People who make a difference – Evan Lin

The Business News Staff

Staff

May 5, 2023

GREEN BAY – Though he wasn’t born in the Green Bay area, Evan Lin – founding attorney and managing member of Lin Law LLC – said he considers himself a native.

“I wasn’t born here, but my family moved here when I was three, so I’m essentially a native – I grew up in Allouez,” he said.

Lin attended St. Matthew’s grade school and was the last graduate of Abbot Pennings High School before it merged with Premontre and St. Joseph’s Academy into what is now Notre Dame Academy (NDA).

After high school, Lin attended college at Loyola University in Chicago where he earned a degree in business administration, accounting – becoming a certified public accountant.

From there, he went to the University of Wisconsin Law School, where he obtained his law degree.

After working in Milwaukee for about a year, Lin said, moving back to the Green Bay area “just made sense.”

“My wife, Susan, is also from Green Bay, our family was all in Green Bay and we wanted to have a family and knew Green Bay would be a great place to raise a family,” he said.

After working for two firms in the area, Lin said he felt like it was time to do his own thing – opening Lin Law LLC in 2013.
“We just had our 10th anniversary in February of this year,” he said.

‘I owe everything to Green Bay’
Lin said it’s his connection to the Greater Green Bay area, its people and its sense of community that has inspired much of his volunteer work.

“Everything I have, I owe to this community,” he said. “It’s where I was educated. It’s where I met my wife. It’s where my kids were born. It’s where I live. It’s where I started my firm. I owe everything to Green Bay – it’s been a great place for me and my family.”

//17bec5072710cda5b8dd81b69f4c6e58.cdn.bubble.io/f1683301434069x785774243817310300/richtext_content.webpEvan Lin

Being a graduate of Abbot Pennings, now Notre Dame Academy, Lin said his work with the school’s foundation and board of education provided him with an opportunity to give back to an education system he credits for much of the success he’s had.

“I’ve always been a big advocate of Catholic education, and what it’s done for me,” he said. “All my kids have gone through the GRACE system. I actually have a daughter that’s at Notre Dame Academy right now. My other two are grown up and in college, but they both graduated from there, too. So, I got involved.”

Lin said he was first approached to join NDA’s foundation as its treasurer because of his background in accounting.

“Because I am a CPA, we thought it would be a good fit there,” he said. “I was more than happy to get back in that way.”

After his time as foundation treasurer concluded, Lin said he was asked to join NDA’s board of education – serving as board chair his last two years (2018 and 2019).

“It was great to be part of the school board,” he said.
Lin said he gained a new perspective on all the intricacies schools deal with as a member of the school board.

“As a parent, you don’t necessarily see those perspectives, and then you sit on the board side and you understand all the dynamics of a school and all the issues that come up,” he said. “You’re handling teachers, parents and athletics. And obviously, NDA is a private school, so there’s the fundraising side of things as well. So, it was a great experience, to see all those dynamics work together.”

Lin said he appreciates the fact that he’s been able to use the skills he’s acquired through his education and experiences to give back to the community.

//17bec5072710cda5b8dd81b69f4c6e58.cdn.bubble.io/f1683301605327x378301990084833000/richtext_content.webpEvan Lin, center, said much of his volunteering is done with organizations that are important to him and his family – especially the work he’s done with Notre Dame Academy. Submitted Photo

“A lot of what I do (on the boards I have served on) is review documents,” he said. “There’s always a need for a lawyer to look at agreements… or even look over financials with my accounting background – those skill sets I have and am happy to share.”

Lin said he has also donated his time and legal knowledge to the Wills for Heroes Foundation – which provides free wills, financial powers of attorney and advanced healthcare directives to publicly employed and volunteer first responders and their spouses and partners.

“I always like to donate my time for things like that,” he said.

Generous community
Lin said his time serving on the board for the Green Bay Community Foundation further cemented his views on the phototropic nature of the Greater Green Bay community.

“Green Bay is extremely philanthropic for a community of its size,” he said. “You see the kindness and the generous generosity of this community when you go to the community foundation.”

Lin said the amount raised through the foundation’s annual Give BIG Green Bay initiative is an illustration of how generous this community is.

“I’m proud to live here because the people here are so nice and kind and welcoming and generous,” he said.

Lin said he has also served on the local Big Brothers Big Sisters board, the St. Vincent’s foundation board, as well as on the local board for the American Heart Association.

“My time on the American Heart Association board was important to me because I lost my dad to heart disease,” he said.

Lin said he also spent a number of years volunteering with the Learning Through Golf Foundation – a nonprofit organization that introduces the game of golf and its inherent values to young people.

“I like to golf, and it’s something you can do your whole life,” he said. “There’s also so much kids and people can learn about the etiquette of golf and be respectful of your playing partners. There’s a lot of great lessons golf can teach.”

Personal connection
Lin said the organizations he has been involved in over the years hold a special place in his heart.

“When you want to give back your time, make sure it’s something you’re passionate about – whatever it may be,” he said. “That’s what I’ve always done. I want to give back to things I know I’m going to give 10,000% to because it means so much to me.”

Lin said because there are so many worthy nonprofits and organizations in Northeast Wisconsin, he has focused his time on those who he has a personal connection with.

“There’s only so much time one person has, so I tried to get back to those communities, to those organizations that have done and mean a lot to me,” he said. “The community might impact others that live in this community in a different way, which is why when asked, I always tell people to give back to something (close to them).”