Board & Staff

We are people like you who want to restore opportunity to our abused and neglected youth. We are parents and concerned citizens of all kinds - foster and kinship parents, birth parents and grandparents, child welfare professionals, health care providers, attorneys, the juvenile justice community - anyone with an interest in the best interests of our children.

Kids Matter Inc. Board of Directors

Melissa Dombrowski-Boling, MSW

Ms. Dombrowski-Boling has worked in the child welfare community (both Milwaukee and state-wide) since 1990, in a variety of settings. She earned her Master of Arts in Social Work in 1995, specializing in child welfare. Currently, she is Eastern Regional Director of Teipner Treatment Homes,  Teiper has become part of Anu Family Service. She has demonstrated a commitment to the child welfare system by assisting several agencies/organizations via volunteer/consulting work. She is a member of the Board of Directors of the Wisconsin Association of Foster and Adoptive Parents.

Thomas L. Frenn, JD

Mr. Frenn, JD earned his degree in 1976 and has been an attorney with the firm of Petrie & Stocking S.C. for many years. Among his areas of expertise are small business law, real estate, tax, and nonprofit law. He also works in probate and estate planning. Mr. Frenn is Chairman of the Nonprofit Organization Committee of the Business Law Section of the State Bar, as well as his experience with small business law, nonprofit corporations, and other business organizations. Mr. Frenn is a Board member of the Milwaukee Public Museum. Mr. Frenn’s interest in children’s issues is exemplified by his former Board membership for The Ranch Community Services, Inc., a nonprofit rehabilitation agency for the developmentally disabled. He has actively written and lectured to other lawyers on nonprofit and business issues.

Janice E. Jones, PhD

Ms. Jones has a PhD in psychology, and teaches in the doctoral program in the College of Education and Leadership at Cardinal Stritch University. Ms. Jones is a frequent author on issues of adoption, and is an active member of the American Psychological Association. Ms. Jones is dedicated to children in both her personal and professional lives, having recently completed training as a foster/adoptive parent in the first dual-licensed class in Milwaukee County.

Sharon M. Keigher, PhD

Ms. Keigher specializes in the theory and application of policy development and analysis, with an emphasis on issues related to mental heath, HIV, aging and women. The work of Kids Matter with children being raises by relatives, especially grandmothers, fits well with Prof. Keigher's expertise and interest. Ms. Keigher holds a BA in Sociology, a MA in Social Service Administration, and a PhD in Social Development (Policy). She has been a professor in the Helen Bader School of Social Welfare since 1992.

Francisco (Paco) Martorell, MSW

Mr. Martorell is a passionate advocate for opportunities for growth and success of Milwaukee’s Hispanic youth. Prior to his retirement, he was Director of Community School Partnerships for Milwaukee Public Schools. He has been involved in school/child welfare partnerships for over 25 years, and is a prior member of the Bureau of Milwaukee Child Welfare Partnership Council. Mr. Martorell is currently involved in transnational immigration issues.

Lucille Rosenberg, MD

Dr. Rosenberg graduated from the University of Wisconsin Medical School in 1950 and has specialized in pediatrics and child psychiatry. She is a retired professor of Psychiatry at UW-Milwaukee Medical College Campus and the Medical College of Wisconsin. She has been Medical Director of Sinai Samaritan Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Outpatient Clinic and was Director of Psychiatric Consultation-Liaison services for Children’s Hospital. She is a past president of the Wisconsin Psychiatric Association. In addition to her vast professional experience and expertise in children’s issues, Dr. Rosenberg was President of the Board of the Children’s Outing Association, and is a past chair and director of the Mental Health Association of Milwaukee County, and past director of the Milwaukee Jewish Society for Community Relations. Click here to see an article done by LVC, Kristy Shew, on Dr. Rosenberg.

Gladys Simandl, PhD, RN

The nursing profession has always been Dr. Simandl’s calling, especially in community health. Currently a professor at Columbia College of Nursing, she has taught in university settings for over 20 years while also voluntarily contributing to the profession in a number of ways for 30 years. Gladys is a founder of the Health Center at the United Community Center, and recently added the first free dental clinic in the largely Hispanic community served by the United Community Center. Gladys has published & presented papers at conferences. The experience and wisdom she gained as a foster and adoptive parent make her an ideal Kids Matter board member.

Sibylle Tasker, J.D.

Ms. Tasker has advocated for abused and neglected children since college. Ms. Tasker ‘s tenure on the Kids Matter Board began as Chairperson of the Community Partnership committee of the Junior League of Milwaukee. This committee spearheaded the ongoing partnership between Kids Matter CASA and the Junior League of Milwaukee. Ms. Tasker’s leadership has increased community partnerships for foster children – particularly increasing the number of free educational and community events open to foster children. Ms. Tasker believes that it is vital to help children heal and thrive in addition to stopping abuse. Ms. Tasker and the Junior League of Milwaukee were instrumental in developing a new space for Kids Matter that will be welcoming to the children and to our many volunteers. Ms. Tasker also initiated the partnership that brought the first children’s art to Children’s Court and making that space more welcoming to the children who spend so much time there.

Rich Ratcheson

Local business leader Rich Ratcheson has a highly successful track record within some of America's most competitive industries, along with a keen ability to assess an organization's needs and implement effective programs to achieve growth and profitability. Mr. Ratcheson's is known as a strategic thinker and a market planner along as a communications specialist who as President and CEO managed the turnaround and later sale of Meurer Bakeries. He developed and implemented the growth plans that catapulted Gold Bond Ice Cream Co. into the industry leader in the Frozen Novelty Catgegory. And during his seventeen-year career at Pabst Brewing Co., Mr. Ratcheson held a number of key executive management positions, including Vice President of both Sales and later Marketing, where he was named as the youngest VP in than the company's 134 year history. In addition, he has served as CEO of Easter Seals of Southeast Wisconsin and Executive Director and CEO of Ranch Community Services. Mr. Ratcheson, believes that nonprofit agencies benefit from the same dedicated evaluation, targeted planning, development and communications strategies that have long served for- profit companies.  

 

Kids Matter Staff

Susan Conwell JD- Executive Director

Susan Conwell is a founder of and the Executive Director of Kids Matter Inc. She was inspired to start Kids Matter after she and her husband became foster parents, and spent years advocating for basic services for the children in their care, and on behalf of other children they came to know in foster care.

Prior to developing Kids Matter, Sue was an attorney at Foley & Lardner, and later worked for Legal Action of Wisconsin. Sue graduated with honors from the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University in 1986. She received her law degree from Harvard Law School in 1992 and was elected to membership in the Harvard Legal Aid Bureau and the Harvard Board of FreshmanAdvisors . She is a frequent writer on issues relating to children and has received several awards for her work. She is very proud of the many foster and kinship families and Kids Matter volunteers making good things happen for kids.

Lance Jones JD - Program Manager, Kids Matter CASA

Lance Jones is a 1989 graduate of the University of Michigan Law School. He has an extensive background in child welfare and poverty law. Lance taught legal ethics, trial advocacy and child welfare law for three years as a Clinical Assistant Professor in the multidisciplinary Child Advocacy Law Clinic at the University of Michigan. He has also been a staff attorney and interim executive director of the Children's Law Center of Grand Rapids, Michigan and a staff attorney with the Child and Family Law Center of Wayne County Neighborhood Legal Services in Detroit. From 1999 to 2001, Lance was executive director of Community Legal Resources, a pro bono legal assistance program serving nonprofit community development organizations throughout metropolitan Detroit.

Lance has also studied pastoral care and counseling in Detroit and Chicago. He is currently a third-year Master of Divinity student at McCormick Theological Seminary in Chicago. When he is not playing the banjo, Lance is equally happy preaching about child welfare or religious belief.

Megan Bruzan - Program Manager, Kids Matter CASA & Web Developer

Megan Bruzan provides technology assistance and maintains the website for Kids Matter. She also is one of the Program Managers for Kids Matter CASA. Megan earned her BS degree in Information Resources from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. She has worked as a Marketing Associate for S-Media, a Milwaukee-based eCommerce and web and application hosting company. Her most recent position was co-coordinating the downtown Milwaukee College Ministry program sponsored by Elmbrook Church, working with students, volunteers, and outreach programs. Megan loves introducing and integrating technology into the lives of people, especially youth and marginalized people and is excited to develop the Kids Matter website as a resource for the kids, the volunteers, the community, and the organization.

Cynthia Herber LLM - Program Manager, Kids Matter CASA

Cynthia R. Herber was born and raised in Mexico City. She holds a law degree from the Universidad Anahuac, AC. and an LLM degree from the University of Pennsylvania Law School. She was a visiting scholar in the Latin American program at the Environmental Law Institute in Washington, D.C and served as Assistant General Counsel for International Negotiations for the Mexican Department of Commerce.

Cynthia has lived in Milwaukee since 2003. She was the Associate Director at Centro Legal in Milwaukee and is a Wisconsin Supreme Court Certified and Federally Certified Spanish Court Interpreter. In February of 2009 Ms. Herber was appointed to the Wisconsin Judicial Commission.

Prior to joining Kids Matter, Cynthia worked as a Spanish interpreter in Milwaukee County’s Children’s Court where she provided interpreting services for non-English speaking parents of children who have been victims of abuse and neglect. It was this experience that opened her eyes to the need for independent advocacy on behalf of children from diverse cultural backgrounds. Cynthia is looking forward to the opportunities to work on behalf of underserved families by increasing access to prevention services and expanding the pool of Latino volunteers for the CASA program.

Jennie Hastings - Fostering Healing/Family Connections

Jennie Hastings is a graduate of UW-Milwaukee, majoring in Criminal Justice and Psychology. She is currently pursuing a Master’s Degree in Community Mental Health at Southern New Hampshire University on location in Madison, WI. She brings a strong commitment to the well-being of children, and enjoys serving as a voice for the vulnerable within the community. Jennie spent five years as a social worker for the Bureau of Milwaukee Child Welfare, first as an Ongoing Case Manager and most recently as a Court Liaison at the Vel R. Phillips Juvenile Justice Center.

Aretha Brown - Fostering Healing/Family Connections

Aretha Brown is a graduate of Northern Illinois University, majoring in Education and Mental Health Counseling. She brings a strong commitment to helping children in difficult circumstances, and has a strong passion for serving and addressing children's welfare within the community. Aretha spent five years as a social worker for Children's Service Society of Wisconsin, first as an Ongoing Case Manager and Training Academy Mentor.

Susan M. Fisher JD - Staff Attorney

Susan M. Fisher, a staff attorney with Kids Matter Inc., graduated from the University of St. Thomas (MN) School of Law. Before coming to Kids Matter Inc, Ms. Fisher worked as a private family law attorney in western Wisconsin and as a staff attorney with Legal Action of Wisconsin, Inc., where she focused on family law and housing law. Ms. Fisher is excited about bringing her experience to Kids Matter Inc. and serving the children and families assisted by its programs.