We Raise Foundation Adds Christine Messerschmidt to its Board of Directors; Welcomes the Return of Rev. Wayne Miller
Itasca, IL – We Raise Foundation is pleased to announce that it recently elected Mrs. Christine Messerschmidt, Barrington, Ill., to join its national board of directors. We Raise also welcomes the return of Rev. Wayne Miller, Chicago, Ill., for a second term on the board.
“We are delighted to welcome Christine Messerschmidt to the board of directors and welcome back Rev. Wayne Miller for a second term,” said Paul Miles, president and CEO of We Raise Foundation. “Both of these exceptional people have unique life experiences that will make We Raise a more impactful partner in the work of creating healthy communities. Christine brings our organization financial acumen and a closer relationship with Thrivent Financial, a longtime supporter of our work. Wayne’s long history of serving in the Chicagoland area through his leadership as the immediate past bishop of the Metro Chicago Synod of the ELCA is invaluable to our work. While each is blessed with particular skills and knowledge, they both share a passionate commitment to people, recognizing that putting one’s faith in action requires us to be proximate to those we serve. We are fortunate to count them as leaders in our work.”
Messerschmidt has served as an associate at Thrivent Financial, Barrington, Ill., since 2010. In partnership with her husband, John, they work with over 400 families and manage approximately $43 million in investments. Additionally, they help clients build, manage, and preserve wealth with an emphasis on asset management and asset protection. They also focus on investment management, retirement income strategies, and legacy planning. Prior to Thrivent, Messerschmidt worked in the banking industry with Northern Trust, LaSalle National Bank, and Westpac. She is an active member of Lutheran Church of the Atonement in Barrington and served as membership chair on the executive committee for the local Boy Scout troop.
Rev. Miller previously served one term on the We Raise board of directors from 2013-16. He served as bishop of the Metropolitan Chicago Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) from September 2007 until his retirement in 2019. Rev. Miller was a member of the ELCA Conference of Bishops Task Force on Immigration Reform, and chair of the committee on Ministry Among People in Poverty. Prior to his election, Rev. Miller served as the senior pastor at St. Mark’s Lutheran Church in Aurora, Ill., from 1994-2007. He has been an adjunct instructor of Christian Thought at Aurora University, Aurora, Ill.; a founding board member of Suicide Prevention Services of the Fox Valley, Batavia, Ill.; and a member and presenter for a special judicial commission on Domestic Violence in the Faith Community.
In other We Raise board news, Mr. Andrew Steele, Springfield, Ohio, was elected as chair, Mr. Greg Jordan, Naperville, Ill., was elected as vice chair, and Mrs. Monique Nunes, Bronxville, N.Y., was re-elected as secretary.
About We Raise Foundation
Motivated by the belief that freedom is grace in action (Galatians 5:1a), We Raise Foundation partners with Christian nonprofit organizations and emerging leaders working at the intersection of poverty, violence, and inequality. We have a preference for funding solutions within the areas of education, workforce development, and criminal justice and employ a unique approach to our investing by coupling program funding with a variety of robust value-added services that empower our grantees to grow their solutions. As a result of these value-add services, every $1 that donors invest through We Raise multiplies into more than double the benefit to the organizations we support. To learn more, please visit weraise.org. You can also find We Raise on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
