Speakers

Christine joined Ozaukee Washington Land Trust (OWLT)  in Fall of 2014 after M-T Sunrise Rotary negotiated a partnership with the City of Mequon and OWLT; created an opportunity to hire a land stewardship intern to help deliver greater environmental care to the Pukaite Woods in Mequon’s Rotary Park.

After completing her undergraduate degree in Conservation and Environmental Science from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Christine was hired to a full-time position as Project Coordinator for OWLT.   She has also been trained through the National Wildfire Coordinating Group in Wildland Fire Behavior and Firefighter Safety.

Her main focus is administering a Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI)  to control invasive species and promote the reestablishment of sustainable, native vegetative communities in southeast Wisconsin and northeast Illinois. In addition, Christine now coordinates woodland restoration work and long-term management planning for Pukaite Woods, guiding Sunrise Rotary's stewardship commitment to the woodland.   Recently, in recognition of her environmental leadership and work with landowners as well as community groups, she was honored with an invitation to join the well-established Friends of Cedarburg Bog Stewardship Committee.

Chief Bialk started his career as a volunteer firefighter in 1980.  He has served as a volunteer and career firefighter as well as a chief officer throughout Milwaukee County before coming to Mequon in 2006.  The Chief holds an Associate degree from MATC, a bachelor’s degree from Southern Illinois University and is a recent graduate of the Midwest Leadership Institute.

Lori Lorenz, the president of Mequon Community Foundation (MCF), is excited to bring the most recent news of MCF to the Sunrise Rotary Club. MCF’s all-volunteer board has been helping enhance the quality of life in our community since 1999. Places you go and events you attend in the community often are recipients of MCF grants. Their impact is far and wide in the areas of recreation, education, culture, outdoor beautification, public safety and general public improvement.  

Lori will tell you about the impact MCF has had in the community and their plans for the future.  She also looks forward to engaging with you as to what you would like to see in our community going forward and how you can get involved in seeing those dreams become a reality.

Lori started her new role as president in May 2021, having served as treasurer of MCF since 2017. As a retired CPA (Arthur Andersen/RSM McGladrey), Lori is passionate about serving others through the Mequon Community Foundation, Fox Point Lutheran Church, the UW-Whitewater Foundation Board, Gems of Hope WI Executive Board and other organizations.  She also volunteers as an accounting consultant for local start-ups and non- profits.

Lori and her husband, Eric, are Wisconsin natives and moved to Mequon in 1984. Although work took them out of the area from 1998-2008, they could not wait to return in 2009 and have been enjoying the new amenities continually being added to their lovely city of Mequon since then. 

In addition to her volunteer work, Lori enjoys golfing, tennis, hiking, boating up north and spending time with her three married children and four beautiful grandchildren.

To find out more about the Mequon Community Foundation, please go to www.mcfgives.org.