Christopher Chambers is editor of Wisconsin People & Ideas, the Academy’s quarterly magazine of Wisconsin thought and culture. He is the former editor of Black Warrior Review, New Orleans Review, and is the founding editor of Midwest Review.
Jody Clowes is the director of the Wisconsin Academy's James Watrous Gallery. With years of experience developing and curating exhibitions, running gallery programs, and writing about art, her background includes senior positions at Milwaukee Art Museum, Detroit's Pewabic Pottery, and the UW-Madison's Design Gallery.
Lizzie is the Environmental Initiatives Director at the Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts, & Letters. Lizzie grew up in the Chicago suburbs and received her degree in biology from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She then completed her master’s degree at University of Minnesota. She has a strong background in ornithological field studies and her master’s project focused on diversity and abundance of Neotropical migrant songbirds at urban stopover sites.
Jane Elder is executive director of the Wisconsin Academy. She brings to the Wisconsin Academy a strong background in public policy leadership, nonprofit management, and involvement in Wisconsin arts. Her career has focused on environmental policy and communications, while personal interests include theater, modern dance and painting.
Jessica James is the Academy’s Climate Initiatives Coordinator. In her studies at the University of Minnesota, Jessica worked in a number of event coordination roles including as a Communication and Event Assistant at the Institute on the Environment in Minneapolis. After graduating from the University of Minnesota with a BS in Environmental Sciences, Jessica joined the Wisconsin Academy in the Climate and Energy Program.
E-mail: jjames [at] wisconsinacademy.org
Joe Lyons is the Donor Relations Coordinator for the Wisconsin Academy. His “Jack of Many Trades” career has taken him from working for a Major League Baseball team to a dinner theatre, an optical retail center, a telecommunications firm, and an agronomy lab before joining the Academy.
Matt Rezin is the building manager and outreach coordinator for Wisconsin Academy. Matt uses his varied experience in nonprofit administration to provide technical and logistics support across the organization. Matt is interested in all manner of niche sports and competition, in his free time he assists the American Ultimate Disc League with statistics collection project management and website support.
Amanda E. Shilling is development director of the Wisconsin Academy. Amanda joined the Wisconsin Academy in 2013, having served as Ten Chimneys Foundation’s development manager since 2001. Prior to Ten Chimneys Foundation, Amanda worked in development and subscription sales at Milwaukee Repertory Theater. She holds a BA in arts administration from the University of Wisconsin–Stevens Point.
Sallie Anna Steiner is the Events and Communications Manager at the Wisconsin Academy. She holds a PhD in Folklore from the University of Wisconsin—Madison, where her research focused on community engagement through and with craft, particularly in the context of migration and new resettlement in immigrant and refugee communities.
Nikita Werner is the operations manager at the Wisconsin Academy. After graduating from UW-Madison with a BA in Anthropology, Nikita worked in a number of administrative roles including as a department coordinator at the Wisconsin Medical Society. She is currently working toward a MS in Anthropology and Museum Studies from UW-Milwaukee. Nikita values lifelong and informal learning, and making knowledge more accessible to the public through programming, exhibitions, and data management.
Ann Wilson is the Business Manager at the Wisconsin Academy. Along with her degree in Business from the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, Ann brings 30 years of business experience from the private sector and as a small business owner. She is excited to expand her career to the nonprofit sector. Ann’s personal interests include live theater, reading and anything outdoors where you can find her biking, hiking or skiing in the winter (yes, she loves Wisconsin winters!).
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Wisconsin Academy Offices
1922 University Avenue
Madison, Wisconsin 53726
Phone: 608.733.6633
James Watrous Gallery of the Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts & Letters
3rd Floor, Overture Center for the Arts
201 State Street
Madison, WI 53703
Phone: 608.733.6633 x25