Notable Nonprofit Board Leaders: Simmi Urbanek

Class of 2023

Board: Walker’s Point Association

Simmi Urbanek, director of marketing at Milwaukee-based Greenfire Management Services, joined the Walker’s Point Association upon the recommendation of a former business leader when their company relocated offices to the area.

“What was initially a business development opportunity quickly turned into a passion project,” said Linda Heipp, fellow board director of the Walker’s Point Association. “Within a few years, she was volunteering to help with monthly gatherings, special events and then eventually she joined the all-volunteer board in 2018.”

After only a couple of years on the board, Urbanek was elected president. Her efforts to reimagine the association’s monthly gatherings to explore the neighborhood resulted in growing to four times the attendance. She engaged new businesses like Komatsu and Rite-Hite and connected residents to businesses, increasing neighborhood participation.

Urbanek was part of the organizing committee for 5th Street Fest, semi-annual neighborhood clean-ups and holiday bar crawls. She represents the WPA in development discussions, WisDOT projects, MMSD projects, VISIT Milwaukee events and south side initiatives.