Ellen serves as the Community Resiliency Planner, working to build and grow long-term resilience for southwestern Wisconsin. She helps communities prepare to face challenges and orient themselves toward a prosperous future through thoughtful public engagement, collective and creative solution-finding, and strategic planning. Prior to SWWRPC, she worked as a foresight researcher at Mercedes-Benz R&D, where she explored societal trends to forecast transportation needs and identify innovation opportunities. She has a bachelor's degree in Economics from Macalester College in St. Paul, Minnesota. 

Ellen grew up in southeastern Wisconsin, where she was influenced by the natural beauty of the state and the teachers and service-oriented Wisconsinites in her community. In her free time, Ellen enjoys canoeing, cross-country skiing, and trying out new hobbies.

Favorite Quote: "What we dream of is already present in the world." Rebecca Solnit

Favorite Cheese: Cheese curds