The Junior League of Madison (JLM) began in the spring of 1988. Mary Pat Berry, a Junior League member from Milwaukee who had relocated to the Madison area, took the initiative to establish a Junior League in Madison. The Association of Junior Leagues International, Inc. (AJLI) had provided a list of non-resident active members from other cities who were living in the area. By August of that year, eleven women, most with former Junior League experience and all with a vision, formed the first JLM steering committee.

The new organization became known and was incorporated as the Junior Service League of Greater Madison (JSLGM). The first membership meeting was held in October 19, 1988 at the Governor’s Mansion.

Sixty new members were in attendance. The first speakers included a panel of civic leaders: Chamber of Commerce President, Robert Brennan; Dane County Executive, Rick Phelps; and David Mollenhoff, Downtown Madison, Inc. They welcomed the League into a long range partnership to work for the future of Madison.

In 1992, the JSLGM began the formal application process to become an official Junior League by completing and submitting a detailed application to AJLI.

Finally, on July 1, 1993, the Junior Service League of Greater Madison was voted into the Association of Junior Leagues International, becoming the 283rd League.

Our Past Presidents

JLM Year         JLM President

1988-1989      Laurel Rice

1989-1990      Laurel Rice

1990-1991       Carmen Skilton

1991-1992       Carmen Skilton

1992-1993       Ginger Gant

1993-1994       Ginger Gant

1994-1995      Mary Pat Berry

1995-1996      Cynthia Rogerson

1996-1997      Gail Docken

1997-1998      Suzanne WIlkinson

1998-1999      Melinda Pellino

2000-2001     Laurel Rice

2001-2002     Mary Bartzen

2003-2004     Susan Stone

2005-2006     Lynn Wood

2006-2007     Sara DeTienne

2007-2008     Peggy Angevine

2008-2009    Kari Fisher

2009-2010     Elizabeth Kluesner

2010-2011       Vicki Ballweg

2011-2012       Alissa Oleck

2012-2013       Elizabeth Greer

2013-2014       Laura Gmeinder

2014-2015       Gretchen Lins

2015-2016       Nicole Donny

2016-2017       Cammie Sorensen

2017-2018       Dena Gullickson

2018-2019       Kirsten Reader

2019-2020       Kristy Reed

2020-2021       Jocelyn Braun

2021-2022       Jen Brydges

2022-2023      Kate Karre

2023-2024      Sarah Barnes

2024-2025      Sarah Barnes

2025-2026      Emily Sulik

• Building Foundations & Civic Credibility — 1990s

  The Junior League of Madison (JLM) was founded in 1988 by a group of women determined to improve the community and train women as leaders. Among them were Mary Pat Berry, who said her spark for volunteerism came from helping an abused child — “Simone put the fire in me for volunteerism” — and Sheree Paradise, who recalled JLM’s first project at the YWCA, saying, “For me, the Junior Service League was a vehicle for taking part.”
  In 1993, JLM became a full member of the Association of Junior Leagues International (AJLI), joining a global network of women’s civic leadership organizations.

  Fundraisers like the Kitchen Tour (first held in 1993) quickly defined the League’s role, raising $40,000–$50,000 a year for local projects, including furnishing the Ronald McDonald House kitchen and supporting the South Madison Health & Family Center – Harambee.

  By the end of the decade, JLM had earned the United Way Golden Rule Award and helped furnish the Single Parent Residence at UW–Madison, demonstrating that the League could both raise money and leave lasting community infrastructure behind.

• Signature Programs & Public Visibility — 2000s

  In the 2000s, JLM became known for bold, visible projects.
  In 2004, the League organized a cell phone recycling drive to support Domestic Abuse Intervention Services (DAIS) — raising funds and public awareness for survivors of domestic violence. That same year, JLM released Mad About Food, which became Madison’s “official cookbook.”

  In 2005, JLM launched All Dressed Up, a free prom dress event for local high school students. Hundreds of girls lined up each spring to choose from over a thousand donated gowns, with volunteers acting as “fairy godmothers.”

  Later in the decade, JLM committed $100,000 to a five-year initiative addressing childhood obesity, the League’s largest program to date. This work laid the foundation for the Healthy U initiative to come.

• Deep Partnerships & Hands-On Service — 2010s

  The 2010s marked a shift toward long-term community partnerships.
  The Healthy U program, co-hosted with the Goodman Community Center, engaged more than 250 children and families through activities like salsa-making, hip hop lessons, and healthy cooking.

  JLM also launched its Adopt-a-School partnership with Cherokee Heights Middle School (2016–2021), providing steady volunteer support, meal kits, school garden improvements, and classroom projects.

  Meanwhile, All Dressed Up continued to thrive, serving over 300 students annually and promoting confidence and equity for Madison teens.

• Scaling Philanthropy & Community Investment — 2020s

  The 2020s highlight JLM’s dual role as a volunteer engine and a philanthropic leader.
  During the pandemic, members pivoted quickly to assemble hygiene kits, support food distribution, and volunteer virtually.

  In 2023, JLM celebrated its 35th anniversary by awarding $325,000 in community grants — including $250,000 to Madison Reading Project for Wisconsin’s first fully accessible Book Bus, and $75,000 to Madison Youth Arts. The League also launched a $150,000 grantmaking program, bringing nearly half a million dollars in community impact that year.

  Today, JLM continues to serve as both a training ground for women leaders and a catalyst for large-scale change in literacy, arts, and family support across Dane County.