The Board of Visitors for the University of Wisconsin-Madison Arboretum serves as an external advisory body to the Arboretum Director. The Board of Visitors has five primary functions:

To provide advice and counsel to the Director on matters for which an external perspective is critical, such as long range planning, community relations and the physical facilities;
To establish links between the Arboretum and allied public and private agencies;
To give advice on programs and projects that enhance discovery and quality of life and are true to the Wisconsin Idea, which extends the reach of the University to the State and beyond;
To form an advocacy network for the Arboretum; and
To advise and assist in major fund raising efforts and provide financial oversight and review.

In general, the Board of Visitors will serve as a link between the Arboretum and the public by helping to improve communication and understanding between the two and to advise and guide the Arboretum towards its goals.

Board of Visitors

Tami Van Galder Patel

Tami is the President of the Board of the Friends of Arboretum and is serving her second term on the Board. Last year Tami spearheaded the development of a new Friends’ fundraising and community outreach event, the Spring Sprint for the Arb. Tami attended Bradley University where she played basketball and graduated with a B.A. in Economics. After graduating from Bradley, Tami moved to Madison and worked as an economic consultant at Christensen Associates until she began graduate school. After receiving her J.D. from UW-Madison and an M.P.A. from the La Follette Institute of Public Affairs, Tami practiced tax law at Sidley & Austin LLP in Chicago. Tami's practice focused on the tax-aspects of mergers and acquisitions, partnership formations, and financings. In addition, she aided nonprofit entities in obtaining and maintaining tax-exempt status. Later, Tami returned to Madison to practice general corporate and tax law at Reinhart Boerner & Van Deuren SC. Tami is now enjoying staying at home with her two young girls.

Bruce-Allison

Bruce Allison

R. Bruce Allison is President of Allison Tree Care, Inc. He graduated from Brown University and earned an M.S. and Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He is an ISA Board Certified Master Arborist, ASCA Registered Consulting Arborist and adjunct professor in the UW-Madison department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology teaching classes in non-destructive testing of trees plus sustainable forestry. His professional leadership positions have included chairman of the Wisconsin Department of Urban Forestry, president of the Wisconsin Arborists Association, Chairman of the Dane County Tree Board and served on the Friends of the Arboretum board of directors. He has authored numerous articles and books including Wisconsin Champion Trees, Every Root an Anchor and If Trees Could Talk.

Margarete Harvey

Margarete is a recently retired landscape architect who moved from Germany to Wisconsin in 1981. She was educated at the University of Cologne, the London School of Economics and the UW-Madison. In her design practice she combined her love of people and plants with sensitivity to special populations (children, the elderly and infirm). Margarete has been actively involved in several Milwaukee-based non-profit organizations: the Art Museum Garden Club, the Urban Ecology Center, the Milwaukee Youth Symphony Orchestra, the Park People, et al. Currently she is president of the Friends of Villa Terrace and president-elect of the Friends of Schlitz Audubon Nature Center.

Richard Straub

Richard Straub, Professor and Chair, Biological Systems Engineering, and Director Animal Programs, College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, University of Wisconsin Madison. Dr. Straub has held various administrative roles including overseeing Hatch and other programs related to agricultural and environmental issues. His research interests include forage harvesting technology and post-harvest processing of agricultural crops/materials. He also serves as chair of the Arboretum Committee.

Skip Heffernan

Skip has been President of Total Water since 1993, and currently serves as Chairman of the Board. Skip is also owner and President of Total Water of Baraboo. He has been in general management for 24 years in the water industry and 7 years previously in the construction industry. Skip has a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from Texas A&M University and an MBA from Harvard Business School. He served 4 years as an officer in the U.S. Air Force. Skip has been Head Coach of the University of Wisconsin Men’s Rugby club since 1995. He helped found Madison United Rugby (a nonprofit that supports rugby in the Madison area) and serves as its President. He served as the Small Business board member of The Employer’s Health Care Alliance for 4 years.