FATHER KURT J. APFELBECK
Father Kurt J. Apfelbeck has been a priest of the Diocese of La Crosse since 1999. He has worked as the vice-chancellor and archivist for the Diocese of La Crosse for the past ten years. He is often helping out at parishes in the absence of the regular parish priest. He grew up in rural Abbotsford and Colby, Wisconsin, one of six children working at home, on farms, the Colby Cheese Factory, and in the produce department of a local supermarket. In 1989, he earned a degree in civil engineering and surveying from UW-Madison and worked on marine surveying and construction projects offshore in the Gulf of Mexico for three years. Little did he know that he had moved to one of the most Catholic parts of the country. Because of his job, he missed many Sunday Masses, and while not inclined to make deals with God, he promised to attend Mass every day that he was not working offshore. During this time, he discerned a call to the priesthood and briefly tried religious life with the Discalced Carmelite Friars in Arkansas. After his father's heart attack, he became a seminarian for the Diocese of La Crosse and studied at Mundelein Seminary in Illinois and Sacred Heart Seminary in Detroit. He was briefly a chaplain and instructor at a Catholic High School and has had various parish assignments. He tried religious life with the Maronite Monks of Adoration in Petersham, Massachusetts, followed by three years leading a Maronite mission in Shelburne, Vermont, until the mission closed. He then served as a chaplain for a small group of religious sisters in Minnesota before returning to La Crosse to begin his present work. Father loves to make firewood and help his old friends. He remains dutiful to his family and would like to make sawdust, go fishing, and shoot prairie dogs more than his time allows.
KELLY WOOD
Kelly works for Nesnah Ventures as Chief Financial Officer and has been with the company for 3.5 years. She spent the previous 21 years working for a family-owned road construction company where she held many roles within accounting and operations at the organization. She graduated from Viterbo University with a bachelor’s degree in accounting and business administration and later completed Viterbo’s MBA program. She has been blessed to be married for 32 years to Robin and they have a daughter Haylei, son-in-law Lance and a son Payton. But their greatest blessing and joy is their 3-year-old granddaughter Olivia Jane. Kelly’s free time is consumed with family time, fishing, camping, and volunteering as treasurer of her church.
LEONARD POLZIN
Leonard Polzin grew up on a century-old Wisconsin dairy farm and received bachelor’s Degrees in Dairy Science and Agricultural Business from UW River Falls. He completed his graduate work in Agriculture and Resource Economics from Michigan State University. He brings extensive experience as an educator and analyst to the position, having developed and provided programing on topics including market analysis, outlook and market expectations, risk management, and policy analysis.