DreamUp Wisconsin Proposal Review Committee Members

Annette Miller is the DreamUp Review Committee facilitator and convener. As CEO and founder of EQT By Design, LLC, Miller’s passion is ensuring inclusion and engagement are front and center in her work. She brings 25 years of strong professional policy and analytic skills, and a wide network of community, government, and business relationships, especially with Dane County’s diverse populations. Miller previously worked for Madison Gas & Electric as the Emerging Markets and Community Development Director, where she built partnerships in energy, sustainability, and inclusion of their emerging customer markets. Formerly, she was an aide to the City of Madison Mayor.

As Associate Dean of Innovation at the School of Education and Professor of Educational Leadership & Policy Analysis, Halverson researches the practical wisdom of school leaders with distributed leadership and how digital media tools change education. He is a faculty affiliate in the Educational Psychology and Curriculum and Instruction Departments and a fellow at the WI Institute for Discovery.

As Director of Public Health Madison & Dane County, Heinrich is responsible for assuring the health and well-being of Dane County residents are prioritized. To achieve this, she emphasizes health and racial equity as a foundational element of the Department’s work. Prior to joining PHMDC, Heinrich conducted research and managed public health programs on the California-Mexico border and in Chicago.

McIntosh is President of Government Policy Solutions, a Wisconsin based government relations\lobbying firm with 20+ years experience at all levels of government. He represents corporate and professional association interests, including the Dane County Cities’ & Villages’ Association. McIntosh has also served on several non-profit boards with a focus on improving economic development and employment opportunity.

Noyes is Interim Chief of Staff in the Chancellor’s Office. She is a distinguished researcher with, and former associate director of, the UW–Madison Institute for Research on Poverty. Previously, she was Associate Dean for Operations and Staff in the UW–Madison College of Letters & Science, a senior fellow at the Hudson Institute Welfare Policy Center, and helped lead several WI state agencies.

Orrantia, Deputy Mayor for the City of Madison, oversees economic development, public health and transportation activities. She is the former University of Wisconsin–Madison Director of Community Relations on behalf of Chancellor Blank. She facilitated meaningful collaborations between campus and community to expand institutional access and community engaged scholarship. Her background includes public relations, business administration, marketing, and communications.

Podestá, owner of Synergy CoWorking Space, facilitates strategic relationships and coaches entrepreneurs and professionals, especially women and people of color. She has 20+ years of nonprofit and international development experience. Podestá is also a senior director of economic empowerment and entrepreneurship at Vital Voices Global Partnership in Washington, DC.

As Associate Dean of the Graduate School, Ramanathan oversees admissions, academic services, program planning and assessment, and data analytics. He serves on the Graduate School and the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research and Graduate Education leadership teams. He is also a professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering.

Alexzandra (Alex) Shade, Director, Corporate Social Responsibility at CUNA Mutual Group, is responsible for leading the strategy and execution of the company’s CSR programs and initiatives, as well as, the CUNA Mutual Foundation portfolio and investment strategy. Previously, as Executive Director of the NWFCU Foundation at Northwest Federal Credit Union, she led Aspire Higher, an initiative to connect students with opportunities to visit colleges and universities and launched an innovation enabling members and ATM users to donate to the NWFCU Foundation through the credit union’s website, digital apps, and ATM machines. Prior to her time at NWFCU, Alex was the National Director of Strategic Alliances for the Muscular Dystrophy Association, the Director of Development for the Mentor Foundation, and Chief Partnership Officer for the Foundation for Hospices in Sub-Saharan Africa. She also spearheaded grassroots efforts for large-donor fundraising campaigns and was part of the AmeriCorps Downriver Cares Programs.

Sparkman, the Director of the Grigsby Office For Equity & Inclusion, brings experience in equal employment opportunity and public administration. He serves on the YMCA board and in the Madison Network of Black Professionals. He is on the Dane County Business Opportunity Forum and is Vice President of the Madison Rotary Foundation. Previously, he served on the Madison Police and Fire Commission for 10 years.

Timberlake, a Principal at Michael Best Strategies LLC, helps clients develop shared value business strategy and supports initiatives in health care transformation. Previously, she directed the UW Population Health Institute at the School of Medicine and Public Health. She also was WI Department of Health Services secretary and Office of State Employment Relations director.