Fisher House Wisconsin

Angie Christianson

President

Angie is the Head of the Vendor Management Office at Rehlko. Angie started volunteering for FHW in 2013 and was nominated to be on the FHW Board of Directors in 2016. Prior to becoming its President, she served as a Vice President, a Director, and oversaw the Fund Development & Marketing Committee.

Angie earned a Bachelor of Science in Business and Management from the University of Phoenix and is a Certified Software Asset Manager, as well as a Certified Contract/Vendor Manager. Angie’s Father was in the Air Force, both her Grandfathers, an Uncle and a Great Aunt served in the Army. She has many friends that are veterans and has a passion and love for all veterans. Angie is known for asking, “How can I help?”

Angie chose to volunteer for FHW when a past President asked for her help at a golf outing. Although she does not golf, she now enjoys planning the largest FHW fundraiser of the year – its annual golf outing. She is also working with the Madison VA Medical Center to continue the forward momentum to build a second Fisher House in Wisconsin.

Timothy La Sage

Vice President
U.S. Marine Corps Veteran

Tim joined the FHW Board of Directors in 2022 and is the Vice President of the Board. Additionally he is a member of its Fund Development & Marketing Committee.

While serving in the Marine Corps, he attended Golden West College where he studied criminal justice. Tim also attended the Organizational Behavior and Leadership program at Edgewood College.

During his career, Tim earned two Purple Heart medals for wounds received in combat. His long journey to recovery after multiple surgeries to save a limb, all while having amnesia, was done without support. His motivation to assist FHW with its mission comes from a desire to ensure service members and families have the space to love and support each other while enduring difficult times.

First Sergeant Timothy La Sage served 22 years on active duty in the Marine Corps where he earned two Purple Heart medals, two medals for valor in combat, and two medals for life saving actions while saving his fellow Marines.

Chad O’Brien

Treasurer

Chad is a partner at Baker Tilly US, LLP and joined the FHW Board of Directors in 2017 and in 2021 became its Treasurer.

He earned a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting, magna cum laude, from the University of Wisconsin–Whitewater.

Chad was first introduced to FHW in 2013, while the organization was planning construction for the Clement J. Zablocki VA Medical Center Fisher House. Representatives from the Board met with him to discuss its mission, fundraising efforts, sponsorships and the FHW annual golf outing. Learning about the mission was powerful and Chad knew he needed to be a part of FHW movement. The passion and energy of the mission was overwhelming.

Coming from a long line of veterans, Chad acknowledges the personal sacrifices that each veteran and their families have made to serve and protect our country. It is in that same spirit of service that he volunteers his time with a commitment to serve our military men, women, and their families. Chad continues to be humbled by the experiences and stories shared at FHW meetings and events.

Dirk Stallmann

Secretary

Dirk is the President of Verlo Mattress and joined the FHW Board of Directors in 2020. He is the Secretary of the Board and served on the board’s Fund Development & Marketing Committee for two years and is currently a member of the Board’s Governance & Development committee.

He earned a Bachelor of Arts in Communications from Truman State University located in Kirksville Missouri. Dirk enjoys volunteering for FHW because he believes strongly in supporting veterans. He believes the house serves as a significant symbol of Wisconsin’s care and commitment to veterans and their families but is a modest token of our deep appreciation for their service and sacrifice.

Both Dirk’s father and father-in-law were in the service, in addition to extended family who served in the Korean War and World War II.

Brent Eisberner

Director
U.S. Marine Corps Veteran

Brent is the cofounder and shareholder attorney at Levine Eisberner LLC and became a Director on the Fisher House Wisconsin Board of Directors in 2024. 

He earned a B.S. from Marquette University in 2006 prior to joining the United States Marine Corps as a 2nd Lieutenant.  After leaving active duty in the Marines, he attended the University of Wisconsin Law School receiving his juris doctorate. 

During his military service, Brent obtained the rank of Major and served various roles in the artillery and infantry community.  His deployments spanned from humanitarian relief efforts after the 2010 earthquake in Haiti to leading a team of advisors throughout Northern Africa, the Middle East, and Afghanistan. 

Brent chose to volunteer with the Fisher House Wisconsin because he has seen the impact organizations like this have had not only on the veterans they serve, but also the family of the veterans receiving care.  Service members, and their families, should be allowed to focus on healing, and that is what the Fisher House allows them to do.

Michelle Friedman

Director
U.S. Army Veteran

Michelle became a Director on the FHW Board of Directors in 2020. She also serves as a member and co-chair of the Board’s Fund Development & Marketing Committee and helps spearhead its biannual newsletter.

She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communication | Journalism, magna cum laude, from the American University in Cairo and an Associate of Arts in Modern Standard Arabic from the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center located in the Presidio of Monterey, California.

During her military career Michelle obtained the rank of Sergeant while enlisted for four years, where she served on active duty in the United States Army Military Intelligence Corps as an Arabic Linguist-Voice Interceptor. She held a top-secret SCI security clearance and was selected to participate in Bright Star 1995, which at that time was one of the world's largest joint military exercises hosted in Egypt.

Michelle chose to volunteer with FHW because she is passionate about military service members and veterans and believes strongly every veteran and current service member deserves recognition and support for the sacrifices they have made. She, her father, and her brother all served in the armed forces at the same time in the 1990’s, representing the Army, Navy, and Marines.

Matt Griffin

Director
U.S. Navy Veteran

Matt is a Category Lead at Kohler and is responsible for Strategic Technology Purchasing. He joined the FHW Board of Directors in 2023. He also serves on the Board of Directors for the Autism Society of Southeastern Wisconsin. Matt earned a Bachelor of Business Administration and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee and is a Certified Project Management Professional.

Matt is a veteran of the United States Navy and was assigned to Fighter Squadron Two as an Aviation Electronics Technician. He was responsible for troubleshooting and maintenance of the F-14 Tomcat’s radar, communications, and weapon systems. He was deployed multiple times overseas on aircraft carriers during Operation Southern Watch in the Arabian Gulf and he also participated in Operation Restore Hope off the coast of Somalia.

He is an advocate for military service members and their families. His first connection with FHW began when he attended its annual golf outing. He was impressed with the leadership team and the impact the organization had in the community. Matt strongly believes in the FHW mission to provide families a home away from home while their veteran or service member receives care at the VA.

Patti Kneiser

Director

Patti is the President of Workforce Health, LLC, and is the Vice President-Employer Services for Froedtert Health. In this role, she provides strategic direction and leadership for the Froedtert & the Medical College of Wisconsin health network’s employer services. She is also responsible for initiatives to strategically advance the health system’s growth and effectiveness in related businesses and other efforts to enhance quality of life in our communities.

Patti earned a Master of Health Care Administration from the University of Minnesota and a Bachelor of Science in Medical Technology from the University of North Dakota. She is board-certified in health care administration as a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives.

As the proud daughter of a WWII U.S. Army Veteran who received care through the VA, Patti is passionate about serving the needs of military families and happily joined the FHW Board of Directors in 2017 to further its mission. She knows firsthand that, “a family’s love is good medicine.” Patti chairs the FHW Strategic Planning Committee and supports its charitable events throughout the year.

Rudy Jackson

Director
U.S. Army Veteran

Rudy Jackson currently serves as Senior Vice President and Chief Nurse Executive for UW Health. The University of Wisconsin Health System is a 5-billion-dollar health system, serving 1 million unique patients in 7 hospitals and 90 ambulatory clinics throughout the Madison and Northern Illinois region.

Rudy earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing from The University of The Incarnate Word in San Antonio, Texas, a Master’s in Healthcare Administration from Webster University in St. Louis, Missouri, and a Doctorate of Nursing Practice from Yale, New Haven, Connecticut. Prior to civilian work, Rudy served in the US Army for 20+ years in both enlisted and commissioned officer roles.

Prior to his deployment as a Civil Affairs Officer supporting Operation Enduring Freedom, he served as a member of the US Army Nurse Corp. In both roles, Rudy has been committed to the service of others. The Fisher House supports that continued mission and there is no greater honor than serving those that have served.

Bill Michaels

Director

Bill is the host of The Bill Michaels Sports Talk Network. He is a Director on the FHW Board of Directors, a member of its Fund Development & Marketing Committee and spearheads The Big Unit’s Motorcycle Poker Run benefiting FHW.

He earned a Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communications | Journalism from Ohio State University. Bill once met a nameless Army Ranger at a local restaurant. The Ranger had just returned home from active duty in Afghanistan and met his 1-year-old daughter for the first time. After hearing part of the Ranger’s story, Bill offered to buy him dinner to thank him for his service. The Ranger smiled and replied, “thanks but no, we know what we’re signing up for. But what you can do is something for our families, for the kids of soldiers, they didn’t sign up for this.” Since that chance meeting with the Ranger, Bill has been a huge supporter of FHW.

Bill’s father was a Gunnery Sergeant in the Army while stationed in Germany. Growing up, he always admired what his father accomplished during his storied life and is very proud of his legacy.

Terri Leigh Rhody

Director

Terri is the Vice President of Marketing at Fit For Work. She became a Director on the FHW Board of Directors in 2020 and serves as a co-chair of the Board’s Fund Development & Marketing Committee, where she helps lead its strategic marketing initiatives.

She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Communications from the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Wisconsin–Madison.

Terri Leigh chose to volunteer with FHW because she is passionate about supporting those who have served our country not only during, but also after their military engagements have concluded. She feels strongly about their access to healthcare and the ability for their caregivers and family members to be able to support them.

Military service runs through many generations of Terri’s family. Her grandfather and great uncles served in the Army and Navy during World War II. Since then, a variety of relatives (uncles, cousins, second cousins, and their children) have served primarily in the Army and Navy.

Wade Roberts

Director

Wade is the Vice President of Pieper Electric and Ideal Mechanical Inc., where he serves on its Leadership team. He joined the FHW Board of Directors in 2023 and serves on the Board of Directors for Arrow-Accuserv Corporation located in Louisville, Kentucky.

Wade completed an IBEW Electrical apprenticeship with Local 702 after graduating from Marion High School and earned a Wisconsin Master Electrical License. He has a passion for his trade and through his relationships in the trades, he has been a leader with his team to serve others and give back to the community.

He believes strongly in helping others and is honored to serve the families of those who served in our military by volunteering with FHW. Like other board members, Wade’s family has a history of military service which includes five uncles, two aunts and a nephew. They served in the armed forces proudly from 1950 through 2021 - (2) Army, (2) Navy, (3) Air Force, with some of them serving in the Korean War and OIF Operations.

In addition to volunteering with FHW, Wade also volunteers with the Milwaukee Fire Department’s Survive Alive House helping to maintain the facility, and he recently upgraded the interior and exterior lighting of the facility. He also helps the department on an annual basis with installing operational smoke detectors in low-income houses. Additionally, he volunteered to assist with the relocation of the Lance Sijan F4 Jet memorial to the entrance of General Mitchell Airport and volunteered, designed, and donated materials for the Wisconsin 911 Memorial located in Kewaskum, Wisconsin.

Chuck Steinmetz

Director

Chuck is the retired Senior Vice President and General Manager of WITI FOX6, which has one of the most experienced teams of anchors, reporters, and digital journalists committed to bringing the news that matters to those in southeast Wisconsin. He joined the FHW Board of Directors in 2019, where he serves as a Director and its Vice President.

Chuck earned a Bachelor of Arts in Communications from the University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire.

Chuck chose to volunteer with FHW after hearing about a family experience from a close friend. He feels strongly about its mission and advocates for the continued support of the needs of veterans and military service members receiving medical care at a VA approved medical facility. He is proud to be a part of FHW.

Jonathan “Jon” Ward

Director
U.S. Army Veteran

Jon is a retired U.S. diplomat and Army veteran.  He joined the Fisher House Wisconsin Board of Directors in January 2024. 

He earned JD, MBA, and BS degrees from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and graduated from the U.S. Army’s Combined Arms Services and Staff School (CAS3) and Field Artillery Officer Basic and Advanced Courses.

Jon enlisted in the Army Reserves in 1986.  He was commissioned as a Field Artillery officer in 1988 through the UW-Madison Army ROTC program and served in the Regular Army 1988 – 1994.  He led a Multiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS) platoon in Operation Desert Storm.  Jon later served as Senior Instructor of the Officer Candidate School at the Wisconsin Army National Guard’s Military Academy at Fort McCoy and commanded the 826th Ordnance Company (U.S. Army Reserves), headquartered in Madison, with detachments in Milwaukee and Rockford. 

Jon is a disabled veteran who believes that all veterans have earned the care offered by the VA and that no veteran’s family should have to struggle to afford being near their loved one when he or she is being treated at a VA medical facility.

Theo Williams

Director
U.S. Army Veteran

Theo currently serves as the Director of Logistcs and the Industries for the Blind, Inc. He joined the FHW Board of Directors as a Director in January 2024.

Upon completon of his military service in 1999 with the United States Army, Theo began working at the Industries for the Blind, Inc. and assists with its mission to employ blind and visually impaired Americans. He steadily worked his way up in the ranks from a warehouse associate to its current Director of Logistcs.

He is a member of the Combat Veterans Motorcycle Associaton® (CVMA)- where he serves as its State Public Relatons Officer. The organization’s mission is to show support for all veterans, their organizations, and service members in the US armed forces. Theo helps to coordinate and atends many of the CVMA events throughout the state.