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Harbor District Board President
Patricia Hoben is co-founder and CEO/Head of Schools for Carmen Schools of Science and Technology, a growing network of college and career preparatory charter schools including three high schools and a middle school. She has been involved in science and technology policy and education reform initiatives at the national, state, and local levels.
Over the course of her career, she served as an advisor on public health and science and technology policy issues at the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission, the U.S. Congress Office of Technology Assessment, and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Dr. Hoben also served as the K-12 Education Grants Program Officer at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute in Bethesda, Maryland, and as the Associate Director, Education and Exhibits of the Bakken Library and Museum in Minneapolis. She earned a doctoral degree in Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry from Yale University in 1984.
Dr. Hoben also serves on the boards of the Milwaukee Public Museum, Schools that Can Milwaukee, and Teach for America – Milwaukee. She is currently a Pahara-Aspen Education Fellow and received the Milwaukee Business Journal’s Woman of Influence award for Innovation in 2009. Dr. Hoben also is the recipient of awards from Alverno College, the United Community Center, and Casa Romero Renewal Center for her work in founding and leading Carmen Schools of Science and Technology.
Harbor District Board Vice President
As Maternal and Child Health Director, Rosamaria provides leadership, direction and planning for programs in the Community Health branch of City of Milwaukee Health Department. She oversees a diverse team of managers, supervisors, coordinators, and other specialists. Prior to her current role, she served as Vice President of Community Health Initiatives and Women Infants and Children (WIC) Director at Sixteenth Street Community Health Centers. She currently serves as a member of University of WI-Extension’s Board of Visitors and sits on the Community Advisory Board for the Zilber School of Public Health.
Rosamaria Martinez holds a Master’s degree in Business Administration and Bachelor’s degree in Dietetics, and is a Registered Dietitian. She is currently pursuing a Doctorate of Public Health with the Medical College of WI. Rosamaria has served the community in various capacities, working with culturally and linguistically diverse populations, including Burmese, Hmong, Latino, and African American communities. Rosamaria is fluent in Spanish and grew up in Milwaukee, a city she loves and serves.
Harbor District Board Treasurer
Nahid Afsari is currently a stay at home mom exploring her next career move. She has past experience working as the Facilities Group Manager for a Milwaukee-based engineering consulting firm. In her role, she worked with senior leaders to identify and execute strategic goals; assists in business development; and leads the Facilities Group, one of the company’s four major service areas. Previously, Nahid worked for Cotter Consulting as leader of the Wisconsin office, managing all aspects of Wisconsin operations for the Chicago-based company. Nahid also has experience in construction and design, working for Mortenson Construction and CH2M Hill (now Jacobs), respectively. She is a registered Professional Engineer in the State of Wisconsin and a LEED Accredited Professional.
Nahid is a Milwaukee native; born and raised in Whitefish Bay. She has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Wisconsin – Madison in Civil and Environmental Engineering and a master’s degree from Purdue University in Structural Engineering. While at UW-Madison, Nahid was a member of the Badger soccer team and American Society of Civil Engineers and the concrete canoe team. While at Purdue, she was a volunteer assistant coach for the women’s soccer team and a math tutor for athletes on campus.
Nahid has served on numerous boards (both professional and community-based) including the YWCA, America Scores, CMAA, STEM Forward, WWSAC (Wisconsin Women’s Soccer Advisory Council) and others. In her free time, she enjoys knitting, watching and playing soccer, and spending time with her family.
Harbor District Board Secretary
Kathryn Berger is Business Development Manager for Milwaukee-based CG Schmidt, Inc., one of the top construction managers and general contractors in the Midwest. In that role, she adds value to future development efforts in the region and identifies potential business opportunities for the firm. Previously, Kathryn served as a Regional Economic Development Director with Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation, delivering financial and technical assistance to communities in Southeastern Wisconsin to help spur local economic development and facilitating state financial participation with the private sector in 120 Southeastern Wisconsin business expansion and real estate projects. She also spent ten years at Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) in Milwaukee, providing financing and technical assistance to community development and affordable housing projects throughout the City of Milwaukee.
Kathryn has a BA in English from Hamline University in St. Paul, MN, and a JD from UW Madison Law School. She has worked in economic and community development in Southeastern Wisconsin for more than 20 years.
Dan Druml has been the President at Paul Davis Restoration & Remodeling since 2002. He started in 1991 as an Associate. Nationally recognized in sales he was promoted in 1994 to Vice President at which time his efforts were directed toward operations management and the continued development of the commercial services division. In 1997, Druml received the award for Salesman of the Year for Paul Davis Systems International, an honor chosen from over 1000 candidates from over 250 offices internationally.
David is the Chief Legal Officer and Vice President of Business Administration for Michels Corporation and also serves as the President of the Harbor District Business Improvement District (BID #51).
Michels has a Harbor District presence at 218 E. Becher Street. Michels is a diversified utility and specialty construction company that conducts business throughout the United States and internationally. David is responsible for all aspects of the company’s legal representation. In his capacity as Vice President of Business Administration, David’s additional responsibilities include: strategic acquisitions and partnerships; risk management; labor relations; real estate; DOT compliance; and safety and environmental stewardship.
David is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison and Marquette University Law School. He has a Master’s Degree in International Trade in Business Law from the American University-Washington College of Law. As a child, David learned to sail on Milwaukee’s inner harbor. As a result, he appreciates the importance of this unique resource to the quality of life in our community. David and his wife, Diane, reside in Mequon and have three children.
Elmer Moore Jr. is the executive director of Scale Up Milwaukee, an ecosystem project using Dan Isenberg’s proven model for infusing growth into an ecosystem. Scale Up Milwaukee runs a number of programs including the Scalerator, CEO Forum for Growth, Meet the Masters series and a growing membership platform. Scale Up Milwaukee has helped create more than 150 new jobs in the region.
Elmer came to Milwaukee as the director of business development for Allen Edmonds Corporation, a manufacturer and retailer of premium men’s footwear, apparel, and accessories. He previously led multicultural student recruitment as associate dean of admissions at Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine, and has traveled extensively speaking and teaching on the topics of admissions, diversity and public speaking. Elmer also teaches entrepreneurship at Marquette University.
Eric Dick holds a leadership position at American Chrome & Chemical. Prior President of Elementis LTP. Starting in 2002 Eric held the position of Global Vice President – Construction Pigments for Elementis for seven years until the division was sold to Rockwood Specialties. After the sale, he transitioned to the General Manager of Southern Color.
Eric is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin – Madison where he received a Bachelor’s degrees in Food Science and Chemical Engineering. After graduating Eric worked for Campbell Soup Co., Kraft Foods, Dreyer’s Grand Ice Cream/Nestle’s, and Sensient Flavors. He held positions in Operations, Quality Assurance, Purchasing, Sales and Marketing, and Product Line Management within these organizations.
Heather Nelson is the President of Spring Bank. With more than 20 years of experience in the banking industry, Heather has worked at both large regional banks and smaller community banks as a teller, personal banker, manager and commercial lender. Throughout her career she has been able to work with many small businesses, providing insight and expertise to help her customers succeed.
Heather is involved in many non-profit organizations in the community that focus on protecting and educating children. She received her bachelor’s degree from University of Wisconsin-Madison and subsequently her MBA, while working, from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
A lifelong resident of Milwaukee, Jackie Q. Carter has worked in the local non-profit and public sector for more than 20 years. She most recently served as the Finance & Administration Officer for Port Milwaukee, a department of the City of Milwaukee, and continues to carry out those official duties. In this role, Jackie provides oversight of all Port business operations, including its financial, human resource and administrative functions. Jackie is integral in helping to shape the department’s strategic planning and serves in an advisory capacity to the Board of Harbor Commissioners. She is also responsible for ensuring departmental compliance within federal and state laws, local ordinances and required reporting for grant programs and audits.
Jackie earned a Master of Business Administration with an emphasis in Public Administration from Concordia University. She holds a Bachelor of Arts from Alverno College, with a double major in Business & Management and Professional Communication. Jackie began her higher education journey at Milwaukee Area Technical College (MATC), earning an Associate of Applied Science degree in Accounting.
Jackie is a wife, mother, and minister who plays an integral role in reshaping the spiritual and socio-economic legacy of her family and community.
Jolena Presti is a managing director with Baker Tilly’s public sector advisory practice. She has been with Baker Tilly since 2019 and has more than 20 years of experience in the development and advancement of innovative strategies in economic development, program and funding solutions for development initiatives, and redevelopment project consulting solutions for clients nationwide.
JoAnne Anton Director of Charitable Giving for Herb Kohl Philanthropies works to advance Herb Kohl’s philanthropic goals and community involvement. With a bachelor’s degree from Marquette University and a master’s degree from University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee’s School of Social Welfare, Anton began her career in public service at City Hall as an assistant to former Milwaukee Mayor John Norquist. She has since spent more than two decades working in key positions for (retired) U.S. Senator Herb Kohl.
As Kohl’s State Director, Anton served in a variety of roles from managing the Wisconsin staff in five state offices to regularly traveling and staffing the Senator throughout Wisconsin. She was also responsible for Senator Kohl’s re-election campaigns in 2000 and 2006.
When Kohl retired from the Senate in 2012 and returned as President to run his NBA basketball franchise, the Milwaukee Bucks, Anton joined him as Project Coordinator. There she assisted in the effort to plan for a new sports arena and ultimately, in the sale of the team.
Today, Anton focuses her efforts on helping Herb Kohl continue his legacy of service through philanthropy.
JoAnne Anton currently serves on the boards of Safe and Sound Inc, the Milwaukee Public Library, Professional Dimensions, the Nature Conservancy of Wisconsin and is President of the Rotary Club of Milwaukee. She is also an active board member of Harbor District Inc. She has been recognized by the Business Journal’s 40 Under 40 List and as a Woman of Influence.
John Koetz is president and chief executive of the surface mining division for Komatsu Mining Corp., a worldwide leader in high-productivity solutions for both underground and above-ground mining industries. A member of the executive leadership team for Komatsu Mining Corp. and a global officer of Komatsu Ltd., John joined Komatsu in 2010 and has over 25 years of marketing, product, service, and leadership experience in mining, construction, agriculture, and defense equipment industries.
Before joining Komatsu Mining Corp., he was senior director of marketing for CNH Industrial’s Case IH agricultural equipment business. Prior to that, he was Vice President, product marketing for Komatsu America and held a variety of progressive positions in their global mining and North America construction equipment businesses. Koetz began his career as a U.S. Army officer, is a veteran of Operation Desert Storm and held numerous assignments across the U.S. and in the Republic of Korea.
Koetz also serves on the Metro Milwaukee Association of Commerce (MMAC) board, the Milwaukee 7 Regional Economic Development Council (M7), the Menomonee Valley Partners CEO Roundtable, the board of Racine/Kenosha Vocational Ministries, and volunteers with Milwaukee Habitat for Humanity and other community organizations. Kotez holds an MBA from Loyola University Chicago, a master’s degree in engineering from Carnegie Mellon University and a bachelor’s degree in engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He is a licensed Professional Engineer in the state of Wisconsin.
Lafayette L. Crump, JD, is the City of Milwaukee Commissioner of City Development. Born and raised in Milwaukee, Lafayette most recently served as Deputy Chief of Staff and Chief Diversity, Vendor and Engagement Officer for the Milwaukee 2020 Host Committee of the Democratic National Convention, where he ensured community involvement, the inclusion of local and diverse businesses, and corporate adherence to ethical, environmental, and employment and accessibility practices.
Lafayette was also Chief Operating Officer of Prism Technical Management & Marketing Services, LLC, a multidisciplinary management consulting firm based in Milwaukee, WI, with an office in St. Louis, MO, and experience across the United States. In addition to his work for Prism, Lafayette practiced law for a number of years, working to ensure equity for small businesses and nonprofits, and is an adjunct professor at Marquette University Law School, where his focus is ensuring that law students understand the needs, expectations and reality of business owners.
Lafayette’s commitment to the community has been recognized via the Milwaukee Business Journal Forty Under 40 award, the Milwaukee Times Black Excellence Award, the University School of Milwaukee Alumni Service Award and The Foley & Lardner Lyndford Lardner Attorney Service Award.
Lafayette is a graduate of Duke University and Duke University School of Law, where, collectively, he served on the Journal of Gender Law & Policy, the Harassment Grievance Board, the Moot Court Board, and was president of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.
Marvin is a member of the Real Estate Practice Group and is based in the Firm’s Milwaukee office. Marvin tackles challenges with a pragmatic, level-headed approach, partnering with clients engaged in a gamut of commercial real estate transactions, including development, financing, leasing, acquisition, disposition, tax assessment appeals and low-income housing tax credit-financed development. He is experienced in representing local, regional, national and multinational companies, and understands issues from multiple vantage points, including those of lenders and borrowers, landlords and tenants, manufacturers and startup entrepreneurs, and nonprofit organizations and tribal entities.
At Godfrey & Kahn, Marvin serves as co-chair of the Firm’s recruiting committee, is a member of the law school fellowship committee, and has assisted with several special projects and initiatives, including design and planning efforts for the 833 East building project.
While in law school, Marvin served as Editor in Chief of the Marquette Law Review and authored “Testing the Waters: Assessing Wisconsin’s Regulatory Climate for Offshore Wind Projects” (93 Marq. L. Rev. 1533 (2010)), which won the Golden Quill Award for the outstanding student-written article published in the Marquette Law Review.
Prior to law school, Marvin worked for six years as a journalist, both as an editor for a Madison-based sports business magazine and as a freelance reporter for daily newspapers in Michigan and Wisconsin.
With over 10 years of economic development experience, Natanael Martinez is passionate about improving communities through business assistance, commercial corridor revitalization and community partnerships. He currently serves as a Regional Economic Development Director with the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation where he assists in the deployment of the organization’s Business and Community Development Programs.
His experience ranges from helping small neighborhood businesses at a community non-profit to working for the City of Milwaukee where he assisted small businesses, business improvement districts and other community partners to enhance commercial corridors throughout the City. One of his major accomplishments was leading the City’s small business response during the COVID-19 pandemic by working with organizational and community partners to disburse $18.5 million in Federal C.A.R.E.S. Act dollars through Milwaukee’s Restart program. The initiative helped over 1,000 small businesses adapt to the pandemic and retain and create over 3,000 jobs.
Natanael graduated from UW-Madison with a double major in Business Management and Human Resources and Marketing, as well as a certificate in Chicano/a Studies. He has also graduated from the Associates in Commercial Real Estate (ACRE) program and the National Development Council’s Economic Development Finance Professional Certification program.
Paulina is the Deputy Director of the Milwaukee Election Commission, the city department responsible for administering all elections in the City of Milwaukee, and maintains offices located in the Harbor District. The mission of the Election Commission is to work to ensure that every eligible voter who wishes to cast a ballot has the means and information to do so. In her role, she oversees early and mail-in voting, central count, voter registration, and campaign finance.
Prior to her current role, Paulina spent over a decade working with public safety professionals in the criminal justice system which included positions of leadership at the Wisconsin Department of Corrections, City of Milwaukee Department of Administration, City of Milwaukee Fire & Police Commission, and at Marquette Law School under the Safe Streets Initiative.
She holds a master’s degree from Marquette University in Public Service and a graduate certificate in Dispute Resolution. She received her Bachelor’s degree, with high honors, in Business & Management from Alverno College. She is a trained mediator with experience in facilitating conflict resolution between people and organizations.
In addition to criminal justice, Paulina is trained in emergency management, helping agencies navigate complex systems to plan and mitigate risk. She is also a graduate of the Latino Nonprofit Leadership Program, and the FBI Citizen’s Academy.
Tom O’Reilly is vice president, Sustainability at Rockwell Automation. He leads the company’s holistic sustainability strategy and oversees cross-functional work streams for all aspects of sustainability. Most recently, Tom was vice president, Global Business Development, leading the strategy development processes across the company and the software partnering function, and previously our Strategic Alliances and other partnering programs.
Tom joined Rockwell Automation in 1985. He has more than 35 years of service with Rockwell Automation with country leadership roles in Japan, Korea and China. He also spent four years in the Customer Support & Maintenance organization in Milwaukee, leading Plant Services and six years as a regional director in Greater China. Tom served as president, Asia Pacific, where he was responsible for the execution of our strategy in the Asia Pacific region, including the growth of market share and leadership of business operations.
Tom holds a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. He lives in Milwaukee with his wife, and he has a daughter who is currently attending Lake Forest College.