Board of Directors

Kevin Straka

Chair, Board of Directors

Kevin is a Wisconsin native and Madisonian for 18 years who holds an M.S. in Project Management and an M.B.A. He works in the healthcare industry as a project manager and in higher education as an adjunct instructor.

Governor Walker’s Budget Repair Bill adversely affects Wisconsin’s healthcare and education systems; both of which Kevin is very proud of and have worked diligently to defend. But, Governor Walker’s true assault is on worker’s rights to negotiate on the job; something he has masked behind “budget issues”. His malign on public workers is wrong and simply not in the spirit of Wisconsin. We all deserve a governor who wants to unite, not divide the people.

Ryan Lawler

Vice Chair, Board of Directors

Ryan was born and raised in Madison Wisconsin, and continues to live in the community that he loves. A product of the public school system, Ryan went on to triple major in Marketing, Spanish and Portuguese. Ryan worked all through college and was able to pay for his education because of the affordable in state tuition. He graduated with the Distinctive Scholastic Achievement from the University of Wisconsin-Madison (’00). Ryan has a decade of experience in product management in the property and casualty insurance industry. Ryan is a private sector non-union employee who recognizes the devastating impact the 2011-2013 budget proposals will have on Wisconsin.

Ilana Strauch

Member, Board of Directors

Ilana came to Madison forty years ago to attend the University as a graduate student in social work.  She currently retired but has been a treatment director, school social worker, therapist and realtor in her working life.

Her involvement with United Wisconsin began during an organizing meeting last February 2011 at the Wil-Mar center.  Since then she has participated as a volunteer collecting pledges, teaching classes on petition collection, organizing local recall efforts her community, as well as working as a regional volunteer coordinator during the pledge and signature collection periods.  Her motivation to recall Scott Walker began after he obliterated collective bargaining rights, made plans to dismantle public education and began his style of governance without discussion of issues and compromise. She is passionate and committed in working towards a progressive agenda in Wisconsin.

Nancy Turyk

Member, Board of Directors

Staff

Lynn Freeman

Executive Director

Lynn moved to Wisconsin in 2001 for the professional and educational opportunities it provided her family. She owns her own college and career planning business in Madison, AdviseU, and has 20 plus years of experience as an administrator and an adviser.

Lynn is committed to United Wisconsin, and removing Governor Walker from office because she believes this administration is moving Wisconsin backwards. As citizens, we must demand a governor who works with all constituents to solve Wisconsin’s problems. Governor Walker has sold us out to corporations, ignores those that do not agree with him, and has essentially shut our state government processes down with his polarizing style and policies. The people of Wisconsin must hold him accountable immediately.

Angelique Rogers

Field Director

Angelique has over 15 years of experience in canvassing, community and organizational organizing, fund-raising, and event planning. Angelique has planned fund-raising events for the Make-A-Wish Foundation, the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, the USD AIDS-Research Group, the Red Cross, and many other organizations. She honed her door-to-door skills as a field manager at Citizen Action of Wisconsin for two-and-a-half years, before moving on to build up her own canvass consulting firm, Canvass Consultants. Most recently, Angelique assisted various Milwaukee area groups with get out the vote and field campaign efforts.

Erik Kirkstein

Political  Director

Erik served as the State Communications Coordinator for United Wisconsin prior to becoming the Political Director. A Wisconsin native, Erik attended the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, where he graduated with honors in Political Science. During his academic career, Erik worked as an intern in the Governor’s Office of the State of Wisconsin. Over the past 5 years, he has worked for a variety of organizations throughout the Milwaukee area. Currently, Erik works on designing and implementing our political platform, data analysis and research, maintains our social networks, and serves as a media contact.

Sara Flynn

Financial Director

Sara was born and raised in Wisconsin. She was fortunate to be able to attend college as a working adult thanks to the amazing Wisconsin technical college system. She attended Madison College and continued her education at Upper Iowa University – Madison Campus where she graduated summa cum laude with a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting. Sara currently is working as a tax accountant and is continuing her studies at Upper Iowa University working towards her M.B.A. Sara grew up loving the Packers, the Badgers, and the clean and open political environment that Wisconsin represented.

The most disappointing aspect of Governor Walker’s agenda for Sara is his heavy handedness, and blatant disregard for legislative processes that have evolved over 100+ years. Sara’s hope is for Wisconsin to return to the political climate that hears everyone’s voice, and listens; a government that works openly and together for the good of all the people.

Brian Rothgery

Campaign Director

Brian is a community organizer and activist with more than a decade of experience working for social and economic justice in Wisconsin. After graduating from UW-Madison in 1999, he cut his teeth while working for the labor movement as a union organizer. Since his start in labor, Brian has also worked in independent media and on local, state, and federal campaigns on issues including healthcare reform, job creation, and access to higher education. Brian has a Master’s degree in rhetoric from UW-Milwaukee and is an expert in strategic communication. When he’s not working, Brian supports local community-building projects like the resurgent co-operative movement, and can sometimes be seen bicycling in and around Milwaukee.