The Board

Hanna Roth, Birdherder in Chief, is one of the founding principles of The Coaching Exchange, inc., one of the first business coaching firms in the country, built in the early 80′s, in  Los Angeles, California. The Coaching Exchange worked with entrepreneurs, government agencies, celebrities and entertainers, and Fortune 100 companies. For over 25 years Ms. Roth has worked in business, event planning, fundraising, and management. She leads courses nationally, is a writer, editor, and magazine columnist. She works with teens and families as an advocate for children. Ms. Roth is committed to the end of child abuse. 

Elisabeth Norton, Rainbird's COO,  has been an educator and coach, mentoring students to build strong, successful business practices. For more than 15 years, she maintained a practice as one of the Midwest’s finest Myofascial Release Therapists, a therapy on the cutting edge of physical and emotional recovery. She received her Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the University of Missouri-Columbia. Ms. Norton is a relationship coach, speaker, writer, and columnist. She has a relationship blog called “Mz. E”. She is committed to folks having healthy relationships and to children being well cared for, loved, and respected.

 

Preston Austin is the Collaboration & Community Technologies Theorist & Advisor. According to Twitter, Preston Austin is One Cool Guy. According to us, he is an extraordinary critical thinker, organizer, networker, and inspiration. Preston creates tools that tap into the vast unrealized potential of human communication and emerging technologies. As an avid humanitarian, he brings his values and insight to businesses and organizations working to extend human capabilities. Preston is on our Board, keeping his eye on the big picture, educating, and creating solutions for communication to build the end of child abuse.

 

 

Jennifer Braun is a passionate community-builder. She teaches social media communications at Edgewood College. Additionally, she is an avid foodie, a yogini, and a mother of two beautiful, very fortunate children. We're also very fortunate to have her guidance, strategy, and tutelage. When asked why she participates with Rainbird, she responded, "If not me, who? If not now, when?" We think that pretty much sums it up, and we are proud to have Jennifer on our Board.

 

Craig Broadbent has nearly 30 years of experience in the field of engineering, first in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, then as a Chief Electrical Engineer, and finally in Technical Service Sales. Now, as the CEO of Broadbent Resources, Inc., his organization provides service and equipment sales for critical and renewable power systems throughout the United States. His life is about service and supporting others. He supports his family, but most of all, he supports his wife, Hanna. When she asked him to bring his remarkable technical skills and brilliant, down-to-earth ideas to the board, he agreed to support Rainbird and their mission to end child abuse on this planet.

 

 

The Staff

 

Allison Volkman, Head Birdseed Gatherer,  is a recent transplant from Chicago, where she lived for 14 years, working for some pretty impressive institutions raising some very respectable money. Starting at United Way, she worked on Major Gifts and Workplace Giving campaigns before moving on to be the Director of Development at Merit School of Music, where music improves the lives of Chicago's at-risk youth. At Merit, she worked with some of Chicago's most influential philanthropists on a $19 million capital campaign, bringing her passion for children's issues and knowledge and experience to that organization. She is thrilled to now live in Madison with her husband and their two beautiful young daughters, and we are as thrilled to have her on our team in the position of Director of Development.  

 

 

Jonathan Yankovich is a teacher, user interaction designer, drupal web developer, and general consultant for all things web, as well as being an avid advocate for the coworking movement. He contributes to Open Source projects and the lives of others by creating things that help people. Jonathan believes in the possibility of ending all suffering, to include child abuse, and he is committed to making available the platforms of communication and tools to assist that end. Jonathan provides The Rainbird Foundation with consulting, training, and development to effectively use our web site to fullfill our purpose. Quite frankly, life is good because of Jonathan.

 

 

Laurie Gebhard graduated last spring from UW-Madison with degree in Communication Arts - Rhetoric and Sociology. Her dream is to make a difference in the world, and what better way than working with a nonprofit! Laurie works with Elisabeth to produce the 1,000 Mile Journey Fundraiser, and she is our in-house lifesaver. She believes that everyone, especially children, should have the right to feel safe in their home. Children need people to stand up for them if they're unable, and she is proud to be a part of an organization that does that.

 

 

 

Letitia Kunicki, Ornithic Web & Nest Manager, spent ten years as vice president of a local ISP. She is also a graduate of East-West Healing Arts where she studied massage therapy and acupressure, and ran her own business up until the birth of her daughter, after which she decided that raising the little tyrant - er, precious snowflake - was well worth her full time attention. She knows that abuse is happening to that child next door, and that child that goes to your child's school, and that child you're related to. She knows that you either aren't paying attention or that you're just averting your eyes. She wants you to take notice and take action.

 

Jen Semelka is an undergraduate student at UW-Madison, majoring in Social Anthropology and Women's Studies and interested in healthcare and making a difference in the non-profit sector. Her extensive research experience is being used to build a comprehensive body of facts on the world's living conditions for children. This will ultimately give not just Rainbird but all people a current, accurate view of the living conditions for our planet's children. For Jen, Rainbird's stand for the end of child abuse is incredibly inspiring and she loves working in an environment of hope with other people who are willing to take a stand and take action.

 

 

Aaron Wilbers is a graphic designer and fine artist. He owns Crow's Mouth Design Studio, a freelance studio in Madison, Wisconsin. Aaron is a great technician, funny, committed, and easy to work with. He brings all of the skill of an artist without any of the drama or ego. As our Artistic Director, he is committed to people being aware of themselves and their environment, ending child abuse, and replacing it with laughter for adults and children.

 

 

 

 

Teki Grahl is a force to be reckoned with. A graduate of the University of Missouri-Columbia, she works as a Nuclear Medicine Technician. She is also a mother of two and a passionate advocate for children.  Teki is a fiercely loyal human with a strong sense of fairness. As a human being, she is constantly horrified by the way we treat our children, and she wants it to stop. 

 

   
 

 Whitney Trotta is Rainbird's P.R. Whiz and Head of the Mobilization Team, increasing the conversation in the media for the end of child abuse across the nation.  Whitney graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2010 with a degree in Political Science and Spanish. After graduation, she lived in South America for a year and taught English to elementary school students in Chile. She believes that every child has the right to a healthy, happy childhood. Working with Rainbird gives her the opportunity to work for that goal. Whitney is passionate about travel, and even more passionate about finding ways to help children in need across the globe. 

 

Cindy Ditter teaches graduate classes to educate teachers about fitness and wellness so that teachers learn how to inspire wellness in their kids in the classroom. She is a mother of two incredible grown kids who have had all of the opportunities that fortunate children are blessed with. Abuse wasn't part of their world, and Cindy believes that all children have the right to live free of abuse. At Rainbird, Cindy works in the Fundraising Department, dovetailing her gregarious nature with her passion for wellness, education, and child welfare to make the end of child abuse possible. 

 

 

One of Patrick Schroeder's many accomplishments has been to open and manage one of the finest sushi restaurants in Madison. Patrick is our social media man, putting out our communication and navigating the airwaves in search of remarkable people working for the end of child abuse. He's a really smart guy, a well-loved manager, and a devoted husband and father, committed to making a difference in the world so that children who come from abuse get to know themselves as great, whole, healthy, and perfect.

 

   

 

Yan Ni graduated from UW-Madison with a degree in psychology. She is passionate about helping kids – especially those affected by violence – and has worked as a children's advocate at a battered women's shelter. She is committed to becoming a psychologist, specializing in working with individuals who have experienced abuse, and to help make the purpose of The Rainbird Foundation a reality.

 

 

 

Justin Wilson is a graduate of Notre Dame and a Marine Corps Veteran. He recently moved to Madison to be a Project Manager at Epic. Having served for several years as a Boy Scout Executive and Summer Camp Director, Justin loves to travel and spend time outdoors. As an advocate for the end of child abuse, he is committed to a world in which every child enjoys a safe and loving childhood.

 

 

 

Kristina Olafsson is an undergraduate at University of Wisconsin with an undecided major, and a goal of pursuing a career in elementary education, working with children every day. In the fresh new year of 2012, she begins working with the MOB Unit of Rainbird. Her reason for working with Rainbird is that she wants everybody to have a fun and happy childhood and she can’t stand to see child abuse get in the way of that.