Birch Creek Board of Trustees & Administrative Staff

Board of Trustees

Birch Creek is governed by a twenty-member board selected to serve three-year terms. Trustees are Door County residents identified for their accomplishments in the arts, humanities, business, education or public service. The board includes members from urban and rural areas across Door County and from diverse economic and cultural backgrounds. Board members set policy for Birch Creek and work with the executive director to approve budgets annually.

Executive Committee

  • Jane Berg, President
  • Tom Regan, Vice President
  • Fred Mann, Secretary
  • Marcia Peterson, Treasurer
  • Gregory Mox, Past President

 

Trustees

  • Christine Bridenhagen
  • Sam Carmen
  • Peter Cristall
  • Miriam Erickson
  • Barbara Flint
  • Joan Guasta
  • Jan Johnson, President, The Associates
  • Keith Kasen
  • Fred Mann
  • Lolly Ratajczak
  • Cynthia Stiehl
  • Karen Utnehmer
  • Sue Vineyard
  • Tom Young


Administrative Staff

Please use the "Contact" page on this Web site if you wish to contact Administrative Staff.

Alan Kopischke, Executive Director

Alan Kopischke comes to Birch Creek with an extensive arts management background. He received his BS in Applied Mathematics from the University of Miami, an MFA in Acting from the American Conservatory Theatre, and he earned the First Stage Children's Theater's Educator of the Year Award. He spent twelve seasons with Peninsula Players, the last six of which he served as Development Director, where he successfully increased annual fund campaigns and developed new community engagement programs such as The Big Read Door County. Alan also served as Executive Director of the Modjeska Youth Theatre Company in Milwaukee. He currently serves on the board of the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Door County and chairs the Scholarship Committee of the Rotary Club of Sturgeon Bay.

Kate Rericha, Director of Grants

A leading grants administrator and grant writer for nonprofit organizations in the arts, health and human service, and public education, Kate Rericha is an arts educator with over forty years of experience in a variety of environments including PK-12 public and
private education, technical college, and nursing home program administration. Kate holds a Bachelor of Art Education degree from UW-Oshkosh with a minor in English. As Secretary of the Board of the Egg Harbor Business Association and Secretary of the Board of Directors of Arts Wisconsin (Madison), Kate serves her local community through board leadership and her state community through arts advocacy and program evaluation. She has been with Birch Creek since 2005.

Donna Johnson, Director of Development

Donna comes to Birch Creek with an extensive background in nonprofit management, including serving on Boards of two nonprofit organizations in Illinois. Her most recent position was as Meetings Manager for a research organization affiliated with the University of Chicago. Donna is very excited about the opportunity to work with the staff, volunteers, board, faculty and students of Birch Creek.

Cathy Knipfer, Director of Marketing & Public Relations

Cathy joined Birch Creek as Director of Marketing and Public Relations in 2011. She holds a degree in arts management with a minor in graphic communications. Her employment experience includes positions in advertising in the Appleton area and marketing in the Milwaukee area.

Jenn Neuville, Operations Manager

Hired in 2011 as Operations Manager of Birch Creek’s expanding campus, Jenn brings six years of facility management, volunteer coordination and membership recruitment for Wisconsin School Music Association & Wisconsin Music Educators Association to Birch Creek. She holds a degree in arts management with a business administration minor, and adds a technology-savvy component to our organizational growth.

Mary Hall, Registrar / Office Manager

Mary Hall joined Birch Creek's year-round staff in October 2010 as Office Manager / Registrar. Mary graduated magna cum laude from Butler University, Indianapolis, Ind., with a Bachelor of Arts degree in applied music (voice). Her 10 years of experience at the Door County Maritime Museum and music background makes her well-suited for the position. As well, Mary is the Choir Director at Hope Church, Sturgeon Bay, and her volunteer activities as an actress and performer with Isadoora Theatre Company bring added dimensions to her role at Birch Creek.