Listening, Learning, Responding

VIA’s Executive Director focuses on strengthening the community that formed her

When JoAnna Bautch talks about thriving, she speaks about neighborhoods, families, and what it feels like to belong.

“Thriving shouldn’t be based on where you come from,” she says. “We all deserve that.”

As executive director of VIA Community Development Corporation, a sponsored ministry of the School Sisters of St. Francis, JoAnna works every day to build strong, healthy neighborhoods across Milwaukee. Her work is challenging and wide-ranging, but for her, it is deeply personal. She was raised on Milwaukee’s south side, and she grew up surrounded by families who shared similar experiences, cultures, and challenges. That sense of connection and knowing your neighbors continues to shape how she leads today.

JoAnna’s path to this work began early. Her older sister, Milwaukee Common Council member JoCasta Zamarripa, brought her along to community events, exposing her to advocacy and social justice. At 18, JoAnna lost her health insurance and assumed that lack of access to resources was normal.

“I didn’t know fighting back was an option,” she recalls. “Once I learned that it was, I just stayed and tried to strengthen that muscle.”

Those early experiences, combined with her deep roots on the south side, set the foundation for a career devoted to connection, equity, and empowerment. Her work at VIA is guided by the same values she grew up learning: listening, community-led decision-making, teamwork, justice, results, and a strengths-based approach.

“We are listening to our neighbors to develop the solutions that they want to see reflected in their blocks, their community, and their city,” JoAnna said. She emphasizes that listening is central to VIA’s identity and to the relationships the organization builds with the community.

JoAnna’s professional journey also prepared her for the work she leads today. At the United Community Center, she worked closely with neighbors on Milwaukee’s south side, helping families navigate school enrollment, community programs, and cultural opportunities. The role allowed her to build strong relationships with families while connecting them to resources and opportunities.

Later, at Citizen Action of Wisconsin, JoAnna focused on civic engagement and voter participation within Latino communities across the state. The work expanded her understanding of Wisconsin’s diverse Latine communities while giving her the opportunity to influence policy. In her work at VIA, she says, she draws on all of that experience.

“I think I found my dream job at VIA,” JoAnna says. “I get to do the things I’ve hoped to do, like have influence on what is happening today, shape what happens in the future, and offer support and resources to the neighborhoods I grew up in and to my Latine community. I get to hit on all those personal goals of mine, so it's really rewarding to be in this position.”

Her work ranges from creating programs that support small businesses along National Avenue to developing housing opportunities for early childhood educators and other first-time homeowners. She emphasizes that VIA’s growth does not mean drifting from the organization’s core mission.

“We are not trying to do everything,” she says. “We focus on our strengths, and when something falls outside of that, we lean on our partners.”

For JoAnna, her identity plays an important role in how she leads. She is a Latina, a queer woman, a first-generation college graduate, and a lifelong south side resident. Each of these experiences informs her perspective and approach.

“All of those identities inform my starting point,” she says. “They help me understand what someone else might be going through, and guide how I show up in spaces.”

“JoAnna is in Associate Relationship with the School Sisters of St. Francis, and she is committed personally and professionally to the Franciscan values of care for each person and care of the earth,” said Sister Carol Rigali, director of sponsorship services for the U.S. Province. “Under her leadership, VIA cares for each individual and makes every attempt to build community, increase safety, and enrich the lives of our neighbors.”

JoAnna’s inspiration comes from her lived experiences and her family, including her grandmother who migrated to Wisconsin in the 1960s; her mother, who navigated a new city and language; and her sisters, each breaking barriers in their own ways. “These women inspire me every day,” she says.

When JoAnna thinks about the legacy she hopes to leave, she returns to a simple idea: kindness. Early in her career, she says success once meant recognition or financial achievement. Over time, that definition changed. Today, she hopes people will remember the work she and VIA have done in a much simpler way.

“I want people to say, ‘They really helped me. They were there when I needed them,’” she says. JoAnna often reminds her team of the same principle: Be kind and follow through on what you promise. For her, that reputation of care, reliability, and respect is the legacy she hopes VIA will leave in Milwaukee’s neighborhoods.