Who we are.
Just who is helping you meet the challenges of parenting? Meet our staff — who they are, where they've been and what motivates them.
Tracy Braunreiter
Family Support Specialist, Welcome Baby and PACT
Tracy graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in social work. In school, her field concentration was children, youth and families. Before coming to The Exchange Center, Tracy worked with families at the YWCA and the Goodman Community Center. She is originally from Milwaukee, but loves living in Madison, where her favorite things to do are going to the terrace and farmers’ markets and cheering on the Badgers at football games. In her free time, Tracy plays on a soccer team and likes to bake. She enjoys working for The Exchange Center because it recognizes that parents are the experts in their homes and we work together with them as partners in the helping process.
Brittany Brooks
Family Support Specialist, Early Childhood Initiative
Curious, patient, enthusiastic and optimistic. These words suit Brittany, a graduate of the University of Delaware with a B.A. in Psychology. What drew Brittany to The Exchange Center was its focus on child abuse prevention. "Because the work done here is focused on prevention, rather than intervention, I feel the impact on families is much greater. There's nothing more rewarding than seeing families succeed. I also like the fact that The Exchange Center is very community and family oriented." Self-defined as someone who also likes to take risks, outside of work Brittany likes to hike, bike, read, fold paper and - though this may surprise many - play video games.
Sharron Hubbard-Moyer
Family Support Specialist, Welcome Baby and PACT
Sharron has a long and storied career. She is a woman of diverse talents - she's been a mentor for at-risk teens, a City of Madison police officer and firefighter/EMT, crisis foster parent, respite worker for children with disabilities, provider of in-home support to adults with developmental disabilities and is a self-published author of children's books. She was also the recipient of the 2006 YWCA Women of Distinction, Eliminating Racism and Empowering Women award. Top that with this little known fact - she was a backup singer for the Madison-based band, Garbage. Compassionate, strong and funny, Sharron has a "strong philosophy of empowerment. I believe people can make positive changes in their lives. I give 110 percent everyday - I've been doing this for nearly 25 years and I still love and enjoy my career."
Emma Jeter
Bilingual Family Support Specialist, Early Childhood Initiative
Emma is adventurous and hard working. With a B.A. in Psychology and Spanish from the UW- LaCrosse, she continued her studies at Universitas Castellae en Valladolid, Spain. She then spent a year in Mexico, working and taking specialized vocabulary courses for Social Work at the Universidad Internacional en Cuernavaca, Mexico. When the opportunity to utilize her acquired skills and Spanish arose atThe Exchange Center she took it. "Working here challenges me to increase my knowledge of mental health and child development. And the ECI program gives me the opportunity to build real relationships with my clients, instead of seeing them as just a number or a name on a list." An accomplished salsa dancer who loves crafts, traveling and baking, she identifies with others who work hard for what they want. "The most rewarding part of my job is watching families blossom and grow together, and start to turn their lives around when they encounter difficult situations."
Sara Johnson
Volunteer Coordinator and Office Manager
Although a Madison native, Sara attended college at the University of Texas at Austin and graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism. After spending several years working as an associate producer with filmmaker Richard Linklater, Sara returned to Madison looking for a career change. She was lucky enough to find an organization where she could utilize her communication and organization skills to help the community and its children. Sara stays active by volunteering for the AIDS Network and the ACLU of Wisconsin and donates blood regularly to the American Red Cross.
Tanya Kirtz
Family Support Specialist, Welcome Baby and PACT
Tanya’s passion in life has always been working with and meeting people. Tanya has a BA in Interdisciplinary Studies from UW Green Bay and an Associate’s degree in Dietetics from MATC. Tanya also is a certified lactation consultant and enjoys supporting new moms in their efforts to breastfeed. Tanya has worked with many families in Dane County as a nutrition educator and enjoys her new role at The Exchange Center because “It gives me the opportunity to support parents as they learn about the development of their child and ways they can encourage the growth of their child. It is an honor to be invited into a family’s home.” When not working, Tanya enjoys going to concerts to see her favorite bands play, running and working out, teaching a strength training class for older adults, cooking, and spending time with her family.
Jane Nemke
Executive Director
After a career in private industry, Jane was ready to make a difference. So she joined The Exchange Center. "I love the mission of The Exchange Center - to prevent child abuse from happening in the first place. Every aspect of it makes sense - helping parents get the assistance they need while building homes that foster healthy, happy children who are more likely to become healthy productive adults." In a career where she has to wear numerous hats on any given day, her strengths as a strategic planner, leader, mentor and collaborator serve her well. And when she isn't multi-tasking in the nonprofit world? Jane spends her time with friends and family, cooking, watching movies or reading during a quiet moment - and she even volunteers as a teaching assistant. Jane also has a Bachelor of Science degree in Communications from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a Master's degree in Public Relations Journalism from the Ohio State University.
Heather Wittwer
Bilingual Family Support Specialist, Welcome Baby and PACT
Growing up in Madison, Heather repeatedly heard about the good work being done by the Exchange Center. After finishing her Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood Education, with a specialty in Child and Family Studies, she chose to return to her hometown and play a role in helping families in this community. "I believe in The Exchange Center's mission, and I feel the home visitation model and the strength-based approach are the keys to a family's success," she notes. A certified Parents-as-Teachers Parent Educator, she also takes great pride in "seeing a parent take ownership of a concept or technique she learned in a home visit and using it to positively impact her family." A determined, creative drummer, Heather also likes reading psychological thrillers, felting, and spending time with her family.
