We Raise Foundation Welcomes Three New Members to its Board of Directors

Itasca, IL – We Raise Foundation is pleased to announce the addition of three new members to its board of directors, each for a three-year term, which started on January 1, 2024:

Mr. Bruce Laning, Milwaukee, Wis.
Ms. Amy Vie, Chicago, Ill.
Ms. Christine Zrinsky, Chicago, Ill.

“We Raise is honored to welcome three dedicated, experienced leaders to the board of directors,” said Paul Miles, President/CEO of We Raise Foundation. “As we look to expand our impact to those organizations and communities we serve, Bruce, Amy, and Christine will be important voices in our continuing pursuit of being the hands and feet of Jesus in under-resourced neighborhoods. We are confident that their contributions to our work will improve and expand our foundation.”

Mr. Bruce Laning is a Managing Director at Wealthspire Advisors in Milwaukee, Wis. In addition to his leadership role, Laning works directly with clients as a wealth advisor helping them navigate complex investment issues and providing perspective and expertise in managing taxable and retirement portfolios, family offices, retirement plans, and endowments.

A self-described “servant leader,” Laning encourages employees to grow and develop into seasoned client-centric team members. Leveraging more than 30 years of experience in the financial services and investment advisory field, Laning is a frequent speaker and media resource regarding the economy and investment markets. Active in his community, he is also a member of the Milwaukee Analysts Society, a member of the Board of Directors at Valparaiso University, Valparaiso, Ind., and a Trustee for the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra’s endowment fund.

Ms. Amy Vie has a diverse work experience in the healthcare industry. Vie began her career as a registered nurse in neurosurgery at Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood, Ill. She then transitioned into pharmaceutical sales, starting at the American Medical Association as a national account manager. Vie later worked for Pfizer Pharmaceuticals and Johnson & Johnson in various positions.

Following her time at Johnson & Johnson, Vie joined Baxter Healthcare, a biopharmaceutical company, as Regional Sales Director for Anesthesia and Critical Care, and then became Regional Business Director for Rare Disease. Vie continued her career at Baxalta (a spinoff of Baxter) as Director of Commercial Effectiveness for the Hematology Franchise. She then joined Shire, a biotechnology research organization that was later acquired by Takeda, where she served as Vice President of U.S. Institutional Sales for the Hematology Franchise.

Vie currently works for Alimera Sciences, a global pharmaceutical company, as Regional Sales Director. She graduated from Valparaiso University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing and, since 2012, has served on the Valparaiso Board of Directors.

Ms. Christine Zrinsky serves as Executive Director of the Millennium Park Foundation in Chicago and is dedicated to enhancing and maintaining the Park’s beauty and grandeur. Prior to joining the Millennium Park team, Zrinsky held a variety of positions during her 27+ years at Chicago’s Lincoln Park Zoo and was named Senior Vice President for Development and Government Relations in February 2018. She and her team raised funds to keep the zoo free and promoted innovative initiatives through annual giving, institutional giving, sponsorship, principal and planned gifts, and membership.

A 1986 graduate of Valparaiso University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism, Zrinsky held her first fundraising position at the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. She has received several awards recognizing her fundraising accomplishments and her volunteer service, including the Alumni Service Award from Valparaiso’s Alumni Association, and the President’s Award for Outstanding Volunteer Service from the Association of Lutheran Development Executives (now Association of Christian Fundraising).

In other We Raise board news, Mr. Mark Duesenberg, Rocky River, Ohio, was re-elected as chair, Rev. Dr. Gerald Mansholt, Appleton, Wis., was elected as vice chair, and Mrs. Christine Messerschmidt, Tower Lakes, Ill., was 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-added 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.