Events

Zoom Link: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/85239514533?pwd=IamquF88aQzMveRdJNbJOAviEOzb8p.1

Communities Learning to Invest and Mobilize for Business (CLIMB) has a mission to help teens and young adults to improve there financial capability through education and capital market engagement.  CLIMB's president, ROBERT WYNN, will provide an overview of CLIMB's work to date in our community and  its launchpad program elements.  In addition, Oregon High School senior PIERRE NICKLES will share his experience as a CLIMB Youth Leader.

Meet at Olin Park at 5:30PM Sharp

Ride with fellow Rotarians of our club and with Madison South Rotary members

9 Holes

Cost = $36/person with cart; $25/person walking

Going Green Fellowship members to tour the Dane County Landfill.  Tour organized by Mike Engelberger.

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89117925371?pwd=NkxMUjNlTnQ5TC9JYkpLRzhtTmlydz09

Meeting ID: 891 1792 5371
Passcode: 211495

TOM BARRETT has served the people of Wisconsin at the local, state, national and international level for decades. After being mayor of Milwaukee for almost eighteen years, he most recently served as the United States Ambassador to Luxembourg under President Biden.   He will discuss his three years in Luxembourg, the historical and present-day relationship between the two countries, as well as the challenges to the countries’ relations by China and the Russian invasion of Ukraine. 

Book = "The Great Rover: the Making and Unmkaing of the Mississippi"

Reporter = Joyce Bromley

Rev. Dr. ALEXANDER GEE, a native Madisonian, is the Founder and CEO of The Center for Black Excellence and Culture.  The center will serve as a multifaceted transformational space where Alex and his team challenge systemic barriers to Black wellness and flourishing, while fostering Black excellence through Pan-African cultural celebration, innovation, leadership development, artistic and theatrical expression, as well as intergenerational programming. The Center broke ground in 2024 and is scheduled to open its doors later this year.

Book = The Economic Consequences of the Peace by John Maynard Keynes  (Book #2 in a Series) 

First sworn into office in May of 2020, DAVID CROWLEY became the youngest county executive in the history of Milwaukee County and the first Black leader elected to serve in the role. On April 2, 2024, Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley was reelected to a second term. The fundamental tenet of Executive Crowley’s administration is to build bridges that bring people together, deliver prosperity for working families, and foster a safer, stronger and healthier Milwaukee County.

IAN ABSTON and our club president Jason Ilstrup created the Hoan Group—a private network of 160 civic-minded leaders focused on connecting the Milwaukee and Madison business communities.  Ian is a member of the Wauwatosa Rotary Club.

Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley  and Ian Abston will discuss the economic development opportunities and challenges that both Milwaukee County and Dane County are facing, and how partnerships will help create successful results for both communities, as well as the entire State of Wisconsin. As the two leading economic and educational engines of Wisconsin, Milwaukee and Dane Counties share many of the same priorities. Addressing these shared priorities is critical in boosting economic development efforts, recruiting and retaining talented workers, and supporting small businesses, entrepreneurs, and contractors to grow Wisconsin’s economy. They will share their perspectives on how Milwaukee and Dane Counties can continue investing in innovation and leading the Badger State forward in building the Made-in-Wisconsin economy of today, tomorrow and beyond.

Guest Speaker is Russ Horton, WVM's Reference Archivist

A former small business owner and Dane County Board Supervisor, MELISSA AGARD was first elected to the State Assembly in November 2012, and served five terms in the Wisconsin State Legislature. She was elected to the State Senate in November 2020 and was chosen unanimously by her colleagues to serve as Senate Democratic Leader in November 2022.  She was then elected as Dane County Executive in November 2024.  Agard will talk about renovation plans for the Veterans Memorial Coliseum.

18 Holes  Cost = $116/person with cart

Broadway Show at Overture = MJ the Musical

GRANT SOVERN is the president of the board of the Community Immigration Law Center, the second in the country public defender service for immigrants threatened with deportation.  While we all know immigrants at our workplaces, schools, and families, almost none of us understand how dramatically the US immigration system has changed from the welcoming woman with a torch in New York Harbor to today’s promises to deport millions of people.  The basis of the misunderstanding is the various words and statuses we use to describe the immigration processes and who qualifies, or doesn’t qualify, for what.  While that may sound basic, Sovern's presentation will provide the vocabulary and understanding to weigh in more effectively at a dramatic time for this issue.   

18 Holes Cost = $142/person with cart & range

Did you know that public library service was established as one of the first municipally-funded services for Madison in 1875?  Library Director TANA ELIAS will present the history and growth of Madison Public Library in the past 150 years and a preview of what's next for Madison's public library system.

Our Second Century Fellowship Group invites children and grandchildren to learn more about our Rotary Club and the many wonderful things we do as well as to see how it has impacted their parents and/or grandparents, neighbors, etc.  The master of chemical demonstrations and science policy advocate, UW-Madison Emeritus Professor of Chemistry BASSAM SHAKHASHIRI will share the fun of science by doing experiments at our meeting to learn, enjoy, and take good action for the benefit of our community.  

JOHNEISHA PRESCOTT is a housing program specialist with the Dane County Division of Housing Access & Affordability.  NICOLE CHRISTEN is program director for The Road Home Dane County.  They will talk about managing housing and shelter initiatives for Dane County, contract oversight, and cross-agency collaboration to address homelessness and housing instability.

The Economic Consequences of the Peace by John Maynard Keynes

MICHAEL KLOSS was invited to join the Eau Claire Morning Rotary Club in 2014.  He quickly became passionate for community service to both local and international communities and greatly enjoys the sense of self-fulfillment that he receives from helping others. During his time, he has been Club President for two terms; is currently active as their Foundation Chair; and has been the Assistant Governor for Group 1 for the past four years.  

Flying above the clouds provided a new and larger prespective of life for DIANE BALLWEG, and it also opened an inner door of personal possibilities.  An advocate of lifelong learning, Diane secretly took flying lessons for two years, surprising family and friends when she became a pilot.  She has flown to six continents, navigated remote airstrips, and retraced the flight path of Japanese fighter pilots on their approach to Pearl Harbor. Her love of flying inspired her to establish and teach an aviation class at Edgewood High School.  On August 13, she will talk about her experiences that have culminated into a book titled, "Into the Wind, Above the Clouds: Love at First Flight."

The Madison Symphony Orchestra (MSO) reaches a milestone with the 2025-2026 season.  The MSO celebrates its 100^th Anniversary season and joins the ranks of many of the leading US symphony orchestras who have provided symphonic music to the communities they have served for 100 or more years.  Join Music Director John DeMain and Executive Director Robert Reed as they chat about what this means to the Madison region.

18 Holes  Cost = $115/person with cart; $90/person walking

SCOTT DIKKERS served as The Onion’s co-owner and editor-in-chief for most of its first 3 decades. He’s the #1 New York Times bestselling author of over 40 books and the creator of the  comic strip “Jim’s Journal,” as well as founder of The AV Club, and founder and proprietor of How to Write Funny, an online comedy-training center. His work has won the Thurber Prize for American Humor and a Peabody. He publishes a daily article on creativity and productivity on Substack under the banner, “No Dikkering Around." Scott's latest book, “The Onion Story: How a Band of Misfits, Dropouts, and Sad Sacks Built the World's Most Trusted News Source,” comes out in October.

My Friends by Fredrick Backman

Remzi Arpaci-Dusseau is the Vilas Distinguished Achievement Professor and Grace Wahba Professor of Computer Sciences at UW-Madison. Remzi is a widely renowned scholar, dedicated teacher, and a special advisor to the Provost on Computing and serves as the Director of the School of Computer, Data & Information Sciences. He co-leads a group with Professor Andrea Arpaci-Dusseau. Together, they have graduated 32 Ph.D. students and won numerous best-paper and test-of-time awards; many of their innovations are used by commercial systems, and their group is considered one of the leading storage-systems groups in the world. He and Andrea's operating systems book, "Operating Systems: Three Easy Pieces" (www.ostep.org) is downloaded millions of times yearly and used at numerous institutions worldwide; despite being freely available, it has been the top-selling book on Amazon in operating system theory for many years.

Remzi Arpaci-Dusseau will present information about CDIS, the newest and fastest growing school at UW-Madison. His presentation will discuss its origins, current projects and programs, and new directions, in particular as related to the ongoing “AI moment” in the world.

Our Rotary Friendship Exchange guests from Turkey will be wrapping up their visit to Madison with a final night farewell celebration, and you are invited to join us on Thursday, September 11 at Valerie Renk’s farm in Sun Prairie for a Wisconsin-style tailgate party, complete with great food, good company, and plenty of international fellowship. Your presence will help send them off with warm memories of Madison and the friendships they’ve built here.

Cocktails kick off at 5:30 PM

Come as you are, bring a guest, and get into the spirit with your favorite team apparel—Packers, Badgers, Brewers, or your local favorite!

Dinner at 6:00 PM

Please bring a dish to share—something hearty, homey, or uniquely you. Think brats and beer, cheese curds, old-fashioneds, chips, salads, sweets, or whatever says “Wisconsin hospitality.”

Enjoy:

• Meeting Rotarians who love cheese almost as much as they love service above self 🧀
• Tailgate fun without the Camp Randall traffic or Lambeau frostbite 🧤
• Building international friendships one Johnsonville at a time 🌭
• Beautiful farm views, fresh country air, and maybe even a tractor selfie or two 🚜📸
• Wearing your favorite team gear with zero risk of being booed (unless it's the Bears!)

Help us give our Turkish visitors a final night to remember!

• RSVP to Margaret Murphy, MSMurphy4@wisc.edu or text: 920-268-2187 by Sept. 8
• If you would like to bring a dish to share, please sign up here:  https://doodle.com/sign-up-sheet/participate/9be53789-ff0b-43e9-bcf2-169421a65771/select

Looking forward to seeing you—let’s show them how Wisconsin tailgates!

18 Holes  Cost = $128/person with card & range;  9 Holes  Cost = $64/person

Join Executive Director of the Dane County Historical Society Rick Bernstein and Dane County Senior Planner Bridgit Van Belleghem, as they discuss the history and impact of racial covenants. These clauses, made illegal in 1968 with the passage of the Fair Housing Act, prevented non-Christians and non-Whites from buying or occupying land.

Rick Bernstein served as a Public Historian of 30 years with the Wisconsin Historical Society before taking on the Executive Director role. 

Bridgit Van Belleghem works with property owners in the Prejudice in Places project, and also works with rural landowners to preserve agricultural and natural resources in rural Dane County.

Join Sam Rikkers, Deputy Secretary and COO of the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation, as he shares insights into Wisconsin's place in the global economy gained from recent international trade missions to Mexico, China, Japan and more. 

Join former State Senator Dale Schultz, as he provides reflection on the state of politics nationally in Wisconsin and about the formation of United Wisconsin, an unincorporated association that one day may be a fusion political party, which he co-chairs. Also speaking will be former Dane County Sheriff Dave Mahoney, who co-chairs United Wisconsin. Jeff Mandell, General Counsel and President of Law Forward, will discuss fusion voting and how it works. 

United Wisconsin's Background: A group of voters have formed United Wisconsin, an unincorporated association that one day may be a fusion political party.  A lawsuit has been filed challenging Wisconsin's ban on fusion voting, arguing it violates the state constitution. United Wisconsin believes that restoring fusion voting will encourage more compromise and cooperation in our politics. Our platform centers on values that have built Wisconsin: rule of law, public education small business and natural resources.  

Matt Villeneuve of Turtle Mountain Chippewa descent, is Assistant Professor of U.S. History and Native American and Indigenous Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he teaches courses in American Indian History, Native education, and environmental history. His research focuses on Native histories of education and schooling. Matt will present on one type of school that has been largely overlooked for over a hundred years: Indian Boarding Schools. Supported by the federal government, there were nearly a dozen such schools which worked to separate Indigenous families, eliminate language, and enact cultural replacement. This talk will offer a brief sketch of the history of Wisconsin's Indian Boarding schools and gesture towards current efforts to seek truth and healing in the wake of these deeply impactful institutions and showcase the strength and resilience of Wisconsin's Native nations. 

Join John Patterson, a 27-year veteran of the Madison Police Department and the Acting Chief of Police, as he discusses his vision for the Madison Police Department. Chief Patterson will speak on the challenges and the opportunities of his role, his commitment to enhancing police-community interactions and collaborations, and fostering transparency.

Jim Berkenstadt, aka the Rock And Roll Detective, is a local bestselling author of nonfiction, popular music history and mystery books. He will be speaking about his past work as a musical consultant to The Beatles, and other groups, as well as his film documentary work. Berkenstadt will also delve into his two recent award-winning, mystery bestsellers, The Beatle Who Vanished: 60th Beatles Anniversary Tour and Mysteries in the Music: Case Closed. 

From welding labs to health clinics, culinary kitchens to art studios—Madison College is a place of endless discovery. Join Dr. Berne for a behind-the-scenes look at how the college is shaping futures and strengthening our community.

Dr. Jasmine Zapata is an award winning author, national speaker, double board certified physician, visionary public health leader, business pioneer, and mother of four. In addition to practicing in the hospital and holding statewide physician leadership roles, she is passionate about stepping outside of the clinic walls to explore upstream and innovative approaches to improving birth outcomes for all. Zapata’s many lived experiences help her uniquely connect with the communities she serves, and she is well known for her infectious energy, passionate advocacy, and heart for service.

In her presentation, Dr. Zapata will share the gripping details of her own daughter’s premature birth at 25 weeks gestation and the life threatening complications that came after. She will share how her birth story tremendously shaped her career trajectory and what she is doing on a personal and professional level to combat black infant mortality in Wisconsin. She will challenge listeners to reflect on what role they play in the current infant mortality crisis and what things that they can do in both traditional and non-traditional ways to improve it. This session will be a mix of storytelling, self reflection, and fireside chat style Q/A. Join us! 

The Wisconsin Veterans Museum turns 125 years old on April 5, 2026. As always, the museum team works to preserve, interpret, and affirm the role of Wisconsinites in service to the United States armed forces. This talk will give an overview of the museum's history, activities, and plans for the future.