Will Ochowicz started Madison is for People in 2021. Will grew up outside of Milwaukee and went to UW-Madison. After college he got a job, settled down, and stayed in the city. He's proud to say that he was married in one of Madison's beautiful parks.

Will is passionate about making Madison better for everyone, no matter their income or ability. 

Will recently made the switch to be car-lite, and bikes as his primary mode of transportation. He also leads the Communications Committee for MifP.

Darrin Wasniewski’s journey into building communities can best be described as iterative. What began as a desire to save old buildings in the German Village Neighborhood of Columbus, Ohio evolved into a passion for fostering social connection and creating places for all ages and all abilities. He currently co-leads AARP Wisconsin’s Livable Communities efforts around the state in addition to being a partner in Grow Collaborative Consulting.

As a volunteer, Darrin is a Global Walkability Correspondent for Pedestrianspace.org, a collaborative focused on advancing walkable communities around the world, where he leads international workgroups focused on Architecture & Urbanism and the Walkable Economy. In Wisconsin, his passion finds an outlet as a steering committee member of 1000 Friends of Wisconsin’s Active Wisconsin Network. Locally, in his home of Madison, he serves on the steering and transportation committees for Madison is for People, is a member of Downtown Madison Inc. participating on the organization’s transportation and economic development committees, and as a transportation commissioner for the City of Madison.  Additionally, he maintains membership in Wisconsin Downtown Action Council, Congress for New Urbanism, American Planning Association and YIMBY Action.

Darrin is a non-fiction book junkie, soaking up a few a month, and an avid podcast listener. Be careful, he’ll talk your ear off about a current read or a podcast he just listened to. 

Mary Pustejovsky is passionate about livable cities for people. Biking is her primary form of transportation with 3 kids. She has lived in Madison since 2020 and prior to that lived in Austin and Chicago. In Austin, she was a board member for the Red Line Parkway Initiative as well as AURA, a land use and transit advocacy group.

In her day job, she works in the nonprofit industry, focused on technology used by nonprofits for fundraising and operations.

Ian Jamison came to Madison 12 years ago as a student and never left. Moving to the “15-minute” Marquette neighborhood and going car-free in 2020 transformed his daily life. Now, as chair of the Transportation Committee, he advocates for policies that would give neighbors across Madison the same option.

He is passionate about sustainability, affordable housing, public transit, and building strong, cohesive communities. His nine years in the healthcare industry sent him all over the world and he loves sharing the great ideas he’s seen in other countries.

Mike Zenz first moved to Madison in 2004, but then did a stint in Washington D.C. for grad school. When he returned to Madison in 2015, he was shocked at how scarce and expensive housing had become. 

He is particularly interested in finding ways to focus local governments on the needs of both renters and home-owners when they are crafting community plans and policies.  He loved the sort of transit oriented development he experienced when living in D.C., where he could walk to the subway and get anywhere in the city, and is excited that his neighborhood of Eken Park is turning into just such a place. 

He is also an avid watcher of Madison Plan Commission and Common Council meetings. Must See TV!