Jerry Folk

Executive Committee President

Jerry Folk is a retired Lutheran clergyman. He has taught theology and peace studies courses in colleges and seminaries in several states and is the author of three books, including Doing Theology, Doing Justice (1991).

Paula Rogge

Executive Committee Secretary

Paula Rogge is a family physician, a member of Friends Meeting of Madison and a member of the Steering Committee of Physicians for Social Responsibility–WI. She has been a long-time war tax resister, redirecting war taxes to organizations that meet basic human needs and work for non-violent social change.

Jeff Wild

Steering Committee Facilitator

Jeff Wild is a retired Lutheran (ELCA) pastor living in Madison. His calling to engage communities in gun violence is a convergence of factors. Jeff worked summers in a foundry in his hometown, Beaver Dam, during his college years. As a parish pastor, Jeff was deeply impacted by presiding at twelve funerals where suicide, most by firearms, was the cause of death. Jeff embraces the conviction that faith communities have a vital role in discussing social issues and shaping values and ethics through the lens of a biblical and theological engagement.

Jane Kavaloski

Executive Committee Vice President

Jane Kavaloski has been involved in peace and justice issues for over 50 years. She was a co-director, with her deceased husband Vincent, of the Ecumenical Partnership for Peace and Justice for the Wisconsin Council of Churches. She studied and experienced nonviolent resistance in Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and Central America. In addition, she developed peace and justice educational programs for the Madison Metropolitan School District.

Dennis Collier

Executive Committee Treasurer

Dennis Collier, a member of Pax Christi Madison, is a retired fiscal
policy analyst and former newspaper reporter and editor. He has also been active in Call To Action - Madison Area, Dane County United and the Wisconsin Fellowship of Poets. He has degrees in journalism and English, public policy and administration, and religious studies.

Tracy Abler

Tracy Abler is the Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation Coordinator for the Congregation of Sisters of St. Agnes (CSA) in Fond du Lac, WI. She is also an Associate of the community. Tracy’s home church is Pilgrim United Church of Christ. She is an active member of groups in her local community, such as United for Diversity and Ebony Vision. A strength Tracy brings to IPWG is her organizing and collaborative spirit, especially with interfaith groups.

Tom Boswell

Tom Boswell is a long-time community organizer who has worked with many faith-based and other organizations in Wisconsin and Iowa. He is also a freelance journalist, photographer, poet, and peace activist.

Jim Murphy

Jim Murphy is a Catholic priest that has been inspired by the Catholic Worker movement for peace and justice. U.S. nuclear weapons that could annihilate life on earth is first on his list of passions. There is much to do considering the U.S. spends $600 billion on military but affordable health care for all isn’t feasible. Activism includes opposition to military drone training at Volk Field, Camp Douglas, WI, nuclear war coordination at Offutt AFB near Omaha, NE, and militarism at our southern border.

Frederick Trost

Frederick Trost retired, after 20 years, as Conference Minister (President) of the Wisconsin Conference of the United Church of Christ in 2001. Prior to that, he was a parish pastor in Chicago for 19 years, where his congregation was active in the challenges presented by peace-making, social justice, study of the holy scriptures, and faith. He participated in tax resistance during the Vietnam War, and resistance to nuclear weapons, and was arrested in non-violent protests against U.S. foreign policy in South Africa and in the Contra war against Nicaragua. He continues to be a student of the relationship of our words and our deeds.

Steve Watrous

Steve Watrous is president of the United Nations Association—Greater Milwaukee chapter, a member of the Friends Committee on National Legislation Milwaukee advocacy team, and a retired sociology professor. He has been active on: peace issues, intensively during the 1980s regarding Central America; fair trade, including a trip to jail; the environment, attending the COP27 climate change conference in Egypt; and labor issues. Steve is a delegate to the Milwaukee Area Labor Council.

Duane Beachey

Duane Beachey is a retired Mennonite pastor, most recently retired from pastoring two Presbyterian churches in the Appalachian region of Kentucky. He is the author of two books: Faith in a Nuclear Age, Herald press, 1983 and Reading the Bible As If Jesus Mattered, Cascadia Publishing, 2014.

Jim Carpenter

Jim Carpenter is a dedicated peace activist based in Milwaukee, actively involved with Peace Action WI and the End Wars Working Committee of Progressive Democrats of America. A conscientious objector during the Vietnam War, he has long been committed to promoting peace and social justice. Jim retired after a career teaching Ecological Economics.

Pamela Richard

Pamela Richard is currently working as an Office Manager for Peace Action WI, advocating for peace, non-violence, nuclear disarmament, and justice in our community. She is on the board of the United Nations Association of Milwaukee, the Tri-Valley Communities Against a Radioactive Environment, the Alliance for Nuclear Accountability, and Welfare Warriors. Pamela is a member of the Milwaukee Veterans for Peace and of the Disarm Committee of the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom, focused on the abolition of nuclear weapons, the UN Treaty for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, and passing the "Nuclear Weapons Abolition and Economic and Energy Conversion Act" in congress. She is on the Milwaukee Advocacy Team of the Friend’s Committee on National Legislation, working on repealing the Authorization for Use of Military Force, to return war powers to Congress.

AJ Ward

A Quaker for many decades, Ann’s background includes 30+ years as an Alternatives to Violence facilitator in many diverse community settings around the world. She is currently Co-Clerk for Friends Peace Teams Europe and Middle East Region. Ann worked nearly 20 years with the UN, MCC and many local non-profits as an emergency and peacebuilding specialist in the Middle East and Afghanistan. Ann recently finished two conflict analysis consultancies in Iraq exploring the effects of historical and current conflicts on community power dynamics, the environment, agriculture livelihoods, and family trauma. She currently works as Executive Director and as an English Teacher with the Stateline Literacy Council in Beloit, WI.