Tom Thompson and Kelly Krieg-Sigman, two community leaders with long records of support for public education, have been elected to the Board of Directors for the La Crosse Public Education Foundation.
Kelly Krieg-Sigman
Kelly Krieg-Sigman recently retired after 16 years as director of the La Crosse Public Library, and after more than 30 years as a library manager. She’s well known for her work in establishing the “Dark La Crosse” project, which offers walking tours and performances focused on the “darker” history of downtown La Crosse from the late 19th and early 20th centuries. She often appears in character as Frankie LaSalle, an infamous downtown madam. Krieg-Sigman also was instrumental last fall in creating a new partnership with LPEF and the School District of La Crosse to purchase books for elementary school classroom libraries through the Library’s annual Give-a-Gift fundraising event. Krieg-Sigman, and her husband, Michael Sigman (a former LPEF Board member) live in La Crosse.
Tom Thompson
Tom Thompson retired in 2017 after nearly 40 years as a veterinarian and partner with his wife, Jean Heyt, at the Thompson Animal Medical Center. Thompson has been deeply involved in the community, including more than 30 years in various roles in the School District of La Crosse. He served 15 years on the Districtwide Parent Committee and recently retired after 15 years as a member of the Board of Education. He serves on the board of the Coulee Council on Addictions and recently helped lead its successful capital campaign to build the Coulee Recovery Center. For more than 30 years, he has been a board member of the Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals at Gundersen Health System. His involvement was inspired by his children, Kristen and Christopher, who died very young from a rare genetic disorder. The Thompson’s have two adopted daughters, Lynsee and Chiyo. Both are graduates of Central High School.
The mission of the La Crosse Public Education Foundation is to enhance learning opportunities for students in the School District of La Crosse and to promote community understanding and support for public education. LPEF was founded in 1988 by some very forward-looking La Crosse residents who were passionate in their support of public education in La Crosse.
The Foundation expects to provide more than $350,000 in support in 2019 to students and staff in the School District of La Crosse. This includes about $80,000 in Gold Star Grants to promote classroom innovation and about $30,000 for Random Acts of Kindness to meet needs of students in areas such as nutrition, hygiene, clothing, and transportation.
