Meet the Board
Susan Wallitsch, J.D.
Board President Susan began her legal career as a legal service and civil rights attorney. When her son was diagnosed with autism, she shifted careers to become a board certified applied behavioral analysis provider, co-founding two treatment programs. Recognizing the tremendous need for affordable integrated housing for disabled adults, Susan shifted careers, again, co-founding Home of Our Own with her life-long friend, Mary Anne Oemichen. Susan serves as president elect of Mt. Horeb's Rotary Club and as a board member for Mt. Horeb United Methodist Church. She recognizes her son, Franke, as her teacher and inspiration.
|
Mary Anne Oemichen, J.D.
Board Vice President Mary Anne began her career practicing employment and school law with a major Minneapolis law firm. When her daughter, Amy, was diagnosed with autism, Mary Anne shifted to a part time legal practice. Mary Anne is President of the Madison Area Rehabilitation Centers (MARC) Board, serves on Green County based Fowler Dental Clinic's Board, and previously served on the Easter Seals Wisconsin Board. With Susan Wallitsch, Mary Anne co-founded Home of Our Own, and serves on its Board and as its Co-Executive Director. Mary Anne believes that all disabled people deserve to and can live independently in their own home of choice, with the right supports. She is passionate about mentoring grass roots groups as they create their own inclusive "Prairie Haus."
|
Peter Lukszys
Board Treasurer Peter Lukszys is an educator, entrepreneur, and supply chain leader. He is inspired by the housing-for-all mission of Home of Our Own and enjoys serving on the Board. Peter teaches supply chain courses in the School of Business and College of Engineering at University of Wisconsin-Madison. His professional pursuits have included co-founding and serving as CEO of a pediatric medical device company, Atrility Medical, and working in the healthcare manufacturing industry at Abbott Labs and Merck/EMD. Peter’s community work has included serving on the New Glarus School Board as treasurer, UW Memorial Union Advisory Board, coaching youth sports, and helping out with his teenage son at the Green Cares Food Pantry.
|
Jennifer Diedrich
Board Member Jennifer was born with spina bifida and uses a wheelchair for mobility. She attended South West Tech in Fennimore, WI, and graduated with degrees in office and administrative assistance. Jennifer lives in Prairie Haus and graciously teaches the board to understand the challenges of using a wheelchair for mobility and is our social ambassador for all the residents. Jennifer is involved in all aspects of what HOOO does and is always a joy to work with.
|
Beth Luchsinger
Board Member After working for the State of WI for over 40 years as a Section Bureau Chief for the Department of Administration, Beth retired in 2010. As a New Glarus native, she was an active member of the New Glarus EMS in the 1970’s-1980’s, where she worked extensively with the County Emergency Government to set up Disaster Planning, receiving training at FEMA. For the past 12 years, Beth served as District 28 Green County Supervisor. Beth volunteers her time in the New Glarus community, has done several global mission trips building houses and giving health care, and volunteers with the WI DNR as a campground host. Beth generously shares her time and efforts as a community resource for the Board.
|
Teri Magennis, RN, BSN, MS
Board Member Teri is educated in medicine and engineering. Most recently, she enjoyed providing direct hospice nursing care and also educating staff/management utilizing quality assurance statistics. In engineering, Teri developed packaging for pharmaceuticals and high volume consumer products. As Board Treasurer, she developed the initial accounting systems to support HOOO's fledgling non-profit. She loves spending time with her three children and two grandchildren. Teri cherishes each opportunity to support her sister, Jane, in transitioning her two adult disabled children into Prairie Haus: the dream.
|
Jackie Moen
Board Member Jackie dedicates her life to supporting the academic and social aspirations of her six children and is an active community member. Her youngest sons, twins Calvin and Peter, are on the autism spectrum. Jackie founded and lead a mental health center and private school, Common Threads, that specializes in autism. Since retiring, she and her husband, Ken, have moved to New Glarus to be nearer to Peter, who, thanks to the efforts of the HOOO founding families, now has a home of his own. Jackie is delighted to join the Board of Directors to help ensure the guiding principals of HOOO are carried out with passion and integrity.
|
Dianne Roelke
Board Member Dianne raised three children and worked at Wisconsin Heights School District for 32 years a Educational Assistant with at risk and special needs children, among other duties. In addition, Dianne serves on the Wisconsin Heights Educational Foundation Board, Heights Unlimited Community Resource Board, and is a member of the Serve and Care Ministry Team at New Heights Lutheran Church. Dianne's granddaughter, Jessica, has Rett syndrome and is living at Prairie Haus. Dianne is so happy to see her and all the young adults living in a community of their peers.
|
Carrie Staley
Board Member Carrie’s professional path has centered around supporting individuals with disabilities. She began her career working as a special education assistant. During this time, she met Franke and Susan Wallitsch. Inspired by her relationship with them, she obtained her degree in special education from UW-Madison and went to work in elementary special education. Carrie recently accepted a position as an autism treatment specialist in the Waisman Center Community TIES program. Carrie’s career came full circle when she learned Franke would be one of her clients. Through her work and her relationship with Franke, Carrie has been exposed to the growing need for housing for adults with disabilities.
|
David Wyttenbach
Board Member David is a lifelong resident of New Glarus, WI. He graduated from UW-Madison in 1980 and has spent over 40 years as a banking professional in northern Green and southern Dane Counties. David also has served on the New Glarus Village Board, as well as the New Glarus Economic Development and Community Development Authority committees. David and his wife, Jody, have raised three daughters, Alison, Kayci, and Hannah. Kayci is a young adult with special needs who is presently a resident at Prairie Haus in New Glarus.
|
Lucy Wallitsch
Ex Officio Board Member Lucy is currently a PhD student at Emory University, where she focuses on nineteenth century American literature and disability studies. Her dissertation project focuses on mental disability and ethics of caregiving in nineteenth-century American literature. Through literary analysis and archival research, Lucy studies care relationships between disabled people and their communities and the ways that increasing medicalization and legal codification of disability, particularly in regard to ideas surrounding personhood and competency, shaped and reshaped those relationships over the course of the nineteenth century. Before her time at Emory, Lucy earned a Bachelor’s degree from Lawrence University, where she wrote her undergraduate thesis “Fashioning the Feeble Mind: Cognitive Disability in American Fiction, 1830-1940,” in 2017, and a Master’s degree in English from University of Tennessee in 2020.
|
Will Oemichen
Ex Officio Board Member Will Oemichen is a lifelong resident of New Glarus, Wisconsin. He additionally is a resident of Prairie Haus Apartments, where he has seen first-hand the importance Prairie Haus and Home of our Own has for many different members of the community. Will's professional experiences include interning for Green County Development Corporation, working for State Senator Jon Erpenbach, and Serving as the Green County Supervisor for District 28 where he represents the residents of Prairie Haus. In his capacity as Green County Supervisor, Will serves on the County’s Human Services Committee. Will is also easy to find in New Glarus, especially when he is mixing up old fashioneds at popular local bar and restaurant, the Glarner Stube.
|
