2023 Board
President: Greg York, Vice President: Bob Balderson, Secretary: Jonathan Elmergreen, Treasurer: Bill Davidson, Members at Large: Susan Winecki, Frank Fischer, Kellett Koch, Randy Reddeman
President
Greg York discovered the Milwaukee Zen Center in 2017 and immediately felt the community's comfort and wisdom, inspiring him to find ways to become more involved and more focused on his spiritual path. In between careers, Greg produces a podcast called Appreciation Nation and spends time writing, developing a life coaching and mindfulness teaching practice, playing handpan and managing the finances for a small business he co-owns in Kenosha, Wisconsin. In his spare time, he enjoys backpacking, hiking and traveling with his family.
Vice President
Bob is a 25 year member of the Milwaukee Zen Center. He has served on the board several times. Originally from the Philadelphia area, he retired from a career in the Army in 1984 and came to Milwaukee in 1993 as an acting intern at the Milwaukee Repertory Theater. He has performed with numerous groups in Milwaukee. He holds a MS in physics, an MBA and an MFA in Acting. Additional interests include downhill skiing, swing and tap dancing and Tai Chi; and volunteers to record books for the blind, guide blind skiers and serve as a plant health adviser in the master gardener program.
Treasurer
Bill has been practicing Buddhism since 1998. Bill has lived and practiced in many places since then, settling in the Milwaukee area in 2018. He is newly retired (July 2023) from the Energy industry where his job involved frequent travel and long periods away from home. He is looking forward to having the time now to deepening his practice and being more involved with the Milwaukee Zen Center. Besides his practice, Bill is an avid bookworm, as well as a lover of nature and the great outdoors.
Member at Large
Susan Winecki has been a member of the Milwaukee Zen Center for over 10 years. For her, the Center has been a safe port, a place of calm and quiet in a world increasingly chaotic and stressful. She invites all members to experience it as a refuge and a welcoming community.
Member at Large
I am a retired teacher. I taught emotionally disturbed adolescents for 31 years. I lived in Milwaukee for my whole life. I graduated from UWMadison in Chemical Engineering. I have been interested in Buddhism for many years and look forward to getting be acquainted with all the members.
Member at Large
Kellett came to Soto Zen through reading (over and over) Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind by Suzuki Roshi. In addition to Zen practice, he has been a practicing disability attorney for thirty-five years, where he tries to meld the two practices to generate compassion toward his clients. When not studying dharma, he enjoys reading history and traveling with his wife, Jodi.
Member at Large
Randy has been a student of Zen for over 10 years and enjoys the Milwaukee Zen Center community. He has worked on various non-profit boards for 25 years, as well as various business leadership roles throughout his 40 year career. In his spare time, he enjoys hiking, camping, kayaking, traveling and restoring Wisconsin lands to their native plant habitats.