Our Team

Meet the Wisconsin Foundation for Independent Colleges Staff

The WFIC team offers over 75 years of nonprofit expertise.

Mark Torinus - President

414.273.5980, x14 - mtorinus@wficweb.org

Mark Torinus-President of WFIC Mark Torinus has been president of the Wisconsin Foundation for Independent Colleges since 1996.   Mark is a graduate of Dartmouth College, and seven of his family members have attended private colleges in the state of Wisconsin.  He had a 16-year career in journalism before moving to United Way to start a new career in the nonprofit sector.
 
He is a board member of Serigraph, Inc., a privately held business in West Bend, Wis.  Mark and his wife live in Delafield, Wisconsin and have three grown children. Mark recently authored a book called “Prairie Pothole Fever,” a collection of humorous and touching stories about duck, dog and man.

 

David Wolfson - Vice President of Development

414.273.5980, x15 - dwolfson@wficweb.org

David Wolfson-VP Development for WFIC
David Wolfson, Vice President of Development, has over 30 years of resource development, marketing and nonprofit management experience. Since 2001, he has served as Vice President for the Wisconsin Foundation for Independent Colleges, (WFIC, Inc). In that capacity he has been part of the leadership team that has transformed the organization to a service delivery model focusing on issues relating to college and workforce access. 
 
David has served as a senior development officer, marketing manager and as a consultant and coach. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Northeastern University in Boston and pursued graduate studies at Adelphi University in New York. He is a Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE) and continues his pursuit of life-long learning through reading, attending seminars and by learning with his peers. He is a graduate of Future Milwaukee and the Mosaic Partnership. David is married with two grown daughters and lives in Glendale.

 

Christy Miller - Vice President

414.273.5980, x12 - cmiller@wficweb.org

Christy Miller-VP at WFIC
Christy Miller, Vice President, leads the program team at WFIC. Christy has a degree in business and marketing from Carthage College and has worked at WFIC for nearly ten years. She oversees program operations statewide while maintaining the business operations of the WFIC office. 
 
Christy is a graduate of the Future Milwaukee Leadership program, MOSAIC Milwaukee Partnership Program and has a mini-MBA in Nonprofit Management from the University of St. Thomas. She also has a certificate of Management from MRA-Institute of Management and is a member of the National Association of Professional Women. Christy and her husband, Kevin, live in West Milwaukee with their two young children.

 

JohnRae' Stowers - College Readiness 21 Statewide Director

414.273.5980, x16 - jstowers@wficweb.org

JohnRae’ Stowers, State Director of College Readiness 21, has over 14 years of pre-college and college preparation experience. As the State Director, she over oversees all aspects of the program and has been with WFIC since 2004. 
 
JohnRae’ holds a Master’s degree in Student Personnel Administration/Counseling from Concordia University-Wisconsin. She is a graduate of the Mid-America Association of Educational Opportunity Program Personnel (MAEOPP) Emerging Leaders Institute, MOSAIC Milwaukee Partnership Program and has a bachelor’s from the University of WI-Parkside. She has a Certificate of Management from MRA- Institute of Management. She has served as a Board Member of Empower Our Youth and a member of the Boys & Girls Club Youth Advisory Council. She was previously employed as an Upward Bound Counselor at Marquette University and she served as an Admissions Counselor/Minority Recruiter at the University of WI-Parkside. She has been an adjunct instructor for Marquette University’s – CommUNITY program and Bryant & Stratton College. JohnRae’s passion is to educate youth on the college admission process and assisting them in making informed decisions. She has presented at community organizations, national conferences, and schools. Her goal is truly to help students become College Ready! JohnRae’ is a part of PCAS (Partnership for College Access and Success), MAEOPP, WAEOPP (Wisconsin Association of Educational Opportunity Program Personnel, and more recently FUEL Milwaukee. 

 

Karissa Kleven - Director of Collegiate Programming

414.273.5980, x17 - kkleven@wficweb.org

Karissa Kleven - Director of WFIC Collegiate Programming
Karissa Kleven currently serves as the Director of Collegiate Programming in which she oversees the scholarship, internship and workforce development programs offered by WFIC. A 2006 graduate of Carthage College, she received dual degrees in both Communication and Business Administration. Karissa is now into her third year of program management at WFIC.
 
Karissa is a graduate of the Future Milwaukee Leadership program and enjoys working with a mix of students, professionals and college faculty. As a first-generation college student, Karissa is passionate about helping current college students and recent graduates reach their personal career goals.

Mary Schwiner - College Readiness 21 Program Manager, Northeast Wisconsin

920.923.8937 or 920.403.4488 - mschwiner@wficweb.org

Mary Schwiner-College Readiness 21 Program Manager, Northeast Wisconsin

Mary Schwiner, Program Manager for CR21's Northeast Wisconsin program, holds a B.A. in Education from Marian University where she also minored in Communications and Athletic Coaching.  Mary graduated in May of 2006 and was a CR21 College Coach during the 2005-06 school year.  

Mary coordinates program activities, stays connected with the youth, supervises College Coaches, and maintains data on each CR21 participant. CR21 maintains an office on the Marian University campus. 

Angela Peterson - College Readiness 21 Program Manager, Racine/Kenosha & CR21 Mentoring Coordinator

262.635.3852 or 414.273.5980, x13 - apeterson@wficweb.org

Angela Peterson-College Readiness 21 Program Manager, Racine and Kenosha

Angela Peterson is the Program Manager for CR21 in Southeastern Wisconsin. Angela also coordinates mentoring within the College Readiness 21 program statewide.  She graduated from Alverno College with a bachelor’s degree in Professional Communications. Angela is currently seeking a master’s degree in Adult Education and Instructional Design from her alma mater. 

As a Racine native and first-generation college student, she is excited to expose students to higher education and assist them in reaching their goals through CR21. Angela coordinates program activities, stays connected with students, and supervises College Coaches.  Angela is currently involved in the Leadership Racine program.

Le'Lana Johnson - College Readiness 21 Program Coordinator

414.273.5980, x11 - cr21@wficweb.org

Le Lana Johnson-College Readiness 21 Program Coordinator

Le’Lana Johnson is the College Readiness 21 Milwaukee Coordinator. She holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. 

Le’Lana keeps in close contact with CR21 students and parents, tracks the progress of students as they move through the program, and coordinates all CR21 activities. 

Sam Zajac - Grant Writer & Researcher

414.273.5980, x19 - szajac@wficweb.org

Sam joined the WFIC team in August of 2008. He is a Milwaukee native and attended Bay View High School on the city’s south side. After high school, Sam attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison and transferred to the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in 2005. He graduated from UWM in 2007 and received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science and English. 

 

Victoria Howard - Office Coordinator

414.273.5980, x10 - wfic@wficweb.org
 
Victoria Howard is a graduate of UpperIowa University with a Bachelor Degree of Science in Human Service along with a minor in Criminal Justice. She also attended Robins and Lloyd Training Institute for her Realtor License. Victoria is WFIC's Office Coordinator and manages the day-to-day needs of WFIC and the WFIC team.

©2009 Wisconsin Foundation for Independent Colleges - 4425 North Port Washington Road, Suite 402 Glendale, WI 53212 - (414) 273-5980

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