Learning about the state we serve
Dispatches from Our Own Wisconsin: Al Castro of the United Community Center Al Castro is the Director of Health Research Programs at the United Community Center, a nonprofit Latino community organization in Milwaukee. With an extensive background in social work, Al combines public health issues in his work at UCC, facilitating community-engaged health research in the …
Dispatches from Our Own Wisconsin: Tricia Garrison of NEW Water Tricia Garrison is the public affairs and education manager for NEW Water, the brand of the Green Bay Metropolitan Sewerage District, that serves Northeast Wisconsin and cleans 38 million gallons of water per day. Tricia has a B.A. in Journalism from the University of Wisconsin–Madison and …
Dispatches from Our Own Wisconsin: Rick Erickson of Bayfield High School Rick Erickson is an award-winning high school teacher at the Bayfield School District where he teaches high school chemistry, physics, and alternative education. Among his laurels are a 2014 Wisconsin High School Teacher of the Year and the 2019 Presidential Award of Excellence in Math …
Dispatches from Our Own Wisconsin: Dylan Jennings of Bad River Band Dylan Bizhikiins Jennings, an enrolled member of the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Ojibwe, graduated from the University of Wisconsin–Madison in 2013. He is now the Director of Public Information for the Great Lakes Indian Fish & Wildlife Commission and also serves as an …
Dispatches from Our Own Wisconsin: Mitch Breunig of Mystic Valley Dairy Mitch Breunig, owner of Mystic Valley Dairy, LLC, in rural Roxbury, near Sauk City, manages eight employees, oversees the breeding and healthcare of the herd, and analyzes the finances and marketing of Mystic Valley’s milk, cattle, and crops. The farm milks about 450 cows, raises …
Dispatches from Our Own Wisconsin: Greg Wright of CREATE Portage County Greg Wright, executive director, and Chris Klesmith, project activator, make up the team at CREATE Portage County, which operates an innovation center in Stevens Point known as the IDEA Center. They run a community and economic development organization that accelerates creativity, connection, and collaboration to …
Dispatches from Our Own Wisconsin: Dani Lind of Rooted Spoon Dani Lind, owner and head chef of Rooted Spoon, leverages her local agricultural connections to bring quality ingredients to the small town of Viroqua, Wisconsin. She has spent the last 20 years or so cooking, gardening, preserving, exploring, and developing relationships with local food and farmers. …
Dispatches from Our Own Wisconsin: Hillary Bark of De Soto Area School District Hillary Bark is an agriculture teacher and FFA (Future Farmers of America) advisor at De Soto Area School District, a rural school district in western Wisconsin. She graduated from UW-Platteville with her B.S. in Animal Science and went on to get her …
Dispatches from Our Own Wisconsin: Brey Cycle Farms Lauren Brey, along with her husband Jacob, his brother Tony, and sister-in-law Moriah, own and manage a 600-cow farm in Sturgeon Bay. All four graduated from UW–Madison: Lauren in Food Science & Life Sciences Communication, Jacob and Tony in Dairy Science, and Moriah in Agricultural Journalism. They are …
Dispatches from Our Own Wisconsin: Caitlin Cullen of Tandem Restaurant Caitlin Cullen is the chef and owner of the Tandem restaurant in Milwaukee’s Lindsay Heights. Since 2016, she has been using her restaurant to train young people on Milwaukee’s north side for careers in the service industry. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, her restaurant was …