Meet the Board
Kathryn Berger | Interim CEO
Kathryn Berger is a seasoned leader with more than 25 years of experience advancing economic and community development throughout Southeastern Wisconsin, with a strong track record in historic preservation. Most recently, she served as Interim President and CEO of the Wisconsin Economic Development Association (WEDA), guiding its strategic vision and overseeing the transition to new leadership. Prior to WEDA, Kathryn led marketing and regional development at CG Schmidt, Inc., where she was involved in historic preservation projects, and at the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC), she administered state historic tax credits that leveraged over $845 million for historic redevelopment.
Charles Williams, Treasurer | Oshkosh, WI | Member since 1994
Charles received his B.A. in History at the University of Colorado and then attended the University of Wisconsin Law School in Madison. In his law career, he often works with estate planning and uses his knowledge to help identify sites for rehabilitation and preservation as well as helping to procure Historic Tax Credits. Charles also has extensive knowledge of the several historic properties located throughout the state, and has worked on several historic preservation projects, especially in the city of Oshkosh.
Mark Ernst | Milwaukee, WI | Former President
Mark is an architect at Engberg Anderson Architects and has been interested in cities and historical buildings since a young age. His firm has worked on several restoration and adaptive reuse projects and brings this experience to the WTHP. Mark is also active in the Congress of New Urbanism and the ULI (Urban Land Institute).
Wisconsin Trust for Historic Preservation Board Members. Alexandra Ramsey, Charles Williams, Annemarie Sawkins, and Mark Ernst.
Tom Mudrovich | Wausau, WI | Member since 2003
Tom started his firm, Mudrovich Architects, 30 years ago in downtown Wausau. His architecture career has always involved preservation and his firm’s work with restoring and renovating historic buildings drew him to the WTHP. Tom has also been involved with the Wausau Preservation Commission for over 12 years.
Eugene Hackbarth | DePere, WI | Member since 2009
Eugene (Gene) Hackbarth is a proud resident of De Pere, Wisconsin, and has represented Northeast Wisconsin on the WTHP for over 15 years.
In order to fulfill his passion for retaining Wisconsin’s cultural heritage through education and supporting the owners of historic sites, he volunteers as a member of DePere’s Historic Preservation Commission and the city’s Main Street Program. He also serves on the Board of Directors for the Brown County Trust for Historic Preservation, the Wisconsin Association of Historic Preservation Commissions, and the Heritage Hill State Park Corporation.
Annemarie Sawkins | Shorewood, WI | Member since 2013
Annemarie Sawkins, PhD, is an independent curator, art historian, and art consultant born in Durham, England. Two years after moving to Milwaukee in 1995, she became a HMI (Historic Milwaukee, Inc.) guide and in 2009 and 2011, she taught the architectural history classes for HMI’s guide training, and selected properties for the groups popular Spaces ‘n Traces architecture tours. In 2019, she established an intern program with Marquette University which enables students to work directly with the Trust and earn valuable experience in the preservation world.
Casey Ernsting | Milwaukee, WI | Member since 2018
Casey was drawn to the WTHP due to its dedication and enthusiasm to protect places that matter. He also finds several parallels between his work in strategy & marketing and the goals of historic preservation. Just as Casey helps clients establish compelling brands through stories, historic preservation celebrates storytelling to connect and cultivate a strong cultural identity. Casey enjoys listening to podcasts to stay in the loop on urban development and the design world.
Jen Davel | Madison, WI | Member since 2024
Jen is the Midwest Director for Heritage Consulting Group, a national historic preservation consulting firm that specializes in securing historic tax credit approvals for the rehabilitation of historic properties. With more than 25 years in historic rehabilitation projects, Jen enjoys educating building owners about the historic tax credit program and the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards. Prior to joining Heritage, Jen worked in the Wisconsin State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) as Deputy SHPO and Tax Credit Reviewer. Jen received a Bachelor of Arts in Architecture from the University of Minnesota, and a Master of Architecture with a certificate in Preservation Studies from the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee.
Mary Gruhl | Bayview, WI | Member since 2023
Mary Gruhl is a dedicated resident of Bayview. Since her retirement, she has become deeply involved in the preservation of historical buildings on the Bayfield Peninsula. As President of the Washburn Heritage Association since 2021, she has worked tirelessly to protect and promote the area’s rich history. In addition to this, Mary has served as the Treasurer of the Bayview History Committee since 2019, a role in which she played a key part in the restoration of the last remaining train depot on the peninsula. She is also the Chair of the Friends of the R.D. Pike Building, Inc., an organization committed to restoring and preserving the iconic R.D. Pike Building (built in 1897 as part of the Les Voigt Fish Hatchery).
Before retiring, Mary had a distinguished career in research at Mount Sinai Medical Hospital in Milwaukee (now Aurora Sinai Medical Center) for 10 years. She later pursued her passion for science, earning a doctorate in Molecular Biology from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Mary's diverse experience and unwavering commitment to preserving the history of the Bayfield Peninsula make her a respected figure in both her community and the field of historical preservation.