Campus Connection

[caption id="attachment_26840" align="alignright" width="211"] Kenna Christians is this year's Mrs. Oktoberfest.[/caption] For more than 30 years, Kenna Christians and her husband, Roger, have hosted a party for family and friends along Oktoberfest’s Maple Leaf Parade route. They even brought musical instruments to create the “Rose Street Band” for parade breaks — an annual crowd favorite. This year they won’t be performing. Instead, they’ll be in the parade. Christians will be riding on the Oktoberfest float as one of her first official appearances as Mrs. Oktoberfest 2013. The retired professional fundraiser was named Mrs. Oktoberfest during the annual Mrs. Oktoberfest reception in Cartwright Center Wednesday, Sept. 25. She’s the 46th person to receive the honor that recognizes Coulee Region women who have impacted the community in her profession and as a volunteer. For Christians, being at UW-L to receive the title was a homecoming. She served as the university’s Assistant Chancellor for Advancement & External Relations and president of the UW-L Foundation from 2001 until retiring in 2007. Since then, she has helped numerous area non-profits raise millions. The most recent campaign brought in $7.8 million for the La Crosse Community Theatre, allowing the group to move into the new performing arts center this past winter — a dream since 1968. LCT Executive Director David Kilpatrick credits Christians for utilizing a collaboration with Viterbo University, where she worked as a fundraiser from 1987-2001, as a key for the successful campaign. “This would not have been possible without Kenna’s generous gifts of leadership and experience to guide us in conducting a multi-million dollar capital campaign in an economically turbulent time,” notes Kilpatrick, one of five people who nominated Christians for the honor. Since retiring, Christians has also volunteered as interim executive director of the YWCA, along with serving on various boards. She has been an active member of the Downtown Rotary Club and served as president of the Rotary Works Foundation. She hasn’t slowed down. Christians is currently helping to create development plans for other non-profits, including The Parenting Place and Myrick Hixon EcoPark. The Kenna Christians file • Professional Retired professional fundraiser; retired UW-La Crosse Assistant Chancellor for Advancement and President of the UW-L Foundation, 2001-07; Fundraiser for Viterbo University, 1987-2001 • Volunteer activities -La Crosse Community Theater; Weber Performing Arts Center board; Downtown Mainstreet board; Rotary, Riverland Chapter of Alzheimer’s Association board; Coulee Region Kiwanis; Girl Scouts board; American Heart Association board; United Way; YWCA board • Family Roger (husband); Jeff (son) age 41, Lisa (daughter-in-law), Lauren & Ryan (grandchildren); Jason (son) age 38 Computer science major and psychology minor Christa Brehm is the new Miss La Crosse/Oktoberfest. Brehm received the crown during a competition Sept. 21. Brehm's platform is "Go Red for You - Keeping a Healthy Heart"; her talent is piano. After more than a week of appearances during Oktoberfest, Brehm will travel with the 2013 Oktoberfest Royal Family and compete in next year's Miss Wisconsin pageant.