Name Grant Award – 2025
Given in Honor of:
Diana Moran Sanchez Thundercloud & Lema Kabashi
The La Crosse Branch was fortunate this year to award two Name Grants, announced at the April 12, 2025, branch meeting. The honorees are Lema Kabashi and Diana Moran Thundercloud.
Lema is finishing her first of two years as branch president. She is an outstanding president: energetic, enthusiastic, and well-organized. Despite her full-time position as a faculty member at UWL, she was willing to accept the nomination as president-elect, then president. Each month she researches and writes about timely and important issues for The Current. Lema is an outstanding leader who runs effective board and general meetings.
Diana’s nominator wrote that she is “. . . a woman who is passionate about helping others and dedicated to the AAUW mission of advancing equity for women and girls.” Diana is the La Crosse Branch Public Policy Chair. In that position she writes informative Public Policy articles for the branch newsletter and attends AAUW-WI Public Policy meetings to stay abreast of updates on elections, laws, and rulings at the state and national levels. Diana is also a member of the branch D E I committee and has presented programs at general meetings on that topic. She represents AAUW on the La Crosse Coulee Region Immigration Advisory Council and other organizations. Diana was one of the first panelists for the International Women’s Day Celebration, sponsored by AAUW and other local agencies.
A donation to the AAUW National Greatest Needs Fund will be given in honor of these two women. Thank you to their nominators, Robert Richardson and Erica Koonmen, as well as to the volunteers on the selection committee, Betty Kruck and Ann Brice.
Name Grant Award – 2024
Given in Honor of: June Reinert
June Reinert was awarded the 2024 Name Grant at the April 13 branch meeting. June was recognized for her tireless work as AAUW-La Crosse Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Chair. Although she has been a member since 2011, she became very active in 2021, when AAUW national began its emphasis on DEI. Our branch needed a DEI Chair and June was an excellent fit for that position, based on her work as Director of Disability Resource Services at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse. June has taken her DEI Chair position very seriously, building a DEI Committee and defining goals and objectives for the group. She writes a monthly newsletter article about DEI issues, attends AAUW-WI DEI policy meetings on Zoom, and works with branch Program VicePresidents to assure that DEI initiatives are regularly included in monthly meetings. She has given presentations herself or coordinated with other committee members to speak at branch meetings. June has reached out to additional local organizations to collaborate in promoting DEI. She is a staunch advocate for creating an awareness and breaking down barriers. AAUW-La Crosse has awarded the Name Grant yearly since 1960. Please see the last pages of your Membership Directly for a list of past recipients. Funds are donated from the La Crosse Branch to AAUW national in the name of the annual recipient(s).
Name Grant Award – 2023
Given in Honor of: Barb Fischer
At the April 15 Annual Meeting, held via Zoom, Barb Fischer was honored with the 2023 AAUW-La Crosse Name Grant. One nominator said: “Barb has stepped up to contribute to the La Crosse branch ever since she joined. She started out by taking on the branch website (www.aauwlacrosse.org) updating and maintenance. She has spent a lot of time re-imagining what needs to be on the website and making it attractive to members. Recently, in an effort to increase traffic to it, she created a quiz with the answers being found only on the website!” In 2020, when we were unable to hold our annual fundraising Art Fair on the Green in person, Barb undertook the huge project of creating the Art Fair website (www.artfaironthegreen.org). She posted information about all of the artists and photos of their pieces. The site can be searched in three ways: by artist’s name, by booth number, and by medium. She continues to update the website, even though we are back to holding the physical Art Fair. Another of Barb’s nominators indicated, “Barb also just fills in and helps wherever needed. She appears at the Art Fair with items that she knows will be needed at the concession area. She is constantly aware of people and places that need attention.” In 2022, Barb was elected Vice President, Membership. She writes articles for each issue of The Current and notifies us all about new members. Barb has created a membership committee to assist with fresh ideas regarding recruitment and retention. The AAUW-La Crosse Branch has awarded the Name Grant each year since 1960 to a member who has provided exemplary service to the association. A donation is sent to AAUW national in the honoree’s name.
Name Grant Award – 2022
Given in Honor of: Joan Koonman
by Jan Eriksen, Chair
At the April 9 meeting, Joan Koonmen was awarded the 2021-2022 AAUW La Crosse Name Grant in recognition of her work for the branch. Joan first joined the branch in 1956 as a young mother of two. She was active over the next several years, participating in study groups as well as sewing outfits for her daughter to model in AAUW fashion show fundraisers and designing posters for AAUW children’s theater productions. Most notable, however, is that Joan served as the first chair of Art Fair on the Green.
Joan and her family (which now included five children) moved away from the area in 1968. She returned in 2013 and re-joined AAUW La Crosse. The 2021-2022 Name Grant Committee — consisting of Betty Kruck, Carol Robertson, and me – thought it especially appropriate to recognize Joan and her contributions to our branch’s legacy as we celebrate our 100-year anniversary.
The Name Grant has been awarded annually for the past 61 years to a branch member who has provided exemplary service to the La Crosse Branch. A donation is sent to the national office of AAUW in the recipient’s honor. Previous Name Grant honorees are listed near the end of each year’s membership directory.
Name Grants 2020-2021.
The 2020-2021 Name Grant recipients were announced at the April 10 branch meeting.
Francie Ball, whose name was proposed by Robert Richardson, was honored based on her work on the Scholarship and Grants Committee. Francie chairs the subcommittee which reviews the large number of applications submitted by University of Wisconsin-La Crosse students. Robert’s letter of nomination indicates, “Because of Francie’s leadership, the subcommittee makes reliable and valid decisions and recommendations.” Francie has also been a major contributor to the Art Fair on the Green Concessions Committee by earning her ServSafe certification to be qualified to assure that food vendors are following La Crosse County Health Department regulations.
Marian Schiesser received her award due to her service as Publicity Chair for the Art Fair on the Green since 2014. In that capacity she negotiated a contract with the billboard company that gave the Art Fair free advertising on the new electronic boards, she arranged for articles in area-wide newspapers and magazines, and she placed AAUW La Crosse members as guests on radio shows. Marion also worked with Explore La Crosse for a raffle giveaway that included a free hotel stay and local restaurant meals, further increasing the Art Fair’s visibility. She ordered yard signs with dates that could easily be changed, so that the signs could be used from year-to-year. Marian was nominated by Erica Koonmen and Carol Robertson.
Name Grants are an AAUW La Crosse tradition since 1960. Members who provide exceptional service to the branch are nominated and honored each year, chosen by a committee of past honorees, and money is sent in their names to AAUW national’s Greatest Needs Fund. Thank you to everyone who nominated members this year and to Betty Kruck and Mary Hall who served on the selection committee
Name Grants, by Jan Eriksen, Chair
We are currently accepting nominations for the La Crosse Branch Name Grant. A nominee should have provided service to the branch, state, and/or national organization. She or he cannot have received the honor previously. For
a list of past recipients, dating back to 1960, please see the end pages of your membership directory.
Please email me (jperiksen@viterbo. edu) with your nominee. I will need the name of your candidate, along with information about why you think that she or he is deserving of the award. A small committee of past Name Grant awardees will select the winner(s) and a donation will be sent to AAUW national in their honor. Winners will be announced at the branch meeting.