Madison, WI (June 27, 2018) – UW Madison Alumna Anna Burish was honored today with the Women United Philanthropy Award at United Way’s annual Women’s Leadership Breakfast.
The prestigious award celebrates and acknowledges a woman who is committed to helping make our community a better place to live, for all. The award also honors a woman’s achievements in educating, empowering and inspiring women and young girls to be philanthropic leaders in Dane County.
Anna Burish is deeply rooted in our community in many different ways. Currently, she serves as a board member for United Way of Dane County, The Overture Center Foundation, and the Advisory Board for American Family Children’s Hospital. Her United Way involvement includes being our 2017 Board Chair, as well as having served on our Vision Council, HIRE Employment Initiative Leadership Team, Campaign Cabinet, Building Economic Stability Community Solutions Team, Foundation Board of Trustees, and Tocqueville Leadership Society which she chaired with her husband Andy. This year she is serving as the Chair of our Nominating & Governance Committee. Anna has previously served as a board member for UW-Whitewater, DAIS and St. Mary’s Hospital.
“We are inspired by Anna’s commitment to help stabilize local families so they can thrive. Our community is a better place because of her passion and leadership,” says United Way President and CEO Renee Moe. “From leading our board and serving on multiple committees, to giving generously and inspiring others to give, to working directly with Dane County residents in need of financial advising, she is a wonderful role model for our community.”
“I can’t tell you how truly humbled I am. There are a lot of women in our community who give their time, talent and heart. Many have inspired me along the way and I’m honored to have been chosen for this award,” adds Burish.
In addition, Anna and her family have endowed scholarships at UW-Eau Claire, UW-Whitewater, and Edgewood College. They are focused on helping first generation college students get the education they need to prepare them for fulfilling careers. As a first generation college student herself, Anna endowed a scholarship at UW-Whitewater for 1st generation students who want to become teachers and will work in urban schools. She also created a match fund to help Domestic Abuse Intervention Services raise money. For the past three years, Anna has served as a financial counselor with Habitat for Humanity, helping a family achieve their financial goals.
Anna is an Associate Director at The Burish Group of UBS. She has been with UBS Financial Services Inc. since 1994, serving in different branches throughout the U.S., including Los Angeles, Denver, and Chicago. She holds an executive Masters in Business Administration from the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Business and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Whitman College in Walla Walla, Washington.
Anna and her husband, Andy, have one daughter, Raquel, who lives and works in New York. They reside in Middleton with their two American bulldogs, Coraline and Sam. In her free time, she enjoys snow skiing, eating, and being a test cook for the magazine Cook’s Illustrated.
All proceeds from today’s event benefit United Way’s education portfolio. Thank you to our co-presenting sponsors Summit Credit Union and CUNA Mutual Group, supporting sponsor BMO Harris Bank, and Rick Vanden Heuvel CPA, S.C. for generously matching dollars raised at the event up to $10,000.
About United Way of Dane County:
United Way of Dane County fights for the education, financial stability, and health of everyone in Dane County. Through strategic partnerships and collaborative work, United Way brings the many voices of Dane County together to find common ground, develop a strategic architecture for change, and make measurable progress, while engaging organizations and individuals with the opportunity to give, advocate and volunteer to resource this work and change lives in Dane County.
About Women United:
Women United is a global force of over 70,000 women and growing. Locally, Women United began in 2004 as United Way’s Women’s Initiative with 20 members, and has since grown to over 700 members. In 2018, local women joined the Women United movement to create a world full of opportunity for everyone. Women are invited to create lasting change and lift up entire communities. To learn more, visit www.unitedway.org/women-united.
