Gigi Pomerantz, President and Executive Director
Beth Feldman, Treasurer
Madeline Wake, Secretary
Nancy Bohrman
David Feiss
Jennifer Dellegrazio
Marty Lexmond
Marcorel Lisius
Barbara Prendergast
Gigi Pomerantz is a Nurse Practitioner who has practiced in the inner city of Milwaukee for almost 30 years at the same hospital. She also practiced in Israel for three years, where she lived with her family. Gigi has been involved in non-profit and social justice work for many years, serving on the boards of the American Jewish Committee and Tikkun Ha-Ir, both Jewish agencies focused on the issues of justice and human rights in the city of Milwaukee. She first traveled to Haiti in 2006 and fell in love with the people and the country. Her nursing background drew her to look at prevention as the first priority for health work. Gigi believes that nothing is more basic than the human need and right for sanitation with dignity!
Beth Feldman is the Division Controller for a $1B manufacturing company with facilities all over the world. She has gained a great deal of experience in all aspects of accounting through the various positions she has held through out the past 27 years and the work she has done as Treasurer for several non-profit organizations that her Children were involved with including the soccer club, PTA and Friends of Fine Arts. Beth’s husband Doug is a Partner in a local law firm and they have two boys in college. Youthaiti provided a great opportunity to get back into volunteering after the children left for college. Beth spends her time working, traveling, entertaining with friends and family and playing tennis.
Madeline Wake, PhD, RN has been recognized for leadership in academic nursing and health care administration. At Marquette University, she served as Dean of Nursing and as Provost (chief academic officer) and now holds an endowed chair as University Professor. She has worked nationally and internationally on major efforts including development of an international language for nursing practice. She has presented on topics in nursing leadership and education nationally as well as in Vieste ( Italy), London, Copenhagen, Geneva, Durban and Vancouver. Current service includes teaching healthy living classes at a free clinic and working to improve hygiene and sanitation in rural Haiti.
She has served as chairperson of the Boards of Directors of Trinity Memorial Hospital and Aurora VNA and as Board member for Center for International Health, American Association of Colleges of Nursing, and St. Francis DeSales Seminar. She currently serves on Board of Directors of Blood Center of WI.
David Feiss has worked as an Assistant District Attorney in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, for 22 years and specializes in economic crime and political corruption cases. However, his most enjoyable job, and one that he dreams of going back to, was when he worked as a camp counselor for Jay Blankenship at COA. His wife is also an attorney at a local manufacturing company. They have twin daughters who are in high school in the Milwaukee area. In addition to cleaning up after two golden retrievers, Dave is a tennis player and a political junkie.
Martin Lexmond is Director of the Department of School Innovation of the Milwaukee Public Schools; this department develops new school models and provides leadership for charter and alternative schools. In the past he has served as a high school teacher, curriculum specialist, college instructor, and an assistant principal. Martin has an extensive background in technical theater and has designed and built sets and lighting systems for local theater productions across the Milwaukee area.
Orel (Marcorel) Lisius was born and raised in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. He has worked as a journalist, researcher, social worker and in ecological development. He has done community education in the field of ecological sanitation throughout Haiti as the National Coordinator of SOL (Sosyete Oganize pou Lanati). He is the co-director of MABO, a family-run orphanage for abandoned children in Port-au-Prince. Marcorel currently serves as YOUTHAITI’s in-country Program Coordinator.
