Elder
Board
2024-25 //
Board of
Elders
The spiritual leadership of Blackhawk Church, under the headship of Christ, is provided by the Board of Elders consisting of four to eight lay elders elected by church members, and the senior pastor.
Mike Anderson (Chair)
Mike Anderson was born in Minneapolis. He earned a degree in History from Cornell University, and a Law degree from Washington University in St. Louis. Married to Gail since 1977, they have two married sons, Steven (Luisa) and Mark (Larissa), and four grandchildren, Dane, Aria, Knox, and Maxwell. A partner at Axley Brynelson LLP law firm where he has practiced since 1980, Mike represents a dairy equipment manufacturer, religious nonprofits, and injured people. His wife, Gail, is a retired school psychologist and a leader of the Blackhawk Bible Study. Members at Blackhawk since 1994, they lead a Community Group and volunteer as ushers at Blackhawk Fitchburg. Mike and Gail like to spend as much time as possible at their house on Green Lake.
Mary Jane (MJ) Almeida
MJ was born and raised in Madison, Wisconsin. She earned her undergraduate degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where she pursued a dual major in Political Science and Legal Studies, and a minor in Criminal Justice. MJ works for UW Health as a senior clinical systems analyst, specializing in outpatient specialties such as transplant and cardiology, as well as primary care. MJ has been attending Blackhawk since 2011. She has served in various roles at Blackhawk, including the Prayer Ministry, Women’s Ministry, Community Group Leader, and Gospel Fusion Welcome Team. MJ has three children: Angelica, Annabella, and Anthony. They love sports and play year-round, including football, baseball, softball, and basketball. MJ and her family enjoy cross-country road trips, as
well as exploring the best beaches and hiking trails in Wisconsin. MJ has a passion for mentoring young people and prayer.
Rick Badger
Rick Badger is a native of Philadelphia, PA. He earned his B.A. Degree in Social Work and Government from Ohio University in 1976. After completing a one year program from Moody Bible Institute in Chicago, Il in 1978 and a Graduate Degree in Counseling Psychology from Wheaton College in 1983, he became an Ordained Minister and served congregations as an Associate Pastor & Senior Pastor in Illinois and Wisconsin for 34 years. In 1989, he moved his family to Madison, WI to work as a Federal Probation Officer for the Western District of Wisconsin. Rick pastored New Beginnings Alliance Church (multicultural) from 1998-2017 on the East side of Madison, WI. He retired from Federal Service in 2009 and is currently a Licensed Professional Counselor with Samaritan Counseling Center and Anesis Center for Marriage & Family Therapy. Rick and his wife, Deborah, are active in service to Blackhawk Church in BAAM Leadership and in the Gospel Fusion Venue. Deborah has worked in nursing for over 30 years and is currently a job coach for disabled adults. The Badgers have four adult children and four grandchildren.
Kyle Buchmann
Kyle Buchmann was born in Spooner, Wisconsin and received his BBA from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. Kyle met his wife, Leah, in college and they married after graduation. The couple spent three years in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and three years in Eau Claire, Wisconsin prior to moving to Madison in 2012. Kyle is a Senior Vice President of Development at the University of Wisconsin Foundation where he focuses on assisting alumni and friends of the University in making an impact with their philanthropic gifts. He is active in the BKids Launch Ministry, men’s community group, and leads a Blackhawk Fitchburg Community Group with Leah. The couple has three children: Owen, Addison, and Ezra.
Tom Crenshaw
Tom Crenshaw grew up on a small family farm in west Tennessee. Tom’s wife, Connie, is also a native of Tennessee. After completing graduate degrees in animal nutrition at the University of Nebraska, Tom and Connie moved to Wisconsin in 1980. As a research and teaching faculty position the UW Department of Animal & Dairy Sciences, Tom is motivated by research and enjoys opportunities to engage and advise students. Tom and Connie’s two adult children and their spouses have blessed them with seven grandchildren. Blackhawk has been their church homesince 1999. Tom has served Blackhawk as an Elder. Tom and Connie have enjoyed serving together as life group leaders and marriage mentors. Connie has volunteered in Blackhawk office work, Senior Ministry, and currently serves on the Care Response Team.
Ella Mae Matsumura
Ella Mae Matsumura was born in San Francisco and completed her undergraduate degree at the University of California, Berkeley. Her husband, Kam-Wah (Kam) Tsui was born in Hong Kong. Ella Mae and Kam met in graduate school at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada and married in 1977. Their family includes one adult son and daughter-in-law. Kam and Ella Mae moved to Madison in the fall of 1980 when Kam joined the faculty in the Statistics Department at UW-Madison, where he worked until his retirement. In 1985, Ella Mae joined the Accounting Faculty in the UW-Madison School of Business, and served as the School of Business Senior Associate Dean of Academic Programs before retiring from the university in 2021. Ella Mae and Kam have been members of Blackhawk since 1982. Ella Mae served as a deaconess at Blackhawk and also served on the Finance Team and the Audit Team. Kam and Ella Mae share a love of music and reading. Ella Mae also enjoys gardening.
Sue Nondahl
Sue Nondahl grew up in Greendale, a suburb of Milwaukee. She met her husband Dave as an undergraduate at UW-Madison, and they started attending Blackhawk in the late 1970’s. They have two adult children and five grandchildren. Before retiring in 2016, Sue worked as a pediatrician at Associated Physicians Clinic in Madison, and Dave worked as a statistician for the UW Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences. Sue volunteered in Blackhawk’s children’s ministry for over 20 years, and she participated in two short-term mission trips to Honduras. Dave served as an elder at Blackhawk in the 1980’s and has volunteered in a variety of ministries including the Infrastructure Task Force, the Connections Team, and One-to-One Care. Sue and Dave previously served as marriage mentors and life group leaders, and they currently serve as life group hosts. They enjoy biking, reading, and spending time with their grandchildren.
John Smalley
John Smalley is a native of Evansville, WI, and a 1981 graduate of UW-La Crosse. He and his wife Barb met on a blind date in Mason City, Iowa, and were married in 1985. They have four adult children: Rachel (Mike) Lamps, Andrew, Emma (Erik) Olsen, and Abigail, and two grandchildren, Elizabeth and Brandon Lamps. After a 40-year career working at newspapers in the Midwest (Mason City, La Crosse, Carbondale, Ill. and Madison), John retired as editor of the Wisconsin State Journal in August 2020 and now works part-time for the Wisconsin Elections Commission. Barb, originally from Dayton, Iowa, has been very involved with Children’s Ministries at Blackhawk over the years, and John and Barb have enjoyed leading a Young Adult Community Group in their home in Verona on Sunday nights and an Empty Nester Community Group on Monday nights.