Where to find us.
247 W Freshwater Way, Suite 400
Milwaukee, WI 53204
How to reach us.
Thank you to our generous sponsor.
© Greater Milwaukee Committee | Website by Mueller Communicaitons
Where to find us.
247 W Freshwater Way, Suite 400
Milwaukee, WI 53204
How to reach us.
Thank you to our generous sponsor.
© Greater Milwaukee Committee | Website by Mueller Communicaitons
About Cristy
Cristy Garcia-Thomas is President and CEO of the Greater Milwaukee Committee, where she leads one of the region’s most influential civic organizations dedicated to advancing economic vitality, equity, and long-term regional growth. A nationally recognized executive, Garcia-Thomas brings decades of leadership experience across healthcare, nonprofit, and corporate sectors, with a proven track record of driving large-scale transformation and building high-performing organizations.
Prior to her current role, Garcia-Thomas served as President of the Advocate National Center for Health Equity for Advocate Health, one of the largest nonprofit health systems in the United States. In this role, she was instrumental in the integration of Advocate Aurora Health and Atrium Health, helping to shape a $31+ billion organization. She led the development of a first-of-its- kind national health equity center, overseeing a $100 million operating budget and a team of nearly 200 professionals, and embedding equity strategy across a vast healthcare system.
Garcia-Thomas previously spent more than a decade as Chief External Affairs Officer at Advocate Aurora Health, where she oversaw government relations, community engagement, charitable giving, patient experience, and operations of community health patient services for a system serving millions. She also played a critical leadership role during the COVID-19 pandemic as part of the organization’s top incident command team. Earlier in her career, she served as President of the United Performing Arts Fund in Milwaukee and held senior leadership roles in media with Journal Sentinel Inc. and Knight-Ridder Inc. Deeply committed to community impact, Garcia-Thomas serves on the boards of Delta Dental of Wisconsin and WEC Energy Group, and has held leadership roles with numerous civic and nonprofit organizations, including serving as past board chair of the United Community Center and TEMPO Milwaukee, as well as roles with the Greater Milwaukee Foundation and United Way of Greater Milwaukee & Waukesha County. She is also a co-founder of the Hispanic Collaborative, an initiative focused on advancing Latino inclusion and economic opportunity in Wisconsin.
Garcia-Thomas holds a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and Mass Communication from Kansas State University and has completed executive education at Northwestern
University and Harvard University. Her leadership has been recognized with numerous honors, including the United Way’s Linda T. Mellowes Woman Leader of the Year Award and multiple regional awards for influence, mentorship, and community impact.
Samantha Giles
Executive Administrator
247 W Freshwater Way, Suite 400
Milwaukee, WI 53204
Contact Samantha
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Heather Pechacek
Director of Communications & Organizational Effectiveness
247 W Freshwater Way, Suite 400
Milwaukee, WI 53204
About Heather
Heather Pechacek serves as the Director of Communications, Membership, and HR for the Greater Milwaukee Committee. She works closely with business, civic, philanthropic, health care, and higher education leaders to strengthen collaboration and advance initiatives that enhance the Milwaukee region’s economic competitiveness and quality of life.
In her role, Heather oversees organizational communications, strategic messaging, membership engagement, and internal operations while supporting the development and execution of initiatives focused on regional growth, infrastructure, innovation, and civic leadership. She is passionate about building meaningful relationships and creating opportunities for cross-sector collaboration that produce lasting community impact.
Heather is an active civic leader throughout southeastern Wisconsin. She serves on several nonprofit and community boards, contributing her expertise in strategic planning, communications, and organizational leadership to organizations dedicated to strengthening the region. She is also a girls’ basketball coach, where she is passionate about mentoring young athletes and helping them develop confidence, leadership skills, and teamwork both on and off the court.
Heather is committed to advancing the long-term prosperity of the region through thoughtful leadership, strategic partnerships, and a shared vision for a stronger, more vibrant community.
Langston Verdin
Director of Commuity Partnerships & Strategy
247 W Freshwater Way, Suite 400
Milwaukee, WI 53204
About Langston
Langston Verdin is a dynamic leader with over 20 years of professional experience. He joins GMC as the director of Community Partnerships and Strategy. Prior to his current role, Langston served as director of Health Strategy at the City of Milwaukee Health Department, where he led a talented team of staff to advance community engagement, systems improvement, and policy change.
Langston is committed to creating environments where children and families thrive. He is the founder of MKE FreshAir Collective, a community-based air quality monitoring project that utilizes neighborhood-level data to influence environmental health policy and improve health outcomes. As a passionate advocate for community and social justice, Langston is also co-founder of Milwaukee’s Summer of Peace initiative, a youth-led non-violence program that has touched the lives of tens of thousands of children.
Langston received his Master of Public Health degree from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee’s Zilber School of Public Health with a focus on public health policy and administration and is an alumnus of Marquette University’s Future Milwaukee program. In his free time, he enjoys staying active by taking neighborhood walks with his family, as well as playing in competitive kickball and paintball leagues.
Mikal Wesley
Director of Membership Engagement & Strategic Projects
247 W Freshwater Way, Suite 400
Milwaukee, WI 53204
About Mikal
Mikal Wesley is a Milwaukee-based civic and community development leader with experience building cross-sector partnerships and advancing economic and community development initiatives. He currently serves with the Greater Milwaukee Committee, where he supports membership engagement, civic leadership, and collaborative initiatives focused on Milwaukee’s future.
Mikal is deeply engaged in Milwaukee’s civic community, serving as Vice Chair of the African American Chamber of Commerce of Wisconsin and Vice Chair of the Milwaukee Community Land Trust, along with several additional board and advisory roles focused on economic mobility, neighborhood development, and community impact.
He is also President of Urbane Communities and President and Founder of ATT Logistics LLC. Across his professional, civic, and entrepreneurial work, Mikal is committed to connecting people, organizations, and resources to create opportunities and strengthen Milwaukee communities.