Girls Rock MKE is thrilled to announce the appointment of Hannah Pardee as its new Executive Director, effective July 1, 2026. Hannah brings a wealth of experience as a longtime volunteer with Girls Rock and Ladies Rock Camps, Ladies Rock alumna, and most recently President of the Girls Rock MKE board of directors. Read her welcome letter here.
First, we invite you to read a personal note from outgoing Executive Director Mary Joy Hickey, whose 12+ years of dedication and vision have shaped the organization for this moment and forthcoming era:
As we look ahead to the 2026 summer camp season on the horizon, I'd like to take you back to December 12, 2012.
I was in my mid-twenties, a musician playing in several bands in Milwaukee, navigating some difficult personal transitions. I had started to hear inklings about a Milwaukee chapter of the Girls Rock Camp movement, and reflecting on my own journey as a female musician growing up in a small town, I thought maybe I could be of some help. I was also desperately in need of community and a new investment of purpose.
So I showed up at Sugar Maple on December 12, 2012, the day we now consider our organizational birthday. As the momentum of planning the first camp took off, I inexplicably held back on the fringes, a hostage to my own insecurities. As a largely self-taught musician with virtually no experience with kids, who was I to teach or coach? Ultimately, I did not volunteer at the first Girls Rock Camp in 2013.
I did go to the showcase, however. And what I witnessed on stage that day left me gutted in the most powerful way. These courageous kids, despite their age, their skill levels, their own fears, took the stage of Turner Hall and did the thing, confidently. Witnessing their performances showed me what creative agency actually looks like: having something to express to the world, maybe being scared, but doing it anyway. Because you must. Because the world needs these voices to remind us that ours matter, too.
That first showcase transformed something in me. I started volunteering the summer of 2014, and helped co-found Ladies Rock that same year. Now, reflecting on 12+ years in this organization, including the past 2+ years as Executive Director, I am stunned at the growth I can directly attribute to my experiences here and the values embedded in these programs: Authenticity. Confidence. Self-expression. Collaboration. Courage. Vulnerability. Community.
Much like that showcase cracked me open, leading this organization has once again pulled me forcefully toward my next stage of evolution.
It is with great care that I announce my departure from the Executive Director role as of June 30, 2026. It has been an honor to serve as the inaugural Executive Director, and I look forward to continuing to support this work in new ways, including through Creative Ecology, the business my soul has longed to create, and for which I now have the courage to do the thing.
It’s been an honor to serve alongside you in community. I couldn’t be more proud or enthusiastic about Hannah taking the reins as your new Executive Director. One ending creates space for a powerful new beginning.
You can also read a personal note here from incoming Executive Director Hannah Pardee, who brings a wealth of experience, dedication, and passion for the organization's mission and values. You can read our full press release and prepared FAQs here.