BOARD OF DIRECTORS
2021-2022
2021-2022
OFFICERS
Karla Ott, President: B.A. in Political Science and Behavioral Science and Law, University of Wisconsin-Madison; graduate of University of Wisconsin-Madison Law School. Native Wisconsinite, born near Lancaster in Grant County on a dairy farm; has lived in Mount Horeb, both inside and outside the Village, since 1989. Area of law practice are non-litigation general practice, estate planning, real estate, special needs works, not-for-profit formation and business. Husband teaches high school math in Mount Horeb, three accomplished children (Alina, Austen and Allesandra). Has served on numerous boards and committees, including Perry Evangelical Lutheran Church, the Mount Horeb Area Education Foundation, Inc., Gators Swim Team, Children's Community School, the Gonstead Clinic, the Mount Horeb Area Chamber of Commerce, Friends of the Mt Horeb Public Library, The Board of Trustees for the Mount Horeb Public Library, and the Mount Horeb Area Historical Society. Hobbies and interests include cooking, sewing, needlework, gardening and prairie restoration. Returning Board member.
David Schmidt, Vice President: Graduated from Ladysmith H.S. in northern Wisconsin. B.S from the University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire. Employed by the Chicago & Northwestern Railroad for 21 years in middle and upper management. Worked and lived for two years in Guadalajara, Mexico assisting the Ferromex Railroad, of which Union Pacific was a partner. After 37 years of service retired in 2011 and moved to Mount Horeb with wife, Lois, who is a volunteer at the museum. Two daughters and three granddaughters. Member of the Mount Horeb Area and Chicago and Northwestern Historical Societies. Currently serves as a member of the Town of Springdale Plan Commission and MHAHS Building & Grounds Committee. Hobbies include woodworking, golf, watching Badger football and basketball games and the 13-time World Champion Green Bay Packers. Returning Board member.
Karla Ott, President: B.A. in Political Science and Behavioral Science and Law, University of Wisconsin-Madison; graduate of University of Wisconsin-Madison Law School. Native Wisconsinite, born near Lancaster in Grant County on a dairy farm; has lived in Mount Horeb, both inside and outside the Village, since 1989. Area of law practice are non-litigation general practice, estate planning, real estate, special needs works, not-for-profit formation and business. Husband teaches high school math in Mount Horeb, three accomplished children (Alina, Austen and Allesandra). Has served on numerous boards and committees, including Perry Evangelical Lutheran Church, the Mount Horeb Area Education Foundation, Inc., Gators Swim Team, Children's Community School, the Gonstead Clinic, the Mount Horeb Area Chamber of Commerce, Friends of the Mt Horeb Public Library, The Board of Trustees for the Mount Horeb Public Library, and the Mount Horeb Area Historical Society. Hobbies and interests include cooking, sewing, needlework, gardening and prairie restoration. Returning Board member.
David Schmidt, Vice President: Graduated from Ladysmith H.S. in northern Wisconsin. B.S from the University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire. Employed by the Chicago & Northwestern Railroad for 21 years in middle and upper management. Worked and lived for two years in Guadalajara, Mexico assisting the Ferromex Railroad, of which Union Pacific was a partner. After 37 years of service retired in 2011 and moved to Mount Horeb with wife, Lois, who is a volunteer at the museum. Two daughters and three granddaughters. Member of the Mount Horeb Area and Chicago and Northwestern Historical Societies. Currently serves as a member of the Town of Springdale Plan Commission and MHAHS Building & Grounds Committee. Hobbies include woodworking, golf, watching Badger football and basketball games and the 13-time World Champion Green Bay Packers. Returning Board member.
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John Swartz, Secretary: B.S., Business Management, Bradley University; 38 years experience in a variety of business management positions, most recently as Vice President of Operations, Conney Safety Products, Madison. Retired in 2007 and moved to the Mount Horeb area. Served as Moderator and Chairman for various church boards and committees, professional societies, and non-profit organizations. Lives in Mount Horeb area with his wife, Jan. Returning Board member.
Roger Deterding, Treasurer: B.A. Industrial Technology, Illinois State University; ChFC American College of Financial Services. 10 years as a Financial Advisor for Thrivent Financial of Mt. Horeb; 14 years as owner/operator of Spectrum Printing, LLC of Little Falls, MN; 10 years as manager/owner of Maco Business Forms, Peoria, IL. Previously served on the Board of Directors for the Alzheimer’s Association of Southwest Wisconsin, and Habitat for Humanity of Morrison County, MN; served as Treasurer for Immanuel Lutheran Church in Mount Horeb. Returning Board member. |
Front (l to r): David Schmidt, Joel Skalet, Rowan Childs and Roger Deterding. Back (l to r): John Swartz, Lori Midthun, Karla Ott, John Buechner and Peter Riphahn.
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BOARD MEMBERS
John Buechner: Lifelong resident of Mount Horeb; graduated from Mount Horeb High School. B.S. in Business Administration from Upper Iowa University. Married to Mary (Ibinger) Buechner; two daughters, Rachel and Hope. Rachel lives in Mount Horeb and has 2 sons (Dominic and Winston); Hope attends UW Stout. Parents (Ralph and Beverly Buechner) and grandparents (William and Anne Birrenkott and Joseph and Christine Buechner) all lived and were business owners in Mount Horeb. 2 sisters and 6 brothers.
While attending school, John also worked as a salesperson for F.E. Seybold Flooring until 1989. In 1989, he went to work for Sullivan Brothers, Inc., as an estimator/project manager. He joined Austad & Son, Inc. in 2001 and eventually bought into the company as an owner. He was the Vice President and an estimator/project manager with Austad & Son until he sold the company with his business partner; then continued to work for the new owners until a fall 2019 retirement. John served as a Village Board Member for one term and was a member of the Mount Horeb Volunteer Fire Department for 28 years. New Board member.
Rowan Childs has been part of our community for 13 years as a resident, and most recently as the Village Economic Development Director. She has a background in business development, entrepreneurship, and marketing. Rowan is the founder and Executive Director of literacy nonprofit Madison Reading Project and has served on a variety of other boards in the past. She has a passion for community and enjoys working everyday towards the betterment of our village and area. New Board Member.
Lori Midthun has family roots that run deep in Mount Horeb and Springdale. She spent much of her career in the Seattle area where she led non-profit organizations similar in size to MHAHS. There, Lori served on the boards of multiple local and state-wide organizations. Lori has been a part of a small staff charged with opening a new museum and state park. Several years ago, Lori and her family (husband Stuart, children ages 9 & 10) relocated to Mount Horeb where they have been reconnecting with old friends and making new ones. New Board member.
Peter Riphahn: B.A., Residential Design, University of Wisconsin-Stout, Wausau Technical Institute; 50 years experience in residential and commercial building planning; member and officer of professional and fraternal organizations; previous owner/operator of local lumber company. Lives in Mount Horeb with his wife, Carol. Returning Board member.
Joel Skalet is a Lifelong member of the Mount Horeb Community and graduate of Mount Horeb High School. He is a University of Wisconsin Alumni with a degree in Geography and an emphasis in Cartography. Joel has been employed by the United States Geological Survey for 28 years as a Cartographer and currently serves as the National Point of Contact for the National Hydrography Dataset. His home office is the National Geospatial Technical Operations Center in Denver, CO. He also assists the MH School District as a part time Bus Driver. His family includes wife, Sue, an Interpreter for the Hearing Impaired employed currently by the Oregon School District and children, Calvin, graduate of UW Oshkosh and employed by Wolters Kluwer in Madison, Leah, student at UW Oshkosh, and Austin, student at Madison College. A member of Immanuel Lutheran Church, Joel leads music for the Contemporary Worship Praise Band. He also assists the local YoungLife organization with Fund Raising as a member of the YoungLife Annual Golf Outing committee and Dessert Fundraiser. New Board member.
John Buechner: Lifelong resident of Mount Horeb; graduated from Mount Horeb High School. B.S. in Business Administration from Upper Iowa University. Married to Mary (Ibinger) Buechner; two daughters, Rachel and Hope. Rachel lives in Mount Horeb and has 2 sons (Dominic and Winston); Hope attends UW Stout. Parents (Ralph and Beverly Buechner) and grandparents (William and Anne Birrenkott and Joseph and Christine Buechner) all lived and were business owners in Mount Horeb. 2 sisters and 6 brothers.
While attending school, John also worked as a salesperson for F.E. Seybold Flooring until 1989. In 1989, he went to work for Sullivan Brothers, Inc., as an estimator/project manager. He joined Austad & Son, Inc. in 2001 and eventually bought into the company as an owner. He was the Vice President and an estimator/project manager with Austad & Son until he sold the company with his business partner; then continued to work for the new owners until a fall 2019 retirement. John served as a Village Board Member for one term and was a member of the Mount Horeb Volunteer Fire Department for 28 years. New Board member.
Rowan Childs has been part of our community for 13 years as a resident, and most recently as the Village Economic Development Director. She has a background in business development, entrepreneurship, and marketing. Rowan is the founder and Executive Director of literacy nonprofit Madison Reading Project and has served on a variety of other boards in the past. She has a passion for community and enjoys working everyday towards the betterment of our village and area. New Board Member.
Lori Midthun has family roots that run deep in Mount Horeb and Springdale. She spent much of her career in the Seattle area where she led non-profit organizations similar in size to MHAHS. There, Lori served on the boards of multiple local and state-wide organizations. Lori has been a part of a small staff charged with opening a new museum and state park. Several years ago, Lori and her family (husband Stuart, children ages 9 & 10) relocated to Mount Horeb where they have been reconnecting with old friends and making new ones. New Board member.
Peter Riphahn: B.A., Residential Design, University of Wisconsin-Stout, Wausau Technical Institute; 50 years experience in residential and commercial building planning; member and officer of professional and fraternal organizations; previous owner/operator of local lumber company. Lives in Mount Horeb with his wife, Carol. Returning Board member.
Joel Skalet is a Lifelong member of the Mount Horeb Community and graduate of Mount Horeb High School. He is a University of Wisconsin Alumni with a degree in Geography and an emphasis in Cartography. Joel has been employed by the United States Geological Survey for 28 years as a Cartographer and currently serves as the National Point of Contact for the National Hydrography Dataset. His home office is the National Geospatial Technical Operations Center in Denver, CO. He also assists the MH School District as a part time Bus Driver. His family includes wife, Sue, an Interpreter for the Hearing Impaired employed currently by the Oregon School District and children, Calvin, graduate of UW Oshkosh and employed by Wolters Kluwer in Madison, Leah, student at UW Oshkosh, and Austin, student at Madison College. A member of Immanuel Lutheran Church, Joel leads music for the Contemporary Worship Praise Band. He also assists the local YoungLife organization with Fund Raising as a member of the YoungLife Annual Golf Outing committee and Dessert Fundraiser. New Board member.