Our Staff
Dena Wortzel
Executive Director
608.265.5593
Dena Wortzel, Executive Director, came to WH in 1994 to direct the grant program. She became Executive Director in 2008. Dena loves the public humanities because they allow her to marry her commitment to equity and justice with her passion for the endlessly rich culture and fascinating lives of her fellow Wisconsinites. A former urban dweller and self-described world citizen, Dena’s love of Wisconsin’s rural communities and landscapes began over two decades ago when she set down roots on a former dairy farm in Iowa county. Today, when she isn’t working with her WH colleagues and statewide partners to use the humanities to tackle our state’s challenges, you can find her at home, riding a horse or fermenting pickles. Dena has a BA in English from Wesleyan University and MS in Sociology from UW-Madison.
Michael Kean
Associate Director
608.262.9979
Michael Kean, Associate Director, has been working for the Wisconsin Humanities since the year 2000. Michael is responsible for oversight of all administrative, accounting, and fiscal functions of the organization, as well as grant administration, review and reporting.
Jessica Becker
Former Director of Communications
Jessica Becker was Director of Communications for Wisconsin Humanities and now co-hosts Human Powered Podcast with Jen Rubin during WH's hibernation. She is Interim Communications Director for the Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts & Letters and enjoys writing, spirited conversation, and is actively engaged in local efforts that bring people together.
Meghan Dudle
Former Director of Grants and Outreach
608.265.5595
Meghan Dudle, Director of Grants and Outreach, is energized by connecting Wisconsinites to each other through the public humanities and strengthening our civic bonds through creative and curious conversations. Before the hibernation, she managed our responsive grants program, assisting applicants and awardees through the stages of their projects while coordinating outreach to underserved communities. During the hibernation, she is assisting with administrative and outreach-related tasks. Meghan has an MA in Park, Recreation and Leisure Studies from the UMN and a BA in History from Macalester College. Prior to joining WI Humanities in 2022, Meghan spent twenty years working with youth in experiential learning environments and developing traditional folk arts programming. She learns Midwestern fiddle tunes and dance steps in her spare time and lives in the Driftless region with her family.
Jen Rubin
Fromer Executive Producer of Love Wisconsin
Jen Rubin was the Executive Producer of Love Wisconsin and now co-hosts Human Powered Podcast with Jessica Becker during WH's hibernation. She continues to offer storytelling workshops around the state. She is currently writing a book about the Great Midwest Bagel Quest for the Wisconsin Historical Society Press. You can learn more about her storytelling workshops on her website.
Chrissy Widmayer
Director of Community Powered
Chrissy was the Director of Community Powered at Wisconsin Humanities and taught workshops to local leaders around the state about how to use history, culture, and storytelling for community projects and development. She continues to contribute to Wisconsin Humanities programming in hibernation by editing and producing Human Powered podcast. Chrissy has a PhD in Folklore Studies from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and an MFA in Creative Writing from George Mason University. She spent over ten years teaching folklore, writing, oral history, and other humanities courses at the college level in both Wisconsin and Virginia. Her research explores how communities create connections and relationships using foodways and storytelling and has appeared in Narrative Culture, Digest: A Journal of Foodways and Culture, New Directions in Folklore, and Cultural Analysis. Chrissy is also a co-founder of WiseFolk Productions and content creator for Folkwise.
