Meet the Leadership Team & Board Members

Serving Wisconsin through collaborative partnerships rooted in faith and community.

Bridging Community by Loving and Serving for the Glory of Jesus.

We exist to strengthen Christian leaders and ministries across Wisconsin by connecting, equipping, and championing collaborative initiatives that bless our communities.

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Nick Galezewski - Executive Director

I help lead the work of BASICS, support our Ministers to Milwaukee, and ministers to others in our city.

Contact Nick

Deanna Ratz - Administrative Assistant

I help create and edit the newsletter and prayer calendar, coordinate event registrations, answers phones, and provides general assistance to the rest of the team.

Contact Deanna

Craig Lowder – Board Chair

I am a devout Christian. I attended Christian school from 1st to 8th grades and regularly volunteer my time at the churches I've attended throughout my lifetime. My life has been filled with self-discovery and joy due to my relationship with Jesus Christ. I am currently responsible for launching multiple G7 Networking chapters in the Milwaukee area. G7 Networking provides a common space for business professionals to share leads, grow business, and build empowering relationships all within a Christian network.

I am a strategic sales consultant and author, having published two books, in addition to being a professional speaker. I have a forty-year track record in creating predictable and sustainable top-line growth for both for-profit businesses and non-profit organizations. I have held Board positions for several local Chambers of Commerce and Habitat for Humanity, where I was involved in launching a new ReStore. I am honored to join the BASICS MKE team.

I have been happily married for 42 years to my wife, Peg and have two daughters, Shanon and Erin, along with two granddaughters, Chloe and Jazz. I currently resides in Fox Point, WI, having moved from Chicago in August 2022 to be closer to family.

Steven Hartl – Board Member

I'm a faith-minded marketing architect that thinks like an engineer and has a passion for great branding, and powerful marketing. I've spent more than 15 years of my career leading teams in building great brands and helping B2B businesses engage buyers with their unique brand message.

My passion and gifting is for design, branding, and creativity. As I've grown in my relationship with Jesus, I've continually explored what it means to be an effective, responsive, selfless follower of His within the context I've been placed. As a result, I've seen how faithful work as a marketer can be used in this pursuit and have heard the clear call for this to be applied to redemptive work in culture and community. This is now the focus of my vocational and personal pursuits. To use the tools I have, to see the light and love of Christ manifest in the people and places I have influence.

Michelle Stokes – Board Member

Tactical and strategic business professional working with senior executives to develop and execute business strategy and direction with over twenty-five years of successful experience leading Human Resource functions and teams in the areas of: talent acquisition, organizational development, succession planning, performance management, employee relations, diversity, employee benefits, compensation, payroll administration, unemployment and worker’s compensation insurance and employee wellness programs.

Natalia Román – Board Member

I’m passionate about people, their stories, and the power of connection. As the Philanthropy & Partnership Director at City on a Hill, I help mobilize networks that advance our mission to break cycles of poverty and promote whole-family, whole-patient care in Milwaukee — through strategic and transformative partnerships.

With 20+ years of experience across community activation, entrepreneurship, and operations, I bring a builder’s mindset and a relationship-centered approach to every project. I thrive at the intersection of innovation, collaboration, and impact — working alongside residents, donors, and partners to create sustainable change.

I’m especially committed to uplifting local businesses, creatives, and nonprofits — because strong communities are built from the inside out.

Gary Loop – Board Member

I help business leaders and entrepreneurs experience success they never thought possible.

With over 20 years of extensive business experience and an ability to build high levels of trust with my clients, I offer a unique array of skill sets. My history as a standup comedian allows me to rapidly assess human behavior — in highly dynamic and complex situations – to ensure a smooth process improvement implementation. As a result, every client relationship is highly engaged, intensely comprehensive, uniquely executed, and professionally enjoyable.

My clients succeed by participating in my full strategic business analysis. As a result, all vital operational objectives are identified and a comprehensive roadmap is created to set the course for an intentional implementation strategy. With all members of an organization participating in assigned tasks and deadlines, the entity begins to move in tandem. By tracking key performance indicators, results become tangible, measurable, and actionable.

In the end, when strategic business objectives are intentionally attacked and completed in a systematic fashion, with all levels of the organization participating and held accountable, everybody wins!

All businesses are unique and deserve customized solutions specific to their operations. Every entity deserves a business strategist who places client interests above their own. These attributes are trademarks of my life and career.

Contact me at gary.loop@loopgroupllc.com or message me on LinkedIn for a free consultation and see how I can serve your specific business needs today.

Terrence Moore, Sr. – Board Member

Innovative and progressive leadership professional with over 30 years of entrepreneurship, business and economic development, education, training, advisory, administrative, volunteer, and financial responsibility. I have solid experience in corporate and nonprofit sectors with the ability to establish and maintain effective networks and relationships.

My key areas of experience are strategy formation and execution, program design, development and implementation, establish and maintain authentic business, stakeholder, local and state governmental relationships, build strategic partnerships and collaborations, cross cultural awareness, project management, staff management, business mentorship and urban education.

I have consulted small and mid-sized corporations, non-profit, for-profit and faith-based organizations in strategy and change initiatives. I am a founder of personal protective equipment venture and co-founded an emerging faith-based organization with the unique infrastructure of community and corporate strategy and student strategic foresight.

Elzie Flenard, III – Board Member

Over the last decade, I’ve built brands, produced award-winning podcasts, and guided leaders to translate their calling into both influence and income. What I’ve learned is simple: when you master yourself and your business under God’s direction, transformation becomes inevitable. Are you a faith-driven entrepreneur who feels stuck, overwhelmed, or out of alignment?

You’re not alone. And you don’t have to stay there.

I help founders like you build boldly, scale with intention, and live out your God-given purpose.

I believe business isn’t just business. It’s a Kingdom assignment.

Through Journey to Mastery, I guide entrepreneurs through the Four Pillars of Mastery™ (Mind, Mission, Message, and Method) — a framework that delivers both business growth and spiritual transformation.

Veronica Powell – Board Member

Too often, I've witnessed entrepreneurs struggling not with their ideas or drive but with the financial aspects of their businesses. Financial stress can cloud vision, limit growth, and ultimately derail even the most promising ventures.

I believe in a different approach—one where entrepreneurs can achieve financial independence and freedom while pursuing a legacy beyond profit. For minority entrepreneurs and small business owners who want to master their finances and build sustainable, impactful businesses, my company, Empowering Wealth Financial Coaching, provides tailored financial roadmap planning and literacy training. Our mission is to inspire entrepreneurs to pursue a legacy beyond profit, recognizing that wealth has a greater purpose.