Tag Archives: Madison WI

February 2: Character Based Management for More Productivity

Posted on February 3, 2022 by | Leave a comment

–submitted by Jessika Kasten

On February 2, Robert Beezat spoke to the Club about Character Based Management, offering keys to more productive and effective organizations. Robert talked about the critical job of managers and the importance that strong character plays in being a good, effective manager. If you reflect back on great managers you’ve had in your life, you’ll likely reflect on those who had integrity – meaning their actions reflected their words. Robert reminded us that although no one can be perfect, we can all be better. He encourages leaders to continuously evaluate themselves and invest time in improving their managerial skills.

If you missed our meeting this week, you can watch it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=10FioW_eO9E

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

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January 26: Fostering Prosperity for Latinx Dane County Residents

Posted on January 27, 2022 by | Leave a comment

–submitted by Andrea Kaminski

Baltazar De Anda Santana, co-founder and executive director of the Latino Academy of Workforce Development, opened with the story of his immigration from Guadalajara to California with just $20 in his pocket. He said it hurt when people told him all the things they were sure he could not do, such as speak English, become a U.S. citizen, and get a college degree and a job with a decent wage. He said this is the story of many immigrants. In less than 20 years Baltazar has accomplished all of these things, and other immigrants are doing the same. While people of Hispanic origin make up 6.5% of the Dane County population, they are over-represented among the essential workers who have risked their lives to serve our community through the pandemic. Baltazar challenged Rotarians to welcome Latinx immigrants into the community and support policies that make it possible for them to prosper. 

If you missed our meeting this week, you can watch it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w5nLCd1gXZg&t=2341s.

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January 19: State Line Distillery: Building Community One Bottle at a Time

Posted on January 20, 2022 by | Leave a comment

–submitted by Andrea Kaminski

As a biology major at UW-Eau Claire several years ago, John Mleziva was interested in the science behind fermentation and brewing. Eventually he came to Madison to teach at Edgewood College. In 2012 he enrolled in a second master’s program, this time in Scotland and specializing in brewing and distilling. Then he returned to Madison, bought a small still and began testing recipes in his kitchen. He opened State Line Distillery in a beautifully rehabilitated facility on Madison’s east side in 2017. The first few years saw tremendous growth, but they had to shut the doors in March 2020 because of the pandemic. One day as John sat in the empty cocktail lounge wondering if the distillery would survive, he was asked to produce hand sanitizer for the state of Wisconsin. This kept State Line and many other distilleries afloat through the pandemic.

If you missed our meeting this week, you can watch it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vb-FaNWmXZM&t=405s

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

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DAIS: Making Adjustments to Provide Services During a Pandemic

Posted on January 13, 2022 by | Leave a comment

–submitted by Andrea Kaminski

On January 12, Shannon Barry, executive director of Domestic Abuse Intervention Service, spoke about how her organization adjusted to support survivors through the pandemic. This required new strategies just when their clients’ own situations were more dire. During the Covid lockdowns, victims were isolated with their batterers. DAIS provides an array of personal services and advocacy and has the only domestic violence shelter in Dane County. The volunteers who previously staffed the DAIS 24-hour helpline were let go, and all staff members had to help staff the line. With a Paycheck Protection Program loan, DAIS has purchased additional phones, improved its technology and made the workplace safer.

If you missed our meeting this week, you can watch it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0_vVhluFXRI&t=2269s

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Climate Action: Local Challenges, Local Solutions

Posted on January 6, 2022 by | Leave a comment

–submitted by Andrea Kaminski

At our online January 5 Rotary meeting, Dane County Executive Joe Parisi and WKOW-TV Senior Chief Meteorologist Bob Lindmeier spoke about the local challenges and solutions in Dane County related to climate change. Lindmeier set the stage as a qualified, trusted messenger with a passion for climate change education. He said the problem is simple, it has serious implications, and it is solvable. He cited ample peer-reviewed information to confirm that climate change is real and that it affects the natural environment, public health and economy of our area. Parisi outlined several initiatives instituted by Dane County government which are significantly offsetting the use of fossil fuels and saving taxpayers money. 

If you missed our meeting this week, you can watch it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z_Ib5JQbbvU&t=1558s

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December 15: Festival of Youth Arts

Posted on December 16, 2021 by | Leave a comment

–submitted by Kevin Hoffman

The program for our last meeting of the year was a video compilation of performances by five Madison-area youth arts organizations.  Featured video montages were from:

  • Opera for the Young – A professional adult touring company that brings interactive performances to elementary schools throughout the Upper Midwest.  Adult casts collaborate with music teachers and student choruses to perform specially created opera adaptations.  They reach 70,000 children at around 200 schools.  They showed snippets from Pirates of Penzance and The Magic Flute.
  • Little Picassos – A youth-focused art enrichment organization that serves low-income families and seeks to provide more equal access to art education and enrichment.  The program provides a safe and nurturing environment to create and learn about art genres and history.  It also seeks to highlight the achievements of Black, Latino and Indigenous artists.
  • Music Con Brio – Created to provide affordable, accessible, and high-quality music lessons to children regardless of a family’s ability to pay or transport their child to and from lessons.  They produce an annual community concert series in collaboration with diverse Madison groups that perform a wide range of music from chamber music to jazz and funk.
  • Madison Scouts Drum and Bugle Corps – Founded in 1920, the Madison Scouts is the oldest youth music organization in the State of Wisconsin. The program reaches over 4,000 youth students through music education programs, leadership development programs, and events hosted in Wisconsin through performing ensembles, and the Madison Scouts.  The Madison Scouts bring 165 youth from around the world including North America, Japan and Europe. 
  • Madison Ballet – Reaches around 13,000 people per year through live ballet productions at the Overture Center, School of Madison Ballet, and outreach partnerships with other non-profits in the Madison area.  The video they shared was of a performance at a state park near Delafield of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. 

Thanks to Neil Fauerbach for doing the video editing to present this program at our meeting.

If you missed our meeting this week, you can watch it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yXm9HlJ2jfw&t=4s

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

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