Demeter Board
Executive Board Members
Sharon was raised on a dairy farm in Sherwood, Wisconsin. She attended UW-Madison and graduated from the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences (CALS). In college she met her husband, Randy Shaver, who is a professor emeritus in the Department of Animal and Dairy Sciences. They have two adult daughters and one grandson.
Sharon retired in 2024 as a private wealth advisor and CEO of Eventus Wealth Advisors which she founded. She has been active in Demeter and has co-chaired the corn roast. She served as president in 2018-2019. She is also involved in the Association of Women in Agriculture.
In her free time, she enjoys gardening, working on restoring prairies and woodlands on their land in Wilton, Wisconsin, bike riding and traveling.
Megan is a doctoral candidate in the laboratory of Paul Fricke in the UW-Department of Animal and Dairy Sciences. Her interest in agriculture and biology stems from working on her family’s dairy and cash crop farm in southeast Wisconsin.
Megan’s research focuses on understanding the basic physiology, management practices and economics to optimize the use of sexed semen in dairy farms. She previously served on Demeter’s Education Committee.
Douglas Maxwell is professor emeritus of the UW-Department of Plant Pathology. He taught the introductory course in plant pathology as well as several graduate-level courses. He also conducted research on diseases of red clover, alfalfa, beans and tomatoes.
From 1984 to 2014, Doug managed international research projects on virus diseases of beans and tomatoes, with major collaborations in the Middle East, the Caribbean, South America and Central America. He served as chair of the Plant Pathology Department for about 10 years and held several administrative positions in CALS.
After retiring in 2001 he continued to conduct research. He was part of the vegetable seed company, Semillas Tropicales, in Guatemala until 2014, and consulted for Ag-Biotech of Monterey, California, until 2021.
Doug volunteered at the Badger Prairie Food Pantry in Verona for 22 years. He also served as a supervisor on the Verona Town Board for seven years. He has served as treasurer of Demeter since 2021.
His current interests include researching family history. He was raised in rural Nebraska.
Linda was raised on a farm in the state of Washington. She moved to Madison in 1970 when her husband, R. Gordon Harvey, accepted a job as assistant professor in the UW-Madison Department of Agronomy. A proud member of Demeter, Linda has held the offices of president-elect, president, co-treasurer and recording secretary (2021-present).
Linda is also a member of University League, the Attic Angel Association,
P.E.O.Chapter BY, the Embroiderers Guild of America, and Bethany Methodist Church.
Jan was raised on a farm in Michigan. Her family moved to Middleton in 1983 when her husband, Jeff Martin, joined the faculty of the UW-Madison Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology.
Jan became a member of Demeter in 1983 and has served as president, vice president, corresponding secretary and membership chair. She also has chaired the corn roast and fall bulb planting committees and sews with the Demeter sewing workshop.
In addition to Demeter, she is involved with the Middleton Historical Society, University League and P.E.O. Chapter BY. Her hobbies include gardening and photography.
Board Members (Committee Chairs)
- Spring Luncheon Chair: Gail Schomisch
- Garden Party Chair: Judy Barth
- Corn Roast Picnic Chair: Lynn Grooms/Sharon Brantmeier
- Fall Bulb Planting Chair: Jan Martin
- Education Chair: George Shook
- Sewing Workshop Chair: Lynda Thomas
- Historian Chair: Judy Stang
- Database Chair: Eileen Nelson
- Mailing Chair: Judy Barth
- Membership Chair: Carrie Aberle
- Membership Recruitment Chair: Sally Leong
- Newsletter Chair: Martha Maxwell
- Directory Chair: Nan Field
- Nominating Chair: Sally Leong
- Technology Chair: Weizhong Wang