“Dane County is fortunate to have Sheila and Kevin working to make our community better.” That’s how Gary Wolter summarizes the influence and impact of our 2026 United Way of Dane County Tocqueville Society Honorees Sheila and Kevin Conroy.

Wolter, former Chairman, President & CEO of Madison Gas and Electric, notes that he’s had the honor of working with the couple over the years on a variety of community efforts. “I first met Kevin in 2005 when he was President and CEO of Third Wave Technologies, and I was calling on local leaders on behalf of the United Way campaign,” Wolter explains. “Kevin quickly recognized the importance of United Way’s efforts and ramped up the employee campaign at Third Wave. Perhaps more importantly, Kevin offered ideas for how United Way could approach the tech sector generally, which has been a tough sector for United Way to gain a foothold. Many of his ideas are still being used in campaigns today.”

He further states, “I recently began serving with Sheila on a foundation that makes grants to support people in our community. Sheila is a quick study yet thoughtful and humble in her approach to learning. She is intentional in her approach and uses what she learns not only to help other members of the board in their decision making, but also to help inform the Conroy family giving.”

Sheila and Kevin each grew up in large families devoted to their communities and to supporting others. Kevin was the second of five children in Flint, Michigan. He attended Michigan State University. Sheila Brennan was sibling number eight of 11 growing up in Milwaukee where she attended Marquette University. They met in 1988 as incoming law students at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.

Married in 1996, their careers took them to San Francisco, Chicago and Milwaukee before they settled in Madison in 2006. Here, they raised three daughters, all alumnae of the University of Notre Dame: Meghan, a newlywed in Milwaukee training to become a surgeon; Grace, a consultant in New York City; and Molly, also a consultant, who lives in Chicago and plans to attend medical school. As a family, the Conroys enjoy biking, running, tennis, recreational sports, travel with family and good friends, reading and music.

Kevin served as CEO of Exact Sciences from 2009 to 2026 with a goal of helping to eradicate cancer through earlier detection. Exact Sciences developed Cologuard, now used more than 23 million times to screen for colorectal cancer. The company grew from three employees to more than 4,000 in Madison and multiple states. Before joining Exact, Kevin was president and CEO of Third Wave Technologies, a Madison molecular diagnostics company that developed a cervical cancer screening test. He currently serves as a director of Abbott, Align Technology and CereVasc.

“Many years ago, I was asked to call on Kevin to seek his support for United Way of Dane County,” reflects Jay Sekelsky. “It was probably one of the easiest and most rewarding meetings I have ever had. He not only agreed to become a donor and a volunteer, but he also asked very insightful questions. Right away, I knew that Kevin was different and that he would have a huge impact on our community. And he has. He is focused on helping others and making our community the best place possible for all.” Sekelsky, a partner at Zermatt Investors, continues. “Over the years his leadership at United Way and other charitable organizations (such as Overture Center for the Arts and the Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce) has been inspirational to me and many others. I’m grateful for Kevin’s friendship, his leadership, his compassion, but most of all, for helping to make Madison a better place for all of us.”    

Inspired by Kevin’s leadership, over the years Exact employees and corporate giving totaled nearly $6 million for our Dane County campaigns. The company provided and sponsored loaned executives for United Way to support workplace giving across the county, and Exact has been well-represented on United Way committees from leadership councils to the Board of Directors. Meanwhile, the United Way partnership extended to all of the company’s locations serving communities from coast to coast including a Give Back Day in 2018 involving thousands of employees donating hundreds of hours of volunteer service at projects as diverse as nature trails, home building sites and food pantries.

In 2016, Kevin chaired United Way’s Community Campaign. Volunteers, donors and staff saw his dedication to helping others and responded generously achieving the $18.6 million goal, an incredible total. That year, a decade ago, was Renee Moe’s first as President & CEO of United Way of Dane County, and Kevin set the standard for volunteer leadership.

“Kevin provided a positive, accountable energy to his year as United Way’s Campaign Chair, the same passion and forward-tilt leadership he brings to his cancer-eradication and community work. He also mentored me, building my confidence and skills as I assumed leadership at our organization. I continue to count on him as a thought leader, coach and partner. Kevin and Sheila exemplify what it means to be engaged community leaders unafraid to ask the tough questions that lead to deeper understanding and measurable impact.”  

A few years later, Moe remembers, Sheila and Kevin were the first to step up to invest in a Relief and Recovery Fund to help Dane County families at the onset of the COVID-19 Pandemic. “Support for our local community was paramount, as they recognized the urgency of the situation and the need for individuals, businesses and nonprofit organizations to collaborate and leverage United Way’s unique role during a crisis.” In addition to being the first to support, Kevin went on to invite others to support the fund, ultimately raising $2.3 million to bridge nonprofit service support and family well-being until unemployment and other systems of support caught up three months after the start of the pandemic.

The Conroy household became leadership donors in 2006 and joined the Tocqueville Society just three years later. Their personal commitment deepened when United Way of Dane County celebrated our Centennial in 2022, and they agreed to endow their annual support through the Tocqueville Legacy Circle which included establishing the Kevin and Sheila Conroy Family Fund in our United Way Foundation. The fund will forever support United Way’s mission.

Honoring United Way’s history and looking to the future prompted a major corporate gift from Exact during our Centennial celebration. The company made a five-year investment to amplify our volunteer center and 211 services to connect community members to resources and engagement opportunities for years to come. The gift fulfillment concludes next year and represents a true partnership.

For the past 35 years, Sheila has litigated and counseled organizations in private and public sector employment. Sheila is a partner with Lake Effect Human Resources & Law, specializing in employment law matters; she has been a part of the firm since its opening day in 2018. Sheila has also worked in Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle’s administration, first as a Division Head and then as Director of the Office of State Employment Relations.

Sheila brings her professional expertise and care for others to her community involvement. She currently serves on the boards of the Madison Area Sports Commission and the Oscar Rennebohm Foundation. Previously, she served on the boards of the Madison Public Library Foundation and Girls on the Run of Dane County. Meanwhile, Sheila co-chaired and contributed to the successful Overture Center for the Arts’ $30 Million endowment campaign—Overture Forever. Additionally, she serves on advisory councils at Marquette University and the University of Notre Dame.

“Sheila’s care for the community has made her an advocate for the people we are trying to serve, both as organizations and as individuals,” observes Jenni Jeffress, President of the Oscar Rennebohm Foundation. Their paths have crossed over the years, originally volunteering together as mothers of daughters at Girls on the Run of Dane County (now South Central Wisconsin), later through Sheila’s board service at Madison Public Library Foundation and now with Rennebohm. Jeffress notes that Sheila is a hands-on board member and has used her skills as an employment attorney to improve institutional processes, “Sheila is asking questions and requesting data so that grants can make a difference in systemic solutions and address root causes.”

The Conroys have made an indelible impact on our Dane County community through their professional and personal involvement, which is far-reaching, compassionate and generous.

“To date, our philanthropy has focused heavily on education, and specifically on providing scholarship opportunities to students so that they can pursue their personal and professional goals,” they explain. “We’ve also focused on healthcare, supporting organizations that fund research and seek to improve patient care. Lastly, we care deeply about our immediate community of Madison, Dane County and Wisconsin, and we have tried to support organizations that make our community stronger and more vibrant. We do feel an obligation to give back to this community that welcomed us and has done so much for us and for our daughters.”

We’re pleased to recognize Sheila and Kevin Conroy with the 2026 Tocqueville Society Award.