Vision and Mission
Sustain Dane’s vision is a thriving and inclusive community with a sustainable environment and economy we are proud to pass on to future generations. Our mission is to inspire, connect, and support people to accelerate equity and sustainable actions for community wellbeing.

Sustain Dane’s holistic definition of sustainability includes a healthy environment, a just economy, and equity & social well-being.
Meet Our Team

Claire Oleksiak
Executive Director
As Executive Director Claire (she/her) aims to accelerate a sustainable environment and economy that benefits all members of our community. Claire is passionate about innovation, collaboration, and social impact. Prior to joining Sustain Dane, she worked as the Community Services Manager for the City of Madison Parks Division. In that role, she facilitated partnerships with public and private organizations, managed community facilities, and implemented the Connecting Children to Nature Initiative. Claire also worked on local community and economic development in Washington, DC for 10 years. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Cornell University and a master’s degree from Oxford University. She grew up in Madison, WI. Reach out to Claire about strategic partnerships, your thoughts on sustainability opportunities and challenges, and any other questions related to Sustain Dane overall

Lorenza Zebell
Program Manager
Lorenza (she/her) develops and manages programs at Sustain Dane including our Accelerate Sustainability workshops, one-on-one assistance, and tracking of our partner’s sustainable impacts. She believes taking sustainable actions large and small can create a more secure, fair, and prosperous future for our community and beyond. Lorenza was a dedicated volunteer with Sustain Dane for years before accepting this position. She holds a degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in Operations and Sustainability. Prior to her work with Sustain Dane she ran WSUM 91.7 FM Madison’s student radio station. Reach out to Lorenza for more information on engaging with sustainability at your organization.

Lucia Hunt
Development & Partnerships Manager
As the Development & Partnerships Manager at Sustain Dane, Lucia (she/her) leads membership outreach and engagement, grants, community partnerships, and program sponsorship. Previously, Lucia worked with REAP Food Group to promote a more equitable and interconnected local food system in South Central Wisconsin. Before that, she worked as a project manager for Epic Systems. Lucia holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography from Macalester College, and she is passionate about analyzing and engaging with the layered systems and actors that play into urban sustainability. Reach out to Lucia with questions related to membership, grants, donations, or sponsorships.

Maggie Radl
Communications Specialist
In her role as Communications Specialist, Maggie (she/her) aims to promote environmental conservation on all levels while continuing to uphold the vision of Sustain Dane. Maggie graduated from University of Wisconsin-Madison with a focus on Environmental Studies, Geography and Chinese. Her prior environmental work at the Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies as well as her brief time interning on an organic farm in Shanghai helped solidify her passion for environment, and after teaching English in China post-graduation she is eager to help engage the community of Dane County in their mission of sustainability. In her free time you can always catch Maggie outside, whether it’s fishing Lake Wingra, pulling invasive plants at her neighborhood park, or soaking up the sun kayaking in Wisconsin’s Northwoods. Reach out to Maggie for more questions or information regarding Sustain Dane and Relay Network Communications.

Valora Gutierrez
Efficiency Navigator & NOAH Outreach Specialist
Valora (she/her) engages directly with community members as the Efficiency Navigator and Natural Occurring Affordable Housing (NOAH) Outreach Specialist. She advocates for energy efficiency in low-income and workforce housing, in order to foster economic and environmental sustainability. With a holistic vision of environmentalism, she is committed to serving under-resourced residents of Dane County. Growing up in California, environmental justice issues are quite literally close to home for her. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where she double majored in Environmental Studies and Geography with an emphasis in People-Environment Interaction Studies. While there, Valora was a Chancellor’s Scholar. Prior to her work with Sustain Dane, she researched habitat conservation and mitigation banking in UW-Madison’s Geography Department. More recently, she managed environmental health and safety campaigns within the Wisconsin Environment and WISPIRG nonprofit network. Reach out to Valora for questions about energy efficient home upgrades and how we can build a more equitable, resilient future.
Interns

Alyssa Dorman
Development Fellow
As a Development Fellow for Sustain Dane, Alyssa (she/her) assists with operations related to grant writing, membership engagement, sponsorship initiatives, and programmatic work. Alyssa is passionate about environmental justice issues and values sustainability work focused on building strong, just, and resilient communities. She moved to Dane County to pursue her law degree at the University of Wisconsin Law School, where she is involved with the Wisconsin Innocence Project (WIP) and Environmental Law Society (ELS). Previously, she spent 4 years at the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) supporting scientists, lawyers, and policy advocates working to ensure the rights of all people to clean air and water, healthy homes and food, and green infrastructure and transportation. Alyssa holds a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Studies from Franklin & Marshall College. In her free time, she enjoys cycling, cooking meals with friends, and watching old movies.
Job Opportunities
You can play a critical role in helping Sustain Dane achieve our vision of a thriving and connected community with a sustainable environment and economy we are proud to pass on to future generations. If there are no current open positions, feel free to reach out with your resume for future opportunities.
Program Coordinator
Job Description: Passionate people and resources fuel our work. In this job, you will assist with program and event coordination and implementation. You will also support fund development through partnership and sponsorship/membership growth. In this collaborative position, you’ll work with the Sustain Dane staff team and Board of Directors, as well as be able to execute projects and strategies independently. Read full job description here.
- Full-Time salary of $45,000
- Competitive benefits including paid time off, health and dental insurance, short-& long-term disability, and 401K
- Reports to Lucia Hunt, Sustain Dane Development & Partnerships Manager
Submission: Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis starting Tuesday, January 31 until the position is filled. Anticipated start date of March 1, 2023.To apply, email your resume and cover letter to Lucia Hunt at lucia@sustaindane.org. Please include your name and “Program Coordinator” in the subject line and your name in the title of attached documents.
Sustain Dane Board

Mark Richardson
President, Executive Committee
Unfinished Business

Sandy Xiong
Vice President, Executive Committee
City of Sun Prairie

Jim Bradley
Treasurer, Executive Committee
Retired, Home Savings Bank

Missy F. Tracy
Secretary, Executive Committee

Steve Whayland
At Large, Executive Committee
DC Engineering

Richard Heinemann
Boardman Clark LLP

Yvette Jones
designCraft Advertising

Angeline Mboutngam
Wisconsin Foundation and Alumni Association

Tom Thompson
UW Health

Ben Reynolds
Reynolds Transfer and Storage

Amanda Goetsch
University of Wisconsin Sustainable Management

Robin Lisowski
Slipstream

Dave Benforado
MG&E

Melissa Flores
Nordic Consulting

Abigail Corso
Elevate Energy

Christopher Peguero
Promega

Sujata Gautam
Dane County Department of Waste and Renewables
Annual Reports
Learn more about our work throughout past years. Sustain Dane’s Annual Report is a summary of our impact and partnerships with innovative organizations and individuals.
History
Sustain Dane was founded in 1999 by a group of Madison community members including Brian Joiner, Niki McGlathery, Jennifer Olsen, and Per Kielland-Lund to create a more sustainable future for Dane County. They used the internationally recognized science-based sustainability framework called The Natural Step as their guide. In 2003, Sustain Dane received 501(c)(3) status and was officially recognized as a nonprofit. Sustain Dane programs have evolved over the years, positively impacting Dane County sustainability and wellbeing.
Past Board Members
- Grant Abert, Kailo Fund, Sustain Dane Co-founder
- Sara Alvarado, Alvarado Real Estate
- Josh Arnold
- Craig Benson, UW-Madison Office of Sustainability
- Dave Boyer, MCD, Sustain Dane Co-founder
- Karen Crossley, Morgridge Center for Public Service
- Jonathon Foley
- Jac Garner, Webcrafters
- Jordan Hemaidan, Michael Best & Friedrich
- Michael Hernke, Sustain Dane Co-founder
- Joann Kelley, MGE
- Brian Joiner, Joiner & Associates, Sustain Dane Co-Founder
- Wendy Kuo, Shoutlet
- Niki McGlathery
- Annette Miller, EQT by Design
- Vanika Mock
- Rose Molz, EZ Office Products
- Michael Mucha, Madison Metropolitan Sewerage District
- Sonya Newenhouse, Madison Environmental Group
- Leslie Orrantia, UW- Madison
- Angela Pakes, UW-Madison
- Jonathon Patz, UW Global Health Institute
- Lisa Peyton-Caire, Black Women’s Wellness & Summit Credit Union
- Erik Ranheim, UW Health
- Cate Ranheim, Meriter
- Rebecca Ryan, Next Generation Consulting
- Willa Schlecht, Agrace & Numbers for Nonprofits
- Ben Schmidt, Urban Land Interests
- Jen Voichick, Habitat ReStore