First of all, THANK YOU! Readers, followers and supporters mean everything to us.
Before Intellegere Foundation was formed, Joey P., Anna H., and Cory R. (me) operated as Intellegere Project. In November 2018, the Foundation was created as a formal structure which would serve as an umbrella organization for Intellegere Project and new projects. Joey and I would pitch each other ideas for new projects that didn’t quite fit what we had been doing through the blog and page. The other issue was that I was funding Intellegere Project primarily out of my own pocket which seriously limited the ability to grow. So, we made the decision to form Intellegere Foundation a 501(c)3. Joey and I have both left our other jobs and as of December 1st we will be working full-time at the Foundation.
Joey is taking on the role of Advocacy Director. He’ll be producing, editing, and curating the majority of content. His role is largely focused on our public facing work. He is a fantastic writer and has been a tremendous partner since the beginning. I will be working as Executive Director. I’ll be taking care of operations, financial, and regulatory compliance type stuff. Also, I’ll be primarily responsible for our fundraising efforts. Despite the titles and the specifics, Joey and I work really well together and will be collaborating on almost everything.
What about Anna?!? She is now the President of Intellegere Foundation’s Board of Directors! It really was a no-brainer, she’s been apart of the group since the first meeting, has demonstrated leadership ability with several student organizations, and experience with public environmental outreach. Anna, like all of our Board members, serves as a volunteer; sharing their time and expertise without compensation. We are incredibly grateful for their guidance and perspective.
Intellegere Foundation is very excited to have two additional people joining the team, Jon Schwarze and Dr. Tony Palmeri. Both are serving as members of the Board and both bring enormous experience and expertise to the table.
Jon was appointed as Treasurer by unanimous vote during our first board meeting Nov. 13th. He is coming to Intellegere fresh off the midterms as an organizer in Northeastern Wisconsin. Joey and I both had the opportunity to canvass for Jon and learned a great deal. Jon brings years of experience organizing and canvassing for the Democratic Party, candidates and with independent expenditure organizations. He knows what Wisconsin state politics looks like on the ground and how to get people engaged.
Tony has been appointed Secretary by unanimous vote on Nov. 13th. I first met Tony when I was asked to conduct a research interview following his nomination for “Foundations Green Bay – Ethics in Business Award” this past summer shortly before the Intellegere Project went live. His passion for meaningful, open dialog resonated with me and he was kind enough to present the keynote at Intellegere Project’s Sept. 8th “Summit on Civil Discourse in Social Media Activism.” As a professor of communications at UW-Oshkosh Tony teaches courses in rhetoric, public advocacy, and freedom of speech among others. In addition, he served two terms on the Oshkosh Common Council.
Intellegere Foundation: Future Projects
Looking forward, we would like to bring on a few more board members from around the state of Wisconsin. Currently, the board, Joey and I represent a fairly small geographic area; Oshkosh and the Fox Valley. We’ll be seeking qualified candidates of diverse backgrounds to provide knowledge and/or material resources.
We are offering six $500.00 grants to faculty-student research teams at UW schools to advance understanding of the motivations of college students to either vote or not vote. Research will be conducted during the ’19/’20 school year with results reported in June of ’20 so as to inform campus Get-Out-The-Vote (GOTV) efforts during the 2020 Presidential Election. Learn more https://intellegere-foundation.org/projects/research-grants/grant-submissions/
The Intellegere Foundation believes that education is a core tenet of democracy. An educated electorate is better capable of grappling with the complex issues of today and tomorrow. Furthermore, education drives progress and improves the individual outcomes of the citizenry. As such, educational policy ought to always be at the forefront of public discourse.
Towards this end Intellegere Foundation will be providing a platform for community members, education providers, advocates, and policy makers to voice their understanding of education in Wisconsin. Learn more https://intellegere-foundation.org/projects/education/
The Foundation has begun researching the issue of homelessness in Wisconsin. Similar to the work being done around education, Intellegere will be sitting down with elected officials, advocates and impacted community members in order to develop a full understanding of the issues and workable solutions. https://intellegere-foundation.org/projects/homelessness/
Joey and I are both very interested in the potential closure of the Green Bay Correctional Institute (GBCI) and the proposed replacement with privately constructed facility which is leased to the DOC. The proposal has thus far been pushed significantly by economic arguments in terms of value in the redeveloped land and addition of the privately owned facility onto the tax roll of the community. We want to make sure communities are looking at the full scope of the proposal. Namely, if the change actually results in improved conditions and safety for guards and the incarcerated.
