As executive director of Milwaukee-based men’s addiction center Serenity Inns, Kenneth Ginlack plays an integral role in the nonprofit’s mission to foster a safe healing environment for clients.
“He has demonstrated his strong leadership by enhancing the skills of the staff members and revising organizational policies to reflect a strong commitment to trauma-informed practices,” said Crystal McClain, a Serenity Inns board member.
Under Ginlack’s leadership, Serenity Inns is expanding with construction of a $2.4 million, 14-bed facility. Ginlack himself has triumphed over substance abuse disorder, becoming a licensed psychotherapist and has an unwavering dedication to the cause of helping others recover from substance abuse disorder.
Ginlack is also a member of the Milwaukee Overdose Public Health and Safety Team’s planning team, working to prevent future overdose incidents, gaining deeper insights into fatal overdose risk factors and providing support services to families affected by overdose.
“His impactful contributions have unarguably elevated the lives of individuals contending with addiction and mental health challenges, not only in Milwaukee but also far beyond,” said McClain.
“Our mission is to support as many men as we can as they struggle with substance abuse disorder, and as we continue to move forward and expand our reach to help more men in the community, I am just grateful.”
– Kenneth Ginlack, executive director, Serenity Inns
Finalist: Charlotte John-Gomez, Siebert Lutheran Foundation
Since stepping into the role of president in 2018, Charlotte John-Gomez has led Milwaukee-based Siebert Lutheran foundation in its efforts to support Lutheran ministries and nonprofits.
Siebert has provided more than $20 million in philanthropic investments to Lutheran schools, social service agencies and investments in health care and sober living facilities in underserved communities.
Three years ago, John-Gomez launched a Collaborators’ Event to gather donors, foundations and families together to commit funding to select nonprofits. The event raised an additional $700,000 for Siebert’s grantee partners.
Additionally, employees’ financial contributions to nonprofits are matched up to a maximum of $1,000 annually. Employees who donate at least 40 volunteer hours of personal time to one organization earn a $1,000 grant toward that organization.
“Charlotte is excellent at informing staff about the organization’s financial performance and progress toward fiscal goals,” said Sarah Gilday, director of philanthropy for Siebert Lutheran Foundation. “She creates a fiscally responsible and ethically strong organization by setting guidelines, prioritizing professional development, collaborative decision-making and regular communication.”
Finalist: Dawn Nuoffer, Down Syndrome Association of Wisconsin
As a mother to a child with Down syndrome, Dawn Nuoffer has dedicated her career to changing the lives of people with disabilities in Wisconsin for the better.
Since becoming president and chief executive officer of the Down Syndrome Association of Wisconsin in 2014, Nuoffer has led numerous initiatives to expand the nonprofit’s outreach.
Under her leadership, the organization has grown from one full-time employee to 106 employees today and its services have increased by nearly 300% in Wisconsin, expanding to reach most areas of the state.
Nuoffer helped launch DSAW’s home and community-based services and employment services departments, which provide private, public and IRIS-supported services to people with disabilities and their families. She is currently implementing Think Ability Wisconsin, a statewide partnership network aiming to improve employment outcomes for people with disabilities in Wisconsin.
“DSAW has gone through a revolution since Dawn began her journey here,” said Rachel Reit, director of marketing and development for the Down Syndrome Association of Wisconsin. “Her unique talents, lived experience and vision for the future have propelled DSAW to new heights and have permanently changed the lives of thousands of people with disabilities and their families in our state.”
Finalist: Miryam Rosenzweig, Milwaukee Jewish Federation
With Miryam Rosenzweig as its president and chief executive officer, Milwaukee Jewish Federation works to support the Jewish community in Milwaukee and around the world.
She leads the organization’s 60-plus employees to focus on five key areas: tackling increased incidents of antisemitism, enhancing the security of Jewish Wisconsinites, supporting the Jewish homeland, enhancing Jewish life in Milwaukee and caring for Jews everywhere they live.
With antisemitic incidents in Wisconsin increasing by 494% since 2015, MJF and its Holocaust Education Resource Center has expanded its lessons in genocide and the Holocaust to 96,075 children and adults. Additionally, the organization has provided social service support to more than 71,000 people globally.
In the past three years, Rosenzweig helped bring in more than $8.1 million in federal dollars for security to 44 Jewish organizations in Wisconsin and secured $1.3 million in federal security grants for 10 organizations in Wisconsin, allowing MJF to use the donor dollars for community contributions.
“Under her leadership, the MJF has persevered – and has come out stronger – from the experience of a global pandemic, a war in Ukraine, the highest inflation in a generation, war and conflict in Israel, and a striking rise in antisemitism,” said Jeffrey Jones, marketing and communications director for Milwaukee Jewish Federation.
