PRESS RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Tuesday, September 20, 2022

Contact: Sandy Decker, President, Wisconsin Rural Partners
wisruralpartners@gmail.com

Wisconsin Rural Partners Announce 2022-2023 Board of Directors

Madison - The Wisconsin Rural Partners (WPR) proudly announces the 2022-2023 Executive Committee and board members.

Executive Board Members - The WRP Executive Committee was approved by the board of directors for a one year term of President, Sandy Decker, and Vice President, Kenyon Kies. For a two-year term, Treasurer, Kyle Kuntz; and Secretary, Marie Barry.  Board of Directors Board Members elected to a second 2-year term are Seth Hudson, Rebecca Giroux, Errin Welty and Todd Johnson. The WRP welcomes new board members, Kelly Borchardt and Deborah Reinbold to two-year term.

2022-2023 Board of Directors

• Sandy Decker, Retired Mayor, Evansville, WI - President
• Kenyon Kies, Retired, Kies Consulting – Vice President
• Kyle Kuntz, Vice President Loan Officer, WBD - Treasurer
• Marie Barry, Director of Community Economic Development, Rural Wisconsin Health Cooperative - Secretary
• Kelly Borchardt, Executive Director, Childcaring, Inc.
• Rebecca Giroux, Community and Economic Development Officer, WHEDA
• Seth Hudson, E.D.F.P. Executive Director Corporate Relations and Economic Engagement, UW-Stout Discovery Center
• Todd Johnson, Land Use & Community Development Specialist, University of Wisconsin River Falls (Extension)
• Deb Reinbold, Interim Executive Director, Thrive
• Donna Walker, Senior Economic Development Specialist, Dairyland Power Cooperative
• Errin Welty, CEcD, Senior Director of Downtown Development, WEDC

USDA Liaison: Jillian Lindholm, Area Director, USDA Rural Development

About New Board of Directors
Kelly Borchardt is the Executive Director of Childcaring, Inc., a nonprofit child care resource and referral agency. She has worked for the agency for 17 years, promoting positive outcomes for young children and their families in 10 Central Wisconsin counties. Her current focus is on connecting families with child care services, developing child care professionals, and collecting data that impacts communities. She works to develop solutions to the complex child care challenges in her service delivery area.

Deborah (Deb) Reinbold is the Interim President of ThriveED. She joined the organization in June of 2020 as Managing Director of Business Development. During her time at the organization, Deb has been an active participant in several business and community organizations, including the Dodge County chapter of SHRM, NAIOP, CARW, Bread Basket Food Pantry and Leadership Watertown. In 2021, she served as a member of the planning committee for the Dodge County SHRM Diversity, Equity and Inclusion conference.

About WRP: Wisconsin Rural Partners, Inc. (WRP) serves as a network hub for organizations, government agencies and people working to make rural Wisconsin a better place. ​​We strive through our work to build leadership for the communities of rural Wisconsin.  ​​Through our annual Rural Summit, Small Community Forums, Top Rural Development Initiative awards and other events, we communicate the needs and successes of rural Wisconsin to policy-makers at the local, state and federal levels.

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