Dane County Circuit Judge Susan Crawford, who is seeking election to the Wisconsin Supreme Court, spoke yesterday at a joint program hosted by the Milwaukee Press Club, WisPolitics.com and the Rotary Club of Milwaukee. Judge Crawford answered questions from the audience and from a panel of journalists that included Alison Dirr - Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Emilee Fannon - CBS 58 News, and Matt Smith - WISN 12 News. On Tuesday, March 18th we will hear from Supreme Court candidate Judge Brad Schim...
Mar 07, 2025•53 min
Over time, Fr. Michael Simone, S.J., PhD, Pastor at Gesu, has identified several "keys to understanding" that help people in a polarized society apprehend and respect differing worldviews. This week Fr. Michael shared with Rotarians attitudes towards values of hierarchy and consensus, tradition and progress, and unity and diversity that underlie many of the fiercest debates in contemporary American society.
Feb 28, 2025•48 min
On this chilly Tuesday, Rotarians welcomed back former Milwaukee Mayor and U.S. Ambassador to Luxembourg, Tom Barrett. Tom joined Joel Brennan, President of the Greater Milwaukee Committee in conversation about his journey from mayor to ambassador, the issues that shaped his time in the small European country, and some interesting stories from his three years in Luxembourg.
Feb 21, 2025•48 min
Rotarians heard from Dr. Jeremy Kedziora, Endowed Chair of Artificial Intelligence at MSOE, for a data-driven exploration of three key AI trends shaping 2025. This insightful talk will covered the plateauing of large language model performance, the rise of agentic systems, and AI’s evolving impact on the labor market. He also highlighted how MSOE is leading in this space, offering a glimpse into the innovative AI initiatives happening on campus.
Feb 07, 2025•49 min
Our region has several award winning public and community radio stations broadcasting from Milwaukee. At a time when listeners have unlimited information and entertainment choices on air and online, the stations are working hard to retain current listeners and attract new audiences. Rotarians heard from leaders of local radio with Sarah Ashworth, Wisconsin Public Radio; Jordan Lee, Radio Milwaukee, David Lee, WUWM, and Tom Crawford, WMSE as they discussed the opportunities and challenges they fa...
Jan 31, 2025•36 min
Rotarians ventured into the cold this week to hear Michael Antonelli, Market Strategist and Managing Director at Baird Private Wealth Management, for an economic outlook in 2025. Michael, a frequent speaker and the author of the Bull and Baird blog, discussed the strong year that the stock market had in 2024 and the potential impact that the new administration’s policies could have on the economy in 2025.
Jan 24, 2025•46 min
This week at Rotary, Kevin Shafer, the Executive Director of the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District addressed MMSD’s 2035 Vision for a cleaner water environment through short term projects and collaborations.
Jan 16, 2025•42 min
Rotarians returned to Memorial Hall for the first meeting of the new year to hear from Micaela Bomhack, President and CEO of Rite-Hite. Micaela shared the story of how Rite-Hite came to be, and how their move to downtown Milwaukee fits into the company’s long term plans to better serve customers, increase innovation, attract and develop key talent, and accelerate corporate growth.
Jan 10, 2025•44 min
Port Milwaukee is known for being multimodal, but the current team and business partners are working to make it multifaceted. This week, we heard from Port Milwaukee Director, Jackie Q. Carter, as she shared the vision to grow the reach and reputation of this regional asset.
Dec 13, 2024•43 min
This week in Memorial Hall, Rotarians heard from Tom Boldt, Chairman of The Boldt Company as he provided insights about his employees, customers, and community from the 135-year history of The Boldt Company. Tom also shared his thoughts on how an organization can innovate for a sustainable future and be purpose-driven.
Dec 06, 2024•50 min
In conjunction with the Milwaukee Press Club and WisPolitics, attendees in Memorial Hall heard from Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley on Tuesday. Executive Crowley shared details on the 2025 budget, other current issues in Milwaukee County and answered questions from a panel of journalists including Aaron Maybin of Fox 6 News, Edgar Menendez of Neighborhood News Service, and Vanessa Swales of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Nov 22, 2024•51 min
On November 5th, Kent Lovern won the Milwaukee County District Attorney election. Kent, a prosecutor for 26 years, has served as the Chief Deputy District Attorney since 2008, where he managed the attorneys and staff in the District Attorney’s office and worked closely with law enforcement and community leaders. This week at Rotary, Kent shared his vision for Milwaukee County’s future and the public safety challenges and opportunities in our community.
Nov 18, 2024•43 min
On Tuesday, Chip discussed his latest book, A Different War, which uses poetry to help articulate the horrors of the war in Ukraine and to help demonstrate the impact the war is having on the lives of ordinary people.
Nov 07, 2024•49 min
This week, Rotarians heard from James Mathy, the Administrator for Milwaukee County Housing Services, and manager of a number of homeless and real estate programs. James discussed Milwaukee’s current homeless crisis, his commitment toa long-term vision for affordable housing, and how his team's initiatives have garnered attention on a national scale.
Oct 30, 2024•48 min
Rotarians celebrated the United Nations 79th anniversary on Tuesday with Dr. Emma Belcher, President of the Ploughshares Fund. As the world faces a polycrisis, a simultaneous convergence of multiple global challenges at once, Dr. Belcher emphasized the need of working together and negotiating good faith to build peace across states.
Oct 24, 2024•46 min
This week at Rotary, Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson shared an update on public safety, city fiscal issues, and the importance of upcoming elections. He also addressed Milwaukee's future and his optimism surrounding what's ahead.
Oct 18, 2024•41 min
In partnership with the Milwaukee Press Club, WisPolitics.com and WisconsinEye, Rotarians and guests heard from Republican Eric Hovde in Memorial Hall Tuesday. Hovde, who is challenging incumbent U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin in the November 5 election, took questions from a panel of journalists that included Charles Benson – TMJ4 News, Emilee Fannon – CBS 58 News, and Matt Smith – WISN 12 News. An invitation for a future program is pending with Senator Baldwin.
Oct 11, 2024•44 min
On Tuesday, we launched a campaign to raise $250,000 to invest in the B-Line Park, a world-class, one-mile linear park, that runs from Richards St. to Keefe Ave. on the Beerline Trail. Rotarians from our B-Line Park Cabinet shared how this community space will unite the economically divergent Harambee and Riverwest neighborhoods, connect eight neighborhoods along the Beerline Trail, open economic opportunities, improve the quality of life for residents, and serve as a regional destination for vi...
Oct 04, 2024•44 min
This week at Rotary, Peter Jest, longtime Milwaukee concert promoter and operator of Shank Hall, and author Amy Waldman discussed their new book, We Had Fun and Nobody Died: Adventures of a Milwaukee Music Promoter with Jim Nelson of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. They shared stories of Peter's friendships with artists that have come through Shank Hall, how their book came together, and how Peter continues to look past the profit-driven aspect of the music industry and celebrate his love for mu...
Sep 26, 2024•41 min
Milwaukee Film Executive Director Anne Reed shared with Rotarians on Tuesday the impact the organization has had both on Milwaukee’s film lovers and on Milwaukee itself. In addition to highlighting the importance of preserving the magic of the shared cinematic experience, Anne explored the vital role theaters play in fostering community and supporting the local art scene.
Sep 19, 2024•39 min
District Governor Pete Bosch discussed Rotary's structure and appeal while sharing his vision for growth, emphasizing how it can be driven by engaged and satisfied Rotarians. Pete will also reviewed ongoing initiatives and introduce new projects planned for this year, encouraging members to participate in these efforts.
Sep 13, 2024•43 min
Social capital— the networks of relationships people have— is the foundation to create and maintain functioning communities and societies. Research shows that it has been declining for decades and contributes to many worsening societal outcomes. This week at Rotary, Miranda Spindt and Will Flanders from the Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty (WILL) discussed their recent work raising awareness of the implications of declining social capital, possible solutions, and future initiatives WILL i...
Sep 06, 2024•38 min
Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS) matter to all of us; we live, work and play alongside the district’s students, families, staff and alumni. On Tuesday, we were joined for a deep-dive into “The Business of Education,” by MPS Interim Superintendent Eduardo Galvan and Board of Directors VP Jilly Gokalgandhi. The two will discuss recent district developments with Jason Stein, President of the Wisconsin Policy Forum and give Rotarians a look at what lies ahead for MPS.
Aug 28, 2024•46 min
In its 2024 Trafficking in Persons Report, the U.S. Department of State states that an estimated 27 million people around the globe are exploited for labor, services, and commercial sex. Yesterday at Rotary, Tim Baack, the President and CEO of Pathfinders and Alicia Kort, Assistant District Attorney with the Sensitive Crimes Unit for Milwaukee County engaged in a moderated conversation with Rotarian Jon Ward on how organizations in Southeast Wisconsin are collaborating resources and efforts to c...
Aug 22, 2024•51 min
This past Tuesday, Rotarians heard from Nancy Hernandez, President of the Hispanic Collaborative, originators of the Well-Being Index, and Angela Adams, Interim President of the African American Leadership Alliance of Milwaukee on the most recent data related to the health, wealth, education, employment and quality of life of our Latino and Black communities as compared to their counterparts in the top 50 metros in the U.S. After a highlight presentation that painted the picture of how our diver...
Aug 16, 2024•53 min
The E=Way Regional Commuter Rail System , developed by Transit Innovations, proposes 30 stations spanning across Milwaukee and Waukesha counties along 55 miles of existing Union Pacific and Canadian Pacific Kansas City rail infrastructure. On Tuesday, Jaqulynn Honl , C.O.O. of Transit Innovations, will share details of the visionary economic development project that will deeply impact job centers and connect transit-oriented development station neighborhoods where people live, work, and play....
Aug 08, 2024•37 min
Rotarians returned to Memorial Hall on Tuesday to hear from fellow club member and new CEO of Ascension Wisconsin, Daniel Jackson. As the leader of one of Wisconsin’s largest healthcare organizations, Daniel shared his vision and plans for Ascension, and the importance of addressing social determinants of health through community impact programs in today’s challenging and evolving environment.
Jul 26, 2024•40 min
With our partners from the Wisconsin Alliance for Civic Trust, WisPolitics, Milwaukee Press Club, and the Wisconsin Eye, we held a program focused on election integrity and security that filled Memorial Hall to the brim on Tuesday. Patrick Marley, Reporter for the Washington Post moderated the discussion with a panel comprised of Meagan Wolfe from the Wisconsin Elections Commission, Paulina Gutierrez of the Milwaukee Election Commission, and former state legislator, former county clerk, and elec...
Jul 12, 2024•58 min
There was much to celebrate yesterday in Memorial Hall as we recapped a wonderful year under President Leslie, and welcomed in our new club President Saj Thachenkary for 2024-25. We also introduced new members, shared selfies, learned about the future of our new big project, and so much more all to close another chapter of our vibrant club.
Jun 28, 2024•31 min
This week in Memorial Hall, Rotarians heard from Dick Knapinski, the Communications Director of the Experimental Aircraft Association. Dick shared the EAA's story from its humble Milwaukee beginnings, to now a 300,000-member organization that hosts the world’s largest fly-in at Oshkosh every July.
Jun 20, 2024•38 min
