This week at Rotary, Ari Brown of the Wisconsin Policy Forum shared their findings on the community listening sessions hosted by the Milwaukee Police Department to inform the creation of a citywide Community Oriented Policing Plan. Ari summarized key themes from these meetings, explored how peer cities have implemented Community Oriented Policing, and suggested ways that MPD can enhance its own community engagement strategies.
Jun 13, 2024•49 min
Michael Gosman has a passion for improving our community, which drew him to Acts Housing, an organization dedicated to breaking down the barriers for homeownership. Under Mike's leadership, the organization has grown from seven employees in 2012 to over forty employees in 2023, while also increasing their revenue 13 fold to $9,000,000. Mike’s inventive ideas, products and services have resulted in stronger families, neighborhoods and communities in Milwaukee, and for these contributions, he is o...
May 30, 2024•41 min
Sarah Pancheri, who became Milwaukee World Festival’s President & CEO in January 2024, will share how Summerfest and Henry Maier Festival Park contribute millions to the region's economy while remaining dedicated to its nonprofit mission to provide the cultural and entertainment impact that has earned Milwaukee the title, "The City of Festivals”.
May 24, 2024•40 min
At this year's Armed Forces Week program, Rotarians heard from Col. Charles Merkel, commander of the 128th Air Refueling Wing at the General Mitchell Air National Guard Base. The Colonel addressed the current state of the Refueling Wing, their mission, plans for modernization, and efforts to compete for the KC-46 tanker. He also discussed changes coming to the Air National Guard's role in the Indo-Pacific region.
May 17, 2024•41 min
Vision Zero is an international movement to end traffic deaths with a public health and safe system approach that the City of Milwaukee has adopted. This past Tuesday, Rotarians heard from Milwaukee's Vision Zero Policy Director, Jessica Wineberg, as she shared an overview of key crash trends that are informing a data driven response with the goal of eliminating all traffic fatalities and serious injuries by 2037.
May 10, 2024•39 min
Milwaukeans quickly recognize the name A. O. Smith but not all know that this historic Milwaukee brand is one of the world’s leading providers of water heating and water treatment solutions for 150 years. This week in Memorial Hall,, Chairman and CEO of A.O. Smith, Kevin Wheeler, provided a snapshot of their 150 year history, and shared how they are continually developing state-of-the-art solutions to push new boundaries and pave the way in their industry.
May 02, 2024•37 min
Elysabeth Alfano is the CEO of VegTech(TM) Invest and an expert on food systems transformation. She runs an ETF on the New York Stock Exchange that invests in innovative companies that are focused on a sustainable food system shift. Learn how companies like Anheuser-Busch are using their fermentation processes to grow protein for human consumption and the associated health and ecological benefits derived from these new sources of protein.
Apr 26, 2024•44 min
Located 60 miles north of Milwaukee, Road America, also known as The National Park of Speed, opened in 1955 and welcomes over 800,000 motor sport fans each year to enjoy over 600 acres in the Kettle Moraine. This week at Rotary Mike Kertscher, President of Road America, discussed the history of the track and its economic impact on Sheboygan County and the state of Wisconsin.
Apr 19, 2024•33 min
VISIT Milwaukee's CEO, Peggy Williams-Smith, gave an energized presentation to Rotarians on Tuesday and introduced VISIT's new and improved fresh brand while addressing the driving forces behind tourism in 2024 and beyond. Check out the presentation for an insightful glimpse into Milwaukee's vibrant tourism scene and its promising future.
Apr 12, 2024•45 min
Every summer crowds flock to our city, but this time, in addition to a large number of high-profile visitors, Milwaukee is poised to get about as much attention as it can handle on July 15-18, when the eyes of almost every nation on the planet, and every state of the union will be upon us. At a packed Memorial Hall yesterday, Rotarian Andy Bochman, senior grid strategist for Idaho National Laboratory’s National and Homeland Security directorate provided a brief snapshot of what Rotary members ma...
Mar 29, 2024•43 min
On Tuesday, Rotarians heard from Dr. Megan Schultz from Children's Hospital on gun violence in children. Guns are now the number one cause of death for American children - more than cancer, more than car accidents. Pediatric emergency physician Dr. Megan Schultz shared her perspective from working on the frontlines of America's gun violence epidemic, and what we can do to make our community safer for children.
Mar 25, 2024•46 min
Connecting in-person will always be at the heart of Rotary, yet we can also make personal and meaningful connections through social media—while expanding professional networks and enhancing brand visibility. Rotarians enjoyed a two part presentation on Tuesday. First, Rotarian Hanna Paul of Ideawake presented our club's Social Media Kit, sharing how Rotarians can get involved online and help maximize RCM's reach. Then, Wayne Breitbarth of Power Formula provided handy tips on how to get the most ...
Mar 15, 2024•38 min
At a packed Memorial Hall on Tuesday, Rotarian John Franke shared his perspective on the the FBI undercover investigation that brought agent “Donnie Brasco” to our city in the late 1970’s, the related extensive wiretaps conducted by the FBI, and his work in leading the successful prosecution of Milwaukee’s Balistrieri organized crime family in the mid-1980’s.
Feb 29, 2024•52 min
This week at Rotary, members were introduced to the world of esports, the growing competitive video game industry that is projected to earn $3.5B in revenue by 2025. Brandon Tschacher, Executive Director of the Milwaukee Esports Alliance, provided an overview of the rising esports scene and shared how competitive gaming is taking off right here in Wisconsin.
Feb 23, 2024•42 min
Rotarians filled Memorial Hall this week to hear from Executive Director of Protect Democracy, Ian Bassin. Ian discussed global trends endangering democracy, what some of the factors are driving these dynamics, and what risks they pose for American civil society, including our business community.
Feb 14, 2024•49 min
Program Committee Chair Jamie Reeve, III noted Rob Henken has spoken to Rotary more frequently than any other person—and consistently get strong reviews. On Tuesday, Rob looked back on Milwaukee’s fiscal challenges, reviewed how the city is making ends meet in 2024 and what that says about its longer-term financial prognosis and its ability to sustain key services like police, fire, and libraries....
Feb 08, 2024•48 min
"Arts and culture are a central part of what makes Milwaukee a great place to live, work and play." This week, new Rotarian and Executive Director of the Milwaukee Repertory Theater, Chad Bauman, introduced the Rep's upcoming plans for the new Associated Bank Theater Center and shared an outlook on Milwaukee's arts and culture sector in the coming years.
Feb 02, 2024•38 min
Rotarians were given a glimpse into the future as they heard Jason Turner of Wintrust Wealth Management return to Memorial Hall for his 2024 Economic forecast this week. Using the philosophies of Warren and Jimmy Buffet, Jason shared state of the economy and the prospects for continued economic growth or recession in 2024 and beyond.
Jan 25, 2024•48 min
Since the war broke out on October 6th, the Israeli-Palestinian crisis has been in the fore front of the news and also in the hearts of many. As a neutral platform, our club decided to invite two speakers to represent both views at Rotary. Last week, we heard from Miryam Rosenzweig, President and CEO of the Milwaukee Jewish Federation. And yesterday, we heard from Othman Atta, Executive Director of the Islamic Society of Milwaukee, who approached the conversation from the Palestinian perspective...
Jan 19, 2024•50 min
Since the war broke out on October 6th, the Israeli-Palestinian crisis has been in the fore front of the news and also in the hearts of many. As a neutral platform, our club decided to invite two speakers to represent both views at Rotary. Yesterday, we heard an Israeli perspective from Miryam Rosenzwieg, President and CEO of the Milwaukee Jewish Federation. Next week, we will hear a Palestinian perspective from Othman Atta, Executive Director of the Islamic Society of Milwaukee.
Jan 11, 2024•55 min
On December 19th, the fabulous Florentine Opera performers regaled us with tunes of the season. Happy Holidays from Rotary!
Dec 21, 2023•29 min
As we approach the end of 2023, County Executive David Crowley looked back a historic year that saw many accomplishments for Milwaukee County. On Tuesday, we heard from the County Executive share his thoughts on these achievements, including the passage of new revenue generating tools, the first budget surplus in over two decades, many critical investments that are making our community healthier, and more.
Dec 14, 2023•32 min
This week at breakfast, Rotarians heard from Pulitzer Prize finalist and former reporter for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Meg Kissinger. Meg shared the story behind her latest book, WHILE YOU WERE OUT: An Intimate Family Portrait of Mental Illness in an Era of Silence, which details how her own family’s story is part of a broader movement to destigmatize mental illness.
Dec 07, 2023•45 min
After three decades, the Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce has a new leader, Dale Kooyenga. Dale joined MMAC in January in the newly created role of senior vice president as the regional economic development and their board began planning for the retirement of his predecessor, Tim Sheehy, who had led MMAC since 1992. Rotarians heard Dale's story and the results of his conversations with over a hundred CEOs this past year. Dale also shared what he has heard from these conversations a...
Nov 15, 2023•56 min
At breakfast this week, Rotarians heard from Christa Beall Diefenbach, Executive Director of Friends of the Domes. Christa shared the history of Friends of the Domes as well as their plan to identify a solution for the Domes that addresses the building’s physical limitations, revitalizes Mitchell Park, and supports a business model that is sustainable.
Nov 10, 2023•32 min
Ingeteam, a team made up of more than 4,500 people in 21 countries, is convinced that there is a different way of generating, transporting, storing and consuming energy in a more efficient and sustainable way. The energy transition is no longer the future, it is the present, and to face this challenge, they plan to help build a world in which energy production is clean.
Nov 03, 2023•32 min
On U.N. Day, we celebrated the 78th anniversary of the founding of the United Nations with Danielle Brian, President of the Project on Government Oversight. Danielle discussed how we can bring to life the U.N.'s Sustainable Development Goal of peace, justice, and strong institutions. Central to successfully meeting that goal is the need to substantially reduce corruption in all its forms, and to develop effective, accountable, and transparent institutions at all levels of government.
Oct 27, 2023•38 min
It is hard to talk about historic preservation in Milwaukee without recognizing the work of Matt Jarosz, professor at UWM’s School of Architecture and Urban Planning. Matt approaches historic preservation from both the philosophical and technical perspective. Matt shared stories of local preservation efforts that worked and not worked—all which play a role in creating the architectural landscape of Milwaukee today.
Oct 20, 2023•47 min
Reince Priebus is the Chairman of the MKE 2024 Host Committee, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization with the mission to work on behalf of the City of Milwaukee, its businesses, and residents, ensuring that the 2024 Republican National Convention has all the necessary tools for a successful event. Priebus shared to Rotarians an update on the 2024 convention, the Host Committee’s role, and what attendees can expect in Milwaukee next summer
Oct 11, 2023•41 min
Rotarians heard from Taylor Korslin of Rethink 794, a volunteer group advocating to replace a stretch of elevated Interstate-794 with at-grade streets to better connect Downtown with the Third Ward and Lakefront. Taylor discussed the timely debate, WisDOT's potential options, and elaborated on the merits of rethinking Interstate-794.
Oct 06, 2023•43 min
