Forest Home Historic Preservation Association Names First Executive Director

MILWAUKEE __ The board of directors of Forest Home Historic Preservation Association has elected its first executive director, Sara Tomilin. As executive director of the association, Tomilin leads philanthropic, fundraising and outreach efforts in support of Forest Home Cemetery & Arboretum, Milwaukee’s oldest operating cemetery (1850). Tomilin’s appointment was effective January 1, 2023.

Tomilin became assistant executive director of Forest Home Cemetery in February 2020 after 13 years as a fundraising director at the Milwaukee Art Museum. Her nonprofit philanthropy and outreach career includes directorships at Sixteenth Street Community Health Center and Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design. She holds a bachelor’s degree in English literature from the University of Iowa and is a member of the Association of Fundraising Professionals.

“From fundraisers to family events, the visibility Sara has brought to Forest Home can give us all a new appreciation for this space,” says Peter Ogden, Forest Home Historic Preservation Association board member and chairman of Ogden & Company, Inc. “Working with her in the executive director role, we’ll continue to bring more people to the cemetery so they can see firsthand the breadth of history and beauty that Forest Home maintains for Milwaukee.”

“The Forest Home board and staff have a vision to preserve the history and nature of the cemetery to share with the Milwaukee community,” says Sara Tomilin. “Their vision – plus all the art, architecture, greenery of the cemetery’s 200 acres – appealed to me as I moved into cemetery leadership after many years in philanthropy.”

Tomilin says that her first two years at the cemetery preview her immediate philanthropic, fundraising and outreach objectives as the preservation association’s first executive director.

Working with Forest Home staff, board members and nonprofit partners, Tomilin initiated projects to preserve the cemetery’s environmental assets and elevate its profile as both an active cemetery and as a Milwaukee tourist destination (2405 W. Forest Home Ave). Projects and partnerships include:

• Coordinating a tree inventory and Arbnet.org Accreditation of Forest Home Cemetery as the City of Milwaukee’s first Level II arboretum in 2021.
• Premiering “Spirits of the Silent City” tour that welcomed 900+ ticketed guests to Forest Home in October 2022.
• Expanding the cemetery’s annual Día de los Muertos celebration to welcome nearly 2,000 visitors in 2021 and in 2022 for a family festival and 5K run/walk.
• Facilitating memorial dedications and cultural celebrations at Forest Home with nonprofit partners including America’s Black Holocaust Museum, Epsilon Kappa Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Latinas Unidas En Las Artes, Natural Resources Foundation of Wisconsin, Shakespeare in the Park, Wisconsin Metro Audubon Society.
• Rebranding Forest Home marketing.
• Adding new tours to the cemetery’s year-round events calendar and hiring a community engagement manager.

Forest Home Historic Preservation Association board member and retired Milwaukee attorney Sally Merrell first visited the cemetery in 2015 as a history buff. Learning that the cemetery has interred individuals from diverse faith, economic and cultural backgrounds since its founding days motivated Merrell to get involved.

“Those buried at Forest Home range from famous Milwaukeeans whose names you may already know, like our beer barons, to lesser-known figures,” Merrell says. “Yet, once you hear these stories, you simply must learn more. Forest Home is a place where you can explore these diverse legacies and gain a richer understanding of Wisconsin history.”

Merrell is now the creative force behind the cemetery’s Forest Home by Bike, Impacts of War, and Streets and Parks of Milwaukee tours, which Tomilin says are just a few examples of 2023 events that will bring new and returning guests to the Forest Home grounds.

“Forest Home Cemetery & Arboretum is changing the narrative of what a cemetery can be and bring to its home community,” Tomilin says. “We are a green space, an active cemetery, a place of diversity with decades of stories to tell and relevancy for the living.”

Premiere events this spring include the new April Fools’ Day Tour on Saturday, April 1, from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. And Tomilin would like to remind all Forest Home visitors that their leashed dogs are welcome on the grounds during regular hours and that the grounds are open to the public daily.

About Forest Home Cemetery & Arboretum 

Forest Home Cemetery was established in 1850 as a cemetery for the city. As Milwaukee prospered and expanded, the cemetery became the final resting place for 26 mayors, more than 1,000 Civil War veterans and countless prominent people who left their mark on Milwaukee. 

Today, Forest Home Cemetery & Arboretum is an independent non-profit that operates as an historic site with tours and events, as well as an active cemetery assisting families with traditional and green burials as well as cremation. In 2021, Forest Home became the city’s first accredited arboretum; its 200 acres offer a place for recreation, solitude and environmental preservation and programming. Forest Home staff proudly serve as caretakers of Milwaukee history, art and nature.

The Forest Home Historic Preservation Association supports the Forest Home Cemetery & Arboretum through philanthropic, fundraising and outreach efforts.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.