Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metro Milwaukee announced today that Neil Willenson has been appointed president and chief executive officer.
Willenson succeeds Amy Chionchio who is retiring after more than 15 years of service to the organization.
Previously, Willenson was the vice president of philanthropy and community impact for Grafton-based Kacmarcik Enterprises and Kapco, Inc. In this role, he led grantmaking to nearly 1,000 nonprofit organizations since 2010 and coordinated large-scale fundraising events on behalf of the organization.
“I would like to thank Amy for her outstanding service to the Milwaukee community during which Big Brothers Big Sisters has taken giant steps forward to expand quality services to thousands of children throughout metro Milwaukee,” said Terry Nadeau, chairman of the BBBS board of directors. “We welcome Neil Willenson who has the experience and passion to continue our journey in helping Milwaukee’s youth achieve their full potential.”
“I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to serve as president and CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metro Milwaukee. This organization has proven outcomes in making a transformative impact for more than one thousand children annually,” said Willenson. “I salute Amy Chionchio for more than 15 years of service to the organization. It is a great honor succeeding her as she and the board of directors have set a strong foundation for organizational expansion.”
Willenson was the founder of Camp Heartland (now called One Heartland), which serves children, youth and families facing significant health challenges and social isolation. He is also co-founder of Camp Hometown Heroes, a national summer camp for children of fallen U.S. service members as well as Co-founder of Camp Reunite, a program for children who have an incarcerated parent.
