Laurie Howard, President
Laurie is the parent of two children, one of whom is on the Autism Spectrum. Laurie’s family joined LOV in 2011 and has since participated in the Bridge Builder Project, the pilot group of the Moving On workshop series and many other events and festivities. Laurie works to support independent living for those with disabilities. Her most recent professional experience was as a Project Manager for Exact Sciences.
Julie Burish, Vice President
Julie and her husband are the parents of two adult children. Their youngest, daughter Kathryn, uses IRIS to live and work in the community as independently as possible and to live a self determined life of her choosing. Julie has devoted much of her time advocating for inclusive opportunities in education, employment, housing and community access for people with disabilities. She has, and continues to, sit on several committees, councils, boards and task forces at the local and state level to represent people with disabilities and their families to address better and more inclusive policies. In her spare time Julie loves to garden, travel and cook delicious food to share with family and friends!
Barb McPherson, Treasurer
Barb McPherson is the parent of four children. Her daughter Kayla is an alum of LOV Inc.’s Bridge Builder Project and a regular at LOV @ the Movies. Barb served as the Associate Dean of Administration and CFO of the UW School of Engineering and also has prior experience as a CFO for several startups. She has served on numerous boards and enjoys yoga in her free time.
Tonya Brito, Member at Large
Rabha Elfarra, Member at Large
Rabha Elfarra is a parent of two young adults. Her eldest, Yasmine (born in Rochester, NY), participates in LOV Inc. activities including bowling, LOV @ the Movies, the Annual Talent Show, the Summer Picnic, and potlucks. Rabha graduated from the School of Pharmacy at Cairo University in Egypt. She has been living with her family in Madison since 1986. Rabha has been an active member of LOV-Dane, now LOV Inc., since 2015.
Alex Lena, Member at Large
Colleen Murphy Penwell, Member at Large
Colleen and her husband, David, are proud parents of three adult children, one of whom participates in LOV Inc programs. The family completed and are huge fans of both the Moving On and Fearless Futures programs. Colleen’s background is in marketing and communications and in her early career she worked at public relations agencies in Minneapolis and Madison and had a small consulting firm. A consummate Jane-of-all-trades, her experience includes development for various nonprofits and real estate management. Colleen has been active with Lily’s Fund for Epilepsy Research for many years, and she helped create Girls on the Move Housing Group, which furthers independent living opportunities for adults with disabilities. Her hobbies include gardening, tennis, and anything to do with remodeling and design.
Jeanne Sterken, Member at Large
Jeanne is the mother of 2 young adults and along with her daughter was excited to discover all that LOV Inc. had to offer. LOV at the Movies and Just 4 Fun Bowling have been favorites of her daughter since 2013, while Jeanne found LOV Inc. workshops: Moving Out and Fearless Futures helpful to plan for her daughter’s future. Jeanne served as McFarland Schools CESA 2 District Parent Liaison. Before retiring from the UW Hospitals, Jeanne helped establish Project Search helping transition students with disabilities develop job skills in the Medical Imaging Dept. Jeanne works to improve access to services and jobs for people with disabilities living in rural areas.
Andrew Turner, Member at Large
Andrew Turner is the father of two boys, a middle schooler and a young adult. He is an avid movie buff, gardener, and cook and has recently become addicted to Zwift. He is Co-Director of the Legal Research and Writing program at the University of Wisconsin law school. Before joining the legal writing faculty, Andrew worked three years as a corporate attorney with a major Wisconsin law firm and, before law school, spent nearly a decade living and working in Bolivia as an anthropologist.