Meet the Changemakers

Jeff Snell, PhD, is president and chief executive officer for Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee. Snell is a former president and CEO of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee, who worked with the board of trustees to increase membership, placing the Milwaukee chapter among the largest and most prominent of 2,500 chapters across the country.

Snell’s executive leadership spans the non-profit, youth development, philanthropic, and higher education sectors. He recently completed service as a senior teaching faculty member at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he designed and taught courses in social innovation for the Department of Civil Society and Community Studies. Snell’s prior higher education leadership includes serving as an advisor to the president at Marquette University.

Snell’s current Milwaukee volunteer activities include serving as a board member for All-In Milwaukee (AIM), which is transforming Milwaukee by providing scholarships and social capital to first-generation, high-potential college students from limited income households. The Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee is a major community partner of AIM. In addition, more than 100 AIM scholars will attend UW-Madison in Fall 2024, as well as other university partners in Wisconsin; most, if not all, will return to Milwaukee, bringing diverse talent and leadership across multiple sectors.

In addition to teaching, Jeff’s UW appointments include serving as senior advisor to the dean and vice provost at the Division of Continuing Studies, where he helped develop the university’s first fully online undergraduate degree programs, and mentoring university start-ups as one of five commercialization specialists at the campus Discovery to Product program. His start-ups have received Morgridge Force for Positive Change awards in Wisconsin, and individual entrepreneurship recognitions, including honors from the Manhattan Institute and receipt of a MacArthur “genius” Award.

Jeff founded Midwest Social Innovation, LLC (2014), co-founded Marell Development, LLC (2022), served as Entrepreneurial Mentor for the National Science Foundation’s I-Corps program, co-created a partnership with the New York Times for social innovation education (selected by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation as one of 10 winners in a field of 1,000 proposals from 15 countries), and co-founded a statewide coalition focused on improving life outcomes of youth aging out of the Wisconsin foster system, resulting in a state biennium 2021-2023 budget provision of $750K.

For his work in social innovation, Jeff was elected in 2011 to Alpha Sigma Nu, the international honor society for Jesuit colleges and universities; appointed in 2018 as a Fellow at the Hunt Institute for Engineering and Humanity at Southern Methodist University; and appointed in 2019 as Senior Fellow in Social Innovation at ASU’s Lodestar Center.

Prior to his work at UW, Jeff served as CEO at the International Folk Art Alliance in Santa Fe (2015-2018), the world’s largest accelerator for artisan social entrepreneurs; Special Advisor to the President at Marquette University (2007-2014); and COO at the Argosy Foundation (2004-2007).

Jeff’s education includes a Ph.D. (Education Policy, Marquette University) and a master’s degree (Social Ethics, Gordon-Conwell).

Dana Bond is a nonprofit executive with more than 20 years of experience in strategic partnerships, fundraising, and mission-driven marketing. A Milwaukee native who grew up in under-resourced communities, her work has always been grounded in a deep personal commitment to educational equity and expanding opportunity for children in need.

Most recently, Dana served as Executive Vice President of Strategic Alliances at First Book, an award-winning national nonprofit social enterprise dedicated to removing barriers to educational equity. In that role, she led a team of corporate partnership professionals, overseeing a $12–15M+ portfolio and generating mission-critical revenue to fund research, distribute books and learning materials to under-resourced classrooms, and develop strategies to advance educational equity nationwide.

Prior to First Book, Dana spent more than a decade at Make-A-Wish^® America in corporate sponsorships, partnership marketing, and national brand campaigns, building cross-functional teams and integrated fundraising strategies that drove meaningful revenue growth across multiple giving verticals. Earlier in her career, she worked in the consumer packaged goods industry with Pepsi and the Campbell Soup Company, where her work supporting campaigns like Labels for Education and Stamp Out Hunger first sparked her desire to pursue purposeful, community-centered work.

An active contributor to the broader nonprofit community, Dana has been a featured panelist at the Bridge Conference and Collaborative by GoFundMe Pro on topics including resilient leadership, innovative approaches to corporate giving, and holistic organizational alignment. Dana was selected as a 2024–25 cohort member of the American Express Leadership Academy, a competitive program that develops senior nonprofit leaders as connected changemakers to strengthen and advance the sector. Since 2023, she has also served on the GoFundMe Pro Leadership Council.

Dana holds a B.S. in Marketing from the Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota, an MBA from the W. P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University, and the Certified Nonprofit Professional (CNP) credential from the Nonprofit Leadership Alliance. In 2023, she was elected to serve a three-year term on the University of Minnesota Alumni Association Board of Directors, where she serves on the Finance Committee.

A servant leader at her core, Dana believes that true leadership is about showing up with integrity, humility, and a deep sense of responsibility to those you serve. Over the years, she has volunteered as an “Art Masterpiece” teacher for elementary students, a wish granter for Make-A-Wish^® Arizona, a cheer coach for girls in under-resourced communities, and a mobile food pantry volunteer. Throughout her life, she has served as a ministry leader in her faith community, a commitment that has shaped both her character and her calling to serve others.

Whether leading a team, building a partnership, or serving her community, Dana shows up with the same conviction: that the most meaningful work is work that changes lives. For Dana, returning home to Milwaukee and to the communities that shaped her isn’t just the next chapter, it’s purpose, brought full circle.

As a 1996 graduate of Marquette University, Kat began her professional career in marketing and public relations for Milwaukee World Festival (Summerfest). After her first year at Summerfest, she was tapped to manage the Pin Program and lead 500+ Summerfest volunteers. Kat then felt called to use her talents to support the nonprofit realm and for the past 20+ years she has served in leadership roles in school development, communications, and events and stewardship at various religious and educational institutions in the Archdiocese of Milwaukee including St. Joan Antida High School, Lumen Christi Catholic Parish & School and Notre Dame Middle School. She also served as the development director for a nonprofit missioner organization for two years.

After taking a few years off to raise her two small boys, Kat returned to working in the nonprofit arena in special events for Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee (BGCGM). Kat eventually accepted the Executive Liaison to the CEO role before being promoted to Chief of Staff for BGCGM President and CEO.

When not working, Kat devotes as much free time as she can to her husband, Patrick, her two sons, Henry and Sam, and their dog and two cats.

Marta began her professional career with Virnig and Associates as the Director of Auditing. Responsible for audits of 50 clients, including school districts, non-profits and government entities. An early mentor and influencer led Marta to connect her professional expertise with a desire to emulate her role model and make an impact on the lives of students. This led her to complete her Master degree in Education with emphasis on school management and make a move into education finance. Marta has over 25 years of business, accounting and auditing experience, including 16 years of executive leadership for three public school districts. During her time in public schools, she has had to opportunity to develop and implement cost savings initiatives that improved the financial stability of the districts. This allowed the staff to implement many programs to improve the learning experience for all students. Marta was also responsible for oversight of multiple construction projects in excess of $200 Million.

She was selected as the 2019 Wisconsin Business Manager of the Year, recognized for her leadership and contributions to public education. She also served as a Director for the Wisconsin Association of School Business Officials board.

When Marta is not working, she enjoys spending time cheering on her son and daughter at swim meets with her husband Kevan.

Sarah Resch is a dynamic youth development executive and nonprofit leader with more than 15 years of experience advancing programs, operations, safety, and organizational excellence. As Interim Chief Member Experience Officer for Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee, she provides strategic leadership for more than 45 Club sites, Camp Whitcomb/Mason, and agency-wide youth programming that serves 20,000 young people annually. Throughout her career, Sarah has built high-performing teams, led large-scale operational initiatives, strengthened community partnerships, and championed innovative approaches that improve youth outcomes, staff engagement, and organizational effectiveness.

Prior to her current role, Sarah served as Executive Director of Camp Whitcomb/Mason, the oldest Boys & Girls Club camp in America, where she led year-round camp, conference center, and outdoor education operations while expanding participation, fundraising, and program impact. A recognized trainer and speaker, she is passionate about leadership development, safety culture, and creating environments where youth and staff can thrive. Sarah is known for her collaborative leadership style, commitment to continuous improvement, and dedication to ensuring every young person has access to safe, engaging, and life-changing experiences that help them reach their full potential.

In addition to her professional leadership, Sarah has dedicated more than 25 years of volunteer service to the American Camp Association (ACA). She has served as an ACA Standards Visitor, helping camps across the country achieve and maintain accreditation while promoting excellence in health, safety, and risk management practices. Sarah previously served as Standards Chair for ACA Wisconsin and as Chair of the Local Council of Leaders (LCOL), guiding Wisconsin’s camp community through the unprecedented challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. She currently serves on the ACA National Standards Commission, where she collaborates with camping professionals from across the nation to develop, review, and strengthen the standards that define quality and safety within the camp industry. Her longstanding service reflects her deep commitment to advancing the camping profession and ensuring positive outcomes for youth nationwide.

Outside of work you can find Sarah visiting Disney World, reading a great book from her hammock and enjoying life with her husband, three grown children and the family Golden Retriever.

Greg Van Kirk joined Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee in 2025 as Chief Innovation & Impact Officer. In this role, Greg leads efforts to develop and implement innovative strategies that elevate the Club’s community impact. He works across departments and partnerships to design programs and experiences that empower young people and support measurable outcomes.

Prior to joining the Clubs, Greg spent more than 25 years founding, leading, and consulting with mission-driven organizations in more than 25 countries. He is the co-founder of Social Entrepreneur Corps and Community Enterprise Solutions and the founder of Collaborative Changemaking Labs. Greg is best known as the principal designer of the award-winning MicroConsignment Model, a globally recognized approach to community development. His consulting portfolio includes major organizations such as Levi Strauss Foundation, Visa Foundation, Warby Parker, Deloitte, USAID, and the Inter-American Development Bank.

Greg has also been deeply involved in higher education, designing and leading social innovation programs for students at institutions including Columbia University, Duke, Stanford, Northwestern, the University of Notre Dame, and Georgetown. He has served as a Social Entrepreneur in Residence and educator at several universities, teaching social entrepreneurship and innovation at Columbia, NYU, Fordham, Miami University, and the University of Wisconsin.

Greg began his social impact journey as a Peace Corps volunteer supporting rural small business development in Guatemala. Before that, he worked in investment banking for five years, during which time two of his deals at UBS received “Deal of the Year” honors from Structured Finance International magazine.

He continues to support the next generation of changemakers through mentorship and education.