New Leader For One of Milwaukee’s Leading Foundations
Lianna Bishop will replace Gina Stilp at Zilber Family Foundation.
Gina Stilp and Lianna Bishop. Photos provided.
Major change is coming to the top of the Zilber Family Foundation.
Operations director Lianna Bishop will replace Gina Stilp as the foundation’s executive director next month.
Stilp is leaving to serve as executive director of “another charitable foundation outside of Milwaukee” according to the statement. She has served in her current role for more than six years.
Bishop has been with the foundation since 2021 and served as operations director, the number two role, since 2023.
“Lianna plays a critical role in supporting grantees and driving the Foundation’s priorities as operations director,” said board president Marcy Jackson in a statement. “Lianna’s contributions as a senior leader with the Foundation, her deep understanding of its mission, operations and partnerships, combined with her extensive philanthropic and nonprofit experience, have enabled the Foundation to reach new milestones. She is uniquely qualified to step into this role. We are confident in Lianna’s ability to build on the Foundation’s legacy and amplify our mission of enhancing the well-being of the communities we serve.”
The foundation in 1961 was founded by real estate developer Joseph Zilber and his wife Vera Zilber. It has made several major awards, including funding the Zilber College of Public Health at UW-Milwaukee, large awards to Marquette University and the $70 million Zilber Neighborhood Initiative. In addition, the foundation regularly provides funding for economic stability programs, including the launch of the Community Development Alliance, basic needs and nonprofit sector support.
Most recently, it brought The Bridge Project, an unconditional cash grant program to low-income pregnant women and new mothers, to Milwaukee and provided it with seed funding. The program, which received city support, has funding to serve 122 mothers for three years.
Before joining Zilber, Bishop previously served in several senior roles with the Dohmen Company Foundation, including executive director, and before that worked for the Urban Ecology Center in fundraising roles.
“With an unwavering commitment to our mission, I’m honored to step into the role of executive director to lead the Foundation forward,“ said Bishop. “I’m grateful to our past leaders and the board of directors for the strong organization they’ve built, and I am eager to ensure our work continues to drive lasting impact across the communities we serve.”
Stilp will end her second stint with Zilber. She started as a program analyst in 2010 and eventually served as a senior program officer until 2017. She spent a year with Dohmen Constellations before returning to the foundation and replacing Susan Lloyd, who led the foundation for 10 years. Lloyd, with support from Stilp and others, launched the Zilber Neighborhood Initiative, initially a $50 million effort to improve conditions in Lindsay Heights, Clarke Square, Layton Park, Burnham Park, and Silver City neighborhoods in Milwaukee and the Oahu island in Hawaii.
Both Stilp and Bishop hold master’s degrees from Marquette and are alumni of the university’s Trinity Fellows program.
“Serving as executive director of this incredible Foundation for the past six years has been nothing short of an honor,” said Stilp. “As I pass the baton to Lianna, I feel deep gratitude for the opportunity I’ve had to work with such a talented board, staff, and network of community partners. I look forward to fully supporting Lianna as she leads the Foundation into its next chapter.”
“We are grateful for Gina’s bold contributions and commitment to the Foundation’s mission, transforming the way we engage with and support our communities,” said Jackson. “Her leadership has not only expanded the Foundation’s reach but also set a new standard for impact and collaboration. We look forward to seeing her continued contributions to the philanthropic sector.”
Jackson is the daughter of Joseph and Vera. Joseph passed away in 2010, Vera in 2003. The couple can still be seen standing together in a lifesize sculpture at Zilber Park, part of The Brewery District which Zilber Ltd. led the redevelopment of.
According to its 2023 federal 990 filing, the latest available, the foundation had $357 million in total assets. The foundation’s website lists seven staff members. Stilp, according to the filing, was paid $223,000.
Stilp’s final day is Feb. 14.
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