Meet the Staff

Left to right: Mary Beth Bockhorst, Jill Huizenga, Denise Fitzsimmons and Renee Wahlen Tillema.

Mary Beth Bockhorst, graphic designer and co-owner has loved art since she was a child. Today, she loves almost anything that is art related and has dabbled in painting wares from pottery to furniture. She enjoys trips to art museums with her husband, Ken and finds inspiration in genres from Baroque to Abstract Impressionism. Occasionally, she will dust off her paint brushes and paint with acrylic on canvas.

Another area of interest is the quest for new recipes to make for her family. There is no substitute for the enthusiasm that fills the house when her teenage children come through the door to the smell of homemade goodies! Spending time with them whether in the kitchen or playing the Wii are times she cherishes.

While indoor activities are perfect for Wisconsin winters, when spring arrives all activities move to the outdoors! Mary Beth and her family love to get on Beaver Dam Lake to boat, kayak, and water ski.

She feels fortunate to for the opportunity to use her creativity within her career as graphic designer for InSpire Magazine and looks forward to the new adventures that are sure to come!

Renee Wahlen Tillema, editor for InSpire Magazine, has always had an interest in the written word. As a child she would spend hours a day either reading books or writing her own short stories. Renee has a degree from Marian College (now University) in Organizational Communications, and is currently in a master's degree program studying Ecopsychology.

With a love of the environment and nature, Renee likes to go hiking and canoeing with her family and spends time in the garden. Always enthusiastic to learn more about a new subject, Renee enjoys being able to sit down with the people she interviews and listen to their ideas and interests. She always leaves an interview having learned something new or having gained a different perspective on a topic.

Denise Fitzsimmons, publisher and co-owner, believes in the importance of community service. She serves as a board member of People Against a Violent Environment (P.A.V.E.), is on the Beaver Dam Scholarship Foundation Golf Committee and the Beaver Dam Health Foundation fundraising committee, and is an active member of the Beaver Dam Rotary Club. She is also active in her church's GEMS program, which is for girls in second through eighth grade.

A graduate from Moraine Park Technical College with a degree in Marketing, Denise and her husband, Timothy, live in the country near Iron Ridge. She enjoys weight training, reading, golfing, and both local and national league baseball, with her favorites the Clyman Canners and Milwaukee Brewers.

Jill Huizenga is the secretary/treasurer and co-owner of InSpire Magazine. She also gets labeled as the bookkeeper, which she is, and Jill jokes that this must mean she looks like the boring/serious one. Jill is married with two children and lives between Randolph and Cambria.

Having just recently joined the Beaver Dam Exchange Club, Jill is also active with the Randolph Christian School education committee, her kid's sporting events, and coaching softball. With a love of music, Jill plays the piano for church and leisure. Jill recently completed her master's degree at Marian University, and she enjoys gardening, reading, cooking, walking/running, softball and fishing. She also has fun spending time with her children, especially playing tennis with her son, and playing basketball and softball with her daughter.