work, she founded and grew a weekly Rotary happy hour fellowship that has evolved into a space for connection, mentorship and community.
Marlee Jorgensen
VP-treasury management
First Business Bank
Age: 35
How many times has a CFO migrated his company’s bank accounts to another bank, just so it can continue to work with a specific banker? When Marlee Jorgensen joined First Business Bank, that’s exactly what Gerard Mello of E. J. Plesko & Associates did.
Given the real estate firm’s complex treasury management needs, that’s a testament to Jorgensen’s qualities as a banking professional.
Mello isn’t her only fan. During her six-year tenure at First Business Bank, her disciplined approach has led to sustained deposit and revenue growth in the south-central market. She was promoted to assistant vice president in 2023 and then to vice president in 2024.
Jorgensen also is an asset to the community. She serves on the Madison Area Sports Commission Board, which champions sports and tourism.
Audra Lange
Director of marketing and strategic initiatives
Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra
Age: 38
Audra Lang has increased total ticket sale revenue for the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra during her tenure. By how much? To the tune of over 250%. The director of marketing and strategic initiatives sees it as one of her proudest moments.
She was with the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra for four years as director of marketing before adding strategic initiatives to her title.
Lange hopes to keep bringing a sense of togetherness and belonging to the Madison community through music. WCO’s popular summertime Concerts on the Square is one element of that.
With an extensive background in marketing at places like the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater and the Florida Studio Theatre, this Whitewater graduate, with a BFA in nonprofit theatre management and promotions, is excited to keep building experiences with Madison’s chamber orchestra.
Leah Linscheid
Community relations manager
Findorff
Age: 35
Leah Linscheid took on her current role at Findorff in December 2025. She previously served on the emerging leadership board of the University of Wisconsin Carbone Cancer Center, most recently as its marketing/communications chair.
She is also a founding board member of the Women’s Collective of Dane County; was director of communications, community relations & marketing for Upland Hills Health; and worked for WISC-TV, where she won a national Emmy and multiple Edward R. Murrow awards for her local storytelling.
Linscheid completed her MBA at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in two years and said she didn’t miss a single class despite working overnight in the news industry, launching the nonprofit and giving birth to two children.
She enjoys hiking and is looking forward to teaching her sons to camp, ski and swim.
Deja Mason
Administrative manager (project manager)
Wisconsin Center for Education Research
Age: 30
Deja Mason said her favorite part of her role as project manager for WCER is creating an equitable and inclusive work environment.
Mason transitioned from HR to education research project management and has successfully managed an $11.2 million budget for the CALL-ECL (Comprehensive Assessment of Leadership Learning/Equity-Centered Leadership) project, which works to create the next generation of equity-centered school leaders.
As the Urban League of Greater Madison Young Professionals’ membership chair, she spearheaded membership growth initiatives that increased chapter membership by 30% in 2023 and co-led initiatives to boost it an additional 21% in 2024.
Mason is also a classically trained vocalist and uplifts fellow artists through work on the boards of the Friends of Madison Arts Commission and the Arts + Literature Laboratory.
Erica Mullins
President and CEO
Strang Inc.
Age: 38
Erica Mullins hasn’t taken a straight-line path to leadership at Strang, the architecture, engineering and interior design firm she joined in 2014. While working full time as principal and director of interior design there, she earned her executive MBA from UW-Milwaukee in 2023.
In 2025, Mullins became the first woman to lead the firm in its 90-year history, succeeding Larry Barton upon his retirement.
Known for her people-focused leadership style, she has shaped workplace policies such as implementing the company’s first parental leave policy, gathering data on the real cost of losing employees and pairing it with the human story of what it means to support someone through a major life transition.
Her vision for Strang calls back to its roots as a creatively fearless firm.
Keegan Nesvacil
President, co-founder
Woodland Tools
Age: 37
Keegan Nesvacil co-founded Woodland Tools Co. in 2020 and over the past six years has grown the company into a brand found in over 6,000 retail locations across the United States and Canada.
Nesvacil’s favorite part of the job is getting to participate in all areas of the business, from sales to marketing, product development, finance and supply chain — a challenge he said keeps each day exciting.
He plans to scale Woodland Tools into new retailers and categories while continuing to invest in Madison, growing the company’s local footprint and creating jobs to attract more local talent.
When he’s not in the office, Nesvacil is an avid Badgers fan and likes visiting the Dane County Farmers’ Market, spending time on a lake and teaching his son to play guitar.
Gabriel Neves
Senior project manager
Pepper Construction Group
Former senior project manager
CG Schmidt
Age: 33
Gabriel Neves became senior project manager at Pepper Construction Group in April after over eight years in project management and engineering roles for CG Schmidt.
His experience spans multi-discipline projects including infrastructure development, commercial real estate and mixed use developments. He previously coordinated the construction of the Madison Youth Arts Center off of East Washington Avenue.
Neves obtained his MBA from the Universidade de São Paulo in his native country of Brazil and a master’s degree in engineering from the Illinois Institute of Technology.
He said his favorite part of his job is connecting with people and seeing his work benefit the community.
John Oliver
Principal and director of client services, risk management
Hausmann Group
Age: 39
Since graduating from the Wisconsin School of Business, John Oliver has had a career focused on risk management. From West Bend Mutual Insurance to Hausmann Group, he’s a leader in strategic oversight in the field.
According to Oliver, being voted in as a partner at Hausmann Group is his “defining career milestone. … There’s a lot of pride that comes with being entrusted by my fellow partners to help lead the firm and contribute to our long-term success.”
At Hausmann he continues to build and strengthen the claims and risk control teams while working with people “who care deeply about doing what’s best for our clients every single day.”
Oliver is also dedicated to the community and is a member of Lead United, served as a board member for the Playing Field for three years and is a Power Red blood donor.
Mark Papko
Executive director
Dane County Regional Airport
Age: 35
Mark Papko took over as the new director of the Dane County Regional Airport in July 2025 and is already embarking on a project to reshape the airport for the future of the Madison area.
He’s begun a master plan for the airport, which will revamp it and lead it into the next several decades.
Papko brings a lot of experience, having led a $200 million capital improvement plan at the Duluth International Airport. He has worked at six airports in 15 years, including Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport.
While he will be plenty busy forming the first MSN airport master plan since 1993, Papko also hopes to get out to do some hunting and fishing.
As an avid outdoorsman, it is his happy place, as is formulating a master plan for his kids’ hockey teams with his wife Amanda.
Nicole Pecku
Founder and CEO
Pecku Anchored Agency & AFH
Age: 40*
Nicole Pecku exemplifies what it means to serve with integrity and compassion in community-based health care.
With two decades of experience in the medical and social services field, she has dedicated her career to supporting individuals who are often underserved and overlooked — adults with physical disabilities, developmental disabilities, mental illness, and complex behavioral needs.
What sets her apart is her person-centered approach to care. Rather than applying one-size-fits-all solutions, she meets each individual where they are, designing care plans that honor personal goals, strengths and lived experiences.
This approach has resulted in meaningful improvements in quality of life, independence and stability for the individuals and families she serves.
Beyond direct care, she has provided respite and stability for families and caregivers.
David Porto
Partner/general manager
Blue Plate Catering
Age: 38
Blue Plate Catering has been a part of the community for over 21 years. David Porto, partner and general manager of the company, said the pace and rhythm of the role holds a lot of appeal for him, noting, “Catering is a lot of chaos — and I love it.”
He’s proud Blue Plate was voted as one of Madison’s Best Places to Work in 2025 and 2026, and the success of his catering business allows him to partner with “so many wonderful organizations in the Madison area to help raise funds for worthy causes.”
Porto said he wants to continue building a hospitality company that offers a career, “not just a pit stop on the way to bigger and better things.”
Julia Potter
Partner
Boardman Clark
Age: 36
Julia Potter was elected to partnership by her colleagues at Boardman Clark in 2024. She works with individuals, businesses and municipalities on legal issues pertaining to real estate, land use and municipal law.
Potter said she enjoys helping clients work through uncertainty and develop practical solutions. Each spring, she teaches land use law to the next generation of lawyers and urban planners at the University of Wisconsin Law School.
In the future, she said she looks forward to working with clients on sustainable community development projects.
Outside of work, Potter is a self-described “overly enthusiastic” member of an heirloom bean club, which builds community around curated, rare and sustainably grown legumes.
Kelly Powell
Assistant vice president, market manager
Park Bank Cross Plains
Age: 35
Kelly Powell has been “instrumental” in Park Bank’s entry into the Cross Plains market, according to her nominator Helen Kosterman. Powell has created a collaborative, accountable and supportive culture for her team, which met its five-year growth goals in just 16 months.
“Kelly shows up every day with dedication, purpose, and a genuine commitment to others,” Suzanne Johnson, senior vice president of branch banking, said of Powell. “She delivers whether she’s supporting clients, strengthening the organization, or uplifting her community. She is a trusted leader who is always looking… to make a difference.”
Powell is a volunteer for the Cross Plains Area EMS and the Cross Plains Fire Department. She received two Life Saving Awards through Dane County Emergency Management, and has logged more than 1,550 volunteer hours since joining Park Bank in 2022.
Rhett Reuter
Principal
SVA Certified Public Accountants
Age: 37
Rhett Reuter joined SVA in 2011 as an accounting intern and served as a staff accountant, senior accountant, supervisor and senior tax manager before being named principal in July 2023.
He obtained his bachelor’s degree in accounting and finance from the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse before going back to school for his Master of Taxation from the University of Akron, while working full-time and having a family.
Reuter loves being able to contribute to his clients’ success through consulting and strategic planning. In the future, he hopes to become a partner at SVA and continue to grow the business.
When he is not on the clock, he likes playing golf, and while he said the pastime has taken a backseat to (his) kids’ sports, he wouldn’t have it any other way.
Visar Salihu
Vice president – commercial relationship manager
BMO Bank
Age: 38
As a business banker, Visar Salihu guides and helps provide financing for local companies. Since he took on his first job as a bank teller in high school, he’s aspired to work with large businesses and startups that benefit the greater community.
In his role at BMO, Salihu earned the top rating for NPS (net promoter score) customer service. Salihu has also surpassed his production goals five times over and has grown his portfolio of companies, “going above and beyond our expectations and delivering for his customers,” according to his nominator Andrew Roethe.
Salihu also serves on the development committee for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Dane County, is a treasurer for the Albanian American Community of Wisconsin and is an associate with Wisconsin Investment Partners. He plays soccer anytime he can.
Stacey Schenone
Controller
Investors Associated, LLP
Age: 37
Since Stacy Schenone joined Investors Associated in 2020, she transformed the financial infrastructure of the company with determination and a strong work ethic. While the business had previously relied on outside accounting, Schenone implemented stronger reporting frameworks, policies and procedures to strengthen IA’s financial foundation. Her positive attitude and dedication helped her earn buy-in from her colleagues.
“Her credibility, transparency, and collaborative approach quickly made her a respected voice at every table,” according to her nominator Rachel Govin.
Schenone is also a mentor to her team and is looking forward to further automating routine tasks so they can focus on problem-solving, learning and collaboration.
Schenone has volunteered her time with Second Harvest Food Bank, Forward Gardens, Babies and Beyond and St. Vincent de Paul.
Matt Stadelman
Project executive
Findorff
Age: 39
Matt Stadelman has been a part of the Findorff team for over 14 years, beginning as a senior project manager before he was made project executive in June 2022.
He enjoys traveling to lead projects in new markets and to see those he has been involved with building. One of his favorite projects so far was the One09 project in Madison. He said he feels proud when he visits the food hall for lunch or sees the building on the city skyline coming up John Nolen Drive.
He has also worked on projects including ōLiv in Seattle, Hub at College Park in Maryland and the School District of Waukesha.
Stadelman is a Lead United council member for the United Way of Dane County and a member of the Miracle League of Dane County. In his free time, he loves spending time outdoors with his wife and two sons, who he said bring him joy and purpose.
Peter Stafford
General manager of Asia Pacific
TAE Life Sciences
Age: 39
Peter Stafford is a leader who has driven innovation, business growth and community benefits in the fight against cancer. He helped secure a partnership with UW-Madison and UW Carbone Cancer Center to establish a boron neutron capture therapy program (BNCT), which will expand treatment options for cancer patients.
“Peter has played a central role in the growth and commercialization of TAE Life Sciences, helping transform the company from a pre-revenue startup into an organization with active clinical operations and profitable international markets,” according to CEO Robert Hill.
Stafford has secured distribution partnerships across Australia, New Zealand, Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and Hong Kong, laying the groundwork to bring advanced cancer therapies to more patients globally.
Crystal Stonewall
Associate university legal counsel
University of Wisconsin, Office of Legal Affairs
Age: 29
At the UW-Madison’s Office of Legal Affairs, Crystal Stonewall advises on complex legal and policy issues that shape the experience of thousands of students, faculty and staff. Her practice focuses on student affairs, employment law and public records, and she offers guidance on matters including admissions, Title IX, Clery compliance and student misconduct.
“I enjoy tackling complex, real-time challenges and helping people navigate high-stakes situations,” Stonewall said. She is committed to “being an interpreter of the law, an advocate of legal rights, a representative of the invisible, and a voice for the voiceless.”
Stonewall was the State Bar of Wisconsin’s Outstanding Public Interest Law Student of the Year in 2021. She is involved with Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., where she supports scholarship initiatives and leadership development, and she is a member of the Urban League of Greater Madison Young Professionals.
Jessica Subach
Client solutions manager
The Employer Group
Age: 36
Jessica Subach has only been with the Employer Group for four years, but her transformative sales leadership and business development expertise have guided the company through a period of expansion with more than 33% growth across key areas.
Subach is credited with introducing innovative methods of client engagement and modernizing the company’s sales strategies, improving overall profitability while elevating the client experience. She has been instrumental in positioning the company for new and emerging opportunities.
Her philanthropic involvement uplifts the community. Her leadership on the firm’s Community Involvement Committee benefits local nonprofits such as the Literacy Network, Doyenne Group and Second Harvest Foodbank. She is president of Madison Magnet young professionals group and is a candidate for Blood Cancer United’s Visionary of the Year.
Rosa Thompson
Founding executive director
Black Girl Magic Educational Services Inc.
Age: 39
Rosa Thompson wears several award-winning hats, including founding executive director of Black Girl Magic Educational Services Inc. and new educator mentor with the Madison Metropolitan School District.
Both are demanding jobs and Thompson does them, simultaneously, at a high level. She mentors the next generation of MMSD educators by day and runs Black Girl Magic, a growing nonprofit, the rest of the time.
Thompson has expanded Black Girl Magic beyond a single annual conference to create year-round programming, including monthly enrichment sessions that bring girls together for STEM activities.
Her sustained commitment to both professional excellence and community has led to honors such as the 2023 YWCA of Madison Woman of Distinction and the 2019 Juneteenth Harambee Unsung Hero awards.
Clementine Uwabera
Partner
Stafford Rosenbaum LLP
Age: 37
Arriving in Madison from Rwanda as a child, Uwabera built her own roadmap as a student. She earned a B.A. in legal studies and a certificate in African studies from the UW-Madison and a J.D. from Florida State University College of Law.
Uwabera began her career in the Office of the Public Defender for Florida’s 9th Judicial Circuit and returned to Madison in 2020. She joined Stafford Rosenbaum as a senior associate attorney and was later promoted to equity partner. Her practice centers on litigation and municipal law, including tort and civil rights defense, among others. She was president of the Dane County Bar Association and is a National Black Lawyers Top 40 Under 40 honoree.
“She uses every platform she’s earned to open doors for others, to mentor the next generation of attorneys,” according to her nominator Joseline Nyinawabera.
Sara Vant Hoff
Vice president of mission and strategy
Goodman Community Center
Age: 36
Sara Vant Hoff led the creation of the Goodman Community Center’s program model, “The 3Cs: Courage, Connection and Curiosity,” developed in collaboration with staff and other participants.
It’s one of her proudest moments. The “3Cs” defines shared outcomes across programs, creating a common language and focus to strengthen programming, organizational alignment and support growth.
In addition to that work, Vant Hoff is knee deep in data. She’s streamlined Goodman’s data systems, strengthened data quality and fostered a culture where data is used “as a tool for reflection, learning and continuous improvement.”
Vant Hoff said she sees her role as one of creating structures so that others can bring ideas to life.
One of her future goals is to live in the mountains.
Megan Walela
Vice president of development
Wisconsin Housing Preservation Corp.
Age: 33
In her leadership role at Wisconsin Housing Preservation Corp., Megan Walela said one of her favorite successes was completing a $7.4 million rehabilitation of 108 family apartments in Whitewater.
Her team made them safer and more modern, while also adding a playground and community spaces.
“I enjoy working with (and learning from) people from all walks of life — from professional partners and municipalities to residents and neighbors — to make these complex projects successful,” Walela said.
Her team has also built or rehabilitated 403 affordable apartments throughout Wisconsin at WHPC, including the Rise Madison apartments in the Hawthorne neighborhood.
When not helping to build housing, Walela hikes. She’s visited two of the world’s eight active lava lakes (via the terrain around them) in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Amanda Weibel
Communications officer
Wisconsin Department of Tourism (Travel Wisconsin)
Age: 38
Amanda Weibel has one goal: to get Wisconsin’s beautiful and wonderful locations and activities in front of people — whether it is reaching the top of a bluff at Devil’s Lake State Park, wading through a cranberry marsh, taking a corn meal mush cooking class at Ukwakhwa Farm on the Oneida Reservation or experiencing the splendor of the North Woods.
And Weibel knows a bit about Wisconsin, after growing up in the Dairy State on a fourth-generation dairy farm and attending the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Notching three consecutive record-breaking years for tourism’s economic effect on the state, she said she looks forward “to (growing) Wisconsin’s tourism economy through one more hotel night booked, one more trail explored, one more ice cream stop enjoyed, one more museum toured, one more selfie captured and many more memories made traveling Wisconsin.”
Roxanne Wienkes
Senior environmental health and safety business partner
Abbott
Age: 37
Originally nominated as deputy director of Dane County Waste and Renewables, Roxanne Wienkes recently began working as a senior environmental health and safety business partner at Abbott.
It’s there that the civil-environmental engineer manages environmental compliance and safety programs.
Before that, Wienkes led Waste and Renewables’ administrative, finance and engineering teams through a period of significant growth. Revenue increased from $12 million to $30 million per year, and the department jumped from 20 full-time staff to 35.
She also helped form the vision and framework for the department’s landfill and Sustainability Campus project. This 100-plus-acre project will have community space and lots for recycling businesses. Construction begins this month.
Diamond D. Williams
Associate dean for health equity and community engagement
University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Nursing
Age: 34
Not many can say they helped advise the White House, but Diamond D. Williams did during the COVID-19 pandemic during the Joe Biden administration.
Williams was also named Doctor of the Year in 2023 by the Findley Foundation after leading the distribution of $30.1 million to over 100 community, health care, education and nonprofit organizations across all 72 Wisconsin counties to advance vaccination equity.
Williams said she likes “being innovative and creative in addressing areas that impact health equity, belonging and mattering across communities, teams and people.”
She also serves the community through Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.
Williams anchors her work in public health and is particularly focused on maternal, perinatal and child health.
Joia Wodarczyk
Attorney/ shareholder
Reinhart Boerner Van Deuren s.c.
Age: 32
Joia Wodarczyk’s colleagues at Reinhart know they work with a service-oriented person. Through her local advocacy, volunteerism and mentorship, Wodarczyk contributes to the beneficial outcomes achieved by her clients, colleagues and community.
Wodarczyk’s focus on real estate and development is driven by her desire to help build and maintain a vibrant environment for Wisconsin’s Capital Region.
In addition to her legal work on development projects, she helped develop Reinhart’s code of ethics and has served as a mentor to new attorneys, easing their transition from law school to the world of work.
She serves on the board of Downtown Madison Inc. and has volunteered for the Road Home Dane County, which provides homeless children and their families with affordable, stable housing.
Eugene Woehrle
Captain of police
City of Madison
Age: 39
A Madison Police captain, Eugene Woehrle served as one of the first full-time mental health officers in the department. He has also led various specialty teams there including the SWAT Crisis Negotiator team and the Special Events Team, which protects the First Amendment rights of people to assemble and voice their opinions.
He said his favorite part of his role is “cheerfully serving and helping others every day, no matter how big or small the interaction.”
In 2021, he was recognized by UW-Platteville as an outstanding alumni and in 2024 his work with the Internet Crimes Against Children task force won the Madison Police Department’s Agency of the Year award.
In his free time, Woehrle enjoys volunteering as a way “to give back what so many organizations provided me as a youth and young adult,” including Scouting America.
Daphne Xu
City planner/zoning administrator
City of Middleton
Age: 31
During her seven years with the city of Middleton, Daphne Xu has accomplished more than many people accomplish in a career, according to Abby Attoun, the city’s director of planning and community development.
In that time, Xu helped write the city’s comprehensive plan, a 20-year vision for the city’s future, prioritizing sustainability, equity and health.
These values are evident in Xu’s projects, and she’s been entrusted with important ones. She led the creation of the University Avenue Corridor Plan, a key focus area for investment and development, and she was an integral part of the overhaul of the city’s zoning ordinance, which streamlined its review processes without eroding high development standards.
Her work on the ordinance helped Middleton win a Best Practice award from the American Planning Association-Wisconsin.
Jonathan Yancy
CEO, Principal organizational change management and business process advisor
Yancy Business Consulting
Age: 30
Jonathan Yancy started his own independent consulting firm and has advised some of the nation’s largest energy and utility organizations in adopting technologies that improve grid reliability and resilience. He is particularly proud of the work he has done with Fortune 500 companies in enterprise transformation, data governance and operating model solutions.
“Jonathan is not only a high‑performing consultant — he is a builder, a mentor and a force for positive change,” according to nominator Michael Sullivan, who was his graduate instructor at UW-Platteville, his mentor and now a colleague in the field. “His service directly supports the development of Wisconsin’s workforce and contributes to the region’s long-term economic and civic vitality.”
Outside of work, Yancy enjoys “every moment of being a girl dad.”
Dr. Jasmine Zapata
CEO/founder
Motivational M.D. Enterprises LLC
Chief medical officer
Bureau of Community Health Promotion at WI Dept. of Health Services
Age: 39
Dr. Jasmine Zapata is a chief medical officer, physician, entrepreneur, author and book publishing coach.
In 2016, she founded Motivational M.D. Enterprises, a company committed to empowerment, economic advancement and storytelling as a vehicle for change.
The author of “Beyond Beautiful: A Girl’s Guide to Unlocking the Power of Inner Beauty, Self Esteem, Resilience and Courage,” “Dr. Jaz” has helped over 300 aspiring authors publish and sell their books.
Zapata is also a newborn nursery hospitalist. She is chief medical officer and a state epidemiologist for maternal child health and chronic diseases at the WI DHS, the first woman and person of color in that role.
Greg Zelek
Principal organist
Madison Symphony Orchestra
Age: 34
Greg Zelek is not only principal organist with the Madison Symphony Orchestra, he’s also the Elaine and Nicholas Mischler Curator of the Overture Concert Organ.
That makes him responsible for quality musical entertainment in Madison. Zelek performs and oversees all of the Madison Symphony Orchestra’s organ programming, including an annual four-concert series featuring the organ.
While he’s honored to call Madison home, Zelek’s talents are likewise sought outside of Madison. Zelek also is the curator of the organ series for the Jacksonville Symphony and Northrop organist at the University of Minnesota.
He also frequently performs as a soloist across the country and has won prizes in numerous organ competitions.
His musical journey has included earning a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in music from the prestigious Juilliard School in New York City.
