Board of Directors & Team

Families caring for loved ones with special needs often ask: “What will happen when we can no longer care for our children?

Leadership & Guidance

Morgan’s Caring Connection is led by a passionate board and advisory team committed to supporting families through education and advocacy. Co-Founder and Executive Director Janis Strutt works alongside experienced professionals from healthcare, finance, nonprofit leadership, and community services.

The Board of Directors and Advisory Committee provide strategic direction, ensuring transparency, sustainability, and meaningful community impact. Together, they help expand programs that deliver real support and lasting change for families.

Meet the Board of Directors

Janis Strutt

Co-Founder & Cheif Everything Officer

Fund & Resource Commitee Member

This nonprofit endeavor not only honors Morgan’s memory but also serves as a testament to Janis’s commitment to assisting families in similar situations.

Janis was fortunate to have Morgan enriching her life for 16 years. Embracing a family with two daughters, one with special needs, was a natural choice. Navigating the challenges of raising a daughter with special needs provided invaluable life lessons. Through shared struggles with other families facing similar challenges, Janis became resolute in her mission to support others on similar journeys. Despite thorough preparations such as guardianship, special needs trust, and financial planning, the unexpected loss of Morgan revealed unforeseen expenses and impacts. In addition to her personal connection, Janis brings a wealth of experience in business ownership, management, and marketing to the nonprofit.

Kelly Strutt

Co-Founder & Board of Directors, Secretary

Governance Committee Member

Kelly has dedicated 30 years of her career as a registered nurse to serving patients at the University of Wisconsin Hospital, Carbone Cancer Center.

She recently moved to the Rehabilitation Clinic in Middleton. As the mother of Morgan, Kelly cherished 25 years of shared experiences until Morgan’s unexpected passing on October 15, 2023, forever altering her life. Throughout Morgan’s brief yet impactful life, she confronted numerous challenges. As a mother, Kelly has continuously faced additional hurdles, particularly in caring for a daughter with special needs. Like many families in similar circumstances, they often discovered resources through shared experiences with other parents navigating similar paths. However, the lack of readily accessible resources frequently left them feeling overwhelmed and reactive to challenges, adding to their stress. Frustrated by the perpetual struggle to find solutions, Kelly found herself resigned to the absence of adequate support. From these struggles emerged the vision for a nonprofit organization, Morgan’s Caring Connection. Inspired by conversations with fellow parents grappling with similar obstacles, Kelly and her team want to empower families by providing resources, education, and financial assistance, enabling them to navigate challenges and plan for the future with greater confidence.

Chrissy King

Board of Directors, President

Fund & Resource Committee Member

Governance Committee Member

Chrissy has dedicated the past two decades to volunteering, showcasing her diverse skills in various roles.

From active participation in multiple PTOs to spearheading numerous events across the Verona school district, including a longstanding commitment to the Verona Softball Club Board, Chrissy has been deeply involved. Currently, she lends her expertise to the Verona Education Foundation Board. Excitedly, she joins the Morgan Caring Connection, having witnessed Morgan’s remarkable journey from her daughter’s class through their time in the Verona School system. With two decades of event planning under her belt, Chrissy brings invaluable experience to the board’s event actions team. Alongside her volunteer work, Chrissy serves as the Client Engagement Manager at Ignite Wellness Partners.

Vacant

Vice President

Vacant

Board Member

Treasurer, Board of Directors

Melissa Schneider

Board Member

Professional Network Committee Member

Fund & Resource Committee Member

Born and raised in Wisconsin, I grew up in Milwaukee before moving to Madison for my undergraduate studies and staying for graduate school.

I’ve been a Madison resident for over 25 years and am deeply committed to making a difference in the community I love.

With a Master’s degree in Social Work, I bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to the non-profit sector. I have a deep understanding of the intricacies involved in building awareness, fostering effective branding, and driving sustainable fundraising efforts—all essential to helping organizations thrive. Living in a city with the highest number of non-profits per capita has equipped me with a unique perspective on the challenges and opportunities faced by mission-driven organizations.

Professionally, I work at WMTV 15 News and Gray Media Group, where I develop marketing and advertising strategies tailored to organizations and businesses of all sizes.

When I met Janis in the Spring, I was immediately inspired by her passion and dedication to honoring Morgan’s memory through Morgan’s Caring Connection. This organization stands out by addressing critical needs for families of special needs dependents, and I am honored to bring my expertise to support its mission. By leveraging my skills and network, I am dedicated to amplifying the impact of MCC and helping it grow to serve even more families in need.

Mary Reindl-Frey

Board Member

Fund & Resource Committee Member

Mary is a compassionate and principled individual whose life and career are defined by a deep commitment to helping others, a keen financial mind, and a generous spirit.

With a unique blend of emotional intelligence, attention to detail, and fiscal savvy, Mary has built a reputation as someone who uses their resources and skills to create lasting positive change.

Stephanie Selbach

Board Member

Professional Network Committee Member

Stephanie is a financial advisor in the Wealthspire Advisors Madison, WI office.

She provides comprehensive wealth management services to her clients including guidance on financial planning, budgeting, retirement, and how to navigate unforeseen life transitions. She specializes in helping families and individuals with disabilities and special needs and enjoys taking complex situations and breaking them down into solvable problems for her clients. Previously, she worked as an Associate Advisor at Wipfli Financial Advisors, where she assisted in the servicing of high net worth individuals and families.

In addition to her work in the industry, Stephanie is very active in her community, previously serving as a Big Brothers Big Sisters mentor. Originally from Caledonia, MN, Stephanie now resides in Madison, WI and enjoys camping, reading, and spending time with friends and family in her spare time.

“Growing up in a large family, I understood at an early age the value of saving and budgeting. Life can be unpredictable, and helping people through times of great turmoil and change and empowering them with information and guidance is why I do what I do.”

Carly Lewis

Board Member

Fund & Resource Committee Member

Carly is a Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor for the State of Wisconsin’s Department of Vocational Rehabilitation. She brings a strong vocational and mental health counseling background, a passion for advocacy, and lived experience of someone with a disability.

With a personal connection to Morgan’s Caring Connection and as a past grant recipient, Carly is passionate about helping other families with special needs dependents get connected with the resources they need.

Carly studied and received a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Edgewood University. She went on to receive her Master’s degree in Clinical Rehabilitation Counseling from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Carly is a Certified Rehabilitation Counselor (CRC) and is working on her licensure to become a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC). Carly has worked in a multitude of settings including the mental health field, neuropsychological testing field, worker’s compensation and the vocational rehabilitation counseling field. She specializes in helping consumers with disabilities find employment and get connected with other employment related resources.

Outside of her professional life, Carly enjoys reading, spending time with family and friends, attending community events, and going to the movies in her free time. She is honored to be serving on MCC’s Board and is dedicated to the mission it serves in Morgan’s memory.

Haakon Anderson

Board Member

Fund & Resource Committee Chair

Haakon brings a diverse mix of entrepreneurial drive, servant leadership, and deep nonprofit expertise rooted in his commitment to strengthen the community.

With a personal connection to Morgan sharing the same hallways during his time at Verona Area High School, Haakon is passionate about helping families in Morgan’s honor. With the level of passion and commitment to serve others observed throughout the MCC team, it quickly became clear that he wanted to play an active role to expand the impact of providing resources and support to families with special needs dependents.

Haakon went on to study entrepreneurship at UW-Madison while also being a student-athlete playing football for the Badgers. Haakon mirrored his entrepreneurial spirit with the inspiration to utilize his platform as a student-athlete to make a meaningful impact in the community. Through extensive engagement with “Badgers Give Back”, Haakon established partnerships with mission-driven organizations and helped launch new initiatives for the outreach program in the Madison area.

Further pursuing a Master’s degree focused on Nonprofit Administration, Haakon has several parallels to the nonprofit sector with his professional career as co-founder of a digital fundraising platform. Knowing the complexities of the development process firsthand, Haakon is especially excited to contribute to the fundraising efforts that empower the families we serve.

Outside of his involvement with community organizations, Haakon loves playing games with family and friends and staying active outdoors throughout the Madison-area enjoying every opportunity to hike, paddleboard, and fish. Within it all, Haakon is driven by the pursuit of continuing to allow MCC to flourish and to help ensure families receive the support they deserve.