Board of Directors

GSAFE values integrity, honesty, openness, and authenticity.  We are committed to youth leadership, anti-racism, and social justice and recognize we are all life-long learners and teachers

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Abbie Wagaman

Abbie Wagaman (they/them) is a lifelong learner and community activist that has a passion for teaching, policy analysis, and political engagement. Their advocacy experience lies community organizing and educational policy - including equitable access to student success in higher education, and LGBTQ+ student advocacy. They have been active in local and WI state politics, including organizing and empowering college students to participate in elections and local politics. Abbie lives in Madison with their partner, Aric, and their 4 cats. In their spare time, you can find Abbie nose deep in a book, playing tabletop or video games, or doing some sort of craft! 
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Laura McNeill

Secretary

Laura McNeill grew up in Virginia Beach, VA next to a patch of woods and a creek that barely froze in the winter. Blue heron, snakes and turtles were very common. Much of her career path has centered around racial justice education and helping build community power towards a more equitable world. She fell in love with the son of a dairy farmer and transplanted her roots to the Midwest 20 years ago. Laura has two teenage sons who attend East HS and UW Madison. Most days you can find her wandering with a group of kids ranging in ages 7-16 in the woods, marshes and prairies in and around Madison, teaching about animals, tracking, fire by friction, wild edibles, how to make rope from plants and how to be in community. She loves being reminded by her students each week of all the gifts around us in any given moment, just waiting to be noticed. She’s honored to be a part of the GSAFE team.

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Keith Borden

Keith approaches his yoga practice from a spiritual perspective by “providing space for people to get close to their best and better selves.” He teaches classes in Madison and all over the world. Borden has led workshops in the San Francisco Bay area, New York City, Germany, Canada, Spain, and Portugal.

One of his most meaningful teaching experiences was with the Madison East High School basketball team after the officer-involved shooting death of student-athlete Tony Robinson.

Borden and his husband are also marriage equality activists. They were plaintiffs in a lawsuit against the state of Wisconsin that made it to the United States Supreme Court. In his free time, Borden enjoys reading, biking, traveling, and spending time with his young daughter.

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Megin McDonell

Executive Director, Fair Wisconsin

Megin McDonell has over two decades of management experience working in nonprofits, including grant writing, media and communications, program development and implementation, and financial management. Before joining Fair Wisconsin in 2011, she was the Program Director at the Tenant Resource Center in Madison for fourteen years. She has been active in local politics and elections, including serving for eleven years on the Madison Equal Opportunities Commission and working on numerous aldermanic, county board, assembly and congressional campaigns. Megin also previously served as President of the Social Justice Center Board of Directors and Chair of the NARAL Pro-Choice Wisconsin Board of Directors. She lives in Madison with her husband and two teenaged children.

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Jeremy Pagel (he/him)

Chair

 
 
Jeremy is an anti-racist educator, diversity trainer, and social justice activist who has worked with urban and rural communities in Wisconsin and Minnesota for over 25 years. In 2021, he received the Dale P. Parnell Faculty Distinction Recognition from the American Association of Community Colleges for his work with justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion. Throughout his career, he has advocated for people in marginalized communities and is proud to support GSAFE’s mission and work across the state of Wisconsin. Jeremy, his husband, Andrew, and their SiberPoo, Keiko, can be found hiking around Wisconsin’s beautiful state parks, tending to their flower gardens, and exploring the less traveled paths of the world. 
 
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Estiven Zhen Mulian

Bio and pic coming soon!