Board of Directors and La Crosse Festivals, Inc. Staff
| Name |
Biography |
Position |
| Mike Aliesch |
Michael is employed at River Steel, Inc. as a Weld Engineer, Cost Engineer and Certified Welding Inspector. Aliesch has been involved with Oktoberfest for several years and is married to Florence, the 2011 Mrs. Oktoberfest. He and Florence have five children and eight grandchildren. Both Mike and Florence have been on the Oktoberfest Board of Directors for several years, as well as past Board Presidents, Co-Chair of Beverages, ticket sellers, bartenders and member of the grounds committee. |
Board Member |
| Terry Bauer |
Terry has worked at Reinhart Foodservice for 22 years in numerous capacities, currently serving as their Corporate Director of Sales Training. Terry also serves on the board for the La Crosse Area Convention and Visitors Bureau and is a 13 year member of the La Crosse Valley View Rotary Club. He is the founder of Noon Tunes, La Crosse’s newest music concert series and former board member of both Junior Achievement and the Wisconsin Restaurant Association. Terry has lived in Onalaska since 1997 and has five fantastic children and six awesome grandchildren. |
Board Member |
| Kevin Buelow |
Kevin Buelow is a Senior Communications Consultant for Mayo Clinic Health System where he oversees electronic communications services for 15 hospitals and more than 70 clinics. In general his communications projects work to “keep 14,000 people on the same page.” Kevin has more than 30 years of communications experience in media production, news media relations, higher education administration, public policy/government relations and healthcare, including production credits from both CBS and ESPN. He is married to fundraising executive Madalene Buelow and father to two adult daughters. He is in his fourth year of being part of the Board of Directors, currently sits on the Executive Committee, and his goal is to help make Oktoberfest a learning organization. |
Board Member, Secretary |
| Angie Coenen |
UW-La Crosse |
Board Member |
| Dave Guepfer |
David Guepfer is currently the Food and Beverage Manager at the La Crosse Center. He is a long-time volunteer and member of the Board of La Crosse Festivals, serving as President in 1991. Dave’s wife, Donna, also donate her time during Oktoberfest as an Assistant Treasurer. Dave and Donna have one daughter, fifteen years old, named Makenna. |
Board Member |
| Jennifer Keller |
As Research Manager for Gundersen Lutheran Medical Foundation, Jennifer primarily oversees hematology/oncology research staff responsible for clinical trials. She has over eight years of research experience and has authored or co-authored seven research publications. In addition, Jennifer is an adjunct instructor at both Western Technical College and Viterbo University. She has served on the La Crosse Festivals/Oktoberfest Board of Directors for six years and was honored to be Board President in 2012. She values her time with family and friends, feeds her adventurous nature by trying new things, and loves motorcycle rides. |
Board Member, Advisor |
| Douglas Kratt |
Dr. Douglas Kratt is the owner and a veterinarian at Central Animal Hospital in Onalaska, WI. Doug is a La Crosse area native graduating from Aquinas High School and the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse before going on to University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine. Doug, his wife Kim, and their two children live in La Crosse. He has served on the La Crosse Festivals Board of Directors for the past five years. Doug is currently a member of our Executive Committee and will be Board President in 2014. |
Board Member, President-Elect |
| Jay Loeffler |
Jay Loeffler is the administrator of La Crosse County Emergency Services and one of the original 9-1-1 dispatchers when the emergency system was initiated locally in 1983. He has volunteered with Airfest, Freedomfest, Habitat for Humanity and the La Crosse area United Way. Jay is a life-long La Crosse area resident now living in Holmen with his wife Rita, and occasionally their two college-aged daughters, Alycia and Sierra. He has been a Director on the Oktoberfest Board since 2009, and currently sits on the Executive Committee. |
Board Member, Treasurer |
| Alex Lueck |
Xcel Energy |
Board Member |
| Brian Michaels |
Midwest Family Broadcasting |
Board Member |
| Rita Murphy |
Rita Murphy is a La Crosse Public School Educator working as a German teacher at Lincoln Middle School/High Schools, as well as an English teacher at Logan High School. Rita sticks close to her German roots by staying involved in the German International Relations Committee Board (Friedberg, Germany-Sister City). For the past six years, Rita has also served on the Oktoberfest Board of Directors heading up the German Heritage Day and Special Fester Ball, the Tanz für Alle or “Dance for Everyone!” |
Board Member |
| Mary Niemeyer |
Fairway Outdoor Advertising |
Board Member |
| Patricia Nimocks |
US Bank |
Board Member |
| Kam-Lin Roswall |
Kam-Lin Roswall is the current President of La Crosse Festivals/Oktoberfest in La Crosse, WI.. She has been involved in the Oktoberfest family since 1992 when she reigned as Miss La Crosse/Oktoberfest. Since this time she has been sharing her passion for performance through education and teaching at Holmen High School where she is a Language Arts teacher and the current theatre director. Kam-Lin is also a member of the WHSFA advisory board for Speech and Theatre in Wisconsin. Kam-Lin and her husband, Dominic, live in La Crosse with their two children. Her family enjoys hiking in the Coulee Region, as well as traveling when the opportunity arises. Kam-Lin is passionate about instilling the love of reading, confidence and a sense of adventure in her children and her students. |
Board Member, President |
| Amy Smith |
Amy is a Customer Relations Representative for EO Johnson Office Technologies; splitting her time between their Rochester and Onalaska offices. She was introduced to Oktoberfest when she encouraged EO Johnson to participate in a Sponsorship program; which they continued for the past 2 years. This is her first year serving on the board and excited for the fun and opportunity it presents. Amy has a 13 year old daughter and an 11 year old son that are also excited for the Oktoberfest Festivities to come. |
Board Member |
| Terry Zalewski |
Terry Zalewski is Shop Manager at PTM INC. in Onalaska. He has been employed there for 31 years. Terry and his wife, Marilee were in the Grenadier Corp for 8 years, serving as Generals in 2008. Together they have chaired the Oktoberfest Photo Contest since 1990. This is Terry's first year on the board. Terry and Marilee have a son Patrick and a daughter Annie. |
Board Member |
| Tina Severson |
Tina Severson is the current Executive Director of Oktoberfest and has been with La Crosse Festivals, Inc. since April of 2010. Tina comes from three generations of women in business, with an emphasis on marketing. Her passion for non-profit organizations is what drew her to joining the Oktoberfest team. Tina currently lives with her fiance Paul, and seven year old son, Calvin, in Holmen. You can find all three of them fishing, hunting, and camping as they enjoy as much of the outdoors as possible. |
Executive Director |
| Kris Wagoner |
La Crosse Festivals, Inc. |
Office Manager |
| Frank Bissen |
La Crosse Festivals, Inc. |
Grounds/Maintenance Supervisor |
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