* Photograph by Shane Van Boxtel / Image Studios
CONNEXLY
When Notre Dame School of De Pere announced its $27 million building project in 2019, Alisa Conway was at the media event as a member of the building planning committee. She then dashed from the press conference — still in her dress and heels — to coach her daughter’s middle school track practice.
It’s a visual that represents Conway’s indomitable spirit and can-do attitude, the likes of which have earned her the title of “volunteer extraordinaire,” says nominator Geno McKenna, director of development at Notre Dame Academy.
“Alisa is a tremendous asset to the Green Bay community as an advocate for education, ensuring that all children have the resources and support they deserve to learn and flourish,” McKenna wrote. “Strong schools equate to strong communities, and her work is making our city a better place to live.”
Conway says her most meaningful volunteer work has been in education, particularly with her alma maters Notre Dame Academy and Notre Dame School of De Pere .
The De Pere native holds a bachelor’s degree in sociology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and an MBA in marketing from Marquette University. She worked in consumer research for Miller Brewing Company before starting her own firm, Conway Research Consulting, which she operated for nearly 17 years. In November, Conway started a new position with CONNEXLY, a small Silicon Valley-based company that helps businesses recover digital assets that may get lost in mergers and acquisitions.
During the years Conway focused on raising her four children, she treated her volunteer roles as her job, but there was always a common thread of working to better understand people.
“Consumer research is really trying to understand what drives people to do what they do, whether that’s choosing a product off a shelf or whether that is trying to make a meaningful connection with someone,” Conway says. “I was lucky to find something in education that suited the way I approach things, and that really carried through. It allowed me to use observation and understanding and apply it to different areas of my life.”
Conway was recently honored as the 2023 Outstanding Volunteer of the Year by Notre Dame School of De Pere for her leadership roles as site advisory chair, on the building planning and school vision committees, and as a fundraiser and coach. Conway also spearheaded school book fairs and the Battle of the Books at both elementary and middle school levels. She served on the board of education for both Notre Dame School of De Pere and Notre Dame Academy.
While Conway has held many official volunteer positions, McKenna says her informal role as the go-to person for advice or an unbiased opinion often goes unnoticed, yet is equally valuable.
“She leads by example, demonstrating that service is a quality able to foster a meaningful change in society. She continues to lead major campaigns and initiatives that will have meaningful results for the youth in our community,” he wrote. “Alisa’s imprint will last well beyond her lifetime.”
Conway believes that volunteering has the potential to help combat rising rates of depression and anxiety, especially in young people.
“Volunteering gets you outside your head — there’s nothing more grounding,” she says. “It always ends up coming down to the people. Everything I’ve been involved with, whether it be my work or my volunteer roles, I’ve always found community.”
