Community Leadership

Community is at the center of the Madison Public Market. For nearly two decades, community leaders have been working on bringing the Public Market to Madison. The City of Madison has partnered with the Madison Public Market Foundation to help make our Market a reality.

Check out what community leaders are saying about our Public Market!

Madison Public Market Foundation
In May of 2017, the Madison Public Market Foundation, a non-profit 501(c)3 organization, was created to lead the fundraising efforts and community engagement during the Public Market development phase. Once the doors open, the Foundation will manage the day-to-day operations of the Market. The Foundation will lead vendor selection, the employee hiring process, raise close to $4 million in start-up funding, apply for grants, and work closely with the City on the architectural design.

The Madison Public Market Foundation Board members include:

Karen Crossley (Chair), Community Leader
Sujhey Beisser (Secretary), Park Bank & Five Senses Palate
Jeff Glazer, Clinical Associate Professor, Law & Entrepreneurship Clinic
Laura Heisler, Retired, Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF)
Rachel Kerr, Wisconsin Dairy Farmers
Larry Palm, Madison Metropolitan School District
Anne Reynolds, Madison Public Market Development Committee
James Shulkin, Artist, Chief Brand Officer – Healthcare, Outlier Brands
Willa Schlecht, (Treasurer), Financial Manager, Wisconsin Public Radio Association

Jamaal Stricklin (Chair), SuperCharge! Foods

Staff:
Demi Weisbrod

Consultant:
Amanda White, Consultant (non-Board member)

To help advise the Foundation, a group of diverse community leaders and supporters have formed the Madison Public Market Ambassador Advisory Council.

Members of the Advisory Council include:

• Betty Banks, African American community historian and organizer
• Craig Bartlett, Associate Publisher-Owner, Isthmus Publishing
• Peter Cavi, First Vice President, Merrill Lynch
• Al Cooper, Coordinator, Dane Dances
• Suzanne Fanning, VP of Marketing Communications, Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin
• Greg Frank, VP of Community Relations, Food Fight Restaurant Group
• Peter Gray, Executive Search Consultant
• Alison Helland, Attorney, Boardman & Clark
• Jonny Hunter, Co-Founder, Underground Food Collective
• Ken Monteleone, Owner, Fromagination
• Helen Sarakinos, Executive Director, REAP Food Group
• Trey Sprinkman, Owner, Sprinkman Real Estate
• Steve Suleski, VP Board Relations, CUNA Mutual Group
• Missy Tracy, Municipal Relations Coordinator, Ho Chunk Nation/Ho Chunk Casino

Other Madison Public Market Foundation Committees:

We encourage folks who are interested in getting involved, to join one of our committees. Please contact info@madisonpublicmarket.org for more information. Current committees include:

• • Arts & Cultural Expression, Karen Crossley, Co-Chairs
  • Vendor Selection, Laura Heisler, Chair
  • Governance and Nominating, Sujhey Beisser, Chair
  • Executive Committee, Jamaal Stricklin, Chair
  • Marketing & Events, Leslie Watkins and Rachel Kerr, Co-Chairs

A community-led city committee, the Madison Public Market Development Committee (MPMDC), has been meeting every month to bring us to the point we are today. With the leadership and support of former Mayor Paul Soglin and now Mayor Satya Rhodes-Conway and her team, the MPMDC has made important progress in site selection, creating a business plan, and laying the foundation for the creation of the Market.

Members of the Madison Public Market Development Committee:

Anne Reynolds (Chair)
Barry Orton (Vice Chair)
Alder Syed Abbas
Alder Patrick Heck
Lindsey Day Farnsworth
Tim Gruber
Jeff Glazer
Leslie Peterson
Carrie Sedlak
Katy Stanton
Adam Haen (non-voting)