North/Eastside Senior Coalition Staff
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Cheryl Batterman, Executive Director, is responsible for the overall management of day-to-day operations of the agency, development of financial and human resources, and implementation of programs and services. Reports to a volunteer Board of Directors, manages a professional staff, interacts with a large group of volunteers and clients, and collaborates with community and governmental agencies to fulfill the mission of the Coalition. Her duties also include Program Delivery, Fundraising, Board Support, and Community/Public Relations. Ms. Batterman earned a Bachelors in Arts (Sociology/ Anthropology and a Masters in Public Administration from Golden Gate University in 1986. Ms. Batterman served 11-years as an Air Force Officer, earning two Commendation Medals as an Aircraft Maintenance Officer. She has over 14 years of experience in non-profit management; she also served 9-years on the Sun Prairie School Board. Ms. Batterman currently serves on United Way of Dane County’s Vision Council and has been Agencies Division Chair for the past two campaigns. She was also a member of Wisconsin State Journal’s Nonprofit Advisory Board (2007-08).  Email Cheryl.

Pamela Bracey, Cultural Diversity Specialist (African American Program), is responsible for outreach, assisting, and connecting African American senior adults with the appropriate activities and services at the Madison Senior Coalitions and Dane County Senior Focal Points. She coordinates health and wellness educational programs, identifies community resources and services, and plans social activities to keep African American seniors independent while still active in their communities. She facilitates a monthly Diabetes Support Group (at Romnes Apartments), as well as a monthly Discussion Group (at Quaker Housing). She also actively participates on the Area Agency on Aging Caregivers Alliance, Safe Community Falls Task Force, Women’s Health Initiative, Lay Health Advisor, Faith in Action Advisory Board, and The YWCA Displaced Homemakers Advisory Board. She recently completed an AODA course for the Special Population, which included senior adults, and a Dementia Education Conference. Ms. Bracey is a Lay Health Advisor for African American Senior Women living with Diabetes, and is a certified QPR Gatekeeper Instructor for Suicide Prevention. She has extensive knowledge and a strong networking base within the African American senior community. Email Pam.

Cortney Doescher-Hino, Case Manager, is responsible for the implementation of the Caregiver’s Program. She facilitates a monthly support group and workshops designed to assist caregivers to receive resources and discuss concerns. Her duties include conducting home visits to assess each individual and providing information, referrals and advocacy. She earned a Master of Science degree in Counselor Education-Community Counseling at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville. Email Cortney.

Amy Elske, Case Manager, assists individuals age 60 years and older to remain independent, healthy, safe, and happy in their own homes. This occurs by conducting a home visit to complete a psychosocial needs assessment and individualized service plan to coordinate the needed services for each person. Amy graduated from UW-Green Bay in 1999 with a double major in Psychology and Human Development and received her Masters in Social Work from UW-Madison in 2001. She has been an employee of NESCO since 2003 and is a member of Dane County’s Safe Community Falls Task Force and the National Association of Social Workers. Email Amy.

Gwen Goos, Lead Case Manager, assists clients to stay safe and independent in their own homes through home visits, needs assessment, coordination of services, and referral. Gwen also coordinates the Family Group Conferencing Program which assists families in creating a care plan to identify useful solutions to their individual challenges. Gwen received her Master’s of Social Work from St. Ambrose University in Davenport, IA where she focused on an empowerment approach and solution focused practice. Email Gwen.

Jim Krueger, Programs Director, is responsible for the development and implementation of social and educational programs for the North/Eastside Senior Coalition. He schedules and oversees volunteers, provides direction and supervision to assigned staff, writes and evaluates grants. His duties include planning and coordination of the Annual Summer Concerts at Warner Park; oversight of the senior dining sites located at Warner Park Community Recreation Center, Bashford United Methodist Church, and Wil-Mar Neighborhood Center; supervision of the Cultural Diversity Programs (Latino and African American) and the Intergenerational Programs; development and implementation of collaborative programs with the staff of MSCR, WPCRC, and neighborhood centers; assessment of program needs and objectives; and oversight of volunteer recruitment, supervision, and recognition. Jim earned a Bachelor of Arts degree (Social Welfare) from UW-Madison in 1986. He has over 9 years experience working in non-profit, human service agencies. Jim also worked for 7 years in retail service and spent another 18 months traveling across the world. Email Jim.

Rachel Nordberg, Bilingual Case Manager, assists adults age 60 and older in accessing the information and services needed to remain safe and independent in the comfort of their own homes. She conducts home visits to become acquainted with clients, assesses for needs, refers to the appropriate services and programs, and is available for on-going contact when a client’s needs require. Rachel works with English-speaking senior adults living on the N/E side of Madison and Spanish-speaking senior adults throughout Dane County. In addition to case management, she also helps with monthly support groups for Latino senior adults. Born and raised in Madison and a Madison West High School grad, Rachel earned a bachelors degree in Social Work and Spanish at UW-Madison. She gained an appreciation for and understanding of Latino American culture while living in Ecuador for 5 months (School for International Training) and in Guyana for another 7 months as a volunteer teacher. She is an avid bicyclist and participated in her 5th Wisconsin AIDS ACT Ride this year (biking over 300 miles in 4 days). Email Rachel.

Yolanda Salazar, Cultural Diversity Specialist (Latino Program), is responsible for outreach, assisting, and connecting Latino senior adults with the appropriate activities and services at the Madison Senior Coalitions and Dane County Senior Focal Points. She coordinates health and wellness educational programs, identifies community resources and services, and plans social activities to keep Latino seniors independent while still active in their communities. She coordinates monthly Bilingual (English/Spanish) Bingo (at Warner Park Community Recreation Center) and a monthly Discussion Group and Grandparents Support Group–in Spanish (at Madison Senior Center). She is an active member of the Latino Support Network (LASUP) and Latino Health Council. She also co-facilitates arthritis self-management trainings–in Spanish. Originally from Mexico, Ms. Salazar studied at the Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico and earned a law degree in 1988. She moved to Madison in 1993 and has been on staff for 14 years. She has extensive knowledge and a strong networking base within the Latino senior community. Email Yolanda.

Sally Schaefer, Senior Dining Site Manager, is responsible for the daily set-up, serving, and clean-up of the midday meal at Bashford United Methodist Church, including supervising dining site volunteers and overseeing educational and social programs. Sally earned an Associates Degree in Liberal Arts from Edgewood College. She also attended UW-Madison, being accepted into the School of Journalism. She has worked with school-aged children for 13 years as an educational assistant. She has also worked with senior adults in a nutritional setting for over 6 years as well as senior volunteers for 11 years. She speaks Polish fluently. Email Sally.

Drew Simonsen, Office Manager, manages the financial, accounting, and insurance functions of NESCO. Records bank deposits, writes and pays invoices, handles the payroll, and prepares monthly income statements and balance sheet statements. His duties also include editing the monthly newsletter for advertisements, coordinates donor acknowledgements, assists in fundraising efforts, and manages the office volunteers. Mr. Simonsen earned a Bachelors in Business Administration from University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire in 2006. He has over one year of experience in non-profit organizations and over five years of office work experience. He also took part in an internship at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida. His interests include singing karaoke, watching professional wrestling and animation, and going to movies and events with friends. Email Drew.

Breena Wiederhoeft, Volunteer Coordinator, is responsible for recruiting, orienting, placing, and managing volunteers with the Home Chore Program and other NESCO programs including AppleFest, Summer Concerts, and Brat Fest. She supervises the ENJOY Club, a volunteer club at Madison East High School, and facilitates group volunteer projects benefiting senior adults on Madison’s north and east sides. Breena also coordinates the Intergenerational Program which brings youth and seniors together in a variety of meaningful programs including discussion groups and the Senior Prom. Breena received her BFA in Art from the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee in 2005. She has two years experience working with volunteers, and also enjoys volunteering in the community. Email Breena.