On January 8, John Koskinen from the Wisconsin Department of Revenue spoke on the 2025 Wisconsin economic outlook. John shared that overall, Wisconsin is in a very good (or “pretty good” if you want to be Midwest nice) economic position. Our Real GDP is going up, and our unemployment rate continues to go down (3.4% to 2.9% y/o/y). We continue to have in-migration from other states and our births outpace our deaths. Our cost of living is about 8% less than the U.S. average and poverty rate is 7th lowest in the nation. Overall, the future is bright, much in part due to the strong, hardworking middle class.
Rebecca Redmann is the Teaching Artist Coordinator for the Lullaby Project at the Overture Center for the Arts. She explained the process and demonstrated a few musical creations that were the result of musicians and songwriters collaborating with new and expectant parents to create a unique and expressive lullaby for their children. It starts with a letter from the parent to the child (to be read later by the child as an adult) expressing the parent’s hopes and dreams for the future. Teaching artists who are singer-songwriters then take the sentiments expressed and words used to create a personal lullaby for the child. The resulting lullaby is a musical keepsake that is uniquely compelling, special, and timeless in strengthening the parent-child bond.
Scott Strong pictured here with DEI Committee Co-chairs Sara Eskrich (left) and Rebekah Pare (right)
In 2015, our Club was the first large Rotary club to establish a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee. Our strategic plan states that we will achieve diversity, equity and inclusion through recruitment, education, member engagement and community service. It’s an overarching theme that guides all we do as a club for our members and for our community.
Last year, we created a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Award to recognize a member whose commitment helps in advancing these guiding principles.
Juan Jose Lopez, who passed away in 2023, would have been a valid candidate for this award. During his 26 years of membership, he served on our club’s board of directors, on our foundation board of trustees, and he chaired our scholarship committee. Juan was a strong advocate for promoting inclusivity and creating change in our community. As we recognize a member with our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Award, this year we will add Juan Jose Lopez’s name to the title.
This year’s recipient is Scott Strong. Scott is executive director of RISE Wisconsin, and he joined our Rotary Club in 2008.
Scott has been a member of our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee for 8 years and has co-chaired it for 2 years. He has led DEI sessions at the Rotary Tri-Con events. Scott has also served on our club board of directors, as Sgt-at-Arms and is a long-time member and past chair of our Youth Awards Committee.
For Scott’s leadership efforts in advancing the principles of our club’s commitment to our DEI goals, we are presenting him with our 2024 Rotary Club of Madison Juan Jose Lopez Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Award. Thank you, Scott, for continuing to help us advance the successes of our committee’s work.
Congratulations, Scott, on this well-deserved award!
Madison original, District alumnus, Rotary Club of Madison member, and now School District Superintendent Joe Gothard gave a wide ranging and comprehensive overview of the challenges and opportunities facing the district as it seeks to continue and improve upon the history of excellence of education in Madison. People Purpose Pride are the themes he uses to frame his vision for MMSD’s future. Education is a shared and collective effort among many stakeholders to provide opportunities to uplift students and achieve their highest potential. For Joe, being back in Madison and leading the MMSD is deeply personal. He expressed his pride in being from Madison and his goal of making Madison schools an educational destination of choice.
November 20 was our annual Manfred E. Swarsensky Humanitarian Service Award presentation. Fellow Rotarian Oscar Mireles, who has done so much for the Madison community, was the recipient of the award. Our speaker was fellow Rotarian Renee Moe, President and CEO of United Way of Dane County. She spoke to us of “The Importance of Volunteering.” When Renee was 28, former Rotarian Dr. Suresh Chandra, himself a Swarsensky Award recipient, explained to her the benefits of volunteering. It inspired her. She inspired us with the knowledge that volunteering can bring us personal happiness as we help our community. United Way helps people find opportunities to help others.
For decades, Oscar Mireles has dedicated himself to volunteer community leadership and public service in the Madison area. Deeply inspired by his heritage and the values of social justice, equity and education, Oscar has been a tireless advocate for underserved communities, particularly the Latino population in Madison. His commitment to empowering others through education, poetry and civic engagement embodies the values of unity, compassion and inclusivity.
As a community leader, Oscar has significantly impacted Madison’s cultural and educational landscape. He is the long-serving Executive Director of Omega School, where he has helped thousands of marginalized individuals obtain their GEDs and unlock opportunities for a better future. Under his leadership, Omega School has become a beacon of hope for adults seeking to further their education. Furthermore, he founded the culture and arts focused non-profit, Latinos Organizing for Understanding and Development (LOUD) to share art from BIPOC artists with the community. Oscar has been a key figure in promoting arts and culture in Madison, most notably through his work as a poet and as Madison’s first Latino Poet Laureate, with three published anthologies.
Oscar’s influence extends far beyond his professional life. He has served on numerous boards and committees, lending his leadership and vision to organizations including, but not limited to, the City of Madison Cultural Planning Committee, the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art(MMOCA), the Boys and Girls Club of Dane County, the Friends of PBS Wisconsin and the Latino Consortium for Action.
His contributions have been recognized with numerous awards and accolades over the years, including the Dane County Martin Luther King Jr. Humanitarian Award, the Literacy Advocate of the Year Award from Wisconsin Literacy, the Outstanding Educator Award from the 100 Black Men of Madison, the Friend of Education Award from Gov. Tony Evers.
In addition to his leadership and advocacy, Oscar is a passionate mentor to young people, especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds. His work as a mentor has inspired countless students to pursue their dreams and give back to their communities. His poetry, often centered on the Latino experience and issues of social justice, has touched the lives of many and created greater awareness of the challenges faced by marginalized groups.
Described as someone who brings different groups together, despite, and because of their differences, the Rotary Club of Madison congratulates Oscar Mireles on receiving the Manfred E. Swarsensky Humanitarian Service Award for his lifetime of service and leadership.
Rotary Club of Madison, Wisconsin 