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Diane Bast [email protected] Diane Bast is a native of Wisconsin and graduate of the University of Wisconsin – Oshkosh. Before retiring from The Heartland Institute in 2018, she served at various times as senior editor, executive editor, finance manager, and website manager. After retirement, she served for one year on the board of directors of Heartland. She served on the board of directors of the Advocates for Self-Government from 2009 to December 2016. She currently serves as webmaster for Appleton Concerned Taxpayers and other nonprofit organizations.
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Joe Bast [email protected] Joseph Bast was born and raised in the Fox Valley, graduated from Kimberly High School, and went to college and had a career in Chicago. After retiring in 2018, he returned to the Fox Valley and currently resides in Appleton’s new Riverheath community. He and his wife, Diane, created the Wisconsin Patriots Toolbox website and are active with Northeast Wisconsin Patriots and Appleton Concerned Taxpayers.
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Deb Blank [email protected] As a graduate of UW-Eau Claire (Psych and French) and UW-Stout (Masters Guidance and Counseling), I had the pleasure of working in the Norwalk, Ontario and Cashton School Districts (WI). We then traveled to Germany for a two-year adventure employed by the Department of Defense Dependents Schools, working with children of servicemen and women stationed abroad, and some of the best educators in the nation. Those two years quickly turned into 26! We came to Appleton due to a family member’s health issues in 2006 and became co-owners of a small business. Fully retired and volunteering now.
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Walter “Burt” Blank [email protected] Walter “Burt” Blank was born in La Crosse, Wisconsin and graduated from UW Eau Claire with BS degree. He earned his Master’s in Education from Boston College. He taught mathematics for six years in Brookwood, Wisconsin, then worked for the U.S. Department of Defense for 26 years in Mannheim Germany. Once back in the United States, he taught for 11 years at Xavier High School in Appleton. He is now retired. He is married to Debra (nee Wyman) of Appleton. |
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Sheri Hartzheim [email protected] Sheri Hartzheim is District 13 Alderperson for the City of Appleton, Wisconsin. She is a retired business owner and manager, bringing to the Common Council a background in business and accounting. She studied mass communications (i.e., journalism) and public relations at UW-Milwaukee. |
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Laura Leimer I am a “native Appletonian” who is lucky enough to be able to reside in the house I grew up in. I worked as a Realtor for almost 40 years, with side interests in freelance photography & history. I am presently serving as Treasurer for the Appleton Historical Society, volunteering at the Appleton Historical Society Museum, & docenting at the Vulcan Hydrolectric Replica during the warmer months.
My husband, Milt, & I have been fortunate enough to be able to extensively travel the world as well as camp thru-out the USA.
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Milt Melander Milton (Milt) Melander was born in San Francisco, Cal., graduated from High School in New York state in 1959, graduated from the University of Maine with a BS in Forest Products with a Botany minor in 1964. He served in the US Air Force from 1964 to 1968 with a year’s duty in Viet Nam in 1965.
Moved to Wisconsin in 1989. He is married to Laura Leimer and is active in the Appleton Historical Society, the Appleton Concerned Taxpayers, enjoys travel, RV camping, history and Natural Sciences. He believes that we can and MUST make a positive change in the world.
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Ed Perkins [email protected] I am a self-made businessman who started, owned, and operated RE-Press Corp., which operated in Milwaukee for 37 years. I previously worked in a variety of industries, mostly doing sales in Wisconsin. I attended UW-Milwaukee, UW-Madison, and several tech schools. In 1964 I graduated from the Lutheran Lay Training Institute and served three years as a lay assistant in the Lutheran Church in Muskogee, Oklahoma. I am now happily retired and spend much of my time volunteering. |
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Mike Thomas [email protected] I joined the Air Force out of high school, graduated from the Air Force Academy in 1968, flew B-52, made Captain, and did two tours in Vietnam in 1971 and 1973. I was a process engineer for Procter & Gamble in the 1970s and ’80s, where I implemented quality control and material handling systems. I subsequently was responsible for operations at several national and regional manufacturers. I was elected to and served on the Outagamie County Board for 26 years. I currently serve as President of Wisconsin Veterans Village. |
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Virgil Van Asten [email protected] After graduating from Appleton East High School I started working in the computer industry and in 1997 I started my own company, Integrated Solutions Inc. For the past 25 years, I have been a business owner in Appleton. My years of working with many different types of businesses in the Fox Valley, helping them improve their efficiency and reduce their operating costs, have given me a lot of insight into the challenges they face and opportunities to make this a better place to raise families and do business. |
