Hello! My name is Julie Pahnke and I am AEF’s new Grants & Scholarships Manager. In my role, I will manage and further develop the Foundation’s growing grant and scholarship programs. It is a pleasure to be working with the wonderful, talented, and dedicated team members that make up the Appleton Education Foundation.
I’m a life-long Wisconsinite, and after 18 years living in and near Milwaukee, I’m excited to move my family closer to the Fox Valley where I grew up. I have a background in the arts having graduated from Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design (MIAD), and in 2018, I received my master’s degree from the Helen Bader Institute (HBI) of Nonprofit Management and Leadership.
Throughout my years in the nonprofit sector, I’ve had an opportunity to grow community engagement and coordinate volunteer programs for Ozaukee County’s largest food pantry (Family Sharing of Ozaukee County), identify and develop outreach initiatives for the Better Business Bureau’s Wisconsin Foundation, and execute many nonprofit fundraising efforts for Great Lakes Hemophilia Foundation, Milwaukee Succeeds, Inc., and Highland Community School.
My volunteer experience includes serving as a trusted advisor and Board of Director for the Ozaukee Nonprofit Center in Grafton, WI, board member for Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design’s Alumni Association, and G.E.D. tutor for adult learners at Literacy Services of Wisconsin.
Every child in our community deserves an education that promotes learning in unique ways. Through philanthropy we can create those opportunities. I look forward to putting my education and skills to do just that, supporting AEF’s mission to creatively enhance education in our community.