Presidential Search Committee
The Ripon College Board of Trustees is pleased to announce the unanimous selection of Dr. Victoria N. Folse as the institution’s 14th president. Folse will be the first woman to be formally inaugurated as president of Ripon College in its 170-year history, and will officially assume the presidency in July. Visit ripon.edu/president to read a full release and watch Folse’s introductory remarks to the campus community.
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Trustees
Mark Franzen ‘83 has served on the Board of Trustees since 2011 and is currently Secretary of the Board. He is Chair of the Academic Affairs Committee and serves on the Executive, Finance and Trusteeship Committees.
Mark has recently retired as principal and managing director of Milliman IntelliScript, which he founded in 2001. IntelliScript provides data and software tools to health and life insurers. Mark majored in Physics and Mathematics at Ripon College and earned a Ph.D and M.S. in Mathematics from Northwestern University. In addition to his service on the Board of Trustees, Mark serves on the Board of the Green Lake Association.
Mark has recently retired as principal and managing director of Milliman IntelliScript, which he founded in 2001. IntelliScript provides data and software tools to health and life insurers. Mark majored in Physics and Mathematics at Ripon College and earned a Ph.D and M.S. in Mathematics from Northwestern University. In addition to his service on the Board of Trustees, Mark serves on the Board of the Green Lake Association.
Tom Abendroth ‘81 has served on the Board of Trustees since 1996, and is the current Board Chair. He is Chair of the Executive Committee, serves on the Trusteeship Committee, and is an ad-hoc member of all Board Committees.
Tom is a partner with Schiff Hardin LLP law firm in Chicago.
Tom counsels clients on the full range of wealth transfer planning, seamlessly melding the tax implications of estate planning with the unique circumstances of the client’s family and non-tax goals. He has worked extensively with owners of family businesses, private equity and hedge funds, and in the professional sports industry. Tom was a double major in politics and government and economics at Ripon College and earned a J.D. from Northwestern University.
Tom counsels clients on the full range of wealth transfer planning, seamlessly melding the tax implications of estate planning with the unique circumstances of the client’s family and non-tax goals. He has worked extensively with owners of family businesses, private equity and hedge funds, and in the professional sports industry. Tom was a double major in politics and government and economics at Ripon College and earned a J.D. from Northwestern University.
Dante has served on the Board of Trustees since 2018. He is Vice-Chair of the Advancement Committee and serves on the Student Life Committee.
Dante is a Senior Manager of Client Delivery at AMN Healthcare in Milwaukee, WI. Dante has held positions in talent management and recruiting with Titus Talent Strategies, Rockwell Automation, Johnson Controls and MRA. In the community he serves as an advisory council member of The Milwaukee Repertory Theater, acts as Vice Chair of the Hansbury Sands Theatre Company, is co-Chair of the United Way Emerging Leaders Council and is a Founding Member of FUEL Milwaukee. Dante majored in Speech Communication at Ripon College and earned a MA in Organizational Development and Instructional Design from Alverno College.
Dante is a Senior Manager of Client Delivery at AMN Healthcare in Milwaukee, WI. Dante has held positions in talent management and recruiting with Titus Talent Strategies, Rockwell Automation, Johnson Controls and MRA. In the community he serves as an advisory council member of The Milwaukee Repertory Theater, acts as Vice Chair of the Hansbury Sands Theatre Company, is co-Chair of the United Way Emerging Leaders Council and is a Founding Member of FUEL Milwaukee. Dante majored in Speech Communication at Ripon College and earned a MA in Organizational Development and Instructional Design from Alverno College.
Connie has served on the Board of Trustees since 2013, and is the current Vice Chair. She is Chair of the Trusteeship Committee, Vice Chair of the Executive Committee and serves as an ad hoc member of all Board Committees.
Connie is CEO of Navenio, an AI-led indoor location based solutions company that helps transform and improve workforce efficiency in hospitals, and enables any use cases in applications and systems in any type of building, in any sector globally. Connie Moser has more than 30 years of experience in the healthcare technology industry. Connie has distinctive leadership abilities around predictive analytics, strategic use of data, and delivering operational efficiencies with cloud-based software solutions. Connie was a triple-major in Economics, Politics and Government, and Leadership Studies at Ripon College and earned a MBA from Lake Forest Graduate School of Management.
Connie is CEO of Navenio, an AI-led indoor location based solutions company that helps transform and improve workforce efficiency in hospitals, and enables any use cases in applications and systems in any type of building, in any sector globally. Connie Moser has more than 30 years of experience in the healthcare technology industry. Connie has distinctive leadership abilities around predictive analytics, strategic use of data, and delivering operational efficiencies with cloud-based software solutions. Connie was a triple-major in Economics, Politics and Government, and Leadership Studies at Ripon College and earned a MBA from Lake Forest Graduate School of Management.
Lisa has served on the Board of Trustees since 2020. She is the Chair of the Advancement Committee and serves on the Executive and Academic Affairs Committees.
Lisa is recently retired as Head of Consumer Insights and Brand Strategy at Wawa, Inc. Prior to WaWa, Lisa served as a business consultant for International and Domestic Retail, Service and Manufacturing companies and has held senior positions at Kraft, Inc., Keystone Foods, and Ritter, Inc..Lisa has served on the Board of Directors for Welcome America, Inc. and Susan G. Komen for the Cure where she served in the leadership roles of Secretary, Vice President, and President. Lisa majored in Politics and Government at Ripon College and earned a MBA in Marketing from Cornell University.
Lisa is recently retired as Head of Consumer Insights and Brand Strategy at Wawa, Inc. Prior to WaWa, Lisa served as a business consultant for International and Domestic Retail, Service and Manufacturing companies and has held senior positions at Kraft, Inc., Keystone Foods, and Ritter, Inc..Lisa has served on the Board of Directors for Welcome America, Inc. and Susan G. Komen for the Cure where she served in the leadership roles of Secretary, Vice President, and President. Lisa majored in Politics and Government at Ripon College and earned a MBA in Marketing from Cornell University.
Kimberly has served on the Board of Trustees since 2014. She is the Chair of the Infrastructure Committee, Vice Chair of Trusteeship and serves on the Executive, Audit and Finance Committees.
Kimberly is the Vice President, Assistant General Counsel and Assistant Secretary at Oracle Corporation. She serves on the Board of Oracle Corporation Japan (Tokyo stock exchange) and is a member of the Corporate Securities and Acquisition Group with primary responsibility for SEC filings, governance and board of director matters. Prior to Oracle, Kimberly held leadership positions at Williams-Sonoma, Inc., Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP and Sullivan & Cromwell, LLP. Kimberly majored in Politics and Government at Ripon College and earned her JD from The George Washington University Law School.
Kimberly is the Vice President, Assistant General Counsel and Assistant Secretary at Oracle Corporation. She serves on the Board of Oracle Corporation Japan (Tokyo stock exchange) and is a member of the Corporate Securities and Acquisition Group with primary responsibility for SEC filings, governance and board of director matters. Prior to Oracle, Kimberly held leadership positions at Williams-Sonoma, Inc., Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP and Sullivan & Cromwell, LLP. Kimberly majored in Politics and Government at Ripon College and earned her JD from The George Washington University Law School.
Faculty
Nicholas joined Ripon College in 2017. He is an Assistant Professor in Educational Studies and member of the Faculty Advisory Committee.
His academic interests are in philosophy, political theory and cultural analysis of education, and he has published in various academic journals. He recently co-wrote an article with Ripon College student Ethan Hansen ’23 titled “Classroom Exchanges: Big Data and the Commodification of Educational Communication,” that was published in Education & Culture in 2021. He has been recognized by the college with the May Bumby Severy, Class of 1908, Award for distinguished teaching. Nicholas earned his B.A. and M.A.T. from Southern Illinois University and his Ph.D. from Georgia State University.
His academic interests are in philosophy, political theory and cultural analysis of education, and he has published in various academic journals. He recently co-wrote an article with Ripon College student Ethan Hansen ’23 titled “Classroom Exchanges: Big Data and the Commodification of Educational Communication,” that was published in Education & Culture in 2021. He has been recognized by the college with the May Bumby Severy, Class of 1908, Award for distinguished teaching. Nicholas earned his B.A. and M.A.T. from Southern Illinois University and his Ph.D. from Georgia State University.
Memuna joined Ripon College in 2006. She is a Professor of Biology and Chair of the Department of Biology.
Memuna and her students study avian ecology of a local population of Eastern Bluebirds. In 2021, she and three undergraduate co-authors published “Do we impact neighboring nests when managing for House Sparrows on nest-box trails?” in the Northeastern Naturalist. She regularly teaches course in organismal biology including vertebrate zoology, ornithology, and animal behavior. She is a two time recipient of the May Bumby Severy, Class of 1908 Award for distinguished teaching, and has been recognized for her teaching by the Bluebird Restoration Association of Wisconsin. She has served as chair of the Educational Policy and Faculty Advisory Committees. She earned her B.A. in Biology from the University of Chicago and her Ph.D. from Virginia Tech
Memuna and her students study avian ecology of a local population of Eastern Bluebirds. In 2021, she and three undergraduate co-authors published “Do we impact neighboring nests when managing for House Sparrows on nest-box trails?” in the Northeastern Naturalist. She regularly teaches course in organismal biology including vertebrate zoology, ornithology, and animal behavior. She is a two time recipient of the May Bumby Severy, Class of 1908 Award for distinguished teaching, and has been recognized for her teaching by the Bluebird Restoration Association of Wisconsin. She has served as chair of the Educational Policy and Faculty Advisory Committees. She earned her B.A. in Biology from the University of Chicago and her Ph.D. from Virginia Tech
Becky joined Ripon College in 2003. She is the Associate Dean of Academic Affairs and the Ralph Hale Ruppert Distinguished Professor of History.
Becky has served in a variety of faculty leadership roles at Ripon, including chair of several faculty committees, co-director of the Center for Politics and the People, and Associate Dean for Faculty Development. She most recently served as the interim Dean of Faculty during the 2019-2020 academic year. An award-winning professor, Becky teaches courses on World War I, public history, world history, the Cold War, and 20th-century Europe. Her current research interests include British war propaganda and Cold War missiles in Nebraska. She earned her B.A. in history and English from the University of Nebraska and her M.A. and Ph.D. in history from Cornell University.
Becky has served in a variety of faculty leadership roles at Ripon, including chair of several faculty committees, co-director of the Center for Politics and the People, and Associate Dean for Faculty Development. She most recently served as the interim Dean of Faculty during the 2019-2020 academic year. An award-winning professor, Becky teaches courses on World War I, public history, world history, the Cold War, and 20th-century Europe. Her current research interests include British war propaganda and Cold War missiles in Nebraska. She earned her B.A. in history and English from the University of Nebraska and her M.A. and Ph.D. in history from Cornell University.
Travis joined Ripon College in 2010. He is an Associate Professor of Art History and Co-Director of the Caestecker Gallery.
Travis teaches classes on the history and significance of art, books, design, and visual culture, as well as museum studies. He has been recognized by the college with the May Bumby Severy, Class of 1908, Award for distinguished teaching. Travis is an active scholar and regularly presents and publishes research about American and pre-Columbian art. Travis earned his B.A. from Gustavus Adolphus College and his M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of Pittsburgh.
Travis teaches classes on the history and significance of art, books, design, and visual culture, as well as museum studies. He has been recognized by the college with the May Bumby Severy, Class of 1908, Award for distinguished teaching. Travis is an active scholar and regularly presents and publishes research about American and pre-Columbian art. Travis earned his B.A. from Gustavus Adolphus College and his M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of Pittsburgh.
Staff
Shawn joined Ripon College in 2014. He has been the Vice President of Advancement, Marketing and Communications since 2018.
In his role, Shawn oversees all aspects of Advancement, including Advancement Services, Communications and Public Relations, Constituent Engagement and Development. As a member of the Administrative Council, he works closely with the President and the Board of Trustees. He has also co-authored two publications with Dr. Jody Roy, Professor of Communication: Breaking Through to Boys in Crisis: Insights from Inmates (2012) and Sharing Your Story, Saving Their Lives: Public Speaking for Ex-Offenders (2014). Shawn majored in Speech Communication at Ripon College.
In his role, Shawn oversees all aspects of Advancement, including Advancement Services, Communications and Public Relations, Constituent Engagement and Development. As a member of the Administrative Council, he works closely with the President and the Board of Trustees. He has also co-authored two publications with Dr. Jody Roy, Professor of Communication: Breaking Through to Boys in Crisis: Insights from Inmates (2012) and Sharing Your Story, Saving Their Lives: Public Speaking for Ex-Offenders (2014). Shawn majored in Speech Communication at Ripon College.
Linda joined Ripon College in 2014. She has been the Director of Financial Aid since 2020.
In her role, Linda oversees all aspects of the Financial Aid Office at Ripon College which includes merit-based scholarships, need-based grants, educational loans, work study and scholarships from outside organizations. Based on the quality of her job performance, service and dedication to Ripon College, Linda was recognized with the Presidential Staff Award in 2020. Linda earned a B.A. from St. Norbert College and a M.A. from Marian University
In her role, Linda oversees all aspects of the Financial Aid Office at Ripon College which includes merit-based scholarships, need-based grants, educational loans, work study and scholarships from outside organizations. Based on the quality of her job performance, service and dedication to Ripon College, Linda was recognized with the Presidential Staff Award in 2020. Linda earned a B.A. from St. Norbert College and a M.A. from Marian University
Students
Jackie is currently a junior at Ripon College and is majoring in English with a minor in Women and Gender Studies. Her goal is to go on to graduate school and become a librarian. She is originally from DeForest, WI. She is involved in many groups on campus and applied to be on the search committee because she is eager to see Ripon College improve, and wants to do anything she possibly can to assist in those efforts.
Alumni
Carrie has served on the Alumni Association Board of Directors since 2015. She is a member of the Alumni Outreach and Governance Committees.
Carrie is Vice President at Heitman in Chicago, IL, a real estate investment management firm. She has over 25 years of Commercial Real Estate lending experience at several different real estate institutions: law firms, real estate development and management companies, brokerage firms, and banks. Carrie is involved with multiple affinity/employee resource groups, such as Asian American Real Estate Network, Women’s Network and Multicultural Boards. Carrie was a double major in French and History at Ripon College and earned a M.A. in Pastoral Studies from Catholic Theological Union.
Carrie is Vice President at Heitman in Chicago, IL, a real estate investment management firm. She has over 25 years of Commercial Real Estate lending experience at several different real estate institutions: law firms, real estate development and management companies, brokerage firms, and banks. Carrie is involved with multiple affinity/employee resource groups, such as Asian American Real Estate Network, Women’s Network and Multicultural Boards. Carrie was a double major in French and History at Ripon College and earned a M.A. in Pastoral Studies from Catholic Theological Union.
Community Representative
Tom Moniz is an Attorney with von Briesen and Roper in Neenah, WI. Tom is a Shareholder in the Business Practice Group, where he assists clients on all aspects of business and estate planning. Tom also chairs the firm’s Nonprofit and Tax Exemption section. Tom has a longstanding family legacy at Ripon College and is active in the community where he serves in over ten volunteer roles at various organizations, including President for Ripon Main Street, Inc..Tom earned his B.A from University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point and a J.D. from Marquette University.
Committee Support
Kara joined Ripon College in 2017. She currently serves as Chief of Staff to the President and Vice President, Dean of Faculty.
In her role, Kara is responsible for supporting the Office of the President and the Office of the Dean of Faculty in all administrative capacities. Kara also serves on the Administrative Council and chairs the Inclusion Audit Committee tasked with examining and recommending changes in policies and procedures for the recruitment and retention of underrepresented students, faculty, and staff. Kara earned her B.A. from University of Wisconsin-Madison.
In her role, Kara is responsible for supporting the Office of the President and the Office of the Dean of Faculty in all administrative capacities. Kara also serves on the Administrative Council and chairs the Inclusion Audit Committee tasked with examining and recommending changes in policies and procedures for the recruitment and retention of underrepresented students, faculty, and staff. Kara earned her B.A. from University of Wisconsin-Madison.