Russell Star Lack
Russell Star Lack served his Economic Development fellowship at the Metropolitan Milwaukee Fair Housing Council while pursuing a dual Master of Science in Urban Studies and Library and Information Science at UWM. After graduation he moved to the University of California, Berkeley to pursue a PhD/JD in Jurisprudence & Social Policy. Prior to his time at UWM, Russell received his BA in History from Carleton College where he collaborated with the University of Minnesota’s Mapping Prejudice project on an award-winning story map, tracking the suburbanization of North Minneapolis’ Jewish community. He served two AmeriCorps terms of service. The first was at Neighborworks Home Partners, a community development corporation based in St. Paul, the second at Chicago Rehab Network, a citywide coalition of neighborhood and community-based development organizations. He subsequently worked at Spanish Coalition for Housing, a Chicago-based housing counseling agency.
Amber Wycklendt
Amber Wycklendt received her Bachelor of Science in Construction Engineering and Management from Marquette University. After several years as a project manager, she accepted an AmeriCorps fellowship, serving with FIRST Robotics. Through this program, she learned about the many struggles faced by underserved communities and decided to continue this education and pursuit of service by enrolling in the Masters of Urban Planning program at UW-Milwaukee. Through her fellowship with the Department of Urban Planning as well as the Department of City Development at the City of Milwaukee, she researched last-mile solutions (FlexRide Milwaukee in particular), updated zoning codes, and assisted with the Homes MKE Program. Through this work, she increased her understanding of the intersection of housing choices, transportation, and access to job opportunities.
Nichole Crust
Nichole Crust served as the KIVA Lead for the Milwaukee Market during her time in the UWM Economic Development Fellows program, building Kiva’s base of lenders and borrowers. Prior to this, she worked at Hunger Task Force where she developed and monitored the organization’s pantries, soup kitchens, and shelters. Nichole graduated from Cairn University with a Bachelor of Science in Biblical Studies and received a Master’s in Sustainable Peacebuilding at UWM. Following her Economic Development fellowship, she took a position at KIVA Greater Madison.
Katie Bennett
Katie Bennett assisted with the City of Milwaukee’s $1 Vacant Side Lot Program while serving as an Economic Development fellow. The program encourages community members to reuse and reinvest in vacant city-owned lots as a way to enhance their own property values and strengthen their neighborhoods. Katie earned a dual Master of
Science in Urban Planning and Public Administration at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Prior to her graduate studies at UWM, she earned a B.S. in Urban and Regional Planning, with a specialization in Women, Gender, and Social Justice, at Michigan State University. As a Peace Corps Volunteer in Moldova, Katie worked as a Community and Organizational Development Advisor and as staff for a civic engagement and youth leadership development camp. She also worked to raise awareness about human-trafficking and prevention methods throughout Moldova.
Andrea Luecke
Andrea Luecke earned a Master of Science in nonprofit management and leadership through the Lubar School of Business at UWM. She served her Economic Development fellowship at the City of Milwaukee’s Office of Environmental Sustainability (now ECO) where she ran Milwaukee Shines, a program to facilitate solar energy adoption at the local level. Prior to that she served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Morocco, where she worked in Small Business Development. She helped to lead a women’s Argan (tree) oil cooperative and leather embroidery association in rural Morocco toward more community-sustaining business practices. After her fellowship, she became Executive Director of The Solar Foundation in Washington, D.C., a national research and education nonprofit focused on driving the adoption of solar energy worldwide.