The Madison Region Economic Partnership (MadREP) and the Urban League of Greater Madison (ULGM) have announced additional speakers for the 7th Annual Madison Region Economic Development & Diversity Summit. The event, being held virtually October 22 and 23, will feature renowned national and regional speakers, programming and networking opportunities with a focus on why embracing diversity and inclusion is integral to equitable economic development in the Madison Region. Reserve your spot today! 

Rob Franklin, Media Projects Bubblerarian, Madison Public Library

Rob Franklin is a Kennedy Center certified teaching artist for the Making Justice program, his primary focus is on creating workshops on Hip Hop, Spoken Word and Personal Branding as positive forms of self-expression. As a teaching artist Rob has held residencies with Madison youth at Huegel and Schenk Elementary Schools, Blackhawk and Toki Middle Schools, and all four high schools as well as Capital High. He has worked at several community centers, the Dane County Juvenile Detention Center, Juvenile Shelter Home, Neighborhood Intervention Program, Grow Academy, Madison Jazz Consortium and with The Black Star Drum Line. In 2016 he was named Madison Public Library’s community recipient of the Medal Of Honor for Museum and Library Services. He served as the primary teaching artist with the initial Hip Hop Architecture Camp as well as serving as a consulting social practice artist for downtown Madison’s Mifflandia Neighborhood project and currently is working with city planning as a resident artist for the Law Park Project. As a musician, he has performed with the likes of Nas, Eminem, Common, Talib Kweli, Dead Prez and others. In 2017, he was inducted to the American Folklife Center at the Library Of Congress and The National Museum of African American History and Culture as a member of The Story Corps program.

Matt Kures, Distinguished Community Development Specialist with the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Division of Extension

Matt Kures carries out the Wisconsin Idea by assisting communities and organizations through economic development policy analysis, labor force research and regional competitive analysis. Matt has worked at the University of Wisconsin since 2001. During this time he has authored numerous studies on Wisconsin’s economy and has made hundreds of presentations to local, regional and national audiences. Matt was a regular contributor to the Capitol Region Business Journal and his work is featured in numerous other business and economic development publications. Matt was named to “Madison’s 40 Under 40” by In Business magazine. In 2016, he received the Outstanding Specialist Award from UW-Extension’s Community, Natural Resource and Economic Development program. Matt has a B.S. and an M.S. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Sandra Medrano, Senior Consultant, FSG

Sandra has experience and interest in microfinance and environmentalism in cities across the U.S. She is a firm believer in the importance in uniting stakeholders and mobilizing communities to generate real solutions to social problems. Since joining FSG in the fall 2015, Sandra has supported research, analysis, and insight generation on several engagements. Her work has covered areas such as strategy development for the Nebraska Department of Education; secondary and primary research of the veteran and military family community to develop place-based engagement strategies; research and analysis to drive strategy development for a multinational corporation’s social responsibility and sustainability portfolio; and support for corporate philanthropic efforts to increase the pipeline of STEM teachers of color in the U.S. More recently, Sandra has contributed to research efforts that highlight best practices for gender equity in retail and to research and analysis that informs community-based philanthropy in San Antonio, Texas.

Karen Reece, President & Co-Founder of Urban Community Arts Network (UCAN)

Karen Reece, Ph.D., is the President and co-founder of Urban Community Arts Network (UCAN), a Madison, WI non-profit focused on professional development for urban artists and building equity in the local music and entertainment scene. Karen develops programming, writes grants and curriculum, and facilitates community organizing in the Hip-Hop community. Karen also provides program evaluation, research, and strategic support for a local nonprofit in Madison WI focused on reducing racial disparities at the systems-level.

The Madison Region Economic Partnership (MadREP) and the Urban League of Greater Madison (ULGM) are pleased to announce that National Urban League President & CEO Marc Morial will keynote the 7th Annual Madison Region Economic Development & Diversity Summit, being held virtually October 22 and 23. As in previous years, the event will feature renowned national and regional speakers, programming and networking opportunities with a focus on why embracing diversity and inclusion is integral to equitable economic development in the Madison Region.

“We look forward to once again convening the region’s premiere businesses and other community leaders to continue pushing forward workforce diversity and economic inclusion initiatives that can make our region a model of opportunity for all,” said ULGM President & CEO Dr. Ruben Anthony.

MadREP President Paul Jadin echoed Dr. Anthony’s enthusiasm. “I’ve known Marc since our days as mayors and couldn’t be more thrilled to welcome him, virtually, to the Madison Region. This is an important moment in history as our society grapples with a global pandemic and a reckoning on racial justice. I can’t think of a better person to keynote our 2020 Summit than Marc Morial.”

Also keynoting this year’s conference is Carlos Andrés Gómez. Gomez is a Colombian American award-winning poet, speaker, performer, and author of Fractures (winner of the Felix Pollak Prize in Poetry), Hijito (winner of the Broken River Prize) and the memoir Man Up: Reimagining Modern Manhood. A star of HBO’s Def Poetry Jam, TV One’s Verses and Flow, and Spike Lee’s #1 box office movie Inside Man with Denzel Washington, Gomez also partnered with John Legend on Senior Orientation, a program to counteract bullying and champion inclusive masculinity among high school students. Carlos is a proud Latinx and father. He spent nearly two decades facilitating actionable and inspiring engagements that address Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and Gender Equity.

Other speakers include:

Susan Longworth, Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago Senior Advisor, Community and Economic Development

Susan Longworth is a senior business economist in the community development and policy studies division at the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago. Prior to joining the Fed in 2011, she had over 20 years of community development experience, with a special emphasis on community development financial institutions and community banks. Longworth coauthored the report “Conclusions from Conversations about Economic Inclusion from the Midwest”.

Binnu Palta Hill, Assistant Dean for Diversity and Inclusion Wisconsin School of Business University of Wisconsin–Madison

Prior to joining WSB in 2006, Hill spent over ten years in the UW System teaching, consulting, and designing programming that enhances inclusion by leveraging strategic leadership and organizational cultural dexterity. Her expertise includes developing open communication skills within organizations by developing a shared vocabulary on conflict resolution, thus enhancing innovation and performance. Hill founded the Diversity Lunch and Learn Series which focuses on sensitive topics such as race, gender, and politics and averages a monthly attendance of 175 participants, and also teaches inclusive leadership in the Wisconsin Evening and Executive MBA Programs.

Be sure to reserve your virtual seat and check the conference website often for updates and new speaker announcements.

Management at Stoughton Trailers, LLC, a global leader in transportation equipment, has announced plans to hire 300 new employees for entry-level, skilled labor and professional positions in its Stoughton and Brodhead plants this fall.

“Current and projected business is strong at Stoughton Trailers,” said President and CEO Bob Wahlin. “We’ve secured a significant number of new orders from some of our larger, well-known trucking fleets, and we’ve gained market share. We’re expecting substantial growth in 2021. The time is right to build our workforce back up so we can meet the growing demand for the highest-quality semi-truck trailers on the road today.”

Immediate and anticipated entry-level and skilled positions are available in assembly, welding, material control and maintenance. Professional openings include engineering, quality, supply chain, information technology, human resources, sales/marketing and accounting roles. Visit stojobs.com for a complete list of employment opportunities.

Stoughton Trailers has adjusted the interview process to provide flexibility for applicants while adhering to public health guidelines. Stoughton Trailers’ Environmental Health and Safety team has put numerous measures into place to prevent COVID-19 from spreading and to maximize safety in the workplace. Employees are required to wear masks while on the premises, many work areas have been modified to maintain proper social distance, and breaks are staggered to limit the number of staff in break rooms. Staff are also subject to pre-shift temperature checks and are instructed to stay home in the presence of illness symptoms or if in direct contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19.

Madison Region Economic Partnership (MadREP) President Paul Jadin recently announced plans to retire. “It’s been a tremendous privilege to lead the Madison Region through the Advance Now strategy over the last several years,” he said. “Our Region is now more competitive on the global economic stage and ready for a new leader to see it through the Advance Now 2.0 strategy.”

A search committee of community leaders and The QTI Group are actively recruiting candidates to serve as successor. Dan Brown, MadREP Board Chair is optimistic about the future of the Region. “While we are sad to lose Paul’s experience and talent, we are confident we will find an exceptional candidate to lead the Madison Region into the future. Thank you to Paul for his leadership and investment in the Region.”

The next President and Chief Executive Officer will serve as the dynamic leader of the Madison Region Economic Partnership, someone who will ignite asset-based economic development in this growing region from national and international investors and partners, while fostering entrepreneurship within the Region. With support from the board of directors, this individual will be the organization’s chief promoter, advocate and organizer. They will actualize success for the Advance Now 2.0 Strategy by raising necessary funds to support the vision of a vital economy buoyed by economic and racial diversity. The President and CEO will promote both the investment opportunities and the well-being of underserved communities in the Region as core tenets of success. They will oversee programs to educate a changing and more diverse workforce. The President and CEO will invite entrepreneurship, innovation, a willingness to overcome former paradigms, and creative leadership as building blocks of successful economic development. They will effectively communicate these success stories to advance the mission.

The President and CEO will be familiar with and passionate about the Region, to hit the ground running. This individual will take responsibility for building and maintaining quality relationships with economic development partners, cities, counties, the state, communities of color, chambers of commerce, the media, and other organizations that collectively impact the economic vitality of the southcentral part of the state. They will drive national and international investment in the Region to meet the evolving needs of the current and future economy. Expenditure of investment funds will be efficient and consistent with the budget and strategy passed by the board of directors. The CEO will also directly hire and supervise staff with diversity as a priority; they will authorize any changes in the organizational staff and structure, including the hiring of a new Vice President of Development, currently a vacant position.

Interested candidates are encouraged to apply.

Applications for $24 million in funding will be accepted through December 1.

On Tuesday, Sept. 1, the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin (PSC) announced the opening of the 2021 Broadband Expansion Grant round. $24 million in funding is available to projects that will expand high-speed broadband internet to unserved and underserved areas of the state.

“With many working from home, some of our kids and educators doing distance learning, and accessing healthcare through telemedicine sometimes as the only option, the COVID-19 pandemic has underscored how critically important broadband is to our state,” said Governor Tony Evers. “We need to use this funding to target those most affected by this pandemic and get them connected.”

“We are strongly committed to the continued equitable expansion of broadband services to meet the needs of all communities and residents in Wisconsin,” said PSC Chairperson Rebecca Cameron Valcq. “Access to high-speed broadband internet is essential for participation in modern society and to achieve community, public safety, learning, health, and economic goals in Wisconsin.”

This is the second round of funding that was appropriated in the 2019-2021 state biennial budget. The available grant funding is equal to the 2020 grant round which, at the time, was more funding offered than all the seven previous rounds combined.

The 2019-2021 biennial budget, which was signed by the Governor Evers last year, provided $48 million over the biennium for broadband expansion grants. For the 2020 round of funding, the PSC received 143 applications requesting $50.3 million for large and small projects. In March of this year, the PSC awarded 72 grants to extend high-speed internet access to as many as 3,182 businesses and 46,537 homes, including 39,778 locations that are currently unserved.

The broadband expansion grants aim to help private companies find a path to return on investment in areas of the state that are challenging to serve. Since 2014, 210 grants have been awarded, and have connected or are in the process of connecting over 7,000 businesses and 117,000 homes to high-speed broadband internet service.

Click here for application materials and more information about the Broadband Expansion Grant Program and past recipients.

Source: PSC of Wisconsin