Sam Scinta, CEO, La Crosse Area Chamber of Commerce

Sam Scinta is the CEO of the La Crosse Area Chamber of Commerce. He has been a Lecturer in the Political Science Department at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse and a Lecturer in servant leadership and political science at Viterbo University. He is the creator, in partnership with Viterbo's Reinhart Institute for Ethics in Leadership, of Rebuilding American Civics, a program providing civics education and a space for civil discourse for community members, and Civics and Cinema, in partnership with the Rivoli Theater. For over 25 years, he served as president and publisher for an independent book publisher and was the founder of a nonprofit focusing on critical thinking and civil discourse within regional high schools. He received his JD from the University of Denver and has served on several boards in the Western Wisconsin region, including Leader Ethics and the Reinhart Institute.

Martha Boehm '23, Author & Marketing and Communications Leader

Martha Boehm is the author of the book, Just Keep Growing: 25 Servant Leadership Lessons and a producer/videographer of the upcoming documentary, Come Here, Brother Wolf: A Veterans Pilgrimage. She began her career as an award-winning journalist and later shifted to communications and marketing in addition to leadership development. She is currently the marketing and external relations coordinator in the Viterbo University Fine Arts Center and is also an adjunct instructor specializing in professional communication. She received a Servant Leader Award from Viterbo University, where she earned a Master of Arts in Servant Leadership. She also earned a Master of Arts in Media Studies and a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and Mass Communication from the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee.

Rick Diermeier, Member of the Board of Directors, Haven for Special People

Rick Diermeier has been involved in the Onalaska community since making it home in 2004. He served as President at L. B. White Company for thirteen years and on the boards of: Mayo Clinic La Crosse Foundation, Outdoor Recreation Alliance and La Crosse County Sustainability Commission. Since retiring in 2017, Rick is proud to serve as the Vice President of the Flyway Trail Board of Directors and the La Crosse County Committee on Transit and Active Transportation. Rick and Julie have three adult children and are celebrating the arrival of their first Grandbaby on August 1.

In 2021, Rick attended the grand opening of Home of Our Own in New Glarus where the daughter of close family friends had recently relocated. Despite being largely non-communicative and requiring 24 hour care, she was thriving, living independently in her new home. After touring her apartment and community spaces and meeting her neighbors, Rick left confident that this building was really a supportive and vibrant village that would drive positive change in many families’ lives.  Home of Our Own’s founders, Mary Anne and Susan expressed their desire to help others to build inclusive “neighborhoods in a building” like they had done in New Glarus. Returning home from that grand opening night, the idea for Haven for Special People sparked for Rick and Julie. Coincidentally, three La Crosse area families had also had this same idea.  Providence brought them together and they soon formed Haven for Special People.  They are determined to create a safe haven in the Coulee Region that will empower people to live their lives to the fullest, no matter their level of abilities or income.