Our Staff & Board
Brenda Konkel
Executive Director
Brenda has a long history of activism, advocacy and non-profit work in Madison for over 30 years. She has served on over 25 non-profit boards, worked with hundreds of staff and volunteers and has raised millions of dollars for various causes. She is a passionate believer that housing is a human right and that houselessness can be solved if there is the political will. She was instrumental in developing the city-owned campground run by Madison Street Medicine as well as the three tiny house villages for people experiencing houselessness that are self governed by members and residents of Occupy Madison. She has a law degree from UW-Madison, was Executive Director of the Tenant Resource Center for 23 years, is a co-founder of the Social Justice Center, Occupy Madison, Inc. and the Affordable Housing Action Alliance. She is also a former Madison City Council member (2001-2009), blogger, WORT community radio and WYOU community television host and volunteer, videographer and editor. Outside of working or being an activist, she is a local music, camping and gardening enthusiast.
Crystal
Outreach Specialist
Crystal is an experienced Case Manager, Certified Peer Specialist, and Parent Support Specialist with a strong commitment to advocacy, education, and community empowerment. A proud UW Odyssey Project Alumni, Crystal combines her professional expertise with her lived experiences to support underserved populations facing barriers related to housing, mental health, and family stability.
Her journey has shaped her resilience, compassion, and leadership inspiring her to continue promoting equity and positive change within her community. Through her work, Crystal remains dedicated to helping individuals achieve stability, confidence, and the resources they need to thrive.
Donna
Community Engagement Coordinator
Donna grew up in Chicago and graduated from Columbia College. Her lived experience left her with a deep understanding of the challenges unhoused people face. She loves bridging the gaps between people who want to help and those who need it. She is ecstatic to be a part of the Madison Street Medicine Team.
Jack
Office Manager
Jack was a previous AmeriCorps VISTA Volunteer who now helps facilitate the Madison Street Medicine office. He graduated from UW-Madison with a B.S. in Neurobiology and Psychology in 2024. He is excited to be working with the unhoused community in Madison where he grew up. In his free time he enjoys listening to music at the Union, playing video games, and spending time with friends.
Jamila
AmeriCorps State and National Member
Jamila is an AmeriCorps State and National Member working with Madison Street Medicine for the upcoming year. She graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2022 with a B.S. in Genetics and Psychology with a Leadership Certificate. She is eager to serve and learn from MSM staff and the communities facing homelessness to better understand current barriers to receiving healthcare services, housing, and basic necessities, while engaging in positive change in the community. In her free time, she enjoys coaching soccer, hiking, coloring, and spending time with friends and family.
Joanna, RN BSN
Outreach Nurse
Joanna has worked as a nurse in the Madison area since graduating from UW-Madison with her BSN in 2011. Volunteering with Madison Street Medicine led to discovering a passion for working with individuals experiencing housing insecurity so she was thrilled to later join staff as an Outreach Nurse.
Jon
Jon is originally from Chicago, coming to Madison for a Masters in Social Work Degree which he obtained in 2025. Having volunteered with the unhoused in Chicago and Madison, Jon is excited to be a part of the MSM team as a Case Workers and Outreach Specialist. In his free time Jon enjoys being lost as it makes everything an adventure, listening to music, and spending time with friends and his dog.
Kesia
Outreach Specialist
Kesia is compassionate about advocacy and activism for unhoused persons. Kesia feels that the current housing systems impose many barriers, which contributes to housing instability and homelessness. She enjoys spending time painting, hanging with family, and naps. She is hoping to make it to Wheel of Fortune or any game show willing to give her a try.
LaRon
Outreach Specialist
LaRon is a down-to-earth outreach worker who connects with people through honesty, patience, and genuine care. He was a key part of the team that made the Dairy Drive shelters successful, helping them feel safe and welcoming for everyone who came through.
Before this work, LaRon served in the U.S. Navy, which taught him how to stay calm, work as a team, and show up for people when it matters. He’s big on simple kindness, good conversations, and helping folks take the next step that’s right for them.
Marco
Outreach Specialist
Marco is a case manager with Madison Street Medicine who brings care, patience, and deep respect for lived experience to his work. He previously worked in workforce development at Centro Hispano and in corporate IT at TDS Telecom, building a strong foundation in digital security and systems support. With expertise in cybersecurity and a growing interest in how systemic oppression shapes data privacy, Marco is committed to helping people navigate complex systems. Off the clock, he’s usually immersed in a pixel-art game, researching medieval armor, or foraging for mushrooms.
Michael
Outreach Specialist
Michael is a Madison local who moved home after living in San Diego working as a 911 EMT in order to work at MSM as an Outreach Specialist. He is passionate about community resource access, political education, and reducing wealth inequality. Michael earned a bachelor’s degree with majors in Chemistry and Health & Society from Beloit College, and since then has worked in a variety of industries including pharmaceutical manufacturing, food manufacturing, customer service, and more. He is excited to combine his varied professional background with his off-the-clock mutual aid and organizing experience into his role with MSM.
Olivia
Olivia is an artist and a mom. Her favorite media are pottery, textiles, and metal. She has been working with Madison’s unhoused community since 2021. She believes that housing is a human right, and that the current broken housing system needs to change. She loves music, tattoos, and cuss words. She thinks capitalism and mean people suck.
Stacy
Outreach Specialist
An Outreach Specialist with Madison Street Medicine, Stacy has been working with individuals struggling with many social issues such as poverty, homelessness, and mental health issues. She is incredibly passionate about serving the community and building relationships with everyone she encounters. Stacy has a long history of working in the community as a youth coach and mentor.
Stacy is a certified rehabilitation worker through Dane County CCS. She provided outreach and case management services for Kabba Inc. clinical programs and provided case management to clients at Dairy Drive.
TJ
Facilities Lead, Program Coordinator
Tim joined Madison Street Medicine Nov. 2021 at Dairy Drive where he gets to apply his technical savvy to development and maintenance of the sit and thereby supports everyone living and working there. This extends Tim’s efforts started in Chicago building soil to be gardened by and for the community and continued upon return to Madison through full-time commitment to a combination of The Madison Mutual Aid Network (MAN) and Occupy Madison, now serving as a working board member to both Occupy and the international networking cooperative HUMANs (Humans United in Mutual Aid Network).
Vishnu
AmeriCorps State and National Member
Vishnu is an AmeriCorps State and National Member working with Madison Street Medicine this upcoming year. A senior at University of Wisconsin-Madison, she is completing her biology degree with a certificate in Health and the Humanities. Vishnu has a strong interest in public health, and has found serving people living on the street and working alongside passionate co-workers to be an incredibly valuable experience. In her free time, she loves to have board game nights with her friends, be her partner’s sous chef in their home kitchen, and read dense fantasy novels.
Board of Directors
Fred Turkington
President
Fred has called Madison home since 2012 and has worked in healthcare for that whole duration. As a student in Ohio, he worked with the Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences to help their continuing education department modernize their course tracking database, which sparked a passion for bringing the power of technology to nontechnical users.
Katie Gillespie
DNP, RN, CPH, FAAN
Member
Katie has many years of working as a healthcare and public health nurse. She advocates using a systems approach to address the social issues that impact a person’s health and well-being. She believes that all policies affect health and must consider mental and physical health parity.
Deb Lange
Member
Deb is a member of Madison Street Medicine’s Resource Development and Finance Circle. She is a seasoned attorney in a private practice who also applies her experience to help organizations focused on housing and immigration issues. She has served Madison Street Medicine since 2019 and strongly believes that housing is healthcare.
Haley Kovac
DNP, MSN, RN, CENP
Treasurer
Haley Kovac is a seasoned healthcare leader with over 20 years of experience. As the RN Director of Ambulatory Operations at UW Health in Madison, WI, she champions patient-centered care and evidence-based practice. Haley’s innovative leadership in the Emergency Department improved patient flow and care quality. She holds a Doctor of Nursing Practice in Leadership from Edgewood College of Nursing and advanced degrees from Chamberlain College of Nursing. Haley actively fosters community partnerships to enhance healthcare delivery.