Bishop appoints two to Catholic Charities board of directors

The Most Reverend Peter F. Christensen, Bishop of the Diocese of Superior, has announced the appointment of two new members of the board of directors of Catholic Charities Bureau. Catholic Charities Bureau provides essential health care, housing and human services to the elderly, people with disabilities, children with special needs, and families living in poverty through 51 programs and services with offices in 23 communities in 16 counties of northern Wisconsin and the Arrowhead region of Minnesota. The board of directors oversees the operations of these programs and coordinates services through nine local boards that guide local operations in each community.

Appointed to the board of directors for three year terms were Renee Wachter, Superior, chancellor of the University of Wisconsin-Superior and Kyle Torvinen, Lake Nebagamon, an attorney with the firm of Knutson, Torvinen, Jones and Kirk of Superior.

Wachter was formerly dean of the School of Business of Truman State College, Missouri, and has been very active as a community volunteer with Rotary, the board of the Girl Scout Council of Eastern Missouri and parish Social Ministries. She is a member of Christ the King Cathedral Parish in Superior. She will serve on the Catholic Charities Bureau Housing Committee, which oversees independent living programs for seniors and people with disabilities in communities in northern Wisconsin and Duluth.

Torvenin, a graduate of St. Scholastica College and Hamline University Law School, is an active community volunteer in his community and parish including service with the Boy Scouts, Cal Ripkin Little League Baseball, and the Izaak Walton League. He has served on several community, parish and corporate boards, and he is a member of St. Anthony’s Parish. Torvinen will serve on the Development Services Committee of Catholic Charities, which oversees the program expansion and capacity building activities of the organization.

Christensen reappointed board members Adam Benson, an attorney from Siren; Patricia Jenson of Gilman, retired public relations specialist; Christine Moeller of Danbury, a retired quality assurance specialist with Kraft Foods; and Pat Pluntz of Solon Springs, executive director of the Lucius Woods Performing Arts Center.

At its recent annual meeting the board of directors re-elected Janet Hanson, Superior, vice chancellor for administration and finance at the University of Wisconsin-Superior to a second one year term as chairwoman of the board and Matt Crowell, vice president of M&I Bank, Ashland, to a second one year term as vice chairman.

Other members of the board of directors include James Kumbera of Three Lakes, Wis., Bluette Puchner of Webster, Alva Rankin of Lake Nebagamon, and Jim Russ and Ron Strasburg of Superior.

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