Board of Directors

WFM is managed by volunteer Officers and a Board of Directors.

Anastasia DeMaio, Vice President

Anastasia DeMaio is an emerging museum professional and teaching assistant for the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee’s and Milwaukee Public Museums’ Museum Studies program. She has a BA in Anthropology from Brandeis University and is currently completing her MS in Anthropology and MLIS at UW-Milwaukee.

Prior to her teaching assistant role, her museum industry experience includes positions at the Wisconsin Historical Society, Harvard’s Peabody Museum, the Museum of Science and Industry, and Milwaukee County Historical Society. 

Janean Van Beckum, Treasurer

Janean Van Beckum is the Curator at Milwaukee County Historical Society. As Curator she oversees the care, documentation and interpretation for over 65,000 objects in the Society's permanent collection. Additionally, she oversees exhibits at the Milwaukee Historic Center, Kilbourntown House, Curtain House and Trimborn Farm. Janean holds a B.S. and M.A. in Anthropology with a focus in Historic Archaeology and a Certificate in Museum Studies from UW-Milwaukee.

Before joining MCHS, she was the Curator of Collections and Exhibits at the Tower Heritage Center in West Bend, and worked as the Volunteer Coordinator at Discovery World. 

Lisa Byron

Lisa Byron has been the Development Manager for the Kenosha Public Museums since 2018. She earned a B.A. in Archaeology at the University of Evansville in Indiana and a M.A. in Historical Archaeology at Illinois State University. She also received certificates from UW-Parkside in Nonprofit Management and Fund Development. After graduate school, she worked at the Pabst Mansion and Milwaukee County Historical Society before joining the Kenosha Public Museum Foundation as their Major Gifts and Planned Giving Coordinator in 2015-2016. In 2016-2017, she was the Executive Director of the Kemper Center, a historical and cultural center in Kenosha, Wisconsin.

Michaela Kraft

Tamara Lange

Tamara Lange is the Curator of Collections and Exhibits at the Sheboygan County Museum. As part of this role, she is responsible for guiding care, research, documentation, and storage of the Museum’s 35,000 piece permanent collection, along with the education collection. Additionally, she is responsible for the management of exhibition-related activities for the Museum’s four historic buildings and main museum building.

Blake Opal-Wahoske

Blake Opal-Wahoske is the executive director of the Marathon County Historical Society in Wausau, Wisconsin. He previously served as the executive director of Wausau's Main Street program and is deeply passionate about historic preservation and the economic impact of local history through tourism, placemaking, and the restoration of historic buildings. In addition to his role on the WFM board of directors, he is the vice president of the Center for Visual Arts and a member of the Historic Preservation Commission for the city of Wausau. Opal-Wahoske believes that history is important as it provides context for the present and informs our decisions for the future.

Alyssa Rieger

Alyssa Rieger is an emerging museum professional, currently working as the Collections Assistant at the Milwaukee County Historical Society and as the Anthropology Department Collections Assistant at the Milwaukee Public Museum. She has a BA in Anthropology with certificates in American Indian Studies and Archaeology from UW-Madison. She is currently completing her MS in Anthropology and Museum Studies Graduate Certificate at UW-Milwaukee.

She is passionate about mitigating the curation crisis while increasing public accessibility as well as ethical NAGPRA compliance practices. Alyssa has conducted archaeological fieldwork in Trempealeau, Wisconsin with the Trempealeau Archaeology Project led by Danielle M. Benden and Robert Boszhardt, in 2016, 2017, and 2021.  Prior to her current roles, her museum experience includes positions at the UW-Madison Anthropology Department Collections, Helen Louise Allen Textile Collection, UW-Madison Geology Museum, and the Milwaukee County War Memorial Center.  

Cody Schreck

Cody Schreck serves as the Executive Director of the Ephraim Historical Foundation in Door County. and joined the WFM Board in 2023. He was born and raised just outside of Milwaukee in Lake Country and has been fascinated with local history and the history of Wisconsin from an early age.

Cody received his Master of Arts in History, Museum Studies, and Nonprofit Management from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Before coming to the Ephraim Historical Foundation, he worked with the Milwaukee County Historical Society, the Milwaukee Public Museum, and the Milwaukee Art Museum. He is passionate about utilizing museum collections as a way to make local history more tangible and accessible to communities.

Erica Shrader

Erica Shrader is the Membership and Volunteer Manager at the Betty Brinn Children’s Museum (BBCM) in Milwaukee, WI. She received her Master of Arts in Public History and certificates in Museum Studies and Introductory Non-Profit Management from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

Prior to joining BBCM, Erica worked four years in the childcare profession and aims to utilize museums as a resource for children to cultivate lifelong learners. She also previously worked with the Milwaukee County Historical Society and the Minnesota Children’s Museum.

Jonathan Vega

Jonathan Vega is currently the National History Day Learning Facilitator with the Wisconsin Historical Society. Before coming to the Wisconsin Historical Society, Jonathan taught Middle and High School in multiple districts across the country. His passion is bringing history to life both inside and outside of the classroom. Jonathan obtained his undergraduate degree in Anthropology at University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh and his M.A. in Public History at University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. Jonathan joined the WFM Board in 2024.

Rodney Williams

Rodney is the Director of Visitor Services and Facility Operations at America’s Black Holocaust Museum. He earned a Bachelor of Science in History with a minor in African American Studies from Lander University in Greenwood, South Carolina. He received a Master of Arts in Museum Studies from the University of Oklahoma. He has over 20 years of experience in the nonprofit and community outreach sectors with demonstrated leadership.

Rodney is from South Carolina and has been here in Wisconsin since 2017. Before joining ABHM, Rodney worked at the Greenwood Family YMCA, the Edgefield Co. Sheriff’s Office, and Greenville Co. Parks and Recreation. Rodney joined the WFM Board in 2025.