A native of Chicago, Ellen graduated from Hamilton in 1987 with a degree in Government. She went on to receive a master’s degree in non-profit management from George Washington University, and worked for the Smithsonian Institution and a variety of Washington, DC-area non-profits before joining Hamilton's development team in 2002.

Originally from Syracuse, Kathy graduated from the College of the Holy Cross with a degree in Economics and Accounting. She worked in auditing for Coopers & Lybrand, as a manager for Price Waterhouse Office of Government Services, and for GE — living in Boston, Washington, NYC, Philadelphia and Puerto Rico before relocating back to Syracuse. Rescue dog Tasker runs the Wiese household for Kathy, Mike and their three sons and one daughter.