Local Non-Profit Leader Wins Statewide Award

Chippewa Falls, September 16, 2026 – Geri Segal, Outreach and Management Specialist and former Executive Director at Family Support Center, will be awarded the Patricia J. Waschbisch Legacy Award for Lifetime Achievement this October.

This state-wide honor is awarded to individuals who have provided consistent and exceptional services to survivors of domestic violence over their career and who promote a vision of ending violence and achieving social justice. The award is in memory of Patricia “Trish” Waschbisch, long-time Legal Advocate in Marinette, WI, who lost her life in 2013 due to domestic violence. This is the twelfth year this award has been given by the Governor’s Council on Domestic Abuse, which advises the Department of Children and Families and the legislature on domestic abuse funding and policy issues.

Geri was recommended for this award by current and former board and staff members. Jeni Haddad, Executive Director, shared that Geri “grew FSC from a handful of staff in 1998 to 20 employees and the  addition of two Eau Claire offices today. Geri [oversaw] multiple programs that cover everything from crisis response. . . to early violence prevention and parenting support. In the 28 years that Geri has directed [Family Support Center], thousands of survivors of violence have walked through our doors and received hundreds of thousands of services. Thousands of lives have been altered and changed in some way. . . from having a safe place to come to, a kind voice on the phone to call [to] a hand to hold in some of the hardest moments in their lives. Geri is responsible for creating, maintaining, and supporting the space to do this.”

“It is such an honor to receive this award and to share it with my co-recipient Stacey Cisero. It has been an absolute privilege to be the Executive Director of the Family Support Center for all these years and to work with such an incredible team,” Geri remarked.

The award ceremony will take place on October 13^th, 2026, at the state capital building in Madison, WI.