Creates Marketing Committee, Adds Director, Seeks Fundraising Coordinator

Originally from Waupun, Wisconsin, Katie Riel joins as VP-Marketing and Sponsorship. Currently a Project Manager at Johnsonville, she holds a Bachelor's Degree in Industrial Engineering and a minor in Business Management from Milwaukee School of Engineering and is an ASQ Certified Six Sigma Black Belt. 

Sheboygan native Jocelyn Ertel joins as Communications Coordinator. She worked for Reader’s Digest in San Francisco before returning to Sheboygan in 1995, serving for ten years as the Communications Coordinator for DuFour Advertising, then as Marcom Specialist at Pentair Residential Filtration until the factory shut down.. She holds an Associate Degree in Marketing from Lakeshore Technical College. After she applied for and received services from RTSC, Jocelyn was so pleased with the experience she happily joined the Board.

The Board has further expanded with the addition of Director, Jerry Bredesen. An Air Force veteran, he has decades of tech experience having worked in Silicon Valley, and has served as an IT project management consultant. He has long been an integral and valued member of the organization’s volunteer repair team.

In addition to this expansion, the Board is currently seeking a Fundraising Coordinator to identify, establish relationships with, and solicit new business/corporate sponsors. Prior fundraising experience is a plus, but enthusiasm and commitment to the organization’s mission is essential. Interested individuals should send an email with the subject line “Fundraising Coordinator” to rtsheboygan@gmail.com. 

RTSC regularly receives applications from homeowners who live in conditions many could not imagine, and who often face challenges that prevent them from being able to tackle them alone. Thanks to its valued sponsors, tradespeople, and volunteers, RTSC was able to make repairs to 20 homes in 2024. 

An all-volunteer non-profit, RTSC has been repairing homes in Sheboygan County since 1998. Prior to the COVID pandemic, and with admirable financial support from leading area partners, RTSC organized “National Rebuilding Day” each April. In that format, over a hundred volunteers worked on numerous houses in the county in a single day. Currently, repairs are completed year round on a project basis, dependent on available funding, volunteers and weather conditions. This approach allows efficient use of limited resources and provides the opportunity to best understand each homeowner’s needs so services can be customized accordingly. Repairs are completed by volunteers who are supported by skilled tradespeople and project managers to mitigate the side effects of unsafe housing -- sickness, injury, isolation, and hopelessness. 

“We are dedicated to serving as many neighbors in need as possible every year,” states Bob Wells, Board President. “Katie, Jocelyn and Jerry are passionate about making a difference in the lives of others and we are excited to have them join our Board.”

Learn more about RTSC’s work and volunteering by visiting rtsheboygan.org, where you may also make a donation. The 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization seeks sponsors to support its vital work in Sheboygan County.

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