Nanci Micke
President
Retired VP of Marketing and Communications for United Way Fox Cities. Nanci enjoys being on the Development Committee for the Friends Board and is excited about the plans for the library's building project. Nanci volunteers with the Community Clothes Closet, Fox Cities Convention and Visitors Bureau Grant Committee, American Cancer Society Sole Burner, the Tri-County Multicultural Communications Committee and Wisconsibs.
Chuck Erickson
Vice President
Chuck Erickson is an Independent Educational Consultant & College Achievement Coach at College Connectors in Appleton, WI. He helps students and families navigate the college search and application process; Chuck is in his seventh year in this role. He graduated from Lawrence University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Spanish and a Bachelor of Music degree in Choral/General Music Education. He also attended Iowa State University where he earned a Master of Education degree in Educational Leadership & Policy Studies with a focus in Higher Education/Student Affairs. Before working as an Independent Educational Consultant, Chuck served as Associate Director of Admissions at Lawrence University for over 10 years.
Erin Chudacoff
Secretary
Erin Chudacoff is a donor relations professional who specializes in higher education philanthropy and stewardship. She currently serves Lawrence University Executive Director of Donor Engagement. Erin is a community volunteer and advocate. In addition to her role on the Friends board, she is a member of Leadership Fox Cities steering committee and Lightning Gridiron Club Board. Served as a United Way impact area volunteer for eight years. Erin graduated from Lawrence University with a major in anthropology. After graduation she worked for the University of Wisconsin-Madison Graduate School in the Office of Diversity Resources.
Holly Burr
Treasurer
Holly Burr is the current Executive Director of Finance for the Appleton Area School District. With over 18 years in public K-12 finance, Holly has again made the Fox Valley her family's home. Holly has a bachelor's degree in accounting from UW-Green Bay and a master's degree in educational leadership from UW Milwaukee. Volunteering for various organizations has always been a passion and over the years has included both civic organizations such as booster clubs as her sons were growing up and professional organizations such as the Wisconsin Association of School Business Officials where she is a past president. Holly is very excited to be part of the Friends of Appleton Public Library organization.
Mitesh Ajmera
Mitesh Ajmera grew up in India where Public Libraries were scarce, shaping his deep appreciation for their role in empowering communities. As a Board Member, he champions their mission to support access to knowledge and connection. Professionally, Mitesh is an Entrepreneur and Investor in Technology and Real Estate. As Principal at Ajmera Holdings, he invests in transformative ventures, including ChargeFellow, an EV charging solutions provider, startup ventures, and real estate development projects. Previously, Mitesh served as the Sales Head for Commercial Banking at Citibank India and later built software companies like Feecounter, a pioneering digital payments platform for education, and Torus Tech Company, specializing in software solutions. Dedicated to giving back, he also serves on the Board of the Outagamie Waupaca Library System.
Lee Allinger
Appleton Area School District’s Lee Allinger was selected in the spring of 2007 as Superintendent of Wisconsin's sixth largest school district. Lee is a native of Appleton who attended Appleton schools and raised his own family here. He served as a teacher, principal, assistant superintendent, and deputy superintendent for 23 years prior to becoming Appleton’s Superintendent. Lee has a total of 33 years dedicated to the Appleton Area School District. In retirement he maintains positive relationships with the community and currently serves on the boards of the Community Early Learning Center, Mielke Family Foundation, Friends of the Appleton Public Library, Lawrence University Community Advisory, and Basic Needs Giving Partnership Grants.
Priscilla Daniels
Community volunteer for over 25 years. Retired from Robert W. Baird. Also, a long-time Board member of the Fox Valley Symphony Orchestra. Daniels has an MLIS from the University of Oklahoma. Currently she serves as Chair of the Friends of Appleton Public Library: Development Committee.
Kirsten Finlayson
One of Kirsten's first accomplishments upon moving to Appleton in 2009 was to obtain library cards for herself and her family. Reading is one of the primary extracurricular activities taking place in her home, as evidenced by the rather wild and untended yard. Kirsten, a lawyer at Chubb Insurance for 20 years, pioneered the remote workplace model well before Covid required it. Kirsten's work and travel have taken her to Asia, Europe, Central America and more, but she is delighted to call Appleton home. Some of her favorite books include: An American Childhood, Gilead, and My Brilliant Friend.
Don Hietpas
Retired Chief Financial Officer of the Appleton Area School District. Former officer of Valley King Incorporated, a franchise of Burger King. Former member of the Appleton Area School District Board of Education. Various other non-profit Boards.
Cassie McDonald
Cassie McDonald is thrilled to be on the Friends of the Appleton Public Library Board. She is the Sr. Manager, Community Relations at Harbor House Domestic Abuse Programs, Inc. and has worked in the nonprofit arena for over 10 years. Libraries hold a special place in her heart as they are beacons of hope for so many members in the community.
Kayla McNamara
Kayla McNamara is a servant leader with 18 years of experience strengthening communities through collaborative partnerships and systems-level impact. She is the Incoming Director of Hope & Help Together, an initiative offering advocacy, referrals, education, and support services for Newcomers to the Fox Valley area. Kayla holds a master’s degree in Organizational Leadership and Administration and was named to Insight Magazine’s 40 Under 40 in 2023 for her leadership and community service.
John Ptacek
John Ptacek is a Cloud Architect at Breakthrough Fuel, headquartered in Green Bay, Wisconsin, and a US Venture company. He graduated undergraduate from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a degree in Applied Mathematics, Engineering and Physics and received a Masters degree in Nuclear Engineering and Engineering Physics from Madison. He grew up reading at the library in his hometown of Fontana, WI and his children grew up reading at the Appleton Public Library. He is grateful for the role libraries have played in the communities he has been part of.
B. Sridhar
Dr. Balakuntalam S. Sridhar, Management Professor (Eneritus) at University of Wisconsin – Oshkosh. Ph.D. in organizational theory and organizational behavior from The Ohio State University. As a senior executive in multinational corporations Sridhar has practiced all facets of human resource management. Sridhar is a consultant and trainer in strategic planning, leadership, and his clientele include several Fortune 500 multinationals in the U.S. and Europe, local businesses, and nonprofits. Currently, Sridhar is the Governor of Rotary District 6220. He was the founding president of IndUS of Fox Valley (2001-2007), President of Oshkosh Area United Way (2008) and President of Rotary Club of Appleton (2015-16). He serves on several boards for nonprofit organizations. Sridhar and his wife Dr. Sandhya Sridhar, a retired management professor, live in Appleton Wisconsin. Sridhars love volunteering, books, music and travel.