OUR TEAM
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.
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.
Jerry Folk
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).
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.
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.
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.
Jane Kavaloski
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.
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.
Paula Rogge
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.
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.