The MATC Foundation Inc. board recently appointed Trevor D’Souza and Laila Valters, FLMI to its board of directors.
The two appointees will each serve a three-year term on the MATC Foundation Board, the college’s philanthropic partner in student success. The Foundation builds relationships and raises funds for scholarships, support for books, supplies and related academic expenses, and emergency grants and college initiatives.
Trevor D'Souza currently serves as a senior vice president at Associated Bank in the commercial banking group, serving middle market and larger clients representing all that the bank has to offer. D’Souza is a senior-level professional with a diverse skill set and executive level experience in a number of roles and industries.
His previous roles have included middle-market mergers and acquisition consultant, client portfolio manager ($600 billion asset manager), managing director at Great Lakes Ventures LLC, operating partner at Acclaro Growth Partners, chairman and board member (public and private companies), CEO (enterprise software company), management consultant for Booz-Allen, and technologist.
D’Souza has served on the board of directors in fiduciary and non-fiduciary roles, as well as in publicly traded, privately owned and not-for-profit foundations, advocacy and educational institutions. He earned a bachelor’s degree in engineering from The Catholic University of America and a master’s of business administration from George Washington University, both in Washington, D.C. He also has numerous professional certifications in technology and finance.
D’Souza is a generous supporter of technical colleges and believes that they are vital to replenishing the skill sets needed in Milwaukee and Wisconsin to capitalize on, and create, economic opportunities for the region.
Laila Valters serves as vice president of enterprise compliance and chief compliance officer at Northwestern Mutual. In this role, she oversees compliance practices for Northwestern Mutual and its subsidiaries. Additionally she serves as president and CEO of Northwestern Mutual Investment Services Inc., the sixth largest independent broker/dealer in America.
Valters joined Northwestern Mutual in 1997 as a customer service representative and has been promoted through successive roles in sales support, compliance and working with field staff. Before her current role, she was vice president of field talent, leading overall strategy and support for Northwestern Mutual’s national sales organization. Valters was also regional vice president for the East Region of Northwestern Mutual.
She holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and a master’s degree in dispute resolution from Marquette University. She completed the Certificate in Diversity & Inclusion Leadership at Cornell University in January 2021 and Leading Organization Change at Wharton Executive Education in 2018. Valters is a Fellow of Life Management Institute (FLMI). She FINRA Series 6, 26, 7, 24 and 66 qualified.
“It is a privilege to have these two extraordinarily accomplished leaders step up to serve as ambassadors for the MATC Foundation and raise awareness of MATC’s unparalleled impact on meeting regional workforce needs,” said Ginny Finn, acting executive director of the MATC Foundation. “They join a talented existing board that includes representatives of private business, large corporations, and homegrown brands, as well as well-respected community leaders. Their diverse perspectives and networks will help connect our strategies to the industries that drive our region’s economy and our students to careers offering economic mobility, including healthcare, financial services, construction, advanced manufacturing and STEM, among others.”
The MATC Foundation Board of Directors also includes the following officers: President David “Dave” Megna, senior vice president of system and field operations, WEC Energy Group, and MATC alumnus; Vice President Julianna “Julie” Ebert, retired partner and attorney, Quarles and Brady LLP; Vice President Matthew “Matt” Partridge, chief financial officer-south region, Froedtert Health; Vice President Danielle Bergner, shareholder, Hall Render, and MATC alumna; Treasurer Preston McGlory, vice president-tax, MolsonCoors Beverage Company; and Secretary Jaime Hurtado, president and founder of Insulation Technologies Inc (INTEC). See the full list of board of directors at MATC Foundation Inc.
About the MATC Foundation: As the college’s philanthropic partner, the MATC Foundation’s mission is to build donor relationships to facilitate private investments that remove barriers to education, accelerate careers, and deliver skilled talent to the Milwaukee area. The Foundation also serves as the financial steward of private donations to Milwaukee PBS, a viewer-supported service of MATC. Committed to a prosperous region built on expansive access to education and economic opportunities, the Foundation collaborates with civic leaders, employers, community partners, and MATC alumni, to promote economic opportunity for MATC students, their families, and our entire region.
About MATC: Wisconsin’s largest technical college and one of the most diverse two-year institutions in the Midwest, Milwaukee Area Technical College is a key driver of southeastern Wisconsin’s economy and has provided innovative education in the region since 1912. More than 30,000 students per year attend the college’s four campuses and community-based sites or learn online. MATC offers affordable and accessible education and training opportunities that empower and transform lives in the community. The college offers more than 180 academic programs — many that prepare students for jobs immediately upon completion and others that provide transfer options leading to bachelor’s degrees with more than 40 four-year colleges and universities. Overwhelmingly, MATC graduates build careers and businesses in southeastern Wisconsin. The college is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.