Emily Gruenewald

Director of Development
College of Business and Economics Contact

Emily Gruenewald has thrived on building creative partnerships between organizations and their communities.

She sees the same kind of partnerships as key to the success of UW-Whitewater as it connects alumni to the mission of educating students for a fast-changing world.

"I think partnerships and collaborations are so crucial, because bringing in other ideas makes the organizations stronger," she said.

A native of Monroe, Gruenewald dreamed of being an actress but heeded her father's advice to add a business administration minor to her theater arts major in college.

She knows business knowledge can boost any career and she's excited about how UW-Whitewater and its College of Business and Economics are positioning themselves in a dynamic business environment and inspiring creative thought by students.

"Especially with the entrepreneurial program and the water business major, we're doing a lot of things that are cutting edge," she said. She's enthusiastic about ways alumni can connect with students, sharing stories of goals achieved and obstacles overcome.

"In the end we all want to find something we can be passionate about," she said. "Alumni have a significant impact on our students' ability to expand their focus and see what else is out there. It can be very inspiring."

She sometimes finds her own inspiration while training for marathons on trails near the Newville home she shares with her husband, Dan, and their young daughter, Sophie Nancy.