Amy Lindner
President & CEO
Amy Lindner is the president and CEO of United Way of Greater Milwaukee & Waukesha County and is committed to fighting for the health, education, and financial stability of every person in our local community. Under Amy’s leadership, United Way raised more than $350 million for the community since 2018.
Previously, Amy served as the president and CEO of Meta House, a Milwaukee-based nonprofit (and United Way partner agency) whose mission is to end the generational cycle of addiction by healing women and strengthening families, and Amy was a partner at the law firm of Reinhart Boerner Van Deuren.
Amy has been recognized widely for her work, including as a 2015 Milwaukee Business Journal 40 under 40 award winner, a Fellow by the Wisconsin Law Foundation, a 2014 Community Leader by the Hispanic Professionals of Greater Milwaukee, a 2020 and 2024 Power Broker by the Milwaukee Business Journal, and in 2020 by Milwaukee Magazine with a Betty Award.
A native of Waukesha, Wisconsin, Amy holds degrees from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the University of Notre Dame Law School.
Filippo Carini
Chief Operating Officer
Fil Carini is the chief operating officer of United Way of Greater Milwaukee & Waukesha County, a position he has held since 2003. In this role, Fil has implemented new financial policies and procedures focused on improving efficiencies, resulting in cost savings and increased public transparency. Under Fil’s leadership, United Way has become one of the most cost-effective community-based investors in the country.
Fil became a certified public accountant in 1991 (currently inactive) and has over 29 years of financial and management experience in public accounting, healthcare, and nonprofit. In 2008, Fil was recognized as CFO of the Year by the Milwaukee Business Journal.
Fil serves as an alumni member of the United Way Worldwide Financial Issues Committee and has been a board member of the Wisconsin Nonprofit Association, the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee alumni board, and several preforming arts groups.
Gina Santagati
Vice President, Resource Development
Since 2006, Gina Santagati has served in various roles for United Way of Greater Milwaukee & Waukesha County. She joined the management team in 2011 and currently leads all fundraising efforts as vice president of resource development.
Gina has developed both individual and corporate relationships to extend United Way’s base of support. In 2011, she implemented steps to increase workplace and corporate giving within professional divisions, making up $3.95 million of the overall campaign. Under her direction, all donor network groups have seen exponential growth. This includes the Women United program, which has raised over $200 million, making it the largest in the nation and recognized on a global scale. Gina also helped found the Philanthropic 5 awards in 2008, which recognizes exceptional community members for their philanthropy, volunteerism, and leadership. In collaboration with United Way Worldwide, Gina with a team of colleagues from United Ways across the U.S. established and launched LINC (Lead Impact Network Change), a millennial engagement strategy which connects young people with volunteer opportunities and strategic networking. Gina also works with Tocqueville Society and Jane Bradley Pettit Society donors, increasing membership in both groups to their highest numbers since inception.
Gina is an active community volunteer. She was named a 2015 Milwaukee Business Journal 40 under 40 award winner. She holds a bachelor's in Spanish language and literature from Marquette University and founded Marquette’s National Young Alumni Association, for which she served as president. Gina lives in Mequon with her husband Giovanni and son Luca.
Jayne Thoma
Vice President of Organizational Collaboration
Jayne Thoma is responsible for building an internal culture of collaborative cross-functional work across all United Way of Greater Milwaukee & Waukesha County teams to achieve greater impact. She also leads the direct oversight of the volunteer engagement, marketing & communications, and facilities management functions.
Jayne's career with United Way began in 1988 as a college intern at United Way of Brown County. Immediately following her graduation, Jayne joined United Way in Waukesha County as a communications and marketing associate. Subsequently, she served in a variety of roles including director of communications, director of campaign, interim executive director, and executive director.
Known for her strategic and collaborative leadership style, Jayne has been recognized as a YWCA Woman of Distinction, Business Journal 40 Under 40 award winner and scholarship recipient of Harvard Business School’s Strategic Perspectives in Nonprofit Management program. She also helped United Way in Waukesha County launch the Thriving Waukesha County initiative in 2011.
Jayne holds a bachelor's degree in communication processes and business administration from the University of Wisconsin – Green Bay.
She has served in several leadership roles for the United Way network including: Chair of the United Way Worldwide Volunteer Engagement Council; Chair of the United Way Great Rivers Regional Conference; Chair of the United Way of Wisconsin Board of Directors; and member of the United Way Worldwide National Professional Council.
Natalie Harlan
Vice President of Human Resources & Talent Initiatives
Natalie Harlan has been with United Way of Greater Milwaukee & Waukesha County since 2017 and currently serves as vice president of human resources and talent initiatives. In her role, she focuses on executing effective recruiting and employee selection, compensation, affirmative action plan, diversity, equity, and inclusion, promoting harmonious employee and labor relations, and overseeing overall organizational health. Prior to her current position, Natalie was United Way’s director of human resources & talent initiatives.
Natalie has a master’s degree in human resources and labor relations from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, and a bachelor's degree in occupational therapy from the University of Illinois-Chicago. She has served on the boards of UWM’s Board of Visitors, Milwaukee Montessori School, and Girl Scouts - Wisconsin Southeast. In 2018, Natalie was awarded the Gold Award – Graduate of the Last Decade from University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
Laura Meine
Vice President of Digital Innovation
Laura Meine joined United Way of Greater Milwaukee & Waukesha County as a loaned executive in 2011, then served as an eBusiness administrator and manager of pledge processing before joining the leadership team in 2020 as director of innovation and special projects. She is currently the vice president of digital innovation leading IT and pledge processing departments while implementing organizational strategies and technological initiatives.
Laura holds a master's in cultural foundations of community engagement from University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and a bachelor's in English from University of Wisconsin – Madison. Laura is a proud alumna of Americorps Public Allies and volunteers with Historic Milwaukee, Inc. She lives in Milwaukee with her husband.
Julie Divjak
Vice President of Community Impact
Julie Divjak has worked in various roles within the Community Impact department since she started in August of 2005. She is committed to the mission of United Way and is passionate about collaborating with donors, diverse stakeholders, community agencies, volunteers, and United Way staff to create strategic and purposeful collective impact. In her role, Julie assesses community needs and directs the planning of community initiatives, fund distribution, and agency services within the policies established by the Board of Directors of United Way.
Julie was recognized in 2009 by the UW-Milwaukee Helen Bader School of Social Welfare as Outstanding Field Instructor of the Year – Macro Practice, in 2011 she received the Community LGBT Ally Award from Diverse & Resilient, and in 2013 she was recognized by United Way of Wisconsin with the 5 Over the Next 5 Leadership Award.
Julie holds a master’s degree in social work from University of Wisconsin Milwaukee. She lives in Waukesha County with her husband. They enjoy discovering Wisconsin outdoor gems through hiking, camping, biking, snowshoeing, and kayaking.
Bob Malicki
Vice President of Finance
Bob Malicki joined United Way of Greater Milwaukee and Waukesha County in 2023 and currently serves as the Vice President of Finance. Prior to his current position, Bob was United Way’s Controller. With over 10 years of experience in finance and accounting, he has played a pivotal role in ensuring the financial health and sustainability of United Way. Driven by a desire to make a meaningful impact, Bob is dedicated to maximizing the efficiency and effectiveness of United Way’s financial operations.
Bob is a certified public accountant in the state of Wisconsin and holds a bachelor's in accounting and a master's in management – accounting from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. In 2021, Bob was named a rising star in finance and accounting by Milwaukee Business News.
Outside of his professional responsibilities, Bob is actively involved in volunteering for Milwaukee River Keepers. Bob lives in Greenfield with his wife, son, and two dogs.
Melissa Hanon
Director of Marketing
Since 2010, Melissa Hanon has served in various roles for United Way of Greater Milwaukee & Waukesha County. She is currently the director of marketing and has held that role since 2018.
During her time at United Way, Melissa has improved website functionality and usability, found innovative was to save on marketing resources, and developed strategies to effectively communicate United Way’s value add to our local community.
She holds has a bachelor's in art from the University of Wisconsin – Platteville. She lives in Wauwatosa with her husband, daughter, cats, and chickens.
Dan Herda
Director of Communications
Dan Herda has been with United Way of Greater Milwaukee & Waukesha County since 2018. The communications team oversees all written and visual content for the organization, including videos, photographs, podcasts, blogs, emails, written stories, and webpage content. In addition, the team manages social media and public relations for the organization. Dan holds a bachelor's degree and is a photographer, a videographer, video editor, and writer. He has over 20 years of corporate communications experience.