Building strong families requires building community awareness. Meet the volunteers who make that happen.

David Neelsen, President
StoryFirst Group LLC
With 20+ years of history in and around the marketing industry Dave is an entrepreneur with experience that includes Sales and Marketing management, Business Development and ownership in three businesses. Educated in Business at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Dave also has a degree in Graphic Communications from the Milwaukee Area Technical College.
Having served two terms as President of the Madison Exchange Club, Dave was also a founding member and President of HAND-to-HAND, Inc., a social and service organization with a primary charitable focus of child abuse prevention. Both are support organizations of The Exchange Center. He is also a Member of the Family Centers Board of Directors is active in various local business organizations including, Downtown Madison Inc., Dane Buy Local, Middleton Chamber of Commerce, and previously served as a Board member of the Sales and Marketing Executives of Madison and the Northern Illinois Advertising Federation.
Dave and his wife Marianne, a writer, live on the west side of Madison. They have a son and daughter. Son Michael, who studied film direction at the New York Film Academy in Los Angeles, is Co-founder of StoryFirst Media and currently calls Austin, TX and Madison, WI both home. Daughter Kathleen, is studying Spanish and International Relations at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the University of Seville in Spain.

Joseph Ranney, Secretary
DeWitt, Ross & Stevens
Jay Ranney, who maintains a litigation practice that focuses on a wide range of commercial, insurance, personal injury, and intellectual property dispute, is also an adjunct professor at Marquette Law School. He is also the author of several books, including In the Wake of Slavery: Civil War, Civil Rights, and the Reconstruction of Southern Law (2006), and Trusting Nothing to Providence: A History of Wisconsin's Legal System (1999) as well as several law review articles. He has served as an officer in several professional associations, and is a former member of the Dane County Bar Association board of directors, and former president and board member of Legal Services of Northeastern Wisconsin. In 2003, Mr. Ranney was presented with the President's Award for Meritorious Achievement by the State Bar of Wisconsin. 

Amy Shaffer, Treasurer
University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics
Amy has a Masters Degree in Business Administration from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee as well as a Masters Degree in Rehabilitation Counseling from Georgia State University. She is currently a Supervisor in the Business Office at the University of Wisconsin Hospitals and Clinics. Prior to joining the hospital, Amy worked in the social service field for several years through Employee Assistance Programs and Vocational Rehabilitation. She has focused on providing education and resources to assist individuals in developing life-long coping strategies.

Michael Caruso
AMCORE Bank, N.A.
Michael Caruso has been in banking for nineteen years - ten in San Francisco and five in Madison and Mt. Horeb. He spent two years as the CFO of NetVersant, a telecom company in San Francisco, in the late 1990's. Prior to coming to AMCORE Bank, he created and ran his previous employer's Emerging Market Group, working with Biotech clients. He is a frequent speaker at Biotech industry seminars and now heads AMCORE's Verona, Belleville and Mt. Horeb business banking group. Michael works with growing businesses, including manufacturers, wholesalers and distributors, and still maintains a practice with emerging technology companies.
He is currently the President of the Madison Exchange Club, a board member of the Business and Education Partnership, and was recently elected to the Mt. Horeb Chamber Board where he leads the Business Retention and Development Committee. He is a member of the Mt. Horeb Rotary, volunteers at Sugar Creek Elementary School with the Verona Schools of Hope project, and is a First Aid and CPR instructor for the American Red Cross for Green County. Michael and his wife Jessica have a five-year-old son Nicholas.

Curt Chester
Epic Systems Corporation
Curt Chester, originally from New Jersey, graduated from Wheaton College in Illinois and then worked as a foster care social worker in Philadelphia for four years. During that time, Curt obtained a Masters degree in Social Work from Rutgers University. Ready for a complete change of pace, Curt then began a career in finance, first working as a trader on the floor of the Philadelphia Stock Exchange and then as an investment portfolio manager for Unger Capital Management in Madison, Wisconsin.
While working for Unger Capital Management, Curt realized he enjoyed the technology aspect of the job more than the finance, so he eventually took a position with Epic Systems Corporation, a medical software company. He has worked at Epic for over five years in a variety of roles and is currently a manager of employee education. Curt and his wife Bonnie have two young children, Elise and Owen. In his spare time, Curt enjoys kiteboarding and traveling.

Diane Dillett
The Dillett Company, Inc.
A financial advisor and owner of The Dillett Company, Diane's mission is to help individuals and small business owners grow their wealth and protect it.
With over 25 years of experience, Diane started The Dillett Company in 2000. She earned the LUTCF designation (Life Underwriter Training Council fellow) and recently completed studies and became licenses as an Investment Advisor through Cambridge Investment Research to expand her skilsl and abilities to work with client portfolios.
Prior to founding The Dillett Company, Diane was associated with Vista Benefits, formerly Allord Reed & Associates LLC, working wtih small businesses to develop employee benefit programs including life and health insurance as well as retirement plans. Diane was affiliated with Anchor bank, SSB, for 14 years and served as President of Anchor Insurance services, a subsidiary of the bank.
Diane also serves on the Board of the Financial Service Professionals, is past president of Madison NAWBO, Wisconsin NAWBO, Capitol Square Optimists and The Exchange Center for the Prevention of Child Abuse. During the school year, Diane is a volunteer tutor with Schools of Hope in Fitchburg.
Diane enjoys spending time with her family and enjoys running, fitness, crafts and cooking.

Jodie Johnson
First Business Financial Services, Inc.
Jodie brings over 13 years of marketing and public relations experience to the board. Her specialties include: public relations, brand development, event marketing , web marketing, print advertising, and direct mail campaigns. She is the Assistant Vice President – Marketing at First Business Financial Services, Inc., a current member and past Board Member and Vice President of the Madison Chapter of the American Marketing Association (AMA), a past Advisory Board Member of Wisconsin Early Childhood Association (WECA), and volunteers with United Way. In 2009 Jodie was recognized with a “40 Under 40” award by In Business Magazine and featured in “Top Marketers to Watch” by Brava Magazine in 2007. She has an MBA from Edgewood College, and a double major from the University of Wisconsin – Madison with a BS in Marketing and Management. Jodie and her husband have two sons, ages three and one.

Rochelle McKoy
Madison Gas and Electric
Rochelle has more than 29 years experience working in the public utility operations environment. She is a member of the Gas and Electric Operations management team overseeing the clerical support staff for this active area while serving as Manager - Operations Administration.
In addition to her board duties for The Exchange Center, she is an active member of Executive Women International. 

Paul Schmidt, Advisory Board Member
Bordman Law Firm
Paul is an active member of the community who has served as Chairman of the City of Verona (Wisconsin) Parks Commission and been a member of the City of Verona Plan Commission. Paul has also served as the City of Verona Chairman of the Zoning Board of Appeals and as a member of the Americans with Disabilities Act Committee. As an attorney, Paul focuses on estate planning, wills, trusts, probate, public inland waters, business and real estate. He is a member of the American Bar Association, the State Bar of Wisconsin, Florida Bar Association, and Dane County Bar Association and has authored several articles and presentations on trusts and estate law. His favorite quote is, "The best inheritance parents can give to their children is a few minutes of their time each day." - M. Grandler.