The German School of Madison is an incorporated 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, led by a Board of Directors. All directors volunteer their time. Directors normally serve for two years and can be re-elected. If you are interested in supporting the school in this capacity, please let us know. Our Board is supported by a school administrator Fabia Ziegler who started as a teacher in 2019 and in an administrator capacity in 2021.

Board of Directors

Krista Bultmann Spiro (President) is from Madison and works as a physical therapist. Her father is German and she lived in Germany for a year after high school and college. Her two children have participated in classes at the German School of Madison for the last four years and this has been a wonderful way for her family to maintain the connection to the German language and culture.

Iris Hengst was born in Frankfurt/M, Germany, and has lived far and wide around the world before moving in 1994 with her American husband to beautiful Madison. Iris and Robert have two German speaking daughters at East High School. Iris also served the school as a co-teacher of the Youth Group and as teacher of our preschool class in the past.

Melissa Haig (Vize President) is from the Chicago area, and has lived in Madison for over 25 years. She has a background in microbiology and currently works as a science research librarian. Melissa started learning German when she was in middle school, and her husband James is a fluent speaker who has lived in Germany. Melissa is in the adult class, and very much enjoys learning about the German language and culture.

Steve Herrick (Treasurer) is the father one of our students who has been with the school since she was old enough to attend!  His wife is a fluent speaker and Steve is in the adult class, trying to keep up with the German speakers in his house!  Outside of school, Steve works for the Madison Cooperative Development Coalition (MCDC), the City of Madison’s initiative to form worker cooperatives.  He is also the administrator of the Interpreters’ Co-op of Madison.

Johanna (Pokie) Olson  

Min Li is a faculty member at UW-Madison. She teaches courses in management, HR, international business, negotiation, and women’s leadership at the business school. Her two children have been attending the German School of Madison for four years and they love the experience!

If you would like to get in touch with the Board, please email GermanSchoolofMadison@gmail.com.