Category Archives: Weekly Rotary Guest Speaker

September 3: Madison LakeWay Project

Posted on September 9, 2025 by | Leave a comment

–submitted by Kevin Hoffman

Former Madison Rotary President Jason Ilstrup and Madison LakeWay Partners CEO Jayme Powers presented a comprehensive overview of the project that will transform Madison’s 1.7 miles of Lake Monona lakefront that stretches from Olin Park to Law Park near the intersection of Wilson Street and Blair Street. With the goal of improving public access and connecting downtown to Lake Monona there are four areas envisioned to facilitate access along the entire length of John Nolen Drive. They will feature peers and boating facilities, event spaces, bio retention basins to improve lake health, segregated traffic lanes for cars, pedestrians, and bicycles. The first phase is in conjunction with the road reconstruction of the John Nolen Causeway starting in October 2025 and to be completed by Winter 2028.

If you missed the program, you can watch it here: https://youtu.be/CDCzUhtg8z8

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Posted in Rotary Club of Madison, Rotary Club of Madison Guest Speaker, Rotary Weekly Guest Speaker, Weekly Rotary Guest Speaker

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June 25: Is There a Path for Immigration to US Anymore?

Posted on June 27, 2025 by | Leave a comment

–submitted by Larry Larrabee

Grant Sovern, a local immigration attorney, made an interesting and very entertaining presentation on the three levels of benefits for immigrants: Visas, Permanent Residence, and Asylum.  He began by pointing out there is no such thing in America as an application for immigration.  The process for obtaining any of the above is extremely complicated, as well as frequently changing with each administration since the law was written in 1952.  Without legal representation, it is practically impossible for the average person.  New York City, in response to this, began providing legal representation which has cut the number of deportations by 50%.  As a result, Madison has the Community Immigration Law Center located in Christ Presbyterian Church on Gorham, staffed by 7 volunteer attorneys, has seen the same results here. For more information, visit https://www.cilcmadison.org/.

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Posted in Rotary Club of Madison Club Service Award, Rotary Club of Madison Guest Speaker, Rotary Weekly Guest Speaker, Weekly Rotary Guest Speaker

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Dane County Veterans Memorial Coliseum

Posted on June 23, 2025 by | Leave a comment

–submitted by Larry Larrabee

Dane County Executive, Melissa Agard, prefaced her presentation on the $125,000,000 renovation of the Veterans Memorial Coliseum by briefly summarizing Dane County’s current financial situation and the uncertainties of State and Federal funding.  She pointed out the renovation is needed to address the declining number of events held there and that renovation is far less expensive than replacement.  The county is currently seeking corporate partnerships to accomplish the goal as has taken place in Champaign, IL, Minneapolis, MN, and Grand Rapids, MI. Ms. Agard concluded by outlining her proposal for qualifying the Dane County Airport as an international airport similar to Rockford, IL, and Des Moines, IA.

If you missed our meeting last week, you can watch it here: https://youtu.be/m8pMnRhV89Q.

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Posted in Rotary Club of Madison, Rotary Club of Madison Guest Speaker, Rotary Weekly Guest Speaker, Weekly Rotary Guest Speaker

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June 11: Economic Collaboration Between Madison and Milwaukee

Posted on June 12, 2025 by | Leave a comment

–submitted by Joy Cardin

Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley and the co-founder of the Hoan Group Ian Abston addressed our club about the importance of partnerships and collaboration in building healthy communities. Crowley said if Milwaukee County and Dane County are doing well, the entire state of Wisconsin will benefit. He noted numerous successful Milwaukee County projects and programs and credited the Hoan Group for helping to make them happen.  The Hoan Group is a private network of civic-minded leaders working to bridge the Madison and Milwaukee business communities. It was co-founded by Ian Abston and our club’s president Jason Ilstrup!  A main focus of the group is to collaborate to retain young people in Milwaukee and Madison and to attract new talent to our communities to keep the twin engines of Wisconsin’s economy humming.  One example of joint efforts to appeal to more young people is having a Milwaukee presence in the Night Market series in Madison and vice versa. 

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Posted in 2. Meetings, Madison WI, Rotary Club of Madison, Rotary Club of Madison Guest Speaker, Weekly Rotary Guest Speaker

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June 4: Center for Black Excellence & Culture

Posted on June 9, 2025 by | Leave a comment

–submitted by Larry Larrabee

Rev. Dr. Alexander Gee, Founder and CEO of The Center for Black Excellence and Culture, gave an excellent presentation describing the founding and purpose of his organization whose new headquarters will open in December in the 700 block of Badger Road. Dr. Gee said that 100 years ago, Blacks moving North had a better sense of acceptance and inclusion than is true today, and the Center’s purpose is to help develop that feeling among Madison’s Black Community.  He stated that studies show that when Blacks have this feeling of belonging, they have fewer degenerative diseases such as diabetes and Alzheimer’s disease.  One of the many activities of the Center is to aid UW researchers in studying factors that help Blacks thrive and succeed.

If you missed our meeting last week, you can watch it here: https://youtu.be/F5y9JAEkWt4.

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Posted in Madison WI, Rotary Club of Madison, Rotary Club of Madison Guest Speaker, Weekly Rotary Guest Speaker

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May 21:  Former U.S. Ambassador to Luxembourg, Tom Barrett Provided Insight into His International Role

Posted on May 23, 2025 by | Leave a comment

–submitted by Sharyn Alden

“It was like a chess game,” he said at the May 21st Rotary meeting. “Except this was a game of ‘human chess’ dealing with people. The former Milwaukee mayor of 18 years, and U.S House of Representatives, shared a close-up look at being ambassador to Luxembourg for three years. “I am proud to have represented the people of the U.S.,” he said.

Often asked how he got the job serving this very wealthy country smaller than Dane County with its population of 650,000, he said he asked for it.

In February 2021, in an airplane hangar at Milwaukee’s Mitchell Field, President Biden asked Barrett what he could do to help him, following the Democratic Convention in Milwaukee being pulled due to Covid. “He asked if I’d like to be the ambassador to Luxembourg, and I said yes.”

Among some special remembrances, he said, “The people of Luxembourg love the U.S. They haven’t forgotten we saved them twice in 1944 during the Battle of the Bulge. Barrett said he was touched when an 84-year-old woman told him, “We will always be grateful for what the U.S. did for us.”

If you missed our meeting this week, you can watch it here:  https://youtu.be/h25Lg_osrFk.

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Posted in Madison WI, Rotary Club of Madison, Rotary Club of Madison Guest Speaker, Weekly Rotary Guest Speaker

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