Liz Filter | President/CEO, VARC, Inc.
Liz Filter serves as the President and CEO of VARC, Inc., where she leads the organization in executing its mission of providing employment and other life skills opportunities for children and adults with varying abilities throughout Wisconsin. For over 20 years, Liz has dedicated her career to enhancing the lives of others and broadening opportunities for community inclusion. A passionate leader and advocate for strong communities, Liz currently serves on numerous boards and advisory committees including the La Crosse Chamber of Commerce, Workforce Development Board, Disability Services Provider Network, Wisconsin Chamber of Commerce, among several others. Most recently, Liz lead her organization to acquiring a childcare center, and with her team designed the areas first inclusive licensed childcare center for children with and without disabilities.
Christopher J. Laurent | President, Cinnaire Solutions
Chris Laurent leads Cinnaire’s $150M nonprofit development affiliate, Cinnaire Solutions, in its work throughout its footprint in the Upper Midwest and Mid-Atlantic, with particular focus in Detroit, Wilmington, DE, and La Crosse, WI. Cinnaire Solutions’ business model supports undercapitalized or capacity-limited CDCs and emerging development firms owned by persons of color, serving as both a coach and bench strength to help its partners transform their communities. Cinnaire is a full service CDFI with its corporate headquarters in Lansing, Michigan. He offices in Madison.
Chris previously operated a real estate business with nonprofit and for-profit clients in the affordable and market rate residential sectors and has developed market rate housing throughout Wisconsin. He was Wisconsin Market President for a prominent affordable housing developer, where he oversaw the development and execution of key catalytic properties throughout the state. Prior experience includes that of director of tax legislation and policy with the National Council of State Housing Agencies in Washington, DC, and manager of multifamily development at the Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority (WHEDA), where he was responsible for Wisconsin's allocation of federal Housing Credits and expanding WHEDA's $100 million direct multifamily lending program. Throughout his career Chris has been involved in the development and financing of over $1 billion of residential real estate.
Chris earned his Bachelor’s degree from the University of Wisconsin and is a candidate for his Master of Arts in Servant Leadership from Viterbo University in 2024. He currently serves as President of Do Good Wisconsin, Treasurer of the Dane County Housing Authority, Lending Committee Chair and Director of Forward Community Investments, and is a Director of Clarke Square Neighborhood Initiative, Wisconsin Coalition Against Homelessness, and Eagle Harbor Apartments. Chris is adjunct faculty for Milwaukes School of Engineering and represents MSOE as course leader for Marquette University’s Associates in Commercial Real Estate (ACRE) program. He has served as president of the Board of Directors of Porchlight, Inc., the leading nonprofit provider of services and housing for otherwise homeless people in Dane County, and was appointed by the mayor to serve on the long-range planning committee for the Madison Community Development Authority, its sustainable design and energy committee, and its ad hoc TIF policy committee. and served on the boards of the Madison Reading Project, Asset Builders of America, Milwaukee’s Avenues West Business Improvement District, Madison’s Tenant Resource Center, the Wisconsin Partnership for Housing Development, and the Federal Home Loan Bank of Chicago’s Affordable Housing Program Committee.
In his free time, Chris practices Bikram yoga, plays and performs vocals and guitar, is a hobbyist photographer, loves to cook, and is a trained Zamboni driver. He enjoys travel in his camping trailer and treasures his time with his two adult daughters, Jordan and Emma – and wife Chris, a behavioral analyst in the autism field, and her children, Nate and Lorelei, and the family’s two rescue dogs, Juniper and Finn, and OG Pomeranian, Atticus.
Scott L. Horne | Circuit Court Judge, Br. 4, La Crosse County
Horne holds a law degree from University of Wisconsin Law School and a bachelor’s degree from Cornell College. He is chief judge of Wisconsin's Seventh Judicial Administrative District. Horne was a La Crosse County District Attorney for 22 years. He is a member of the Criminal Jury Instructions Committee and previously served on the Judicial Education Committee and the Legislative Committee. Horne chairs the Planning and Policy Advisory Committee’s Planning Subcommittee, which develops the biennial Critical Issues Report for the court system. He is deeply invested in the greater La Crosse community and serves on the UWL Foundation Board, Downtown Rotary and is a previous Oktoberfest Festmaster, Oktoberfest Trustee Chair and Oktoberfest Gemeutlichkeit Foundation Chair.