Foundation Board

Mr. Dean W. Fenske - President / Treasurer

Dean works as an environmental engineer for AECOM in Stevens Point, Wisconsin.  Dean has over 24 years of experience in environmental project management and field documentation services for projects including Phase I and Phase II environmental site assessments, remedial investigations, soil and groundwater remediation, asbestos assessments and abatement oversight, demolition oversight, stormwater management plans, spill prevention control and countermeasure plans, and hazardous material surveys. 

After serving in the United States Marine Corp. between 1988 and 1992, Dean received his BS degree in Civil Engineering (Environmental and Water Resources emphasis) at the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee in 1995 and starting his consulting career at Drake Environmental, Inc. in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin.

Jim and Dean became close friends in grade school, discovering they shared common interests in hunting, fishing, camping, and everything else outdoors.   Through high school, the military, and college, Jim and Dean remained close friends.   A working relationship started in 1992 with managing apartment buildings for Jim and his father while going to college.  In 2002 Dean began working for Jim and his business partners as the General Manager of Chesapeake Investments in Milwaukee.  Dean was the personal administrator of Jim’s estate and began organization of the Foundation in 2005 with the help of Lew and John.

Mr. John L. Dutton - Vice President

John is the father of Jim Dutton and his older brother, John Jr.  He was headmaster of a private school in Philadelphia, and a Vice President at Aid Association for Lutherans (AAL), a Fortune 500 company and the Lutheran version of the Knights of Columbus, where he led the rebuilding of AAL’s system of 3000 local volunteer branches. In 1983, President Reagan recognized AAL at the White House for its success in mobilizing volunteers. At George Romney’s (Mitt’s father) urging, AAL subsequently loaned John to President George H.W. Bush’s Points of Light Foundation in Washington, D. C. to rebuild the nation’s system of 500 local Volunteer Centers. John’s work has been funded by major grants from the Kellogg, Ford, Charles Stewart Mott and Annie E Casey Foundations.

Mr. J. Lewis (“Lew”) Perlson - Secretary

Lew is a Wisconsin attorney and is Of Counsel with the law firm of Michael Best & Friedrich LLP in Milwaukee.  He has been recognized in the area of trusts and estates since 2006 in The Best Lawyers in America published by Woodward/White, Inc. and distinguished as a “Wisconsin Super Lawyer” in the area of estate planning and probate by Super Lawyer Magazine.  He is a Fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel and has co-authored several publications in his field of practice.

Lew is graduate of the University of Wisconsin – Madison where he received a BBA degree from its Business School and a JD degree (cum laude) from its School of Law.

Lew’s community involvement includes being past President of Milwaukee Jewish Family Services and Congregation Sinai in Fox Point, Wisconsin.  He recently served on the Board of Trustees of the Milwaukee Public Library Foundation, Milwaukee Jewish Community Foundation and the Milwaukee Jewish Home Foundation.  He is a Board member of the Sonoma Valley Mentoring Alliance and serves as Chairman of its Governance Committee.  Lew is a member of the Public Issues Committee of the San Francisco Jewish Family and Children’s Service – Sonoma County Region and Treasurer of the Congregation Shir Shalom Men’s Club.